- 6th day of Hanotë

Part 3 - Almost Healed

“Oh no! Today is your turn!” Elipson complained, looking at the three Knights laying fast asleep, wrapped in their blankets, and Elian sighed standing up. “And it’s Arkel’s turn to cook!” she added and Lamar grimaced painfully as if someone had just punched him.

“I don’t mind doing …” he was about to say but Elipson cut his words.

“Lamar, come and give me a hand,” she asked and walked away from the camp.

Lamar looked inquisitively towards Elian who simply shrugged.

“Go. I’ll make breakfast.”

The Knight nodded and stood up to follow Elipson, who had rapidly lost herself amongst the surrounding greenery. When he found her she was undressing her tunic, which made him look away and blush.

She looked back at him and sighed, shaking her head critically.

“Lamar?! Help me take this off. I still can’t raise my arm all that well.”

He did as she told him, still half embarrassed, and she couldn’t help smile, amused by that shy expression on a big man like him.

“Oh, come on. It almost looks like you’ve never seen me naked!”

“You were just a child …” he muttered, undressing her.

“Right … Help me unbind it, please, and tell me how it looks,” she asked, referring to her bandaged shoulder, and he pulled his dagger cutting the white bandages. He carefully uncovered the place where she’d been hurt and gently touched the dark-reddened mark that had almost pierced her chest.

“Does it hurt?”

“A bit, deeper in.”

“It looks all healed up on the surface, although it’s still kind of ugly.”

“Why, thank you!” she answered, jokingly, but Lamar was still looking at her scar.

“Were you hurt in Everlyn?”

She held his wrist, stopping him from touching her, and the Knight looked back at her with a severe expression.

“Can you please bind it more or less the way it was?” she asked, ignoring his question, and handed him a roll of new, clean bandages.

“I suppose so …”

He worked in silence, moving around her. And, when he was finally done he inserted a finger between the bandages and her skin to check the pressure.

“Too tight?”

“No. It’s perfect.”

He helped her get dressed again and, once his task was finished, turned to return to camp.

“Lamar!” she called and he stopped, allowing her to catch up with him and lace her arm with his. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s fine. And you’re right. It’s none of my business.”

“It’s just that … it’s one of those things that isn’t worth being mentioned.”

He held her chin, making her raise her head to face him, and sighed, resigned. She never changed! She was still the same wild and rebellious child that, no matter how much he tried, would never take him serious.

“Take care of yourself, will you?” he asked in all honesty and she smiled, winking at him.

“Oh, that’s something I learned to do a long time ago! And let’s go! I’m starving!” she protested and walked away, making him chase her again.

* If you want to know more about this book or simply access earlier updates, please visit the official site at http://carpersanti.net/arnae/