Barre
I'm once again holding Elodie in my arms as I walk through the forest. She is still slow. I had no idea it would take this long for her to heal. Humans must heal at a much slower rate than Rytarians.
I feel incredibly guilty for traveling when she's still injured, but the palace has many healing remedies that she will have access to when she arrives. The sooner we get there, the better. I just wish I didn't contribute to her pain.
My mind wanders often to the kiss she gave me. I don't think I've ever felt so much desire, so much affection. I didn't want it to end, but I ended it anyway.
If I thought I was becoming attached before, I'm definitely attached now. The thought of giving up Elodie is unbearable.
I glance down at her cautiously. She holds a handful of flowers that she insisted on picking this morning. She won't stop raving over them, smiling as she touches their pedals gently.
When she started plucking them from the ground, she didn't even notice the Triperef behind her. I had raised my weapon, ready to take it down if it charged the precious human. Elodie was completely oblivious of the silent show down, too focused on the field of wildflowers around her to see the danger.
The beast wasn't large for its species, and it didn't seem aggressive, in fact it's snout twitched in curiosity. Sometimes triperefs can be antagonistic. This one simply trotted back into the woods. I had lowered my bow after that, convinced that the creature somehow knew of Elodie's importance.
By the time she was done gathering a bouquet, the beast was long gone, and I could finally relax. It is my job to make sure she's safe. I am bound by duty to protect any female, but Elodie has become more than that to me.
I stare down at her now, watching as she traces the many scars on my neck and chest, the skin that's exposed not quite covered by my shirt. She's become important to me because she's Elodie, she's so much more than just being a female.
She sings to me the past few nights, something I didn't expect. I love it. The last 2 nights have been filled with her songs. Her voice is melodic, entrancing.
It reminds me of when my own Mama would sing me to sleep at night. The presence of a female just has a way of making you feel right.
After lots of walking, it's time for a break, and to feed Elodie. I find a small creek, setting the human on a nearby boulder while I take off my bag, digging through the contents.
I take out the leftover Yaltrip, a food that Elodie calls "fsshh". Her words for things are always cute.
The female insisted that I cook the flesh, and I gladly did to keep her happy. I look down at the crisp food, wondering if it tastes any better than a fresh catch, I sincerely doubt it.
"fir-me?" She wonders, standing up. I hold a hand out, prepared for when she falls, and she does.
I've decided that Elodie is extremely clumsy, I'm not sure if it's because of her ankle or if it's simply in her nature.
"I always want to stay put, tiny, but you never do." I muse, close to chuckling at her. She never notices that she should stay put. It's frustrating.
She grins, putting her hands on my arms for support.
"thankyeww" She says, something she says often.
Salsh runs up, panting with energy as he nudges my side. I glance down to see a stick hanging from his mouth. He wants to play.
Elodie grabs for the stick, I take it from her hand, replacing the branch for the food. She shakes her head, taking a bite of it anyway. She knows that her eating pleases me.
I turn my attention to my pet. He jumps and leaps, ready for me to toss the stick. I do, throwing it far into the woods and watching him chase after it.
Elodie laughs.
I smile to myself, going back to my bag and taking out a rag, and dragging the cloth under the stream. The water is cool and refreshing, I cup some in my hand, bringing it to my lips. I decide that I need to fill my bottle before leaving here.
First, I need to address Elodie's wound.
"Tiny." I say, and she perks up, coming to me. She knows her nickname by now.
I lift the rag, and she knows what I'm planning to do. She takes another bite of the yaltrip while she walks.
I pull her into my lap, sitting her on my knee as I unwrap her dressing. The scratch on her arm is healing nicely. Although, if it was my wound it would've been gone by now.
I gently clean the deep scratch, pulling ointment from my pack and applying it to the gash carefully. I know it pains her at times, but my strong Elodie doesn't flinch. She grits her teeth and lets me do my work.
She may not be strong physically, but she's tough in my eyes. I find myself wondering what her threat level is. It can't be very high from what I've seen.
I'm typically very good at guessing a threat level, I always had to size up my opponent with calculating eyes. I was trained to assess threats.
Maybe she's a 10 or 15, I wouldn't be surprised if it was even lower than that.
Helpless little female. But she's resilient, I must give her that.
After I re-wrap her wound, I'm packing everything up once more. Elodie plays with Salsh, tugging at the stick he has in his mouth. He pulls it, dragging her to the ground in the process.
She shrieks, and I stand in alarm, only to realize that she's laughing.
Slash drops the stick, running to her and sniffing her face to make sure she's alright. He licks her cheek as she continues to giggle, reaching up to pet his neck.
Definitely below a threat level 15 I decide. Even Salsh is level 42.
"Elodie. Salsh." I call them, and they both look at me. "Time to go."
Salsh trots to my side, leaving Elodie on the ground to get up on her own. She struggles, and I immediately go to her side and pull her up gently.
"ya, ya." The human grumbles, dusting off her knees before straightening to her full height. She winks at Salsh before smiling up at me.
My heart twinges, and I feel the overwhelming urge to just pick her up and take her back to my cabin. We could have a happy life together. No one would have to know that I took her. It could be a secret.
I can certainly dream, but fantasy and reality just are not the same thing unfortunately. As much as I can try to convince myself I will make Elodie happy, it's simply not true.
I sigh, staring at the horizon. We're getting closer to the palace with every step. Soon, we'll be able to see the buildings towering above the trees. And then, we'll be at the palace gates. I'll have to turn Elodie over, and I'll likely never see her again.
It's my duty to look after her best interests, I just wonder why my chest aches when I think of leaving her there. I can't keep her, I just can't.
A heathen can't love. A heathen can't take care of a mate. Elodie deserves the world, and I only wish that I could be the one to give it to her.
Hope you enjoyed the chapters! Let me know what you think. Thoughts? Predictions? Dying questions? I'm all ears.
More to come soon!❤️