Media: Paul Wesley as Royal Stranger
Carlen sat down on the rock formation by the stream he had wandered to. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Carlen breathed heavily. He was glad that he finally found a good spot to rest under some shade. His back was killing him from the back basket that was almost filled to the brim with useful herbs and some exotic flowers that he knows his Nana will love.
Looking around, Carlen tried to memorize the route to this part of the woods. He had been collecting herbs with Nana for as long as he could remember, but he had never wandered off course until today. Nana had always set a general direction she liked to hike towards and gather herbs at, but today, Carlen decided to follow his instincts (and avoid the hotter spots in the woods) and it led him here.
Nana. Carlen couldn't help but reminisce about his life with Nana. She was his world. She was all he knew. Nana had told him how she found him as a baby outside an inn and thought that he looked pitiful. A poor abandoned baby that would not be able to fend for itself. Before she knew what she was doing, had carried him home and named him Carlen. Nana insisted that his inner wolf was the one at fault, calling to her motherly instincts and making her bring him home and caring for him.
She taught him everything he knew. How to read, write, and speak; which was rare for someone like him, an abandoned baby. She taught him manners, and the ways of a healer. Learning to be a healer was the biggest blessing that Carlen felt he could ever receive from the Moon Goddess. Like Nana, Carlen believed he had a penchant for helping people. He liked to be useful (especially to Nana) and healing was something that helped him achieve that. While he was still considered an inexperienced healer, Nana says he's bedside manners were much more refined than some skilled healers she knew. It was enough encouragement for him to keep up at it.
Carlen thought he was most fortunate to have been picked up by Nana rather than any other stranger, because she served in the royal castle. There was nothing more prestigious than to be associated with someone from the castle, especially someone who frequented the inner castle.
With that prestige, Nana was able to bend the rules and bring him into the castle and raise him like her own child. Being raised in the castle had given him opportunities growing up that he would probably never have dreamt of, if he had been picked up by anyone else.
Nana, or rather Naomi, is a royal healer at the castle, working for the King and his servants. Carlen remember Nana telling him how his first words, even though she tried teaching him to say "Naomi", became Nana instead. At first she thought she had heard wrong, that Carlen was calling her "Mama", but found it strangely endearing that he were to call her Nana, so she never corrected him for calling her that. However, in front of other people in the castle, Carlen was careful to call her Healer Naomi. The castle was not a tolerant place to grow up in, but Carlen treasured every moment of it.
Looking up into the sky and how the rays hit the trees to cast a shadow on the ground, Carlen knew it was about time to get back to his Nana. She was sure to worry if he waited any longer to trudge back home. Taking a deep breath of the clear air in the woods, Carlen pushed himself off the rock he was sitting on and began to pull his back basket upon himself with a grunt.
Rustle.
Carlen froze. Even though it was close to mid-day, these woods near the castle are known to host beasts and wild animals that crave meat. Any kinds of meat. Animal meat, human meat, and werewolf meat. It didn't matter the time of day if they were hungry. A meal was a meal.
Carlen's hands shook as they reached for the shearing tool by his feet. He needed something to defend himself with. He was weak in his wolf form and prefer not to even think about being a wolf in this situation. For a moment, Carlen wondered if it were a full moon day, would his senses be heightened enough for him to identify the beat that was coming towards him?
Rustle.
There was some sort of movement from the East, it was close by. Too close by.
In fact, it sounded closer than before. Carlen strained his ears, trying to listen out for any telltale signs of what animal it could be. His hearing was better than a human's, but because he never had to hone any of his werewolf qualities as a healer apart from his precision and speed, Carlen realized how much effort it required to try to listen closely to the sounds around him. It didn't help that the next full moon was in three weeks' time. He could hear Nana's voice berating him in his mind, telling him that all aspects of being a wolf affects his human self and he must never forget his wolf. Now was a really good example of that lecture.
Thump. Rustle.
Didn't sound like a wild charging beast. Doesn't sound like a troop or a group of anything. It must be just one animal. Sounds relatively gentle. He relaxed slightly despite himself.
Carlen shivered in the hot sun at the anticipation of what was about to emerge from the trees in front of him. He was sure it was just one being. It was right behind the trees that stood across the stream on a slope. Now, should he stay to see what it was? Or run away as quickly as he possibly can without peeing his pants?
Running away sounds good. Really good actually. Except, Carlen's heart is beating at a speed he didn't know it could, and he could hardly breathe through his nose. His entire body froze as he stared at the area he thinks the thing would emerge from.
Stay to see what it was then. Good idea, stupid.
It first started with his sweat glands overacting as the figure stepped out into view, then he realized he might not even be blinking at all as he stared at the man that stood across the stream from him. Not an animal or a beast then. Not going to eat him without warning, good.
Unabashedly, Carlen took in the stranger's features. His structured cheekbones and jaw line, his thick eyebrows, his spiked dark hair. Carlen squinted, Stranger has green eyes. A rare color in their country- only the Royals have them!
Carlen immediately dropped his gaze to the ground. He was surely going to be executed now. He just- stared, extremely intensely, at someone with royal blood. Nana has never told him stories about what happens to people that openly gawk at the Royals, but with the other stories she has told about their pride and temper, Carlen thought he might really pee his pants. Beast or not, he was going to die.
"What are you doing in this part of the woods?" A strong and smooth voice boomed and Carlen dropped to his knees instantly. There was nothing that could describe what he was feeling at that moment. Fear? Maybe. He couldn't make out the exact emotion. His body was cold as he shivered with goosebumps, but his face and every other part inside of him was hot. His hands shook and his teeth seemed to chatter a little as Carlen wondered if he had a minor stroke because he has lost control over his facial muscles.
No words came out from his mouth. He couldn't form them, not a sound. He couldn't really think straight either.
Stranger- Royal Stranger was walking towards him. Carlen knows because his ears are still sensitive to the sounds around him and clearly, Royal Stranger was crossing the stream towards him. All Carlen could muster was to take deep deep deep breaths, as frequently as he could. He was right at the brink of hyperventilation.
He was going to die in the woods, and Nana was going to be worried sick because he was never going to return. No one would even know where to look for him. Nana would die crying for him.
"Answer me." Royal Stranger demanded, and Carlen felt at that moment, light headed.
Incapable of forming words, Carlen look towards his back basket that laid abandon on the ground when he fell to his knees. He tried to say the words "herbs", but he only seemed to be able to take deep breaths still.
Royal Stranger knelt in front of Carlen, allowing Carlen to admire the fabric of the dark colored clothing Royal Stranger wore. "These are, herbs. You are gathering herbs for whom?"
"Na-Nana." Carlen managed to squeak out. He would roll his eyes at himself if he wasn't about to hyperventilate until he ceased breathing.
"He speaks." Royal Stranger mused, "Nana?"
Before Carlen could correct himself, Royal Stranger spoke again, this time, his voice sounded gentler, "The royal healer? Healer Naomi?"
Carlen nodded in a muted manner. Maybe Royal Stranger could grant him a quick death on the account that he was Nana's adopted son? Nana did have many years of service under her belt, surely she could bargain for a more merciful death? Maybe a proper burial?
"You're Carlen."
Carlen sucked in a breath in surprise, he hadn't expected that Royal Stranger would know him by name! Before he could control himself, Carlen realized he had looked up and straight into Royal Stranger's face again. Only this time, he couldn't look away.
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