EMBER

HY-BRASIL

Warm. Comfortable. Silky. I stretch.

Feels so good beneath me. Like sleeping on water. But it is too small. Too tight no space. I start panicking.

My eyes snapped open. I hate small spaces. Claustrophobia is my enemy.

I start clawing at the filmy stuff around me. It is like being trapped in opaque polythene. The filmy stuff just molds around my hands.

I look at what I am lying on. Is it a huge petal? No it's too big to be one. I try ripping it but to no avail.

I am preparing to scream when I hear a muffled voice through the the filmy filament.

"Stop fighting it. It'll just wrap and hold you more so be still."
The distorted voice calls.

I take deep breaths to calm my racing heart and panic. I close my eyes and started saying the alphabet backwards, it's a calming technique for me.

The filmy stuff expands and falls away letting go and a draft of fresh air hits me in the face. I immediately jump off the the yellow whitish thing I was lying on and land straight into someone's strong muscular arms.

"Good thing I was here to break your fall"
He is serious. I look up.
"Thoren."
It is more of a breath than a word. I blush. Of all people it had to be him.

"You could have seriously hurt yourself if I didn't catch you. You ought to be more considerate of your well being."
He chastises.

I look at the bed like structure. I actually leaped before I look to consider the height. I could have sprained an ankle or broken something but bottom line I couldn't have been able to walk straight.

I remember the pain of a wounded ankle and cringe. I was so desperate I didn't think I could have been suspended six feet in the air on a huge tree.

I was mistaken, it wasn't a bed. It looked more like a bean pod, a huge golden bean pod which kept changing colour.

The tree actually has several dozens of them. Though all of them look empty.

Now I know why his voice was distorted, he had to shout. The tree is magnificent and huge but with goldish veins that are pulsating and running disappearing into the pods.

I feel them pulsating like a heart beat. An enclosing wood shelter is built spanning the tree making the branches and leaves the roof. Nice craftsmanship. It's cozy and warm.

"What are you staring at?"
Thoren snaps me out of my daze. I am still in his arms. I look down at my self dressed in the thinnest layer of pure white silk. My puckering nipples were very much visible and the dress though long does close to nothing to cover my outlines. Infact it is just accentuating them.

"Please put me down"
My voice is still a whisper. Hmm I am thirsty. Thoren gently puts me down.

Now that am sober, I really look at him. He is well built and my head just reaches his chest below his chin and am not that short. Why am I checking him out?

I decide to check myself out instead of getting flustered by the boy I have only despised since we met. My hair is unbraided flowing down to my waist and unrestrained. Good. I check for wounds and bruises, none. Good.

The dress has a free flowing skirt from the waist downwards with a halter neck upwards. My chest size is typically drawing attention with my puckering nipples even if my boobs aren't that big.

Who put me in this ridiculous clothing? Who even undressed me? I'll introduce them to my fists and sword. Where Is it even?

I fold my arms across my chest and look anywhere as long as it's not at Thoren. This situation is awkward enough. Something strikes me. I decide to ask.