Charles Smith x Reader

Ten

Rain beat against the windows as a flash of lightning shattered the darkness. Bright light leapt into the room and chased away the shadows.

Only a small ember was still burning in the fireplace. It smelled of ash and smoke.

Startled out of sleep, your head jerked to the side. Mild light flooded your vision as you opened your eyes a crack. You frowned.

There was something wet on your hand. You could smell salt. Like a sea. And then there was the scent of iron and raw meat.

"Clarence?", you asked in a soft voice into the darkness.

Tired, the dog lifted his head. He howled while his nose wandered over Charles' face, twitching.

Swallowing hard, you push yourself up on your elbows to look at him. Your heart almost stopped in your chest in shock.

Even though the silver light of the moon didn't illuminate much, you could see how bad he looked. Sweat ran down his face in small rivulets. He was barely breathing and when you put your hand on his cheek he was almost as cold as a light one.

Startled, you backed away from him and rushed to grab a gas lantern. When the golden light touched his body, the impression only got worse.

Deep red stains were clearly visible on the blanket he was wrapped in. He was sweating like it was summer in the desert.

It was strange to think about, but the colour had drained from his face as well. He looked more dead than alive and one could clearly see that.

"Charles...", you gently shook his shoulder.

But he didn't even react.

A soft curse escaped you.

Carefully, you pulled back the blankets to expose the bandage on his shoulder. Red mingled with yellow pus and watery ooze. The wound had become infected. When you lifted the bandage, his skin stuck to it.

A musty odour hit you. Disgusted, you had to press your lips together to stop yourself from vomiting on the spot. He was dying.

His own body slowly began to kill him.

What now?

With your heart beating wildly, you wrapped him in the blanket again. He was freezing cold. You had done everything you could. Your abilities wouldn't allow any more.

All that was left now was to get a doctor. But the nearest town was an hour away, if not more. And then there was the question of whether anyone would help him.

Although he was a man of colour, one could see some native blood in him. He wore his hair long and in black waves, very similar to Aponi although not exactly the same. A few feathers adorned some strands and a necklace made of wooden beads juggled around his neck.

Obviously, he took pride in who he was.

Most of the settlers in the neighbourhood didn't take kindly to outsiders. And certainly not the natives. If they had their way, they would wipe out the tribe at its roots.

Even if it was unfair, the chances of him finding help in the city were slim. Only the natives remained. But even they were not well-disposed towards strangers. They kept a low profile and favoured a neutral position.

As long as it didn't concern them. They wouldn't do Charles any favours.

But perhaps you could ask for one. It might be worth a try.

"Stay here.", you whispered to Clarence and jumped up to grab your coat.

Blood was on your hands as you rushed out the door and stumbled into the barn as fast as you could.

There was no time to saddle the horse. Although you weren't really good at riding bareback, you knew it would take far too long to strap one onto the horse.

It hadn't looked impossible with Aponi, so how hard could it be?

It didn't take long for you to get an answer to this question. As soon as your horse took the first step, you could feel yourself losing your grip on the smooth back.

Rain pelted down on you.

You just managed to hold on to the mane and let the animal run free. It seemed as if it knew exactly where you wanted to go.

Cold crept into your bones, accompanied by wetness that made your hair stick to your forehead. It felt like your clothes were trying to become a second skin to you.

Darkness swallowed your vision as the horse leapt between the trees of the forest.

Branches hit your legs. Pain made your skin ripple.

Cursing, you clenched your teeth and pressed yourself closer to your horse's back.

Rocks and undergrowth passed by.

Thunder rumbled over the tops of the trees. The smell of electricity filled the air.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up.

Suddenly you couldn't tell where you were or where the horse was taking you. Cold wind gripped your cheeks. Fingers felt like ice.

The roar of the stream mingled with the sound of the rain. Your gaze jumped through the darkness. There was water, but it was far away.

The horse left the muddy path and headed for the untouched thicket.

Thorns dug into your legs and tore your trousers. You had to curse again. Your hands buried themselves in the mane. You tried to lead the mount back onto the path, but it refused.

Snorting, the head lifted. Hooves dug into the mud.

"Turn round!", your voice shook with cold and tension. "We have to go back! I have to find Aponi. Go back!"

But again the horse refused. Instead, it jumped over a pile of stones. A mountain appeared in the glare of the lightning.

Startled, you flinched.

All of a sudden, feathers rattled in the branches of the trees. At first you thought it was just birds hiding from the storm. But then you noticed the threads and beads decorating the branches.

Suddenly it felt like someone was trying to show you the way. Narrowing your eyes, you raised your head, rain and cold whipping your face, trying to recognise where you were going.

And once again your horse knew where it was going. It galloped confidently along the foot of the mountain, between stones and trees until more space opened up between the trunks and a plain appeared, protected by small hills and trees.

The stream meandered between green grasses.

In the distance, flickering smoke rose up into the dark sky. It smelled of fire.