Ranger's Apprentice I: Arising Danger

| Chapter XXIII

I don't know how much time has passed since I had gone unconscious, but I was for one thing absolutely sure. Namely: Pain.
Because all these stitches and wounds were hurting and annoying! The pain was overwhelming, and when I woke up it didn't go away. Not for one second. So I was stuck here, feeling the pain.
I looked around me and noticed that I was in my own bedroom. I was lying on my bed, and I saw my closet, my desk, everything. Nothing had changed. I looked outside the window and saw Shimmer's head sticking out of the stables. He whinnied softly as he saw I was awake.
     Enough holiday sleep, he said. Soon we're going to train again!
"Not so fast," I said. I slowly got up. According to the amount of pain in my body, I decided not to stretch. I walked over to the window and hugged Shimmer's head. "I missed you!" I whispered. "How long have I been gone?"
"Four days of constant unconsciousness," Will answered behind me.
I turned my head to my mentor, stumbled forward and carefully threw myself in his arms. Then the tears started streaming down.
"That was a shock, right?" Will asked. "The battle, I mean."
I nodded my head. "Never knew these creatures would be such bastards!" I hid my face in Will's cloak and snorted.
     Will patted my back with his hands, soft and gentle with comfort and compassion. He then said: "It's over now. It's done."
     "And all because of you," someone said.
     I turned away from Will and saw James, standing in the living room. We were thinking the same, because we both walked towards each other and hugged for a moment.
     "It's a miracle that you survived!" James said.
     "It's a miracle you don't have wounds," I nervously chuckled. We both let go and looked at one another.
James placed his hand on my shoulder and said: "I am glad that you're still alive. What should I have done with that dog of yours if you weren't there anymore?"
Now that he mentioned it, I looked around and called Heidi. Right after I had called her, she ran towards me, leaving the kitchen behind her. She literally jumped into my arms and licked my face, while barking a lot.
"I'm alright, Heidi!" I said, while James laughed at me and Heidi, "I am not dead yet," I continued.
     James laughed another time and said: "So, you're fully awake now?"
     I nodded my head and laid my hand on James' shoulders. "No need to rush," I said. "I'm glad that you're my friend."
     "I'm glad too!" James agreed. Then he raised his head and said: "You can come out now!"
     I followed James' gaze and saw that someone was opening the door to Will's room. My smile widened as I saw a beautiful girl stepping towards me. Her brown hair and green eyes were looking so sweetly at me, I couldn't believe she was here! "What are you doing here, Charlotte?" I asked.
     Charlotte gave me a hug and then studied me. "I came to check on you!" She smiled at me.
     I raised one single eyebrow. "Nothing more?"
     Charlotte seemed to remind herself of something, because she suddenly said: "I came for something else too!" Then she suddenly leaned forward.
     I automatically leaned back, but Charlotte seemed to know precisely how to tackle this situation, because she suddenly kissed me. Her lips on mine were the best thing in the world! I mean, her lips taste like strawberries, and it's absolutely the best thing you can taste. Even better than my favourite food! And her lips were also so soft and she kissed me so gently.
James pushed me back in my bedroom, and I pulled Charlotte with me. I closed my door behind us and pulled back from her. I panted a bit and looked her in the eyes. "Never thought of you kissing me," I slowly said with a dreamy voice.
     Charlotte gave me a kind smile and said: "I worried so much about you!"
     I frowned. "You did?"
     Charlotte nodded and confirmed it. "I did! When you left, I started to work even harder, because I wanted to have something for you to eat when you would return. But then I received a message from Commander Gilan that you, Will and James were having problems. So, from that moment I started worrying, really worrying. A few hours, I received a letter, telling me that you got badly wounded. Jenny seemed to have received the news already, so she gave me free time, telling me I deserved it after so much work. Then, I went to the closest farm to the forest so I could move to Will's cabin as soon as you returned home."
     "And now you're here," I finished. I gave her a hug and quickly kissed her on her cheek. "Thank you, for coming!"
Charlotte gave me a peck on my forehead and then cupped my face with her hands. "Never be so reckless again!"
"Can't you use words such as 'please' and 'thank you'?" I asked, chuckling.
"Then I'll thank you to please not be so reckless again," Charlotte corrected. Then she hugged me again.
I placed my hands on her back and hid my face in her long brown hair. It smelled like violets, so fresh and sweet. Finally, my body relaxed, I noticed. I noticed my body had been shaking the whole time and now I could relax after all I had been through. I felt my cheeks getting wet and I snorted once. I dried my eyes and said: "I'm really glad you're here."
Charlotte laid her hand on the back of my head and made comforting sounds. "It's okay! It's so brave of you that you fought those creatures — I wouldn't dare doing that! It's over now, Silver."
I chuckled and let her go. I turned my head away from her and quickly dried my tears, feeling ashamed of acting so childish. "You know the funny thing about this?" I asked.
Charlotte shook her head.
"That we never actually spoke with each other," I answered myself. I turned back to her and continued: "We have been liking each other for years, I believe, but never admitted aloud. But now we are indirectly admitting it."
"And about time too!" Charlotte said while smiling.
"Yes!" I agreed.