When Larisa went to touch Farre leg, after she picked up the leaves from the three leafed bush that was nearby, Farre recoiled at her touch. Larisa stopped what she was about to do next out of sheer surprise. What has gotten into Farre? Ever since she saw Larisa’s scales something has been off. She didn’t like it.
“Stay still. I’ll clean the wound again. Some dirt has gotten in.” Said Larisa as she went to get her second water skin. The other one she gave Farre to drink. She had to replenish the lost blood after all.
“Alright.” Farre spoke and Larisa was surprised yet again. The fight she saw in Farre went out and now before her was an image of a tired and irritated woman.
As Larisa cleaned the wound and as she dressed it in the cloth and leaves she had at her disposal, Farre’s eyes traced her every movement. There was something happening in Farre’s mind, Larisa could tell by how quiet she has gotten. Even when Larisa cleaned the wound, Farre only let out a pained sigh. Nothing like before, with all the cursing and yelling.
After she dressed the wound she went over to pick up the rags she threw away before. They were clearly important to Farre. She put them pack in Farre’s pack and put it on Farre’s stomach. It was time to move.
As Larisa dressed herself in her armour and bear skin she spoke.
“We should move somewhere safer. You need to rest, eat and heal. My camp is too far to go back there, but I see a hill in the distance. We could make camp there.” Said Larisa as she dressed and watched for Farre’s reaction. A few seconds passed in silence. Larisa thought that Farre was not about to respond but then she’s said this.
“Actually, I have a different idea. I passed a cave. I think. It was that direction.” Then she pointed to the right of where she supposedly came from before. “Then we can go back to the expedition. It’s on the border of the jungle. A couple of days on foot from here. There’s medicine there and I need to go back there anyway.” Farre spoke slowly, as if she was deliberately thinking on every word she said. Larisa was unsure about this plan. The cave sounded like a good idea, but the rest made her feel a bit unsettled. True that she wanted to meet people, to walk amongst them. She was also curious to see the world beyond the jungle. Larisa would say yes to all of that if she felt Farre was sharing everything with her. She felt there were a lot of things left unsaid.
“We’ll go to the cave. I do not want to go back to your camp.” Larisa went over to put her bow and quiver at her back and then she walked to Farre’s side. She couldn’t walk, not with such a fresh wound on her leg, so the only way to journey to that cave was to pick Farre up and carry her there. She didn’t look heavy, Larisa thought, though the leather she was wearing could be obscuring her actual figure.
“What? Have you not been listening? I need to go back there. I have a captain to answer too. He sent me here for a reason, y’know. And there are two dead scouts out there that need a proper burial, doesn’t matter that they were idiots. I can’t retrieve their bodies by my lonesome, could I? Not with this hindering me.” Farre pointed to her wound. She’s gotten rather worked up again, which kind of made Larisa feel better. It felt like they were truly talking, instead of Farre shutting her out.
“You can’t do anything right now. Let me take care of you.” Larisa said as she went and picked up Farre. She took her under her knees and between the shoulders. There were easier ways to pick someone up, Larisa knew, but she had a feeling Farre wouldn’t appreciate being hooked like a dead prey around her neck.
“Wait, what are you doing?! Put me down, you kur!” Farre’s little fists hammered on Larisa’s chest.
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“We’re going to the cave so you can rest. Somewhere safer than this open plain.” Larisa spoke to Farre, whose face was quite close to Larisa. From this angle and distance, Larisa could see every single imperfection and mark on her tawny skin. She had little and numerous dots that travelled from cheek to cheek and touched upon her nose. There was also a thin, straight scar above one of her brows. When Larisa added that to the other scars Farre had on her legs, an image of a warrior emerged. How strange, that such a small creature like Farre was a fighter. Larisa could tell that under the leather, a lean and strong muscle was hidden. Like that on beasts that ran long distances. A build for endurance.
“The cave is good for now, but then we should head back to the expedition camp, that’s gotta be plenty safe, I assure you. Now, let me down. I can walk!” Farre spoke.
Larisa couldn’t help herself and chuckled. Farre was funny. Her, walking? No way.
“What’s so funny, ej? Just because you helped me don’t mean you’re my better. You’re still a savage, so listen to your betters, kur, and let me down!” Farre’s voice leaked out animosity to the Essence. Larisa stopped. She didn’t like the way Farre spoke to her.
“Stop this. We are going to the cave. You will stay there until you heal. Or I’ll drop you. Weak ones, like you, they don’t last long here, you should know.” Larisa said. That seemed to shut Farre up. The previous righteous fire that lit up under her seemed to dissipate momentarily as Larisa said how it’s going to be.
Good. Larisa didn’t want to lose Farre. She was the only human Larisa has ever met. It would be a shame to dump her to some cienja, wouldn’t it?
“Suit yourself.” Farre’s meekness suited Larisa just fine for now. It was always easier to work with a submissive prey. It was clear that Farre had a lot of fight in her left, compared to the previous bout of quietness, but even the stupidest animal can feel when is the right time to listen to the predator. And Larisa had to be that in order to control Farre’s actions.
Farre mentioned an expedition camp before. Larisa wanted to go there, see more humans. Look at the difference between the people. She wanted to talk more. She never got a chance to do that before. But, for that to happen she needed to convince Farre to keep her opinions about Larisa’s scales to herself. She had a feeling they were not good opinions. She wanted to meet these humans and have them look at her like a part of their group. She didn’t want to be an odd one out. She wanted to-She wasn’t sure, but some part of her longed for contact, for conversation. For familiarity. She felt like she missed it. She wanted that feeling to stop.
Getting Farre to the cave, for her to heal enough to travel further, would provide Larisa with time to think about her next move. Whether to go to that expedition camp, as Farre demanded they’d do, or to stay in the jungle, where Larisa knew how to thrive.
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The cave was exactly where Farre said it would be. It was a small cave, set a bit too low for Larisa’s liking. It would get flooded easily if a downpour came. It would do for now, but Larisa would have to watch for rain. If that were to happen, they would need to move quickly.
Larisa put Farre down on the entrance to the cave, on a spot that was still somewhat soft. She needed to gather some wood to light the fire. She had parts of her favourite kindling still, dried woodworm’s nest, to ease the making of it.
“Ej, where are you going?” Yelled Farre. Larisa has forgotten to say she was about to pick up some wood.
“We need wood for a fire. I’ll pick some from around here.”
“Ah, alright. Good thinking.” Said Farre.
After Larisa picked the wood she sat a bit further in the cave and started to work making the fire. It took a couple of tries, but she had flint, and fire essence has always come easy to her.
When the fire was building its intensity she quickly moved Farre closer to it and put her down on her bear skin. The fire needed to be tended to vigilantly in the earlier stages.
“That’s so much better. Dry warmth is superior to wet warmth.” Said Farre as she put her hands closer to the flame. Larisa hummed with agreement. This was quite comfortable.
Now, they only needed to rest. Farre would heal and Larisa could think about the next step.