The Willow and the Wolf

Chapter Eight: Tremors Of The Night

Walking through the forest for many hours, took a toll on Clara's body and mind. It was dark now, and she was starting to become tired and drowsy from dehydration.

She glanced up ahead and squinted to see the reflection of water on the flat ground. Jogging to the water, Clara mindlessly scooped the water into her palms and drank. Not caring about the cleanliness. A smile formed on her face and she closed her eyes as the cool water hit the back of her dry throat.

Out of nowhere, something gripped onto her right ankle and squeezed tightly, startling her to no end. She squealed and glanced down to see a man laying on the ground. The pitch black night only illuminated the man's eyes staring up at her in a desperate plea.

She shook off the man's grasp and pulled the dagger from her side. "Don't move unless you want to die." She pressed the knife to the man's throat,
not seeing the blood that was dripping onto the ground from the side of his neck. He stayed still and blinked up at her.

The shades of blue in the man's hazel eyes were glossy with tears that didn't fall, and dirty blonde hair framed his face.

Clara pulled the knife away after a short second and bent down more to examine the wound on the man's neck.
Red blood stained her small fingers as she tilted the man's head to the side to get a better look. He groaned in discomfort and pain.

"What did this to you?" She asked the question, but after seeing the two large puncture holes on the man's neck, she flinched as a realization struck.
This wasn't an animal attack.

Clara's eyes flickered over to see the man's face turn pale at the question. He shivered and his hands were shaking from the blood loss.

"Why did he leave you alive?" Clara asked knowingly. The man shook his head in response. "I don't know." His voice was gruff and scratchy, just like the stubble on his unshaved face. He was twice Clara's size and he was still complaining about the wound he had. Clara chuckled and the man looked up at her angrily. She just couldn't help herself. It isn't everyday she saw a seemingly- tough man shake in his boots from a little blood.
It was just a little blood he was shaking from, right?

"Sorry." She muttered and quickly took off her cloak to rip off a few inches of the fabric straight across the bottom.
She used the cloth to apply pressure to his neck.

Clara noticed a bag strap that the man had across his body and she grabbed it and lifted it off of his person, making sure to set his head back down on the ground gently. "What are you doing?-"
He asked as Clara rummaged through the bag.

Water canteen.- No.
Rope.- No.
Another canteen. The second one was filled with alcohol.- No, he can man up.
Snare string- No.
Fire starter wood.- No.
Gutting knife- Definitely not.
Rusted needle and thread- BINGO!

Clara pulled out the spider web thread and threaded the eyed needle.

"I just want you to know that I have no idea what I am doing. So if you die, don't blame me." Clara said in a hurry and pushed the needle into the man's skin, earning a quiet scream from his lips. He nodded through the pain as she sewed him up carefully. The pitch black sky didn't help her to be any more confident in what she was doing.
She inwardly prayed she wouldn't make the man's wound worse.

Once she was done, Clara pulled the water canteen from the bag and poured some onto where she had sewn. Most of the blood from the wound had washed onto the ground, revealing the stitches in the man's skin.

Clara exhaled nervously and pulled the other canteen from the bag, taking a swig of the watered down ale. She furrowed her brow and muttered a curse under her breath. It was still strong, even having been mixed with water. The man's eyes flickered to Clara, then closed for a minute, then opened again and moved back to her.

Clara studied the man's face as he rested his head. She watched as he opened his eyes....But this time he opened them, they weren't the color they were before. She gulped as she witnessed the irises of his green eyes turn a pale glowing red.

"Y-your eyes-" Clara started, but a tremor shook the man's body suddenly.
He bagan to shake repeatedly every few seconds.

Confused as to what to do, Clara shifted and positioned herself so she could hug the man, his head now propped up slightly.

"Shhh. it's okay, just look at me." She said as the tremors in the man's body came in longer successions. He opened his flickering red eyes and focused on the girl in front of him.

She wasn't sure if this was helping much, but Clara honestly had no clue as to what else to do. She should've run, she knew that. The man she was holding in her hands was turning into something dark. Something like the monster she trembled just remembering.

Although she was nervous as to what the man she held in her hands might possibly do, she couldn't leave him. Not like this. He was have seizures that were painful to watch, but Clara pulled through with only a few tears leaking from her tired eyes.

"I've got you. I promise I won't leave you like this." She reassured as she dried her eyes with her free hand. She soothingly stroked the man's hair with her other hand.

"What's your name?" Clara asked once the seizures had eased up and weren't as violent. The man's eyes flickered the same red as they did before at the question. "Orion". The man answered before closing his eyes to rest.
Clara didn't answer or say anything. She was too tired to, and although she knew it was stupid, she needed to sleep.

Resting her head on the man's chest, she tucked her legs up and held his shaking hand in hers as she sang a low tune. Her eyes became heavy and sleep overtook her.