In the depths of the jungle

Chapter twenty one: Trust

KIRA

I heard him before I saw him. My eyes were still closed, but I heard his steps on the ground. "Its a wonder you shoot something, I can hear you like you're standing right in front of me." He came in and started to laugh. "Well at least I'm doing something useful and don't sleep all day long and be grumpy". He knew exactly how he could tease me. "I would have done it by myself, if I could." He just interrupted me in the middle of the sentence. "All right, enough with the, fighting. Look what I brought us".

JAMES

I put the still warm carcass of the animal in a corner of the cave. Kira looked at me with small eyes and said: "I am not hungry. If I only think about eating I feel sick And now my body won't ask for it because my heartbeat will be slower and my energy consumption very low." "Are you serious? For what I went hunting than?" I asked annoyed! "Calm down, we will prepare it for later eating. Or if you want to eat something now. Its up to you, but it would be better to have a back up plan." "How would you do that animal eatable at your home? she asked clearly trying to distract me. I answered anyway.

"So if you have a few spices, a lump butter and a bit of salad, then I could make us a delicious roast." "Although I do have no idea of what you speak but I 'm sure that you will not find it in the jungle! " She seemed half as amused as I was. Was it because of her pain or was she mad at me. I did not know. These yellow-orange eyes in her smooth face had still a confusing effect on me. She seemed to be something special. I did not know the others of their species well, l but she still managed to mess with me again and again. Suddenly I noticed a faint moan and set my eyes on her wounds. She tried desperately to cover it but apparently she was in pain. "Wait. I will see where it hurts" she looked at me angrily. "It's alright" she snapped. But I went over to my bagpack and started grinning over the medicine Pack that I had found in the abandoned camp When I had collected the bandages I went to the furs where Kira lay curled on. There were already all kinds of plants on her skin and I looked at her confused.

"Are your herbs not working?" I said trying not to sound too humorous. "No they are not. Those imalda sinta have used some venom I do not know of." She sounded furious. " Well maybe my medications are any use." I said, hope in my voice. "Do I even have a choice? I would be unwise to say no to new healing methods. Go ahead". And I did and while so came from a serious wound to the next. There were the fresh wounds and her eye was a bit swollen from the hits, but also some that were almost healed and a lot of scars covered her skin. "My goodness who did this to you? It's a wonder that you are still alive " "That says a man how was attacked by one of their strongest warriors" "If you see him, ask his belly how noble Karasmin Steel tasted. She smiled at me. I leaned gentle over her and lightly stroked the wounds with an ointment. Her dark skin felt smoother than I noticed before. The wounds seemed unnatural on this soft perfect body. "What is that?" She asked quietly. "An ointment, it should prevent that dirt enters the wounds" Now I got the sore powder.

"This might hurt a little". Usually the men got a bunch fabric or a piece of wood in their mouth when it was used on them, so they could not scream out loud. Or bite their tongue. But Kira was very calm when I sprinkled the powder into the wounds. Only for a brief moment she closed her eyes. I quickly put a bandage on the wounds. I pulled hard on it and made tight. She looked at me the whole time like that. I looked back silently while I banished the wound on her arm as careful as possible. We only could hear our breath, and the crackle of the fire. From outside there was the monotonous sound of the jungle. I worked myself up slowly....

I paused for a moment. Her clothing allowed to see a wound that was almost right next to her heart. It was only some crusted blood and a deep purple bruse left. I Tried to hide my astonishment but apparently something gave me away, because as fast as I could not watch, the cream box was no longer in my hands but in hers. "Thats enough for today, James! You took care enough of me, I can do the rest on my own." I looked at her astonished; she always surprised me with her doing. While Kira was still busy with the ointment, I got up and walked to the crackling fire where the animal lay that I shot, I grabbed it around its legs and took out my knife. I cut a part of meat out of it carefully. The rest of it I put in a small leather sack. I picked up a branch that was laying on the ground and sat next to Kira. She had stopped with her work and looked at me. I couldn't tell what it was I saw in her eyes. I began to skin the leg, it was covered in fur. It wasn't much so I was finished after a short time.