Aiu reached her home, coming back later than she was expected, she was very late. The young woman was met Guardian, he had a shocked look in his eyes.

“What just have happened to you? You are covered in blood!”

“The wolf attacked me, but I killed it.” she boasted even though she felt scared and was still shaking.

He looked at her, re-evaluating Aiu’s capabilities. He was unsure how such a small human could defeat a wolf one on one. She must have tricked it somehow or she have gotten lucky.

“This is impressive!” he praised her. “Show me your wounds, there is a lot of blood on you.” He knew that it was not hers since there were so much of it. IF she bled that much she would be dead and her skin colour was still okay.

He took her clothes off and inspected her. This was unnecessary as she was injured just on a leg, but he did not know that and she did not protest.

“So it is just this small bite then?” he asked dismissively as if this was nothing big.

He smeared some healing salve and bandaged her leg. The pain has stopped and it felt better now, but she would still limp as her muscle would feel sore if she moved her leg.

He brought some water from the stream and warmed it by the fire, which he lit before to boil the lye water. The same water she made in the morning.

He washed the dried blood and dirt from her body with some soft cloth she did not know he had. It was purchased today costing a few copers. It was expensive because it was of a good quality. His touches were gentle, the water was warm making her to relax.

‘He is surprisingly good at this. This feels very nice.’ She did not want him to stop.

“You might as well clean me whole.” She suggested. She did work hard today and was sweaty from all the heavy lifting and her bow practise.

He did not protest, thinking little about it. He rinsed the cloth out and put some fresh hot water.

“I will show you a trick.” Guardian crushed some herbs into the water, infusing it with nice fragrance.

‘Why didn’t he show me this before. This smells amazing’

He started to clean the rest of her delicate body. She felt like a noble lady, being serviced like that.

Her armpits and shoulders were brushed softly. It tickled, but still felt good. Faint but nice fragrance filled her nose. He was very gentle and careful with her, one would hardly expect such dexterity from a muscular brute like him.

He was rubbing her neck making small circles. Aiu was soothed and completely relaxed. She wanted more of this.

His hands moved caressing her back and then her delicate chest. Steamy cloth and fragrant smell made her heart race, maybe this was caused by something else entirely. Her eyes were closed; she was giving herself in.

Smooth cloth moved down her body inch by inch carrying pleasant sensation. She was feeling hot, her breathing became rugged.

He pressed the cloth delicately at the inner side of her thighs, rubbing her skin. She was burning from inside. Then he brushed past her nether regions, he touched where no man have ever did before. She almost yelped in pleasure but the sensation was short lasted. His presence did not linger there. She wanted him to stay there, to do it again. It felt too good, but she was too embarrassed to ask him for that.

His hands moved down her legs avoiding the bandaged wound.

The cleansing ritual was done. She was clean in body, but not in mind. She felt somewhat frustrated in a way she has not been ever before.

“That is it? Done?” she wanted for him to say no and do this again.

“All done. How was it? Did you like the herbs?” he himself have never used infused water, but wanted to see if it really did work on humans. He wanted to confirm if the herbs had desired effect so they could apply them more in their manufactured goods.

She touched her skin, it was clean and smooth. It smelled nice and it felt nice. However it was not the infused water she liked so much. It was the service he provided.

“This was amazing. I wish I could experience this again.” She said somewhat shyly trying to send a hint. It was hard to be honest about things like that. She still felt hot and her cheeks were coloured in red.

“It should be even better when mixed in soap. You can gather that herb and wash yourself with its extract, if you please to do so. This herb is plentiful at this time.” He got a hint that she preferred warm water and fragrant stuff like most women did. He had forget about that and has been taking her to the cold stream out of habit. This was because he was fine with the plain stuff.

“Could you wash me like this again?” Aiu was hoped that she will be able to feel his touch again..

He looked at her confused. Why would she even ask him that?

“Well if you find hard to do that because of your injury, I don’t mind to help. I promised to look after you, after all.” He meant to keep his promise. He needed her to trust him.

“And after I got better?” her leg was not that bad to begin with.

“You might be getting spoiled too much. I do not thing you were that lazy, and I am not your servant.” He thought about his current and past actions, maybe he was indeed too nice to her. She ought to know her proper place in this.

“Please do not get me wrong. I know that it is me who serve you. It is just…” She wanted to say it but couldn’t.

“I will do everything you ask and work even harder if you do this little favour for me.” She decided that this should do it. She became to understand her guardian’s personality more by each passing day. She used it to her own advantage.

“Hmmm… I guess this works for me.” If she liked that this much and he was winning her over; this was a good thing. Even though he did not particularly understand why she kept insisting on him bathing her. ‘Was it an orphan thing about missed fatherly love?’ He was unsure but it did not matter, if she worked harder and was eager to obey him it was a win.

She stretched and hugged his thick neck while he was still crouched. “Thank you! You are the best!” she wanted to kiss him on a cheek to show her affection, but refrained herself fearing for his reaction. She did not think it was appropriate of her, not yet.

“What is this all of a sudden?” he asked surprised. He has never willingly let anyone approach him this close, not to talk about an embrace. ‘This does not feel bad at all.’ He quite liked it.

“It is just because…” a pause “you are very kind.” It was clear she had something else in mind. She felt something for him.

“Kindness needs to be repaid in surplus. How about you finish making that soap.”

“Oh yes. I forgot about that.”

The time of relaxation was over, and her leg felt better. This was the time for more work.

She mixed lard with lye water in a pot to make soap, this was the last step before it would be left to harden. She had to mix it for quite long so they continued to talk.

“I can see you got a lot of stuff, what is all of this is for?”

“Alchemy. You will be brewing some stuff, my young apprentice.”

‘This sounds challenging. Is it not something being my capabilities’ learning such craft was not an easy task. One had to have good foundations of education too dabble in it. This was for the rich and skilled.

“Are you sure about that? I believe you are better suited for this job.”

“No no no.” he protested “You will have to work hard and learn it I insist.”

“Will I get a reward?” she had one in mind.

“Appropriate results deserve appropriate reward.” He was aware that reward works better than punishment. The punishment would not get the results he wanted. He did not want just the loyalty, but devotion and trust as well.

“I am up for it then. But I will admit I feel incompetent.” She was well aware that she was someone who can be considered stupid. Where were so many things she did not know. However she was not an idiot, her mind was sharp.

“You are. That is why I got this.” He showed books he have bought.

“I cannot read.” She stated the obvious.

“That is why I got you this.” he repeated himself, taking one particular book and opening a page.

The page had a symbol on it with a rough picture which resampled an apple. He proceeded to teach her all about the symbols scribbled in that children’s book.

Her hands were occupied with a wooden spoon, mixing the soap. And her mind was being invaded with KNOWLEDE. Learning was hard. She found it hard to remember all of the symbols.

They were at it for nearly two hours. She was getting exhausted. One symbol at a time was okay, the pictures helped, but when she had to connect them to make a word it was too hard she just could not do that.

He was persistent that she keeps trying. Guardian was pushing her to progress, but he would ease it just in time for her not to get too frustrated. He was a good teacher, or maybe the motivation was just right for her to be willing to press herself this much. It could be both she was unsure.

The soap mixture was done, so were the reading exercises. She did not even notice that it was raining.

“It is raining, how will I dry my dress now?” her once bloody dress was still soaking in a pot of water.

“It looks like the rainy season has started. Herbs will have to wait, and I got all this equipment…” The rain was heavy and it will be raining for at least three days, stop for three and start again. Rinse and repeat for a month. It would be very miserable to work under such rain in the open. They will have to use every chance they get then it stops.

“And the wood is done burning.” She would not be able to dry her dress by fire today nor get warm near it. They were out of dry wood, burning the monster sapped their small supply.

Yet again her guardian felt unprepared. He was fine without fire, he would be fine even during the storm in hellish weather. He was used living in open, bad weather was nothing to him. Little what he remembered of his childhood was in wilderness, bearing the brunt of nature; these were good memories.

The girl however was different. Humans were frail and he knew that. That is why he should have thought about that more and secured some fire wood. He enjoyed this girl’s company and looked towards her potential, he did not want her to get sick and perish. However there was little he could do now at this moment.

She poured soap mixture into the mould leaving it to harden. It was late and time to sleep. The weather was getting cold and damp, the boar pelt did little to fix that.

“Do you mind if I huddle next to you, I feel cold?” This was good opportunity to ask for that.

“I don’t, you need to stay warm.” He knew that she was week because of her encounter with the wolf. He preferred sleeping alone, but if this helped her he did not mind.

She pushed her bed mat close to him and squeezed her back to his chest. She cowered the rest of her body with the pelt. This was not enough, she was cold.

“Put your hand over me. It will feel warmer.”

He did, this made her smile brightly. “Goodnight” she said.

“Yes”

She said goodnight and was ready to sleep, but she could not relax. Her heart was racing and she felt hot yet again. Her thoughts were getting curly. She thought about naughty things.

He was good and kind to her, he was father figure worth of respect. However this kindness won her over and her feelings were different than those a daughter would have for her father. She knew by now that she did not want to play the role of step daughter in this new family of two. She was determined to reach beyond that. She decided to take the necessary risk to make it happen; clearly he won’t be the one doing it.

And she was fortunate that her guardian did not came as a deviant, if he was despicable like that and came onto her by force she would think differently of him. Saying all that, now she secretly desired for such thing, fully aware about how inappropriate it would be.

Her hand drifter in between her thighs, but she stopped herself there. She feared to be found out as their bodies were touching. However, she was burning hot, her imagination was running wild. She felt moist, the moistest she has ever been in her short life. Her imagination ran wild. She wanted to feel him there again, she wanted to be caressed and loved, she wanted to be ravished by him. She did not think how that would work, even though she knew how big he was; at this moment she did not care.

She squeezed her thigs preventing herself for doing something shameful and did her best to straighten her curly mind.

‘If I would do it… I would embarrass him, I would be branded as a pervert, he would look with scorn at me, he would become distant, I would be a burden…’ she tried to run scenarios like that in her head. None of it worked, in her heart she believed that she would be forgiven no matter what she did. After all, he was the kindest person she knew.

She laid still and uncomfortable, feeling slightly embarrassed how shameless she was. She felt a warm thick stream trickle down her inner thigh slowly. She hoped he did not notice.

He did not felt it, but he smelt it. The girl was shooting pheromones into the air which of course did not work on him. He misunderstood the smell as the girl’s body reaction to the cold weather or possible infection. Sick people would smell differently than usual. He had good sense of smell, probably rivalling the wolves. The smell was different of that the sick would have, it was neither good nor bad. However, it was strong and it was there, he taught little of it slowly drifting to sleep.

The girl laid unmoving for a while. She felt warm and secure, her guardian’s rhythmic breathing soothed her. Nothing was happening and her body took the hint, eventually she was able to relax and fall asleep.

The movements of Guardian, however careful they were, woke her up in the morning.

He looked at her and spoke. “You can stay in bed today, if you feel that it is appropriate. It stopped raining I will be gathering in the forest.”

As much as she wanted she knew couldn’t. She was feeling much better, albeit hungry. Her leg was not too bad, she was able to walk.

“I want to assist you.”

“In that case put these on.” He took out leather boots and caped hood for her.

She tried them on, and she was pleasantly surprised. He has judged her size accurately.

She took a short morning break to sort herself out, she had to cleanse the remnants of her shamelessness. Once back she put her belt, backpack and other equipment and went to gather with him.

They were at it for couple hours and then it started to rain.

“It will get rough soon, you go and rest. I don’t want you getting sick.”

She knew this was sensible decision and headed back. It started to pour badly. The cape and leather boots helped her to deal with that to some extent.

Once back she took out the herbs and other goods she has gathered. She took out the nuts she got today and added to the ones she had gathered before. The stash was getting bigger. She felt like a squirrel doing that.

Then she stored some old branches inside, to get dry. She would need it for fire later. She checked her soap; it was done. Aiu tested it washing her dirty hands. It did not smell too pleasant but did the job.

She wanted to try to make some with those pleasant smelling leaves Guardian told about. She had gathered some of them this very morning. She spread a bit of molten tallow in a special frame and put herbs inside. This way herb fragrance wood seep into the tallow, infusing it.

Her adoptive father would show how to use alchemical tools to extract oils from herbs and flowers on a later date. The idea of making perfume intrigued her. This was quite a luxury and she would be able to get her hands on it. She would actually make it herself.

She took out two rocks, one flat with a dent and another round and heavy. She put the nuts on flat rock and smashed them with the other rock. She had a lot of nuts so it took a while.

Aiu also had to put a lot of effort to start the fire, but once this was done she set her clothes to dry and put the nuts to roast.

She collected the roasted nuts into the large clay bowl and ate them raw. They tasted good and were nutritious. She felt somewhat bored sitting all alone while it rained with nothing to do. So she had an idea of crushing the nuts so she did not have to chew them.

She crushed them and the result surprised her. Instead of little chunks or dry powder, she expected to get, she had thick and oily paste. She tasted it and it was quite good, she could actually taste the oil. She did not know nuts were this oily.

“If it tasted sweet it would be a perfect treat.” It even rimed. She proceeded to crush the rest of them.

Guardian came back, it was still raining.

“You are back?” she said surprised. She assumed he would be stuck in forest for the rest of the day.

“I need to go to the town to pick the rest of the stuff I have bought. Render these.” He put a damp bag of fresh herbs.

At least she won’t be bored.