Existing (under editing)

Chapter 32*

I hadn't been in so much pain before, but it went away within days that I slept through. Ignoring the slinging of the scrapes and the bruising I had gotten. Eventually my stomach became covered with scabs in its healing and the bruising had settled to bearable unless pressure was applied. I wasn't able to get out of bed though until the injury of my hip finally calmed. I thankfully handed broken anything but the force had definitely got some sort of internal bruising that had made it difficu to move my leg at all. The muscles would seize up from the pain and I would have to lie back down again.

Sophie-Ann had been so much help. The quiet only lady had helped fee me and change my bandages. But that was only ever when Lucas wasn't at my side. In the days I was bed ridden he had gone on three raids since, bringing me back some sort of trinket each time. The first had been and old earing. A band of metallic silver with a green jade sitting in it. He had polished it up and cleaned it, offering for Ember to help pierce my ear, only if I wanted to candidly wear it. He emphasised that I didn't need to if I didn't want to but I had been so happy to except it as his gift I had gotten embers help and pieced it while he was gone the next day. It sat nicely on the upper cartridge of my ear. The second present had been a small picture book, thick with pages.

"It's to help you learn how to read." He had told me. It even had a little electronic spin in which you could plug headphones, which he found as well, that would talk you through the book itself. It had been excellent and kept me occupied while I was bed ridden. Jake had come by to drop me off a box of spare batteries if I was ever to run out, giving me a message from the two men who I had help, sending their greatest gratitude for what I had done. Jake had felt bad though for allowing me to continue on the raid but I had insisted that there would have been nothing he could have done to stop it.

After the third raid Lucas came in while I was sleeping. I had woken up slowly to be greeted with his handsome face, watching me, soot covered and hair wild and crazy in a mess from the wind outside. He had been puffed and gladly taken the glass of water Sophie-Ann offered him.

"Morning." I huffed.

"More like goodnight." He laughed and I noticed how they lights had been dimmed and Sophie-Ann was now cuddled in her thick blanket as she would normally sleep in the arm chair in the corner with her legs up.

"What are you doing here?" I sat up slowly, whispering as not to disturb Sophie-Ann.

"Here." He smiled, handing me a small package. He sat back in his chair, turning away as his cheeks fished while I opened it.

Inside was a small bangle of sorts made of leather but attached around it was carvings. Small carvings of different animals. A bird, a wolf, a horse. All attached to the small leather with the string, the little wood carvings were oiled and everything, delicate and intricate. I poked at them watching as the shook from my movement.

"I only finished it when I go to back because I needed one last thing." Lucas muttered still not looking at me. "I know it's pretty sucky carvings but I thought you would like something self-made, and after how much you liked the earing I thought it would be cool, yeah."

I was a little lost for words. I sat up, my hip now healed enough that it only caused me a dull alike when I moved, I reached out and took Lucas's hand from his lap, pulling him in. he stood a bit shacked before finally embracing me, burying him face in my neck as we hugged.

"Thankyou Lucas." I whispered and he hugged be tittering, gentle and soft with his touch. I held on to him, thankful for the warmth his body gave me as his strong and solid arms held me. "It's perfect."