We're already at the 10th chapter!

Chapter 10

Annalaya sneaked away an hour later. It took Galian a long time to fall to sleep from the pain he was enduring.

She had to get him that willow bark. If he didn't know she was gone it would not kill him.

Annalaya crept through the woods; every so often she would stop and listen for the old peddler woman to see if she was lurking by.

So far the woman hadn't found their hiding spot. She prayed it stayed that way. Galian was in no condition to run for his life.

Annalaya finally found a white willow. She stood there a moment staring at it. She hadn't a knife to peel any bark away. She sighed and stepped closer to the tree. She would have to use her finger nails.

Thirty minutes later resulted in a small amount of bark lying in the moss beside her and bloody fingers with splinters sticking in them.

Annalaya ignored the painful sting of her fingers and scooped the bark up, trying not to get it dirty.

Galian was awake when she got back. He was sitting up with effort. A scared look marred his usually smooth and happy face. He tried standing up when he saw her.

"Annalaya!"

"Lay back down!" She scolded.

Galian did as he was told but his gaze was on her hands. "What happened?"

Annalaya hid her hands from view and went to a big boulder. She searched for a smaller stone so she could beat the bark into a powder. She wasn't sure how she would mix the powder into water and get it to the sparrow man's lips without a sort of vessel.

Annalaya huffed aloud, aware of Galian staring after her. He was quiet but the look in his eyes was screaming questions.

She smacked the stone against the back repeatedly until a fine powder formed. The result made Annalaya smile in satisfaction.

Now she had another dilemma. The fact she had no cup or bowl to mix the bark powder and water in. How on earth was she to get the mixture to Galian's lips?

She glanced around the stream, looking for anything she could use as a cup. Her eyes landed on a group of funnel shaped flowers. She picked one and raked the powder into the middle of it after she had pulled the seeds out. Carefully, she filled the flower with a little water mixing the powder and water with her cleanest finger.

When it was mixed as best it could be, she carried it over to Galian. His whole body language said he was in horrible pain.

Annalaya lifted the flower to his lips, and he took a hesitant sip, making a disgusted face.

"This will take away the pain," the tree girl insisted.

"If you say so" Galian wrinkled his nose. It would have been funny if he hadn't been in so much agony.

"I do say so."

After he drank the whole mixture, Galian grabbed her wrist so he could inspect her torn fingers.

Annalaya tried pulling back but he wouldn't let her. She bit her lip at his worried look.

"You took care of me. It's time for me to take care of you." Galian studied her other hand just as raw.

Annalaya protested as he took his once lovely brown shirt which was now a wet rag. It had been cleaned out. Just in case she needed to wipe any more blood. He washed the blood away and frowned at the many splinters.

He took care at pulling them out. He was slow as Annalaya inhaled a sharp breath.

After all the offending splinters were gone he wiped the rest of the blood away.

Annalaya stared down at his administrations in silence. She was amazed at the tender care he was giving her. He didn't have to do this. She hadn't expected him to after all he had been through.

Tears pricked her eyes as he pressed her palms to his lips and kissed them. "All better now."

If she was ever speechless she was sure to be now.

"Thank you." Her eyes met his.

*warm fuzzies*