Healer

Freda’s P.O.V

The gush of fresh air hit my face, making me inhale deeply. Unlike the last time I stepped here, the land was dry now, making the green of the grass bright and the floor sandy under my feet. I looked towards the left and right, having no idea which place led to my home.

“That’s the way towards Sun Blood pack, and that…” he pointed towards the opposite of the Sun Blood Pack, “is the way towards our unknown destination.”

I frowned, “How did you know?”

He pulled a small bag from behind him, and brought out a small paper he started studying, “Thankfully, I have the smaller version of our map. It’s an old edition, so it also contained the Sliver Blood Pack abandoned town. Are we going to move or do you have more question?”

I shook my head following him as he headed towards that direction without waiting for my response. Soon, the floor became less sandy and started filling up with more rocks. The green leaves that I had been taller than, started sprouting higher, making it difficult to see the clear sky. Yet, I followed behind Craig. He continued picking up anything that seemed edible into his bag. I didn’t ask any question not because I didn’t want to, but because I felt so tired in my leg, and the pain had started moving towards other part of my body; including my mouth.

“We’re going deeper into the jungle, and we need to be careful. Here, apart from the rogue, the jungle is dangerous because of the wild animals and some unforeseen supernatural.”

No sooner had he said that, that a loud hissing punctuated the silence. Craig was down, picking something and I turned around looking for whatever made the sound, but all I saw was green grass. Yet, I have this feeling of being watched.

Craig threw whatever he had picked in his bag, “We can’t keep walking all day, so after some time let’s try taking our much deserved rest.”

At the idea of finally staying still, I bobbed my head, and suddenly something flew past me towards Craig. Just as fast as it had flown, Craig sharp claws were faster and it held it in his hand.

I blinked back in fear at the huge serpent in his hand.

It twisted and turned with its tongue out to bite. I frowned at how calm Craig seems to be while holding that.

“I guess we won’t be eating just fruit for dinner.”

The idea of eating that almost made me puke. The snake was rattling and making loud hissing noises, but suddenly Craig’s eyes flashed a deeper shed of its blue and the snake went limp in his hand.

What just happened?

He didn’t say a word, as he pulled a knife similar to mine out and cut off the snake’s head; blood splutter everywhere. “I guess this is a great place to rest.”

I looked around; the place was covered with green grass and rocks, there was no where suitable for relaxing. The hairs on my arm stood at attention. How could we be resting where we had just killed a snake?

“No. I don’t think I can rest here.”

He shrugged, “We won’t find a better place, plus, we have dinner here.” He raised the snake up.

He dropped it down and started looking for something. “We need woods.”

Just like always, he didn’t wait for my response before turning to look for wood. A look at the snake made me followed him, “Wait for me.”

He turned towards me, “You need to wait with the snake. We can’t afford to let our dinner go missing.”

As if I care about that when this place was full of snakes, I followed him regardless. He taught me how to cut tress and make them suitable for wood. We didn’t move too far from the snake.

I was down picking a wood, when my ear picked up the sound of footsteps from a distance. They seemed to be far but are getting closer with each step. I drop the wood and turned to Craig, “Someone’s coming.”

He turned towards both directions, his hand on what he had strapped on his leg. “Let’s keep moving.”

He picked up the woods he had picked, including mine; he carried it so effortlessly and his muscle flexed. At first glance, one would think he didn’t have those muscles, but behind that body was some suppressed muscle. It made me curious about his disposition.

I couldn’t help my curiosity, “Which pack did you come from?”

He didn’t stop to respond, “I think we need to walk faster or our dinner will be history.”

He started running and I ran too, although my leg ached, but I couldn’t be far behind him. I fear for the dangerous things I know would exist in this wood, but haven’t seen, but I could hear things.

Just as we got to where we had dropped the snake, three wolfs were also there. They were in their wolves’ form which made me move behind Craig. I wish I also had my wolf, but I was starting to lose hope.

They were huge, but I couldn’t feel a hint of fear from Craig. He moved closer to the snake, and just then one of them moved closer too. I could feel the eyes of the other two on me. It wasn’t common for a female wolf to be roaming the jungle.

The wolves shifted into their human form with a grunt, probably considering us not dangerous enough to fight in their wolf form.

No one had said a word, but it felt like they were communicating with their eyes. Both eyes trained on the abandoned snake, and just as the first wolf darted forward, Craig also did. His speed was as fast as the movement of light, and before the wolf could get the snake, it was already in Craig’s hand.

It reminded me of how he had sneaked upon me without any sound on his feet. I haven’t met anyone that fast in our pack, not even my alpha. The thought of Adrian brought a shiver that I shrugged off. We had been close, and I hadn’t expected him to cast me off that easily.

The one who had dared to compete with him finally spoke, “You pick one; the snake or…” his eyes darted at me, leaving a trail of disgust in his wake, “…the girl.”

Craig had that look of amusement again like he was having fun discussing with them; it made me panic a bit, but I moved slowly towards him. I felt something in me trying to move, but I didn’t want to try what I haven’t ever tried before, especially in the presence of danger.

“None.”

The monologue he gave made the three wolves share a look. “Do you think you can handle us all alone?”

Craig took to ignoring them as he moved closer to me; his small knife already in his hand, but could be rarely seen from the way he held it.

One of the wolf took anger in been ignore, and soon it all happened so fast. The first wolf moved towards him, but missed Craig, while Craig had slashed his arm.

I blinked.

And the other wolves shared a look. How had that happened so fast?

The look of amusement never left his face like this was all a joke to him.

The other wolves eyes shifted to me like I was an easy target; maybe I was, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. I also pulled out my knife, but not as effortless as Craig. I could still feel a small sting where the knife had cut me. I mimicked the fight position I have seen from other people, but as the moved closer to me, Craig blocked every attack.

All I could do was held my knife while I watch him effortlessly beat them as if it was a joke. The three put so much effort in attacking Craig, but he hadn’t broken a sweat, and yet he had slashed them in different places. Seeing that they couldn’t hurt him that way, two of them move to face him, and while his attention was on those two, one of them sneak up to him from behind.

I frowned at that and also run toward the guy sneaking up to him. But just as I got closer to the guy, Craig turned back and dealt with him as if he knew the guy was behind him.

The three moved back holding their injured part, “Who are you?”

Craig smirked at them, “Someone you can’t ever beat so scurried off.”

They took to his advice and ran off.

Craig dropped the snake with a slow hiss, and that was when I saw the small stain of blood in his arm. He wasn’t as invisible as I thought and he had sustained a wound on his own.

I moved closer to him and peer down at the wound.

He looked at me and smiled; it was so beautiful that I was captivated by his face until I heard his voice, “This is nothing. It will heal in no time.”

But yet, my hand moved slowly on the wound. He had sustained this while trying to protect me from those rogues. As my hand moved on it, I heard him hiss slowly in pain, and moved my hand away.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

Please be well. I wished him to be well, my eyes fluttered close voluntarily in prayers, my hand moving back to touch the wound.

When I opened my eyes again he wasn’t paying attention to me anymore. His gaze was on his arm and he had a strange look on his face. I followed his eyes until mine stop on his arm. The wound I had touched seconds ago wasn’t there anymore and more, there was no sign that he had actually wounded.

It looked like we had imagined his injury seconds ago.

Unexpectedly, we both stared at each other, before he said the words that made me more curious about my identity, “You’re a healer.”