Ancient Love - Jerusha Rock

Chapter 21

[Flashback]

[13 years ago]

I was running in the forest. I was running as fast as I could, my breathing accelerating I was eight years old. 

I was running from.... Wolves. I was running away from hungry wolves, crying out loud, calling someone for help. Suddenly, someone came and stood in front of me, holding a stick with a fire burning on it. I couldn't see the person properly as it was dark. It was night and it was very dark.

The person brought the light next to its face. I saw that it was a boy. He looked like he was of my age. He pulled me closer towards him and shone the light from the fire in front of the wolves. The wolves stopped running and couldn't come forward. They got scared of the fire and ran away. I felt happy. I felt safe.

"Thanks for saving me from those wolves." I said to the boy.

"You're welcome. What are you doing in the forest at this time?"

"I came here as I wanted to be alone. I was angry and I thought this was the best place for being alone."

"Maybe in the morning but not in the night." I bowed down my head in defeat. He said, sighing out heavily "Alright, let's get out of here first."  We were about to walk until when I winced in pain. "What's wrong?" He asked, worryingly.

"While running from those wolves, I fell down and got hurt."

"Oh no. We can't get out like this." He looked around and then snapped his fingers. He grabbed me by the arm and made me sit on a rock. "You wait right here." He said, before plucking some leaves from a bush. I was confused. He knelt down in front of me and said, "Show me the place you got hurt."

"What are you going to do?"

"These leaves will cure your wound. If we just put it on top of your wound, it will heal in no time."

"Oh, okay." I said, before showing him the place I got hurt. I got hurt on my knee. He crushed the leaves into a paste with his hand and applied a bit on my wound. I said, wincing in pain "It hurts."

"It will burn a bit. Here, you can hold my hand till then." He said, stretching out his hand. I took his soft hand in mine and let him apply the medicine. Whenever I felt a burning sensation, I squeezed his hand but he didn't complain. 

"There we go. All done." He said. He washed his hands from a river nearby and came back to me.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asked. I nodded and he smiled at me. "We shall leave then." He said, before helping me to get up and walk with him. We were walking together in silence when I asked "So, what are you doing here at this time?"

"I come here every night. My father sends me out of the house every night and tells me to stay in the forest for the night. I should return back only at dawn till then I have got to be here."

"Why though?"

"So that I can be a brave warrior. If I survive this then I can survive anything."

"You are really brave."

"Umm... thanks. Nobody's really told me that."

"Well, then they should."

We got out of the forest and he took me back to the kingdom. He asked me where I lived and I told him the palace.

"You live in the palace!" He asked, shocked.

"Yes, I do."

"Do you work over there or something?"