The Legends of Ithan Book 1: Ghosts & Fire

20

Sandros opened his eyes and then raised his hands to shield them from the brightness of the room. Where was he? He tried to sit up and a soft hand pushed him back down. “O, no you don’t,” a sweet female voice said.

            Sandros tried again to open his eyes. The brightness of the room wasn’t so bad anymore as his eyes adjusted. He looked over at the voice who had pushed him back down and his breath was stolen from him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen was wringing out a white rag. She had long soft brown hair with huge curls that shimmered with a hue of reddish bronze as the sun filtered through it. A red circlet graced her brow, and she had dancing blue eyes that seemed to smile and light up his soul. Her lips were full and her face soft as she smiled at him. Her shoulders were bare and her skin was creamy and inviting. Sandros felt like he was dreaming. He must have died from the wound in his thigh, he decided. She reached over and touched his forehead with her palm and it was cool and soft.

            “No more fever,” she said proudly. She then pulled back the covers that were draped over his legs. He immediately pulled them back over his barren lower half. She giggled.

            “I see,” she said smiling. “A little shy. But what you don’t know, is for the past two days I’ve been peeking at your whole body and you have nothing to be shy about,” and her eyes sparkled like sapphires.

            Sandros lifted his brows in surprise.

            “Do you not remember?” she asked sweetly.

            Sandros dumbly shook his head no.

            “Two days ago a merchant came in to the inn saying he’d seen a collapsed man on the side of the road. I made Akin go with me and get you. You had lost too much blood. There was a horrible gash in your leg. So we brought you here and I’ve been nursing you back to health. I was afraid for a little while that you wouldn’t make it but you have finally broke your fever,” and she smiled again. “I’m Marion.”

            “Is this Rega?” Sandros asked hoarsely. His throat felt dry like he hadn’t had a drink of water in weeks.

            “Yep. And you’re at Ocean’s Inn,” she said with another smile that kept Sandros’ head feeling light. He looked away and saw his clothes bunched in the corner of the room. He made a move to retrieve them but stopped as he remembered Marion. He had never felt awkward like this with a woman before.

            “Would you like your clothes?” she asked mischievously.

            “Yes…please,” Sandros said not meeting her eyes.

            “Not till I get a look at that gash and make sure it’s healing well,” she said crossing her arms over her chest.

            Sandros met her face and then sighed as he saw she was not jesting. He slowly pulled the cover off his upper thigh for her to inspect but left the rest of his lower body covered. Her soft hands worked the bandage off gently and she ran her fingers across the scarred flesh. Sandros felt his skin grow hot and his mind began to wander down other paths as he watched her. She had on a ruby red leather corset that covered her entire upper torso but left her shoulders bare. She had golden bangles on her wrists that made soft tingling sounds. Her skirt was also ruby red with a slit up both sides showing much of her soft fleshed legs. She had dainty sandals on her small feet and she hummed a soft melody as she inspected his wound more closely. She then took the rag she had been wringing earlier and applied it to the wound. Sandros hissed with unexpected pain and all other thoughts were driven from his mind.