Chapter 7
The sunset has almost gone; Iolene and Aaron are walking on the dirt pathway to the other cottage. Aaron was walking steadily behind her. Looking around at the surroundings, it was so peaceful and quiet. Soft green grass, small flowers scattered all over the area and the forest edge, from where he came from. But all Aaron could think about was the death of his comrades, on that stormy day. When he woke up from consciousness and saw the piles of bodies that surrounded him. He rushed towards all of his comrades to see if they were alive, gently shaking them one at a time. Including Lily, but none of them survived except him.
That image could not get out of his head. But through all of Aaron's thinking he still kept a straight face. But his heart filled with rage and hatred. With his right hand he softly touched his chest and softly winced. Even though Iolene placed numbing herbs on his injuries, they still caused horrible pain. Iolene quickly turned around to Aaron "are you okay?" Aaron quickly stopped at looked directly at the blonde haired woman. He quickly narrowed his eyes "I'm fine" Aaron quickly started to walk again, quickly surpassing her.
"Are you sure Aaron? I know we really haven't known each other very long. But isn't there anything you need to talk about?" Iolene still standing in her spot, looking at Aaron as he walked on. He quickly stopped as she asked the question and turned around "What happened to me is none of your business." He continued walking again. Iolene gave him a sad sympathetic look, but she quickly lifted her light blue dress up a little and ran after him.
"You know Aaron; you don't know where you are going...." Iolene quickly said as she caught up with him. Aaron quickly turned to face Iolene with a sarcastic look. "Don't you think I know that?"
Iolene quickly gave him a strange look raising one eyebrow. "You weren't planning to run away were you?" Aaron was still looking at her. "Depends of how you call running away, I just remembered what I needed to do now. And I want to finish that job. I might come back when I'm done". Iolene quickly gasped, quickly crossed her arms and gave Aaron an angry look.
"You know you broke an extremely rare gold draconium orb. That I was going to be using for my future plans!" Iolene looked at Aaron with piercing eyes. Aaron suddenly got a cold chill in his spine. It was like the nice world of warmth and calmness suddenly turned, cold and angry. Aaron wasn't so surprised to feel this feeling again. But he turned around blatantly and brushed of this moment and started walking off. Iolene got extremely mad, she quickly chased after him. She reached out her left hand and grabbed Aaron's ear and gently pulling it. Aaron immediately stopped and groaned and quickly held on to Iolene's hand that was pinching his ear.
Aaron yelled at her to let go. Iolene let's go of his ear and changed to the soft tone of her voice.
"Aaron, you're not healed. Even if you wanted to do something you wanted to do. It won't last. Your enemies will kill you easily". Iolene started to stroke him softly on his arm. She tilted her head up and noticed Aaron had a sad look on his face. He was looking at Iolene's hand. Her hand feels so soft and gentle, but feels bit cold. I have never felt anything gentle like that before. Aaron looked again at Iolene. She had the clear look of sympathy.
Iolene slowly put her hand down. She looked in her basket to see if all the food was in there.
Aaron looked upwards toward the sky.
The sun has almost completely disappeared; the stars in the sky are becoming visible in the dark purple sky. "We have to hurry. He must be hungry". Iolene quickly ran the pathway, Aaron ran close behind her Thinking of what she had said.
Aaron noticed that Iolene had stopped to a steep part of the hill.
"Be careful this part is steep. The cottage is just up top" Iolene quickly ran up the hill, where the cottage is, Aaron remain at the bottom to wait until she got up. "So how come this guy......is in a separate cottage?" Aaron started climbing up the hill where Iolene was on top waiting for him. Iolene grabbed his arm when he reached the top to help him up. Iolene groaned to pull him up and they both tried to balance on each other. "When I found him, we couldn't move him too far. He was needed treatment immediately. So....Beau and I found this abandoned cottage that was luckily close by. From then on we have been treating him in there".
Aaron quickly stood up straight when he regained his balance; Iolene quickly walked into the cottage, the man was still lying on the floor. "Hello how have you been?" in a cheerful tune lighting up lanterns as she sat down next to him, preparing his spoon and bowl.
Aaron, who was still outside looking at the sky, wandered inside and saw the man lying on the floor. He was quite shocked of what he saw, the man was ravaged from his bald scarred head, down to is rotten, black and even the loss of some toes. He did not even look human, he felt sick just by looking at him. Aaron decided just to watch Iolene intently as she put spoonfuls of porridge in his mouth. Aaron kept on thinking over and over again. How could have he have received such horrible and blatant injuries, especially around a peaceful area like this.
Let alone live....
"Who is that man" The injured man finally noticing Aaron who was still standing around the door area. Aaron broke out of his mind of thought and looked directly down at the man, the stranger's croaky voice and heavily breathing. Aaron could not feel anything but being disturbed by it. Aaron remained silent. Iolene gently put her hand on the stranger's forehead "He is a new friend of ours; he will be helping us around. You might see him often". Iolene gently smiled at the man on the floor, she turned her head to look at Aaron. Aaron just gave her a look, that it was made plainly obvious that he doesn't want to do anything. Shrugging his shoulders and rolling his eyes. Iolene turned around quickly and kept feeding the man spoonful by spoonful of that liquidity clumpy porridge.
The night was slowly idling pass and the sky was now purely dark blue, the stars are in full flourish. Aaron was still waiting for Iolene to clean up the man's injuries. Aaron was certain that he didn't want to this job every single day. He can barely look at the guy without gagging in the inside.
"Okay we're all done now. New bandages and your all fed". Iolene finishing off rubbing in grassy type herbs on his head. Aaron gave off a sigh of relief and stood up and stretched from leaning on the wooden wall for so long. Aaron looked at the man who was still lying on the floor; he noticed that he kept staring at Iolene, without even blinking. Aaron didn't know the reasons why, whether the fact that Iolene was really beautiful or trying to read her mind. But Aaron simply surpassed it in his mind.
"Please stay with me longer priestess...." The stranger begged, trying to lift up his arm, but shelled in that frail body of his he could not move it. Iolene clearly giving a sad and daunting look "I'm so sorry, but Amelia and beau are expecting us back at the cottage". She placed her hand on the side of his face. "Well then goodbye priestess...." The man slowly closed his eyes. "I shall see you soon".
She quickly stood up and quietly said goodbye to the stranger, she blew out the torches inside the cottage and walked out. Aaron walked slowly after her without saying a word. They were at the steep hill, Iolene noticing of how quiet Aaron was. She wanted to break the silence.
"The stars are really beautiful aren't they?" She looked at the sky. Aaron just looked back at her as he was about to climb down. "Yer....so what? What about them?" He slowly placed his feet on stable rocks and placed his foot on to the ground and rubbed his chest softly. Iolene was close behind him, following the same steps as he did. "The Stars and the moon are the givers of light in the dark" Iolene said on the ground and she started walking back on that same pathway they came on. "Well to me Iolene, stars are just there because they are there". Aaron started walking directly beside her. Iolene lowered her head. I hope we can at least become friends......
A few moments later it turned suddenly quiet again, all that could be heard are the crickets chirping. Aaron was looking around at his surroundings, the edge of the forest which is not far from here. It seemed that dragons were spying from beyond them. He cringed from the thought of it. He hated dragons so much and many humans could not be trusted, not even friends or family. Aaron kept on thinking of what he was going to do for future plans. But it was so quiet he tried to keep his emotions to a bare minimum.
A gentle breeze suddenly begins to pick up, Aaron's ebony dark hair began to sway back and forth. He could not still wipe those images of his comrades or that hideous man from his mind. But through all of this thinking he still kept a straight face. Iolene was looking at him with quiet all, she could not help but to think about of what he was concentrating about. Aaron could tell that Iolene was staring at him. He was trying hard not to feel disturbed by it; he looked at her with the corner of his eye "You know you are freaking me out with your staring" He said in a strict tone.
Iolene quickly shifted away from him. "I'm sorry.....I don't usually do that........" she said in a light voice and she started walking faster. Aaron raised one eyebrow "Is it because I'm cute that you were looking at me?" He softly smiled at her as she shifted off.
"No" Iolene simply said, slowing down her walking pace to match with Aarons. "I just feel curious. Usually the people I look after, tell me of what happened to them "Iolene quickly grabbed his arm to make him walk faster.
"You're just curious? You know curiosity and too much kindness killed the cat" Aaron quickly said as she moved him step by step.
"Well there's really no harm in being nice" Iolene gently smiled at him. Aaron just gave her a serious look. But he can't help looking at her face. She was so beautiful in the moonlight. The light of the moonlight graciously shows her soft, pale skin. Her light blue eyes were glowing, and stood out through the shadows darkness as they kept walking. Aaron quickly shook his head. The last thing I need to think right now is about a pretty girl...
Iolene looked at Aaron again; he seemed so full of thought. "Let's make a deal" Iolene let's go of his arm and stopped walking. Aaron noticed that they were near the cottage. The torch lights were still lit inside the cottage. He looked down to the grass, "What Kind of Deal?"
Iolene looked back at the cottage. "With your injuries, it will take a few months to heal. I will let you leave, when your injuries are completely healed. It's only fair".
Aaron looked up at Iolene, she gently smiled again. She turned around and walked back inside the cottage. Aaron quickly followed in; he saw the dragon sleeping in the corner in his hay bed. Pyro and Flamdra were sleeping right beside him. He suddenly saw Iolene walk to him with a basket of apples. "Here, we didn't have dinner, you must be hungry". She tried to offer the basket; she grabbed an apple and started biting through it. "I'm not really hungry...." Aaron gently pushed the basket towards Iolene's chest. "You must be" Iolene trying to offer the basket again. "I'm not...." Aaron pushed the basket towards her again. "You have to be..." Iolene tries to offer the basket. "Are you really this controlling?" He pushes the basket back again, this time even harder, she moved back a step. "I can be....but it's for your own good. Just take the basket with you to bed, just in case" Aaron quickly grabs the basket, from her hands and walks off straight to his room. Iolene sighed heavily as she watched him walk off to his room. This is going to be an interesting few months
She walked towards torches and lamps. Blowing them out one by one, she slowly walked to the area where Beau and the pups were sleeping. They were so peaceful asleep, Iolene softly touched Beau on the forehead. I'll try my best to help you my friend.
She walked into her small cottage room. Where she got changed into her different set of clothes and laid on her small straw bed facing towards the window, where the quarter moon was shining. Looking at the bright and shiny moon she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
In the other side of the hallway Aaron was still in his room sitting on his bed. He looked repeatedly at the basket of fruit; he quickly grabbed an apple and started eating it. He placed the basket on his side table. Laid down, looking at the window and slowly closing his eyes. "I hope I can heal quickly".
