While we're searching the woods for a suitable clearing to make camp, the air chills slightly as the sun gradually sets. Although I can hear Adrian trudging from a mile away, I look behind me occasionally to check his progress. My long stride has gotten me far ahead of him, and I pause to let him catch up. As Adrian nears me, I can hear his heavy panting and see the exhaustion settling in. It's not surprising, as we've been walking now for over two hours, and Adrian's slight frame shows me he has hardly any muscle to rely upon. I strike up conversation to make the trek easier.
"So, Adrian, what's your story?" I ask. "What has brought you to the depths of Sherwood Forest?"
Adrian quickly glances at me before answering. "I was traveling to a village close by, looking for work."
"I see. What village do you come from?" I question.
"Oh, I hail from a small farm north of Nottingham," Adrian replies. "It's quite out of the way, really. Very obscure. I doubt you've heard of it."
"Actually, I'm very familiar with Nottingham and the surrounding-" I'm cut off when Adrian suddenly trips over a root. Reaching out, I steady him. When my hand grazes his, a jolt travels up my arm, and I quickly withdraw with a jerk. I peer over at Adrian and see that he looks as surprised as I feel. I suppose he noticed the charge between us as well. Uncomfortable with what just happened, I clear my throat and surge ahead. I try to think of other things but my mind keeps returning to it. What happened back there? I look at my hand. Usually nothing gets to me, but this strange electricity has rattled my thoughts. Shaking my head, I focus on my surroundings and finally spot a suitable clearing a short distance away.
Reaching our campsite for the night, I drop my stuff on the ground and start to gather twigs for a fire. Adrian is so worn out that he collapses on the nearest boulder as soon as he reaches the clearing, flushed and panting. I light a fire to ward off the cold seeping through my clothes. As soon as the twigs are smoldering, I grab my bow and arrows and make record time of finding and killing a rabbit in the surrounding woods. Upon my return, Adrian seems to have recovered somewhat and I begin to skin our dinner.
Adrian can hardly keep his eyes open as he eats, and he finally succumbs to sleep as the moon shines in the night sky. I watch him for a moment. In sleep, he looks so peaceful, and the lines of worry on his brow smooth out. There's something different about this boy. He's just so... pretty. I catch myself staring and quickly move to the other side of the clearing. I really must keep my composure.
Usually, I sleep in the trees and have no fear of ambush, but, on the ground, I decide to keep watch. I sharpen my arrowheads to pass the time, but, as the minutes pass, I find myself nodding off like Adrian. Before I know it, I wake to a loud snap. Jumping up, I grab a dagger while my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness.
I slowly turn in a circle, scanning the inky blackness. My eyes don't miss a thing, and I spot a dark figure crouching behind a nearby tree. Raising my dagger, I take aim, hurling the weapon. It lands true, and, with a yelp, the figure rises and stumbles. Chaos breaks loose as other dark figures emerge from the undergrowth, brandishing swords with long silver blades that flash in the moonlight. I reach behind me and fumble for my sword, and though I am better with a bow and arrow, it is the only option in the moment. Swinging it around in barely enough time, it clashes with that of an enemy. I make quick work of him and swing around to the next figure, all the while trying to get a glimpse of Adrian. Perhaps he has been wise and has hidden at the commencement of the fight, but it would be foolish to believe that an enemy has not spotted him. Slashing through what appears to be the last figure before me, I finally whip around towards the other side of the clearing, only to see someone taking a swipe at Adrian, who appears to be cowering on the ground. With a yell, I hurl my sword through the air and it embeds itself into the figure's side. Dropping his weapon, the enemy slinks to the ground, my blow proving to be fatal. For a moment all I can do is breathe deeply to steady my racing heart. This late-night battle has given me a surge of adrenaline, and I struggle to tame my anxiety. A few minutes later, I am finally composed, and make my way over to Adrian.
The nearer I get to him, the louder his gasping becomes, and with each of his painful inhalations, a pit of dread grows larger in my stomach. I can only hope that he has not been mortally wounded in the skirmish. Reaching his side, I kneel down and gently turn him towards me and pat his clothes. There is a wet spot near his right ribcage, and a tear in the fabric. My worst fears confirmed, it appears he has been struck. Picking up his slight body, I move Adrian to a spot of the clearing that is bathed in moonlight in order to see what I am dealing with. Though blood covers his front, the flow thankfully seems to have lessened in the past moments. The wound must not be too deep. Slowly, I untuck his tunic as gently as possible and begin to shimmy it up his chest. I am halfway finished when a cold, clammy hand shoots up and grips my forearm. For someone so slight, Adrian's grip is surprisingly strong. I cease tugging on his clothes, afraid the movement of the fabric against his wound may have hurt him. I look towards his pale face and into his eyes that are glazed with pain and what appears to be fear.
"Please," he whispers raggedly, "don't go any further."
I look at him with concern. "Adrian, I must see how deep the wound is. I know this is unpleasant but your shirt is almost off so the pain won't last very long."
I slowly take hold of the fabric once more, but Adrian accosts me again.
"Wait Beck! No. I- I..." he croaks.
"What is it, Adrian?"
"Just let me look at it. It doesn't feel very deep anyway. Please let me take care of it," he pleads quietly.
I look at him for a moment. Confused but nevertheless respectful of his wishes, I draw my hands back and watch as he struggles to sit up. Before he even makes it a few inches off the ground, he gasps and his face screws up in pain.
"That's it, this is ridiculous. I'm looking whether you like it or not," I inform him as I gentle him back down.
Seemingly resigned to what's about to happen, Adrian closes his eyes, but not before I can spot a hint of dread in their depths. Why is he so against me tending to his wound? Before he can protest any further, I slide his shirt the rest of the way up, bunching it under his neck. As my eyes adjust to the sight of his chest in the darkness, I pause. He is slighter than I thought, with no muscle whatsoever. In fact, I almost make out soft curves in the darkness. As my eyes continue up his torso, I notice a white strip of fabric secured tightly over his chest. Confused, I look up at Adrian's face and see him peeking at me from the corner of his eye.
"What's this?" I question, lightly tracing the fabric.
"I-I am...I-I mean I was..." he stutters.
I stare at him and see a fierce blush gather in his face.
"I had to get away, I just had to!" he bursts out suddenly. "And this was the only way!" In his agitation, his voice has risen a few octaves and I'm startled by it's feminine tones. Before I can make sense of his words, I am struck over the head with the truth, and the more I ponder this possibility, the more sense it makes. In fact, I can't believe I didn't piece this together before. It's too obvious.
"You're a girl," I state dumbly.
"...yes." She looks down, her blush spreading from her cheeks to her forehead.
Looking at her torso, understanding dawns upon me. I realize the white fabric has flattened her chest, adding the finishing touch on her male disguise. It's my turn to blush as I notice I have been staring at and touching a half-naked woman. I quickly move my eyes to her face only to see her watching me, waiting for my reaction to this news. I give her a small smile of reassurance and remember why I lifted her shirt in the first place. I pause for a moment to gather my thoughts, then speak.
"Of course I have many questions that demand answers, but for now I must ascertain the severity of your wound," I tell her. "Is it alright for me to touch you here?" I point towards her stomach.
She nods slowly and braces herself for the pain. My eyes shift to the sliced skin on her torso. I can see that it is a small wound, probably only caused by a grazing of a dagger. Standing quickly, I grab my her satchel and fish out the water flask. As I slowly pour water over the abrasion, she winces but allows me to continue. Once the wound is clean, I search through her bag for something to wrap it up with. Unfortunately she has no spare clothes or bandages, and I know I have nothing of the sort in my rucksack. Pondering what to do, I remember the cloth wrapped around her chest.
"Hey," I gently touch her shoulder to get her attention. "I don't mean to trouble you, but we don't have any bandages or spare cloth, except for the fabric tied around your chest."
Her eyes widen slightly at my speech, and she blushes again.
I look at her sympathetically. "I really think that is the only option. I promise I won't look while I'm untying it, and then I'll bandage your wound up as quick as possible," I say quietly.
Still flushing, she nods and looks away in embarrassment as I slowly begin to unfasten the cloth. As promised, I close my eyes as the fabric loosens, and I slowly start to pull it free. In the process of blindly gathering the material, my hand grazes her soft flesh. I quickly jerk back at her gasp, and a shiver runs down my spine. The contact of our skin has created that same electricity running up my arm. Fabric in hand, I peel open my eyes to dress the wound, and notice the gooseflesh covering her stomach. I can't help but smirk as I tighten the cloth over the cut. It appears she is just as affected by the feel of my skin as I am hers. Finished with the task at hand, I quickly but gently pull down her shirt and look at her face. It seems some of her pain has eased, though she now looks slightly nervous. I get lost staring at her. How could I not have known that she was a girl this whole time? I gaze at her full lips and the dark blonde lashes that spread over the tops of her cheeks. Flicking my eyes up to hers, I smile sheepishly as I realize I've been caught ogling her. She attempts a small smile back, but the nerves are still etched on her face. She must be apprehensive about what will happen next. With a sigh I get to my knees and carefully slide my arms under her body. Picking her up, I carry her closer to the fire and set her down gently. Reaching for my rucksack, I bunch it up into a makeshift pillow and place it behind her head.
"Thank you, Beck," she whispers gratefully, meeting my eyes.
I nod quickly and notice her teeth slightly chattering. I prod the fire for a moment, feeling her eyes on me the whole time. Satisfied with the blaze, I settle down next to her and look into her blue eyes, ready for answers.
"So," I begin with determination, "let's talk."