The arm around Hvitserk, Rùna stood still, in fear of slipping once again, and to avoid the terrible sting that resonated throughout her body.
Both Ivar and Hvitserk stepped back to not touch Rùna any further, washed themselves as good as possible and returned to her, watching carefully not to touch her while removing the dress to see if any other wounds had occurred.
"I can feel you smile. I am not enjoying this and neither should you" Rùna pressed out through her teeth as Ivar's hand removed her undergarment as well.
The rips to her dress could not be hidden, or sown. Some smaller ones on her back, the giant one on the lower back and several more on the front of the dress and the sides around the hip. Opposed to the dress, Rùna had no cuts in that area.
Ivar checked again to make sure, but as his hand glided over her skin, he found only goose bumps from the cold water, and a scar above Rùna's hip that had long healed. "I think you are fine now"
With the still wet cloak in hand, Hvitserk stepped closer to Rùna, his eyes lingering on her as he handed over the cloak, and snickered upon Ivar slapping him for staring at Rùna.
Together, the three returned to the carriage where Hvitserk helped Rùna up to lay down and warm up in the sun. Ivar as well removed his clothes and hung them over the side of the carriage to dry while he lay next to Rùna, who had put back on her undergarment. Both waited for Hvitserk's return.
He had left them to gather some mud and leaves to make a paste and help Rùna's wound heal or at least stop bleeding until they returned to the King's house.
A clenched jaw and reluctant to remove the garment from her chest, Rùna rolled onto her stomach and pulled the garment to her hip to reveal the gash to which Hvitserk applied the mixture of mud and leaves. It burnt at first, but after a moment, the pain lessened and the bleeding stopped.
Ivar used the cloak to cover Rùna's back as she lay next to him, the eyes closed. For the next few minutes, he gazed at her, his fingers intertwined with hers.