I shouldn't have reacted that way. Why does it matter if the moon haunted his sharp features handsomely? It doesn't. It shouldn't. This man trapped me, fought me, and made me bleed. He carried me like a dead animal. He doomed me to be separated from my family and home. I hated him. Anything akin to attraction to this monstrosity could only be a physical reaction. There. My dizzying rationalism was back.
Takoda stared at me coldly, expectantly.
"Nevermind. You're right," the tone of my voice sounded foreign compared to five seconds ago. Talk about mood swings. I began limping in the direction of Serena's home, hustling past him as quickly as I could force my leg along.
After I'd cleared Kody's immobile form, I took a moment to pause and call back to him, "Just remember that you cannot judge somebody you know nothing about."
He sighed as I continued rushing onward.
Suddenly all I could focus on was the burning pain in my right leg. I could feel it bleeding again. Maybe I did need stitches...
Forcing it along hadn't helped the wound any, and it was starting to fall out beneath me. Gods. Hopefully I can gimp my way back to Serena's without resting, or falling. I glanced around anxiously for something to grab hold of. Frantically I grasped at some drying racks, but they weren't sturdy enough to bear my weight. My butt was going to meet the ground soon, whether I liked it or not. Just as I resigned myself to crawling back to Serena's, a long, sturdy, warm arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me upright.
"I'll walk you to my sister's," came his low explanation.
I glanced up at him, trying to read his intentions off of his face, but it was a mask of concentration, helping me to walk. I knew how to take a helping hand when I really needed it (plus if I refused and was forced to crawl, I'd ruin Serena's pretty skirt). I held onto his big hand on my waist for support while we began our awkward, halting trek back to Serena's.
"I'm sorry you have to do this, it wasn't this bad earlier. But, thank you," I stated. I figure that it's better to recognize his help now than have the fact dangled in my face later on.
He only sighed angrily in response. If a sigh could relate a mildly miffed attitude, Takoda's sigh did.
With the slower pace I was able to successfully put more and more of my weight on the leg, and less on Takoda. By the time Serena's "house" came into sight, I was walking almost entirely by myself again, so I began detaching myself from where I'd been glued to Takoda's side.
"Thank you," I said, hoping he'd get the hint.
"Oh, please. You need to learn to accept help when you need it," I shot him a look. I was offended, I had accepted his help, I just didn't need it anymore.
"You're just going to reopen it and force it to give out- don't make me carry you again," he threatened. I narrowed my eyes, my mind flashing back to when I was thrown over his broad back. He gave me a look that screamed "try me, I'll do it," and regained his grip around my waist.
Frowning, I grabbed on to his arm again as he half-carried me back to Serena's.
He was so right when he'd said that it tends to get cold after sundown, and truthfully, I was glad to have his warmth around me. My bare shoulders were pricked up into goose flesh by the time Takoda finally led us through the flap to Serena's tent.
And directly into Serena, I should say. Her hands flew to her chest as she jumped back, startled.
"Oh!"
I rushed forward to her, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Serena! We didn't realize you were there!" The rest of the tent was dark and quiet, so I assumed the toddlers and her husband had gone to bed.
