Heir to the Ice Queen (Book 1)

Ch. 21

     Nuri hesitated just enough for Elis to push him off just slightly, allowing him to stand on his own two feet again. Both boys were breathing heavily, staring each other down, waiting for the next move. Elis looked away from Nuri's golden eyes and noticed me burnt on the ground and took a step in my direction, still frustrated and angry, but the threat was gone. 

     Nuri didn't see it that way though, he growled showing his teeth and blocked him from even coming closer to me. Elis didn't move against him, he just stood still as Nuri slowly backed away from him to attend me. The affection in his honey eyes warmed my heart, like a father taking care of their child as he licked my wounds. His body was still tense with worry, and adrenaline as he tried to comfort me. I lifted my heavy arm to run under Nuri's chin. 

     "Don't attack him Nuri. Like I said, he's a jerk," my voice sounded raspy. He simply looked me in the eyes, "I need to swallow my pride this time around big guy, I pushed him to far. But that's going to be our little secret okay?"

     He went back to licking my neck. It stung slightly, but I bit down on the inside of my cheek from showing any more signs of pain, plus it might be unsanitary but the saliva helped make the open wounds feel fresh agains the heat. Elis came back into my view holding some plant leafs and water, I didn't even notice he had left.

     "This is aloe, it'll heal the burns within minutes for royals," He looked between Nuri and I, "Will I be able to put some on you without getting attacked again?"

     "Well I mean you started it," I said lightly, but his face stayed serious, "It was a joke Elis, come on laugh a little. You're not the one with a burnt body right now."

     He bent down and took off what was left of the breast plate, each move brought a stinging sensation as if the leather mended onto my burnt skin. I dug my finger nails into the soft ground and tore at the grass below as it was slowly being peeled off me. He quickly broke the plant in half when everything was cleared, and the goo started to drip out slowly. He let it fall onto my neck and he lightly started to smear it over my burns with his fingertips.

     Elis tightened his face, his eyes examining every damage he'd done, "Don't start feeling guilty now," I said, "I've been hurt a lot worse, this is nothing I can't handle." He nodded his head slightly but his face didn't change.

    A sigh of pain and relief slipped out of my mouth as it healed me, I felt the plants freshness as it mended my skin back together. Within minutes the burns were gone and I was able to sit up on my own as if nothing happened. The only visibility of me getting burnt was in my clothes. Along with my very drained body, but that would take an hour or two to heal. 

     "Does this mean training's done for today?" I asked as we walked back to the training section, me particularly very slowly.

     My vision was slightly woozy and each step brought heaviness, as if I was carrying Nuri on my shoulders, at this point I was hoping practice was canceled. Because oddly for once I felt like I actually needed sleep.

     "If we stopped every practice because of an altercation, then we wouldn't get anything done. So no, I'll get you a new breastplate and then we'll continue where we left off."

     He closed the door behind him as he entered the castle, and I took that opportunity to drop myself into the grass and rest. My body felt like it was working against me, and for the first time since I've stepped across the boarder, I was feeling the summer heat in a discomforting way. The humidity in the air prickling my skin, the once warm sun now a blaze of irritation as it held high in the sky. I even had to squint at my surroundings, now the sun was to bright to even enjoy.