Caged Body, Free Mind

Rest

"Hey, that wound on your right arm. Its getting infected." Midnight said. "It's just a scratch, nothing more.", Ester said. Midnight carefully took her arm and looked at it closer. "That's some scratch you have there.", he said with sarcasm, giving a knowing look to her. "It won't heal well if I don't dress it." He took off his bag he carried on his back and got out gauze and a liquid made of herbs for disinfecting wounds. He set up his medical supplies on a large rock.

"This may hurt a little." he said before soaking a sterile cloth with the liquid and gently holding it to her wound. Ester winced. He noticed purple-tainted liquid seeping from Ester's cut. "Wait...what is this?" "It must be the poison from the arrow that hit me." "Shit. That stuff hurts like a bitch. I'm going to get this out before it rots your skin." he said, soaking all the poison into the cloth as Ester's eyes widened. 

When there was none left in the wound, he bandaged it in gauze. "Thank you for your kindness." Ester said, smiling. Midnight was taken aback by how sweet her smile was. A light pink came onto his cheeks. He looked away quickly, not wanting her to see it. "You're...you're welcome."

After another hour of walking, the sun hung low. Shadows elongated from the tall trees, giving the dusk an eerie feel. Ester flinched at the slightest sound, not at all used to being on the ground. Her eyes darted toward every mysterious shape in the woods. Midnight casually strolled beside her, unfazed by his surroundings. He took note of her bruised ankles, likely causing her pain. Her shoes were not the best for the terrain, either. At her pace, they wouldn't reach his intended destination by sundown. He'd wrap her feet, but it was too close to dark to do it in the open. Bending down in front of her, he commanded, "Get on my back, I'll carry you." Ester, quite confused at his request, said nothing and hopped on, enjoying the relief of her throbbing feet. Midnight started walking at a brisk pace.

Within minutes, he had covered substantial ground. Gently setting her down, he announced, "We're here.", then strolled off the trail and through dense underbrush. Ester did not know what to expect, but when the vegetation cleared to reveal the opening of a small cave, she knew they had found shelter. Midnight unpacked his things and got a fire going. From his bag he took out a cloth holding a loaf of bread. He broke off a piece and threw it to Ester, who thanked him profusely and proceeded to devour it. Midnight chuckled at her reaction, for she was unlike most people he encountered. 

After dinner, Midnight got out bandages and asked Ester to show him her feet. Reluctantly, she took off her shoes and set then on his lap. "Clearly you're not used to walking on this rugged terrain, so your feet have taken a beating. All these cuts will make your soles stronger, but it'll make you more comfortable is you wrap your feet." He continued. When her feet were wrapped in layers of bandages, they felt so much better. Ester spotted a small pool of water near the back of the cave and washed off the dirt on her arms then cleaned her hair and face. Midnight laid out furs of animals he had hunted onto the moss for them to sleep on. As she walked back to where he was, she smiled to herself at his kind gesture. She was far from her "home" and any familiarity, yet he still made her feel comfortable. Looking towards her, he spoke, "This may not be what you're used to, but it'll keep you warm." "I am grateful for anything you spare me, as I am imposing on you...from the looks of it I think you prefer to be alone." "I'm not gonna lie, I'd definitely choose the harder option of only relying on myself, but it's a decent change of pace. We are social creatures, after all. It doesn't hurt to be in the company of another person every now and then." Ester agreed with his point. Midnight seemed like a lonely person; perhaps he wanted the company. For what other reason would he let a stranger join him and eat his food that he probably worked very hard to obtain?

This guy seems to know nearly everything when it comes to surviving out here. I could learn from him. She thought, as she curled up beneath the warm fur and fell asleep.