Sednaii
"The two fingers, if I didn't know better, are surely broken."
"I have set the knuckles and given him a salve for the pain, but there's not much more I can really do for it."
The healer looked back towards James with a raised eyebrow, "If I had more time I'd try a mending spell I've been learning but my mana just isn't the most powerful you know." She squeaked shyly.
I gave a polite laugh, "Thank you though. For doing what you have, he thanks you as well." She smiled with pride before giving me a curt bow.
I returned the farewell and she turned to Tayca and James to deliver another bow. Turning back around she sped off to return to her work.
As we briefly looked on after her, James broke the silence.
"New medic, huh?" he announced.
I turned with an expectant smile to face him, he pointed with his good hand after the healer who was now busily tending beside her teacher.
He struggled with his words, until he eventually found the ones acceptable enough while Tayca translated for me.
I nodded and he smiled through a pained wince. We had been talking much in the moments before but for whatever reason our air approached that familiar place between apprehension and exhaustion.
When I didn't know what else to ask, and when I didn't want to pester Tayca with asking her something.
So it was quiet, at least, we were quiet.
After the battle we had since emptied Astranaar and our forces had split, the civilian elements had been escorted southwest while the bulk of the rangers had been sent north to regroup with a larger pocket of Sentinels entrenched around a moonwell.
We and our party of rangers had been ordered westward, to arrive at Maestra's Post and await further instruction, and it was at a primitive aid station that we now found ourselves resting.
Tayca was leaning against a tree trunk as she bent over to unstrap her leather boots; James by this time was no longer occupied with his hand, nor looking on at the healers and druids and instead looked on in simple interest as Tayca cleaned the sole of her right boot.
I looked around quickly with my eyes, we were standing out of the way to the side of the main collection of people at the post, and no one would see me look at him right now, least of all him. I took a slight breath, and just let my eyes fall on him.
His hair was just so, foreign! And the ears, how could they possibly hear with those, every beast of the wild has bigger ears than that! But… but still. I couldn't look away unless I really wrenched myself. He looked… handsome. But so pink! And the hair! It was almost driving me silly how bristly it looked, especially the hair on his face.
I've seen beards before on some elder druids, but… most young men, at least the ones I knew growing up didn't wear facial hair.
Despite being a warrior, I guess it's because he's a human, but he looked so soft.
Then he looked up…
And his eyes locked with mine.
That sharp blue of his eyes paused and made me freeze. He gave me a different kind of smile, something… special… his lips raised just slightly in each corner, his brow relaxed and he blinked.
Tayca started talking, but with her head bent over I couldn't hear a word she said. But he continued to keep his eyes locked with mine.
My heart beat strongly and my cheeks felt warm, my right hand fidgeted with a belt loop on my hip and my left gripped my thigh slightly. I… stopped thinking for a moment and the last coherent thought I had was that I just hoped Tayca wouldn't look upwards and notice what either of us was doing.
He spoke, plainly and as if no one was around.
"Hey"
I couldn't help but involuntarily smile,
I swallowed and cleared my throat before echoing him, as best I could.
"Hey"
For a moment, my hands let go and I raised my right, palm open.
He raised his, and gave me affirmation.
Tayca looked up, but at first I didn't notice.
Her expression shifted into contained surprise. James turned to her and spoke, Tayca's eyes widened and her head shot back slightly before hesitantly nodding.
My cheeks felt ablaze.
I don't know what to expect, and I hate this, not knowing his language, him not knowing mine. And then the mystery of what he's actually speaking, the waiting, and the vulnerability of having a third party between us…
B-between us? Oh by Elune! What the hell do I mean by that!
Tayca looked at me intensely, and I became antsy with concern. He didn't say that many words! What could he possibly have said? And why the shift in Tayca's disposition? She's about to speak…
Oh by the gods..
"He said…" My feet wanted to jump out of their shoes, and suddenly my neck felt slick with sweat. I wanted to gulp to rid the lump of anxiety in my throat.
"…That you're the most beautiful thing he's ever seen." Tayca looked away and began walking, I looked after her nervously, and with such a feeling of embarrassment.
In front of me James closed the gap between us.
My shoulders turned slightly in response, my chest rose in defence and my left hand came upwards to about neck level. My right hand stayed somewhat still above my hip.
I felt extremely hot, and the fear and anxiousness in my throat and face welled almost to an unbearable level.
He smiled.
That, innocent, genuine smile…
He stopped with about three feet between us and extended his right arm, palm upwards.
He leaned his head forward slightly and his eyes motioned towards his hand.
With my raised left hand I tentatively extended it to meet his.
The blatant-ness of his actions… the, the gall! The… honesty? Genu- no, it was… I don't know.
My fingers met the palm of his hand, I could feel the grime and dirt and sweat. His hand was so much smaller than mine, I could easily wrap mine around his wrist and break it.. but he did something which surprised me.
Almost as soon as my fingers and palm were in his he wrapped his nimble fingers around my hand and held it.
I swallowed the latest lump in my throat and I realized just how dry it was, my eyes wanted to dart anywhere but in front of me. My heart pounded so loudly, I could feel it in my cheeks and my neck.
He looked at me the whole time… and I could feel it. It was almost threatening, but in a unique way. I felt defenceless and vulnerable.
I looked away from him, and quickly pulled back my hand, I was surprised with the ease at which it slipped from his. I couldn't think, and I didn't want to think! There was all too much too fast for me!
I turned from him and apologised before setting my feet to run.
I didn't know what to do, but I needed space, privacy… to think, well, at least to try to think.
I pushed with my right foot and was about to set into a sprint when he grabbed my arm and turned me.
Coming to face each other again, I looked with utter surprise, unprepared for what was to come.
His right hand let go from my forearm and his left dropped his helm. The two arms moved naturally while the whole world felt as if it were slowed down for me.
He moved his arms around my sides and placed his hands high on my back bringing me forward closer to him.
Before I knew it he had pulled me close to him and embraced me. I didn't notice at the time but he must have been doing everything he could to match my height. He nestled his prickly chin against the crook of my neck and held me, tightly, and without regard. Honestly and openly.
I held him back, and I could feel him sigh. As he did his weight came onto me. He seemed like he would have been heavy but he wasn't. As he let out a heavy breath he seemed to lighten in my hands.
Were it any other time, I would have been purple in the face from embarrassment. But as he held on to me, and I held back, I couldn't care less. So I didn't look to see who was watching, I didn't care right now. If I gave it any thought I might have felt embarrassed, maybe, or fearful at the idea of being center to everyone's attention.
But all I really cared about in this moment was the feeling that was burning in my chest and on my face as I held this man, this human. We were sharing something, something which was just for the two of us, and no one else needed to be privy to our feeling.
So I looked down at him and leaned my head onto his shoulder. Were I watching I might have laughed as my hair fell from my bangs to rest on him, almost mingling with his shorter hair. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around his back holding him with a firmness to match his grip on me. He raised his face from the crook of my neck to look at me again.
He smiled slightly, and I could feel my heart's pulse in my hands.
For a moment I began to doubt. And my mind started racing with thoughts, Was this too soon? I began to wonder. Is any of this right? He is a human, there's still bad blood between our people. But he's not from this world.
But what would the others think? What would –oh Elune above, why am I being tested in this way! Why is it I that is fated to be here at this moment.
Why do I care so much about how this-
"Sednaii"
He spoke.
I nodded, and was surprised. My mind went blank as I waited expectantly.
He slowly withdrew his arms from around me and I quickly did the same from him. By now I became aware of just how close we were, like, the reality of what we were just doing began to sink in. And by now my face felt molten hot. I wanted to run and bury myself in a thorny bush! By the Stars I felt so embarrassed now!
He turned from me and looked to Tayca who had awkwardly distanced herself from us. He spoke to her and she looked at him with a slight level of sternness in her eye. He talked a little more and her expression softened.
She walked with him back towards me, but as she did it was with a strange cadence and mood.
"Sednaii?" she asked,
I nodded.
"He just asked me to ask you to forgive him."
I was puzzled as she spoke.
"He says he acted out of order, and wants to make sure that you know so."
I shook my head as she spoke, what is he thinking? What is up?
"Tell him!"
I stopped. Gah! Why can't I say it to him myself!
"How do I say no in the human tongue? How do I say he's wrong?"
Tayca looked at me with a raised brow, and she came closer to me to whisper in my ear. I mouthed the words as she told me, and I did my best to think of how to repeat the sounds she made.
I took a deep breath and turned to face him.
He had since picked up his helmet and was holding the brim of it in his unwounded hand.
I swallowed hard and cleared my throat.
"Do n't, fe eel thaat waye." I struggled with the guttural sounds, I felt like I was gargling water.
His eyes lit up while he listened though, I suppose it wasn't as bad as I thought.
He tilted his head slightly as he breathed deeply before letting out a slight laugh.
Oh! Maybe it was as bad as I thought!
I looked away from his eyes to hide my embarrassment.
I felt so awful now!
But before the feeling set in completely, he spoke again, two words. Both of which I recalled from earlier, when he spoke to Tayca.
You're Beautiful.
