Hunters

10 - Wounds

Only when the girl had fallen asleep, Diaval dared to leave her. He didn't go far, he didn't want her to be attacked by other creatures, but he had to look at his wounds. Pain shot through his wing and flank as he flew up. Only the thought that he would be able to care for his wounds soon distracted him from the pain and made him fly further until he saw a small field without any trees blocking the moonlight.

He perched on the grass and transformed into his human shape immediately. A frustrated grunt left his pursed lips as the pain increased. Breathing heavily, he rolled up his shirt. A bloody cut stretched from his hip to his shoulder. Despite the stinging pain, the wound wasn't deep, and he wasn't bleeding that bad. He would live.

Diaval walked to the stream that he had seen during his flight. He lived in these woods for years and he had studied Maleficent when she made her potions. He knew what herbs he needed. If he was quick, he could even bandage Alesana's wounds. He thought it was bold to do so, but her lack of self-care frightened him. He knew what nasty parasites liked to hide in bleeding wounds, making their host even sicker.

Arrived at the stream, he crouched down. Due to the darkness, it was hard to distinguish the different plants. Could he wait until the sun came up? It would bring significant risks and he didn't want to leave Alesana alone that long. She hadn't wondered why the bats attacked, at least not out loud, and since she shared almost all her thoughts with him, he suspected that she had no idea that it had been a personal attack. She probably believed that it had been one of the many dangers of being in the Moren. Diaval, however, knew better. He had never seen these white bats before, but he'd heard that they served a master that had been banished from these woods a long time ago. He thought back to Maleficent's warning: mighty creatures returned to the Moren at the same time that Alesana started looking for her father. Maleficent hadn't considered it as a coincidence, and the recent attack had proved her suspicions to be true. It would be more challenging than expected to protect her. He knew he was more useful in his human shape, and he wouldn't hesitate to show his true nature if it was essential, but right now, he was still careful. Alesana had enough on her plate. The discovery that her winged friend was partly human would distract her thoughts and he rather postponed that moment. Especially now she was wounded.

From his periphery, he saw a floating orange ball. It looked like an air bubble that had caught the last sunrays. Diaval knew only Maleficent would make this. He had expected her to keep an eye on them, offering them help without coming face to face with Alesana. For a while, he stumbled after the orange ball. With every step he took, he wondered if she found it amusing to see him stagger forward, pain written all over his face. He was almost sure that there was a sadistic smile on her face now.

When the bubble finally stopped to float, Diaval knelt in the grass. Soon, he found the herbs he'd been looking for. Immediately he forgot about his resentment towards Maleficent. Pulling the small plant with its silver stems and leaves out of the soil, he tore off the folded flower bud. Glittering dust painted his fingers. When he would mix it with water and drip it into her mouth, Alesana would be asleep for at least a few more hours. Enough time to nurse their wounds.