The IRE of Winter

[ 4.2 ]

A young woman entered the room carrying a basin of warm water and fresh towel hanging on her left arm. She smiled at me and motioned to Aramis, she's going to clean my wounds. Aramis excused himself saying he will fetch something else to eat and I watched him disappeared out the door. I laid motionless with my eyes still on the door, my thoughts went with him. He must have suffered carrying me all the way here, I've never met someone who cares for me that much except Father.

'Here my lady,' the woman placed the basin atop the corner table, her brown eyes were weary, she wore a dull brown peasant dress with many slits and an apron laced around her waist. 'Turn to you right where I could see your wound, Miss.'

I obeyed. I surrendered the towel and she begun cleaning my wounds, unwrapping me gently. I hissed the pain, curled and hoped my wound wasn't as bad as I thought. Biting my lip as if it would stop the pain. The warm water had a strange scent, a strong earthly scent mixed with boiled leaves. My back muscles tightened, anticipating some more pain. I hugged myself as the woman poked my severed skin. 'How bad is it?'

I moaned.

'We boiled athelas to hasten the healing of your wound, the pain will be gone soon,' she said while dressing up my wound. 'your wound is healing fast, faster for a human. Few survive bear attacks, you must be thankful to the one who brought you here.'

I smiled. 'Yes, he was nice to me. How could I possibly thank him?'

The woman giggled, eyes sparkling. 'He never left your side, he went to find the herbs we asked at the middle of the night to stop your bleeding. If I may say, there was fondness in his eyes when he looked at you.'

Aramis has befitting manners, I won't wonder if he did it for someone he just met two days ago. 'You may be right, but he is a friend. A good friend would do what he did, and I don't know how to thank him enough.'

'I could tell him how grateful you are,' she said happily, tapping my wound with warm cloth. The woman put a hot substance on my wound and I moaned, a burning sensation spread all over me but she reassured it will fade away soon, and it did. She finished wrapping my wounds again and helped me sat on my bed. I didn't notice she has brought a new set of clothes, a peasant long sleeved dress dyed in green and black, belted at the middle. She helped me slip on it and braided my hair at one side. I used the towel to wash my face down to my nape, then gave her back a warm smile.

'What should I call you?'

'Sena," she responded with a smile.

I studied her face at first, her hair was chestnut brown in soft waves, her skin was pale and freckles scattered like stars on her cheeks. 'Thank you Sena, you are very kind.'

She looked at me and her lips curved up. She folded the damped towels and took the basin away then said, 'Be careful out there my lady, Trollshaws' a dangerous place for a girl.' She motioned to leave. My eyes followed her to the door, and before she disappeared, she threw me one last look, 'anything you want me to say to your...hero?'

She made a face and waited for my response, 'perhaps you could tell him that I am fond of him too,' I chuckled. She grinned and shut the door behind her.

Later then I realized I shouldn't have told her that. That was a jest, I did not think carefully. What if she meant it, telling Aramis about that joke will be a huge embarrassment. I felt my cheeks burning in shame. Why am I so reckless?