The Red Wolf's Daughter (Book 3 Part 2: The Making of the Siran)

Chapter 55

Caroline didn't say a word and slowly blinked, and I could tell that there were a lot of questions going around her mind but didn't know how to tell them. She looked around to see if we were alone before she looked at me, stopping in front of this gray building that stood eery and all alone with only tents surrounding it.

I paused and cocked my head while I stared at the building and then looked at her, and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. "Is this the shower place?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and she nodded in confirmation.

"Yes," she said before she cleared her throat and licked her lips, hesitating ever so slightly. "This is the shower building. It's one of the only things that Tabitha had made that still works..." She shrugged and grimaced, pressing her lips into a thin line.

Her cheeks turned another shade of red, and she looked around before she looked at me without saying another word.

I slowly nodded and bit the inside of my lip, biting back a tired sigh. "Then let's go ahead and take a shower," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "I also want to see how bad my back looks. I am pretty sure that it looks pretty gnarly."

Caroline furrowed her brows and slowly nodded. She cocked her head to the side and studied me, and worry flashed through her eyes. "Do you think your toe looks bad too?" she asked. "Like do you have a scar on it?"

I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I don't know," I said before I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck. "I wish I knew, but I do not think so. It's not going to be as bad as that. It might not have left any scarring at all."

"Well, we can check on it later," I said and moved a hand through my hair, wrinkling my nose and pursing my lips in annoyance when I felt how greasy it felt. "I'm surprised that no one has said anything about me stinking," I added and rubbed the back of my neck.

Caroline bit back a small laugh and nodded. "I am surprised, too. I didn't even notice it... not really." Her cheeks turned red, and she bit back a small smile while she tucked her head closer to her chest.

I shrugged and grimaced before I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "Let's go ahead and get those showers because I want to feel pretty again. Ok?" I flashed her a small smirk and a wink, and she bit back a small smile and slowly nodded.

Caroline bit back a small chuckle and shifted on her feet while she grew serious. "Ok," she said. She gestured for me to enter the building first, silently indicating that she would follow me after I stepped in, and I did what I was told to do and walked into the building with her following me. "Do you need any clothes?" she asked and cocked her head while she studied me. "Or do you think the pouch has some for you?"

"The pouch will have some for me, I am sure," I said with a small shrug and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I don't mind standing out because I know that I am different from everyone else and from a different timeline than you all."

Caroline furrowed her brows and slowly nodded, biting the inside of her lip. Worry flashed through her eyes, and she cleared her throat while she licked her lips. "I think it would be best if you wore the same clothes as us..." She trailed off before she cleared her throat, and her cheeks turned red. "I don't want you to get hurt, or worse, killed."

I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thinner line before I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes. "I don't care if I get hurt, and I don't think I will be killed because I am able to protect myself more than others."

"Because of your fire powers?" Caroline asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and I nodded in confirmation. "Will you use your water powers, too, to protect yourself?"