A/N : I update this story while thinking of our puerto rican ER, my thoughts are with them. Until we hear news, I let you enjoy this chapter.
I asked one of my beta's opinion and she doesn't think this chapter needs a warning, but I'd rather be careful so warning for mention of violence and murder. I also upgraded the rating to M in anticipation of the next chapters.
"Damn!"
Robin is caught off guard by the strong and icy wind unexpectedly rising and almost making him lost his balance. He lifts a hand to protect his face against the blast, leans against a tree and kneels down to its root, to find a camp half ravaged when he opens his eyes.
The wind has decreased a little, but Robin recognized the premises of a storm, he knows this is just the beginning. He needs to find shelter.
Robin begins to gather their things, quickly secures them in the bags, making sure it's safely locked in and he didn't lose anything important.
Then, he looks up and begins to search for Regina's silhouette through the forest. She left a while ago, should be heading back, especially with the growing storm and quickly dropping temperatures. Hidden in the cavity of a large rocky mountain, he waits for a moment, heart beating faster with every passing minute. He can't lose his target when he's so close to fulfilling his contract.
"Regina?" he calls when the wind decreases.
He lends an ear, attentive, eyes scrutinizing the forest, searching through the flying and falling leaves and dust. It doesn't take him long to realize that Regina isn't here and nowhere close. Using the sudden lull in the storm, he walks out of his stash and towards the stream where he knows Regina went.
"Regina, do you hear me? We have to find a shelter."
No answer again.
Maybe she's found refuge somewhere, Robin tries to guess. So he doesn't stop, he hasn't reached the river yet anyway.
He doesn't see it immediately. At first, he thinks of a fallen trunk in the middle of the road. Until he gets closer and recognizes the form on the ground.
The anxiety that invades him makes Robin speed up unconsciously. He fights the storm and the attack of the forest when the wind rises again, protects his face with his arms held up as a shield, drops his bags on the floor before kneeling down next to her.
"Oh my God!" he lets out spontaneously, his voice broken with concern. "Regina!"
Unaware of his frantic heartbeats, he brings a hand to cover the back of her head, the other removing her hair from her face the best he can with the wind assaulting them at every second.
She's unconscious.
What the hell happened here? This isn't his doing. Was she attacked? Did she hurt herself?
Why is she lying down, cataleptic, in the middle of a storm?
A warmth against his palm has him look at his hand to find fresh blood slipping from what appears to be a head injury.
"What the-"
Robin stares at his hand, covered with blood, then at Regina's inert body. She's hurt, but he can see her chest rise regularly, that means she's still alive.
But she needs help.
She's completely vulnerable, at his mercy.
He should get rid of her now.
This is the perfect opportunity to finish things once and for all. This effect she has on him, this smile she so easily puts on his face with a simple glance, the fluttering in his chest everytime he catches sight of her, the way she takes his breath away with a simple touch of his arm, all of these things he cannot explain, make her too dangerous.
Maybe it's sorcery, the King did warn him that she was a powerful witch, even if Robin never faced this side of her. Something is happening, that's a certainty. But whatever this is, he has to make it stop. He has to end this, even if it doesn't follow his initial plan. He should have done it days –hell, even weeks!- ago. Why was he stupid enough to wait? There are so many ways to get rid of someone.
Poison her brew.
Slice her throat during the night.
Stab her when she's least expecting it.
That's exactly what he's going to do now.
He wanted to send a message to the King tonight asking for a meeting in two days so he could kill her in front of him, but bringing the man her cold body will do. So he's going to execute his contract, right now, get the money, and go back to leaving his life.
But Robin stays frozen on spot, unable to move.
He thought it would be easy, that an arrow or a knife would fix this problem when the time comes.
It is not easy.
His hand is at his belt, hovering above his dagger, but he cannot find the strength to close his fingers over the shaft.
His brain is assaulted by contradictory feelings.
Abandoning Regina here to die in the middle of this storm, crushed by falling trees or bleed out to death, only to retrieve her body later to hand it to the King, that or slicing her throat right now, represents a way to honor his contract. He'll get the money in the end, so there's that.
But what if he cannot find it in himself to let her die here, or worse, to just end her life himself? What if his mind is contradicting his heart, begging him to spare her life, for a reason he can't understand?
What if he's making a big mistake, not by letting her live, but by letting her die? What if he's been wrong from the beginning?
Will he be able to look himself in the mirror if he crosses the line? Will he be able to keep doing this job?
Is he still able to?
"Sir?"
Robin stares at Regina's unconscious and pale face, deeply lost in thoughts, torn about the choice to make, so he doesn't hear the stranger walk to him, doesn't notice his presence until he feels a hand on his shoulder. He swirls around immediately, fingers closing over the unexpected guest's wrist, his other fist lifting above his head threateningly, stopping himself instantly when his mind catches up with his reflexes.
"Hey! Easy there!"
A brown-haired man exclaims, stepping back and holding his arms up next to his head in defense. He slowly, carefully, lowers the ax he's holding to the ground, bringing his arm up immediately to protect himself from the wind and dust flying around them, one of his feet stepping back to anchor him to the ground. Robin's arm lowers without him realizing.
"I only wanted to check out what happened. Do you need help?"
Robin is at a loss for words.
Nothing makes sense anymore.
Why is he even here, struggling to decide whether or not he should kill a woman he's been hired to kill and whose life means nothing to him? Why did he decide to change his method this time? Why didn't he kill Regina the second he caught sight of her in the forest, weeks ago?
"Sir, do you hear me?" the man asks.
It snaps Robin out of his daze state. Looking down at Regina, his fingers brushing her forehead, he sighs.
His decision is made. At least for now. He needs more time to think this through, and time isn't something he has right now.
"My friend is injured. She needs a healer."
"Do you know what happened?"
Robin shakes his head. "No. I was... I wasn't... She left our camp to get ready and... I don't know." He sighs again, hating himself for his confused and hesitating voice, a strange sound to his own hear, a foreign one.
"Alright. I live close from here, we can find shelter there, the healer doesn't live far. Do you feel up to carrying her?"
Hand still brushing her cheek, shivering at the coldness and pallor of her skin, Robin's yes is mixed with the bubbling anxiety growing in his throat.
The two men work together to carefully put the brunette in Robin's arms, covering her with her coat. While he's tucking her head comfortably against his shoulder, Robin hears a whimper, hopefully glances at her face to see her eyelids flutter, fighting to stay open.
"Regina?" He calls, his voice frantic, forgetting for a moment about the storm around him, the strong wind threatening to make him fall, the quickly dropping temperatures.
"Regina, do you hear me?"
The other man turns to get closer, looks at the young woman who's struggling to open her eyes.
Robin sighs in relief when his name pops out of Regina's lips in a whisper. She can't say more, her eyes are still close, and she seems to be drifting towards unconsciousness again, but the brief exchange has given Robin the resolution he needed.
"Hold on, Regina! You're going to be okay." He whispers when her eyelids close again, her head falling back against his shoulder.
To hell with doubts.
Right now, all he wants, is to see the black orbs of this woman stare at him defiantly, and her wonderful smile twitch her lips up again.
"We need to go!"
The voice of the stranger brings Robin back to reality, to the dangerous situation they're stuck in, and he nods, follows the man quickly, their pace as fast as possible despite the natural forces they're putting up with.
For a small while, they make their way through the forest, fighting the strong and icy wind, avoiding the growing fresh fallen snow as it starts to fall and isn't yet sticking to the ground, but rendering it slippery and dangerous. Their faces are burrowed in their hoods, and they take support on trees from time to time when the effort becomes unbearable. Robin glances at Regina every now and then, to her pale features, still closes eyes, her pink lips slightly turning blue.
It's only after a time that seems to last forever that Robin notices a wooden cabin, further on the road, with smoke exiting the chimney.
"We're almost there." The man screams to cover the whistle of the wind.
The door opens quickly the second they face it, a woman standing in the entrance, moving to the side to let them enter.
"I was looking through the window when I saw you arrive." She explains. "Hurry up! Come inside!"
Robin follows the man in the house, lets the woman close the door behind them, but he's still too stunned to speak or react other than mechanically. He hears their voices, but cannot make out their words. His arms are protectively closed over Regina's body, his chin on top of her forehead as he attempted to protect her from the stormy weather.
It takes him a moment to come back to his spirit. Not that he's never faced a storm before, but the one happening in his head right now is flipping everything upside down. He still can't understand what's happening to him, what's pushing him to help this woman whom he's only known for a month. Why is he finding himself unable to do his job, for the first time in years? He's killed women before, has always fulfilled his contracts. What's different now?
The tactic he's been using with Regina, pretending to befriend her before stabbing her in the back, he's never used it with a woman in the past. So what makes her different? Why did his heart start beating faster the moment he saw her lying on the ground, and hasn't stopped? Why are his guts twisting with anxiety and fear from the second he realized she was unconscious and worse, bleeding? Why is he having trouble breathing? Why can't he lessen the grip he has on her, and feels like keeping her secured in his arms is the best -only- way to protect her?
"Sir?"
His mind is still foggy, his breath still short, his vision blurred. Someone is squeezing his shoulder, there are voices in the background, but it seems to be so far away...
"Sir, are you okay?"
Robin finally snaps out of his dazed state. He blinks repeatedly, stares absentmindedly at the woman and man worryingly looking at him.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You can lie her down here." she says softly, waving towards the fire and a pile of covers on the ground.
"We have to get her warmed up, and you too. You're frozen."
It's only after his mind processes the woman's words that Robin realizes he's, indeed, trembling from head to toe, his fingers numb, face wet from the snow.
"It's not the most comfortable place, but at least it's the warmest of the house." The woman keeps talking, unaware of his train of thoughts and unbothered by his lack of reply, but that's fine for him. "I'll take a look at her while my husband will get out to fetch the healer."
Robin nods wordlessly, carefully lays Regina on the covers, lets her head rests on the small pillow the woman hands him. He struggles not to brush a wild strand of hair away from her face, finds himself unable to look away. Someone urges him to turn though, and the man hands him a thick blanket, tilts his chin towards his shoulders. That's when Robin realizes that he's still wearing his half damped cloak.
"Thank you." Robin mutters. He removes his cloak, that the man retrieves immediately, hanging it above the door with several other cloaks, and wraps the cover over his shoulders. The warmth spreading in his body, soothing his aching muscles, has him exhale softly and relax slightly.
"Come here, sit down." The man invites him. "Let me get you some water."
Robin shakes his head. "I'm fine. I want to stay by her side."
"You're in shock. And my wife will check on your friend in a minute. You need to rest, there's nothing more you can do to help her right now." The man states, statement to which Robin doesn't answer, just stares down at the glass of water.
In old times, he would have punched this man for daring speak to him like that. But now isn't old times, and he has changed, much more than he expected, so he listens, takes place on a seat and watches the blonde woman tuck Regina under thick blankets.
"My name is Michael." the brown-haired man introduces himself, drawing his attention again. He waves a hand towards the woman who smiles kindly in return, before she focuses her attention back on Regina. "Eleanor is my wife. And you are?"
Robin sips a gulp shakily, gaze fixed upon the person he probably just saved the life of, the woman he called his friend while he was -still is- supposed to kill her. Against all odds.
"Robin. She's Regina."
"Nice to meet you, Robin. This place isn't a big one, but it will keep you safe from the storm. Our healer doesn't live very far, I'm going to go get her in a moment."
"Alright. Thank you."
"Daddy! Hug now?"
The high-pitched and unexpected shriek startles everyone and breaks the tense and awkward atmosphere. Robin's attention is drawn towards the origin of the call, where a blonde-haired little girl and a boy with dark hair and brown eyes, not older than 3, are standing. The girl is pouting, arms crossed over her chest, while the boy glances between him and Regina in curiosity.
Michael looks at the children and his face immediately lights up. He crouched and opens his arms wide.
"Of course, my darlings. Come here!"
In less than three seconds, he's holding them close to his chest.
"You listened to your mommy and I and you waited quietly. That's very good!"
"Daddy, why here now?" The boy questions.
Surely, Michael must be working during the day to provide for his family, Robin thinks. His situation with Regina, or the storm, must have interrupted his plans.
Michael lifts his son from the ground, settles him on his lap and explains softly.
"I met some people on the road and they needed help. These are our guests. Robin," he waves towards Regina. "And Regina. They're going to stay with us for a little bit, alright." Not waiting for the children's approval, he meets Robin's gaze, introduces them. "Robin, I present you my almost three-year-old twins. Hansel and Gretel."
xxx
"Alright, I have to go, Hansel. I'll be back in a bit."
Michael brushes his son's forehead tenderly, shushes his protest with a firm voice and a kiss to his cheek before putting him on the ground. Gretel is watching her mother change the cloths covering Regina's head with eyes shining with interest.
Eleanor turns towards her husband. "I managed to stop the bleeding to her head, but she's still cold and unconscious. Don't waste any more time, she needs her help."
Robin's head snap up from Regina's form to meet the blonde woman's eyes.
"Her?" he questions.
"Yes. The healer."
Robin lifts an eyebrow. "Your healer is a woman?"
"Indeed." Eleanor nods. "Her father held that position until he passed, last year. He taught her everything he knew. She's the best around here."
"Really?" Robin can't help but ask. He's not defensive, after all during his travels he witnessed so many different things and situations he's one of the few who's aware that a woman can be worthy of man if trained properly. "I thought women weren't allowed to be healers around here."
"Usually, they don't. But everyone in the area knows her, we grew up in the same village, and we trust her. She's helped her father cure many of us from different diseases. She will help your friend."
"That's all I'm asking for." Robin replies pensively, getting up and crouching by Regina's side, a hand covering her forehead. He winces at the coldness hitting his palm.
He doesn't notice Michael coming closer to him, only hears his voice when he asks. "Do you want to come with me, Robin?"
The offer surprises him, has Robin look up at Michael with a furrowed brow. "I'd rather stay by her side." He shrugs, his attention back on Regina already. "I want to be here if she wakes up again."
There's a silence following his answer, one to which Robin barely pays attention to. He's heard the couple whisper a few times already in the short time they've spent here -because really, it hasn't been more than fifteen minutes maybe, mostly time for Michael to recover from the cold outside. But he has noticed Michael's defiant glances to him, figures the man can't feel reassured at the idea of leaving his wife and kids with a stranger.
"Go! We'll be fine. And you'll be back very soon."
Eleanor's hushed reply to her husband confirms his theory, their defiance about him, but what can he do about it? He is a heavily armed stranger accompanying an injured and unconscious young woman, many people would ask questions. So Robin waits, silent, still, except for his thumb rubbing the back of Regina's hand.
"I won't be long." Michael speaks behind him. "Your friend will be fine. Our healer is the best."
xxx
Knowing that the healer lives less than a mile from where they are and that she'll be here soon doesn't appease Robin's fear. His shoulders are still tensed, his face strained with concern, his jaw clenched. He hasn't moved from his spot on the ground next to Regina, hasn't released her hand, and stares at her helplessly, as if the power of his gaze could wake her up from her slumber. At least, that's how he must look like from outside.
But inside, it's a whole different matter. He's still pondering whether or not he made the right call, and if he'll have to pay the consequences for his actions sooner or later, because, for the first time in forever, he crossed a dangerous line. One he's not certain he'll come back from even if he eventually decides to finally turn her in to her husband. But then he remembers his name slipping from her lips, the desperation of his heart when it sank in his chest at the sight of her, unconscious and bleeding, the fear that seized him then, and that hasn't left him yet. He remembers her elusive smile and the way he thinks of it all the time. The images of her stubbornly learning how to build a fire and then proudly grinning at him, striking him straight in his chest and, for a second or two, forbidding him to breathe. How did it come to this? It was the first lesson he learned, the first thing he was taught.
Never get personally involved in a case.
He remembers…
"She's beautiful, isn't she, Robin?"
The teenager jumps and looks at his mentor, Marcus, whose sneering voice just spat the words in his ear while he was watching a young girl being poorly treated in the middle of their camp.
She's a nobody, a slave to them, someone they bought from a merchant during one of their journeys months ago, along with a bunch of other girls, so they would do all the tasks that are considered too low for men to do.
Robin came to speak with this girl one night, as he exited his tent to relieve his bladder. She's a small thing, a brunette barely his age, and he'd seen her crying in a corner. Kara, was her name. He learned it after he'd asked her that day, when he sat by her side and, after assuring her he meant her no harm, they started to get to know each other. It had been secret encounters between them, she wasn't allowed to speak to the men of the camp and it wasn't permitted to befriend the slaves. But Robin was in need of a friend, and she seemed nice, as desperate as he was, with her golden eyes confusingly staring back at him through her tears.
And as their friendship grew, his mentor's suspicions did too, something Robin was about to learn that day.
"Do you think she likes you, Robin?"
The young man shrugs, ignoring the answer, at the same time unwilling to reveal too much about his forbidden friendship with Kara.
"Don't be so shy, Robin." Marcus says calmly, patting his shoulder, smirking. "Do you really think I'm not aware of your little nightly excursions?"
Robin's head snaps to the side, to meet his mentor's shining eyes. He swallows heavily, stuck in a corner. He knows that if he lies, the man will see it immediately, and will punish him for it.
"I didn't mean any harm!" He assures with a fearful voice. "I just wanted to be nice to her."
"Nice?" Marcus laughs. "Why would you want to be nice?" In front of his silence, he tilts his chin forward, towards the girl busy cooking lunch. "Ulrich!" A tall man with a large forehead and a scar across his right cheek gets up, waiting for orders. "Search the girl!"
Robin's confusion grows as he watches Ulrich grab Kara's arm bluntly, dragging her away from the cauldron under her, sudden and frightened cries drawing the attention of a large part of the camp, people watching them curiously.
"Watch and learn, Robin." Marcus whispers when he walks past him, rooting himself in front of Kara, firmly held by Ulrich. Her golden eyes are staring at him in fear, her posture the one of someone who's been diminished her whole life. What is there to learn from this?
"Go ahead."
At his leader's order, Ulrich begins to search the girl's dress, ripping from her the few things she possesses, a small handkerchief, a handcrafted comb that she must have made herself, throwing everything on the ground. Marcus crouches, examines every item, humming sometimes, mostly frowning.
"Are you sure she doesn't carry anything else on her?" He asks when he looks up.
Their devilish smirks are enough indication to what's going to happen, and Robin watches in horror as Kara fights them with the small and unfitting strength she possesses, unable to stop them from ripping her rags apart, leaving her half naked in the middle of the camp, until Marcus' victorious voice puts an end to the situation.
Robin has watched the scene in shock. He's never witnessed so much cruelty before, and seeing Kara's teary eyes as she desperately attempts to hide her chest and legs from view hits something in him, shaking his resolve to become a part of the mercenary group. He takes a step forward, intending to stop this charade, knowing very well he will probably receive a slap for his nerve, but he cannot stand this anymore.
Marcus turns towards him before Robin has a chance to speak. And he's holding an object he recognizes too well. The first dagger that was offered to him after he joined the camp.
It freezes him on the spot.
Marcus holds the knife in front of him for everyone to see, but his words, Robin knows, are only meant for him.
"We have a thief among us. A slave who's robbed one of us and has probably planned to use this knife to force her way out of this camp. She used Robin's good heart and plotted to stab him in the back." Turning towards the crowd, this time, Marcus addresses them directly. "Tell me, my men: How do we deal with treason?"
The answer is loud and common. "Death."
"Who should perform this sentence?"
Robin knows the answer before it resonates in his ears. His name is spoken so loudly he almost startles, and before he can realize his feet are leading him towards Marcus, who hands the blade to him. But Robin doesn't take it right away. For a moment, he stares at Kara, at the lace around her leg that was holding the dagger hidden, and as the truth hits him, his heartbreak becomes apparent through his eyes brimming with unshed tears. How did he miss this? How could he let this happen?
The pain is excruciating, the anger overcoming his 'good heart', and as she tries to explain her actions to him, babbling that she never planned to hurt him, only wanted to escape, Robin's hand closes over the handle, and with one swift movement, without hesitation, he slices the girl's throat. And watches her body crumble on the ground, unaware of the cheerful and satisfied screams of his pack.
She was his first kill.
He didn't love her, he didn't even know what love meant by then, but Kara was the first woman he felt attracted to, she was the first one he called his friend, and she used him thoughtlessly. Consequently, she paid the price for her actions.
Robin's hand hovers over his belt, over the dagger he never got rid of, wondering if Regina deserves a similar fate. She surely hasn't betrayed him yet, at least not that he's aware of, and she might never do so.
Except Marcus was right. He shouldn't have let his emotions get in the way of his mission. Now, he's in an impossible situation because of it. But Regina hasn't done anything wrong. Regina hasn't turned against him. If so, she's been nice to him, apologized for each wrong step or bad mood, granted him with smiles, and was happy to learn from him. She enjoys his presence. He knows she does. She isn't playing him. He knows how to read people's faces, and Regina's expressions have always been genuine. A bit defiant at first, something he can't really blame her for. But when defiance turned into trust, when she voiced her trust, he knew she meant every word.
So, despite Marcus' rule, he will let Regina live and recover. He will allow her a few more days to be alive. He will allow himself to receive her wonderful smile for a bit longer, to let it thaw and warm his heart.
But she cannot smile at him while she's unconscious, and her face is pale, her usual pink lips have turned blue, her shining eyes are desperately closed. And it breaks his heart in thousands of pieces.
"Come on, Regina." He breathes. "The healer is almost here. So, stay with me, okay? I told you I wouldn't leave you, so I forbid you to give up on me, do you understand?"
It's only as the words spontaneously leave his lips, that Robin understands how much he means each of them, how true they are. There is no act now, no lies, no twisting the truth to accommodate his version. He wants her to wake up. He doesn't want her to die. As painful and odd as it is, as illogical and incomprehensible, this is his new reality. He came to care enough for his target that he cannot fulfill his contract, for the first time in his life. How did he end up committing such a huge mistake? How did he break the first rule he ever learned, the one that controlled his life up until now?
"Robin?"
Eleanor's voice is soft, but it startles him, has him shaking his head to come back to his senses, turning to meet the woman's eyes. She's handing him a satchel, Regina's satchel, he recognizes, and a large bag, the one they use to put their things in.
"I believe that this is yours?"
"Yes." He swallows, grabs the satchel, lets Eleanor drop the bag next to him. "Thank you."
"You may want to keep an eye on those. Hansel has a tendency to ransack everything he finds. I wouldn't want him to steal something from you."
Robin smiles, notices the boy a little in the back, eyeing him sheepishly, his sister braver and more curious next to him, and attempts a small smile. These people have done nothing wrong, and they're trying to help. He has no reason to be mean to them.
"Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful."
Eleanor politely smiles and nods, straightens her spine and begins to turn away from him, when Robin, pushed by a sudden force, gets up, calls her name.
"Yes?" She says when she faces him again.
"I know I haven't been very... open, or responsive to what you're doing but... I want you to know that I appreciate this." He waves his hand in front of him, slightly glances at Regina. "Letting us stay here, calling the healer, making arrangements to make us comfortable, even though you don't have much space and we are total strangers to you. I might not be very good at showing it, but I'm grateful."
"Don't worry, Robin. I understand." She smiles kindly. "You're worried about your friend, your mind is elsewhere, that's normal. But thank you for telling me."
While the woman goes back to her children, turning away from him, she can't see the sparkle of realization that lit up in Robin's eyes at her words. His mind is elsewhere, indeed. He's not in his normal state of mind. Eleanor is right. He isn't himself right now.
Maybe what he thinks are these new feelings he's developed for Regina, what he imagines to be a pang of his heart, in reality are just him having been bewitched by her. She must have enchanted him, that would explain his current emotions. Without realizing, Eleanor just gave him the answer. Regina has probably used her powers on him, that's why he never saw past her sweet face and smile. But here's the thing! He knows a little bit about magic, and he knows that for a spell to work long term, it has to be kept on. And, while Regina recovers, she won't have the strength to use her magic so her spell will fade, letting him get back to his spirit.
So, this is only a setback, and he won't make the same mistake twice. The minute he finds himself alone with her again, once this situation is over and they're away from this place, he will finish the job. No one will ever know he hesitated. No one will ever know he almost failed. It won't happen. He won't let this witch turn his whole world upside down. Her kindness, her sweet smile, her soft touch, it was all fake. She's playing him just as he's playing her. But she won't win. He won't let her. Kara was the first woman to betray him. And she will stay the only one.
Knock knock...
Robin's attention is on the door. He watches Eleanor open it to reveal Michael and a young blonde woman with blue eyes who holds a large satchel and doesn't immediately pay attention to him.
"Hi, Ellie." She greets Eleanor with a warm hug, the woman helping her get rid of her coat and bag.
"Hey! Thank you for coming."
"Of course. Michael explained the situation, you were right to call me."
The woman, the healer, then notices Regina, asleep and covered with blankets. She's still unconscious, and the woman briefly crouches next to her, the tip of her fingers brushing the hair away from her forehead.
"Is this her?"
"Yes." Robin finally speaks, catching everyone's attention and reminding his presence. He still stands where he was when he spoke to Eleanor. "She got injured during the storm. I wasn't there when it happened, she was already out for the count when I found her."
The healer's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, a mask of concern replacing the surprise quickly.
"When was that?"
"Maybe an hour, an hour and a half ago?"
"And she hasn't regained consciousness since?"
"Briefly. She only said my name once, but nothing more."
"Alright. What's her name?"
"Regina."
"And you are?"
"Robin."
She holds her hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Robin. I'm this village's healer. My name is Amelia."
Coming next : Amelia works on healing Regina while Robin is still struggling to decide which path he wants to follow...
For those who think Amelia seems familiar to them, well... I'd say trust your gut!
Thank you for leaving feedbacks on your way out :-)
