Frost Bite

Chapter Twelve.

Blythe.

I awoke the next morning beside Aron, my body still leaned against the side of the mattress, still covered in blood with my head pounding and my hand gripping something warm. I blinked my eyes open to find that it was a hand, both of out hands were tainted red. I raised my head to find Aron still fast asleep, his hand still holding mine which meant that he still had a bit of strength despite his wounds. Slipping my hand out of his, I reached across to press the back of mine against his forehead to find that he did in fact have a fever. My head turned this way then that to observe my surroundings only to find that we were alone, the door semi closed with the dirty towels, needle, bucket of water and belts were already cleaned. I stood, gazing down at myself and decided that I was in desperate need of a bath so I left the room, hand gripping the door frame as I glanced down the short hallway that lead to the armory with a small kitchen area set off to one end along with a bathroom across from the bedroom Aron was in. I was about to stumble across the hall and into the bathroom when the girl from before exited it, drying her hands on a faded brown cloth that hung from the ties of her apron "My Lady" she greeted, coming to a stop when she noticed me. Her short red hair was up in a small horse tail, tied with a piece of string that she had most likely found lying around "I have prepared your bath" she informed me, stepping aside and motioning in the direction of the bathroom, allowing me to step inside the small room that had a tub that could only fit one person, much smaller than the one in my chambers. She was about to shut the door behind me when I looked back at her "Fill some buckets with this bath water and get me some clean cloths" she stared blankly at me for a second, not understanding my request but nodded and hurried off to find some buckets and cloths. I slumped down on the side of the tub, my eyes finding a small mirror that hung on the wall in front of me where my own reflection stared back at me. My eyes were red and rimmed with dark circles, I looked tired, almost aged from the day before, from the trauma I had experienced. I was brought back to reality when the girl returned, scooping water into two buckets and tossing the cloths inside of them. I began to unbutton my coat with shaking hands which she noticed and hurried to undo them for me. I sat still as she worked, only standing when I could let it fall to the floor by my feet. She scooped down to pick it up, tossing it into a bin that would later be taken to the servant women to be washed. I stepped into the water, watching it turn red when I sat down in between the liquid and steam. She used a wooden cup to wet my hair then took some oils, rubbing them into my skull when I leaned back in the water. After a while of running her fingers through the strands and being seated on her knees beside the tub, she paused, a small gasp coming from her lips "My Lady-." she began, her hands leaving my hair as her eyes looked to mine. She hurriedly dried her hands and reached to take the small mirror from the wall, holding it up so that I could see myself in it "Your hair" I studied the object she instructed me to and found my lips faintly turning up at the sight. The roots had turned white which was a known sign of the body undergoing a tremendous amount of stress. I had expected something similar to happen from the fear and worry I had experienced so it wasn't a surprise. I flicked my wrist, letting her know she can return the mirror to the wall. She continued working on my hair then moved on to my body until I was free from blood, my teeth having been cleaned by candle wax and a piece of fabric that I would use to scrub the wax onto my teeth and around them. I stepped out of the tub, watching the water fade down the drain as the girl began to dry me, her hands moving over my body with a towel "What is your name?" I found myself asking when she finished drying me and moved to the side where some clothes lay folded in a pile. They weren't clothes meant for women and instead smelt of Aron which made my eyes tear up at the sight of them "Fay, my Lady" I nodded my head as she moved closer to me, taking the simple brown shirt that had long sleeves and helping me get it onto my body, tugging it down over my head and to below my rear "Thank you for helping him, Fay" I whispered as she reached for a pair of pants but I shook my head, turning to take one of the buckets in hand and carry it back across the hall to where Aron was still fast asleep. Fay brought the second one, setting it down on the floor beside the one I had brought. I sat down on the edge of the mattress and reached for one of the cloths, wringing it out to use. Fay moved to help me but I stopped her "Let me" I insisted to which she took a seat by the window, watching as I leaned across him to start dabbing at his face, cleaning the wounds and rubbing the dried blood away from his skin. I began to hum as I worked, cleaning his skin piece by piece and dipping the cloth every few rubs back into the water to clean it. I reached his lips and dabbed at them, finding myself becoming lost in the sight of them, in the sight of him, his face, despite the wounds that ran across it, regardless of the loss of his eye. He woke up when I reached his chin, his tired eyes blinking up at me, listening to the sound of my humming as I worked. I set the cloth aside and reached for a bandage to wrap around his head and across one side of his face. He stayed silent as he watched me, trying to lift his head as I worked with little regard to the pain, clenching his teeth and forcing his neck to lift the weight of his head. Once I tied off the bandages, I leaned down to place a soft kiss to his right temple then reached for the cloth again to clean his neck, chest and arms, down to his abdomen. Fay had left during the time I took to clean his chest, patiently staying by his side, fully cleaning him without so much as a complaint from my part. She said she was going to prepare his food in the meantime. I wrapped each wound then pulled his pants from his legs after shutting the door. He lay naked on the mattress as I washed his legs, thighs and feet with my hands and the cloth, moving to the dresser afterwards to retrieve a new pair of trousers and a shirt. I slipped the pants onto his legs, one leg at a time then tugged them up the rest of the way with his help, buttoning them. The shirt was even more difficult with me having to ease him into a sitting position, stuffing feather and straw pillows behind him to lean back against. I raised his arms, slipping the sleeves onto them then tugged it over his head and eventually down his torso until he was fully dressed with a blanket covering his lower half. I sat beside him when Fay arrived with his bowl of chicken stew that I took from her, blowing on it as my hand gripped the handle of the spoon "Would you please have a bed prepared for him in the castle and notify the King of his condition?" Fay nodded then left as I turned back to Aron, lifting the spoon to his lips that parted to allow me to feed him. He slowly chewed the broth then swallowed, only to repeat the process a few times until he eventually spoke after I helped him drink some water from a cup "Why are you doing this?" I stared down at the bed sheets that I had replaced earlier while dressing him with new, clean ones and set the bowl down in my lap when I too asked myself that question, deciding that I would answer truthfully "Remember when I told you that I care for another?" I asked, referring to when I told him that my wolf loved Nixon but that I harbored feelings for another. He nodded his head, slowly, trying his best to ignore the piercing ache that shot through him. A small smile made its way onto my lips as I played with the stew, running the spoon along it. I didn't bother looking up when I spoke my next words "I am doing this because I care for you-." my eyes were drawn to him, meeting his surprised almost black ones as the grey light poured into the room around us. My lips parted "Because I love you"

Aron.

Her words left me speechless, lips parted but without anything to say. She smiled at the shock on my face, her lips pulled slightly back to expose the four fangs that were smaller than what they were when she would fight. She looked so tired, so drained both physically and emotionally and it only seemed to remind me of the day before when she had worked late into the night to clean and stitch up my wounds. I glanced down at her hands cupping the bowl in her lap and moved so that I could take one of those small hands in mine. Those nimble fingers, those hands that were much smaller in comparison to mine, those were the hands that had worked to heal me, removed my left eye and bathed me. I ran my thumb along the top of her knuckles, my eye going to examine her facial features once more only to freeze at the sight of her hairline. The once silver strands had began to turn white at the roots, as white as the snow that littered the ground of Vextin beyond the window of the room we were in. Her eyes were red from crying, surrounded by dark bags from not getting enough sleep and her lips were chapped, cracked in a few places but despite all that, she was still more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen "The arrangements have been made, my Lady" the servant girl from before announced, stepping back into the room with her hands neatly folded in her lap. Blythe nodded, her hand squeezing mine as she smiled tiredly up at me then said in a small voice "I have training to attend" she explained, slipping her hand out of mine then rising to address the girl. She held the bowl of stew out to her with the servant took in both hands, a little confused by the action "See to it that he is fed and properly taken care of in my absence" the girl's eyes widened slightly at her demanding tone, the voice of a Commander. The girl nodded but Blythe wasn't done "I'll send Knights to help him to his chambers" with that she glanced back at me, gave a small nod with a faint smile then left, dressed only in one of my shirts. The servant girl looked too afraid to approach me but eventually eased down onto the side of the bed to feed me in silence. Her words once again repeated themselves in the back of my mind 'Because I love you'. I felt like an i***t, more than I previously had for having ever thought that when she said she cared for another that she was referring to Zaniel. I was nothing more than a commoner, yet there she was, rushing to my side to help tend to me, to do whatever she could to help with little regard to herself. I leaned back against the pillows, my head slightly turned to stare out the fogged window as the girl left to clean the bowl and retrieve some herbs that would help stable my fever. The night we had spent in the forest came to me, the way she had planted herself firmly on my lap and kissed me so desperately, grinding herself against me with the orange light of the fire surrounding her form like a halo. From that moment on it was over for me, I had no hope of ever not wanting her as my own, of ever not caring for her. I could hear her voice coming from the Courtyard as she instructed men twice her size to strip down. My lips tilted up in a grin at the thought of her tired and cranky self, snapping at them, shooting them death glares with her canines exposed and them too afraid to stand up to her. I breathed a laugh, closing my eye since it was tired from having to focus so hard to compensate for my missing left eye. I would have to train harder in Hunting to make up for my loss, but for that moment I had to concentrate on getting better, not just for myself but for her as well.

Blythe.

There was a total of around twenty men waiting for me in the Courtyard when I exited the armory. They had been expecting me to leave the castle and were all stood facing the massive structure with their backs to me "How much longer is she going to make us wait?" one of the younger Knights asked, his helm tucked away, underneath his arm. He was taller than I was, so much so that he looked like a small giant. I took a stand behind him and cleared my throat, catching their attention. They turned to face me, everyone apart from the younger male, kneeling in my presence, their heads bowed to show their respect towards their Ninth Commander. I glared up at the man who had asked the question then bit out past clenched teeth "Oh I don't know, it is not like she has more important things to be doing than training your sorry ass to fight!" he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He was younger than I was, looking to be around sixteen or so but his family must have evolved from giants for him to be so big, so muscular. I turned to address the rest of the men, my eyes burning from lack of sleep as I narrowed them to glare at the armor they were wearing "You're here for training not patrol-." my cutting gaze once again locked onto that of the only man standing. He leaned back slightly, his eyes fearful from most likely having witnessed me in the throne room on the day of my trial "Now strip!" I snapped and the men stood, removing their armor and letting it thud to the ground until all they were left with was an undershirt, trousers and armored boots. I motioned towards two Knights who were stood nearby, observing with grins plastered across their lips, calling them over "My Lady?" one questioned when they too knelt down beside me. I looked in the direction of the armory, the sound of cluttering metal almost overwhelming as the Knights stripped, setting their swords off to the side along with their helmets "Please accompany Lord Aron to his temporary chambers-." I turned my head away from them, eyes searching the group of men in front of me to see if they had all done as I had instructed "Fay will show you the way" they both nodded then rose in unison, their movements sharp and precise "Yes, Commander" they said then left for the armory, stepping inside and sliding the wooden door open to allow them to pass. I remained silent for some time, my mind racing with thoughts from the night before but I pushed them aside, my eyes once more landing on the young man "What is your name, boy?" his appearance wasn't anything special. He wore brown pants and an old brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His armored boots were polished to a shine like most of them were but from his shaggy brown hair and the way his skin was coated in dirt it was clear that he was a commoner, most likely a farmer's boy "Griff, my Lady" he fumbled nervously. The scent of hay and horse dung contradicted my prior thoughts. His father was the stable boy, tending to the horses of wealthy men and women which was most likely why he was training to become a Knight, to provide for his family. It caught me off guard that they would take commoners as Knights but with the dwindling numbers of nobility it would make sense that the Royal Court would be more lenient "Griff-." I repeated, tasting the name in my mouth to see if I liked it. I eventually nodded "Please step forward" I instructed, taking my own steps back until I was stood some five feet away, facing Griff with my body turned to the sides. He did as told, taking one giant step towards me. There was commotion near the armory and I managed to glance in that direction to find the two Knights helping Aron out the door. He walked on his own as they supported his weight on either side. Fay followed, her arms filled with clothes while a bow dangled from her back with a bag of arrows. I should've known that he wouldn't go anywhere without his bow and arrows, he was a Hunter after all "Lord Aron" a few of the men greeted, surprised by his appearance and that bandage that covered most of his face. Aron asked for the Knights to stop and they did with Fay standing right beside them, facing the center of the Courtyard. I placed my focus on Griff, my Commanding post my top priority in that moment, despite me wanting to rush to Aron's side "I would like for you to advance" I plainly said, snapping Griff out of his daze from starring at Aron and drawing his attention back onto me. His eyes grew fearful when he had processed my words and his hands began to become clammy from the way they kept balling at his sides. He swallowed hard but nodded, giving me the signal to take my stands, legs slightly spread, knees lightly bent and eyes trained in on my target. He wasn't fast when he moved, his slow attach making it all too easy for me to dodge the fist he had raised. In the time it took him to regain his footing, my hand had already grabbed hold of his wrist and the elbow of my other hand connected with his jaw. I let go when he cried out, almost tumbling back onto the floor as he gripped his chin, where blood was dripping from his hand onto the snow. My eyes narrowed as the other Knights began to laugh at the scene but I tuned them out. He had potential, the fact that he hadn't passed out from the blow to his jaw meant that he could take beating unlike most of the men stationed around me. The blood was from his mouth, having bitten bitten his tongue "You're too reckless, think before attacking!" I snapped, my eyes flickering black from the smell of blood nearby that my wolf could sense. A few of the Knights took steps back when my eyes shifted colors, they were afraid of me, afraid of what I was and what I could do "Take into account what your weak points are, consider your opponents strengths" I said, a bit calmer than before. I was still in the same position as I had been before we had started with my back towards Aron and Fay. Griff ran the back of his hand across his lips then dropped it back to his side "You have a brain, now use it" I gritted my teeth. It was simple really, I was much smaller than he was which meant that I was faster. If he was going to try and attack me head on it wouldn't work since I would see it coming from a mile away. He had to take me by surprise, distract me or attack my weak spots which were my back and my left side since it was the less dominant of the two but he wasn't thinking and charged once more. I moved back a bit when he came stumbling past, my foot going out to hook around his leg and slightly lift his foot off the ground. The motion caused him to fall face first into the snow with an earth shaking impact. I sighed heavily then turned to the rest of the Knights "Who can tell me my strengths?" I questioned, hoping that one of them would be skilled enough to be able to answer me. A man of around twenty seven snorted, pushing off the castle wall to approach me through the crowd of Knights that parted to allow him to pass. He smelt strongly of perfume and oils, the smell making my nose burn from the intensity of it. He was of a noble bloodline, that much was clear "You're smaller which means faster and you know how to use your brain" I could taste the insult directed towards Griff in his words, an insult aimed at him mainly because he was a commoner and of lower class. Despite his rude way of putting things, he was right. He was smart from how he observed things but that didn't mean he knew how to count his words "And his weaknesses?" I asked, my head nodding in Griff's direction. He was up on his knees, shaking his head as if to clear it and moved to stand, almost crouching as he watched us. The noble man wore a navy blue turtle neck shirt with some tailored black pants that were made of silk "He's a big oaf, who doesn't seem to think before he acts" his eyes landed on Griff, filled with disgust as he glared down at the giant of a boy. I hummed, one side of Aron's shirt slipping down my shoulder, leaving it bare. He might be a simple commoner but Aron had taught me that common folk could learn to fight, to outsmart their enemies like he had me the day he had Hunted me down in the woods surrounding Vextin "Your name?" I asked, my hand outstretched towards the man of high ranking. He looked to be older than Griff, around my age to be exact but still young compared to the other Knights in the party that stood simply observing in silence. His shoulders straightened out and his chin rose a bit higher "I am Sir Alister Barsil of Lynis" I watched him carefully. Lynis was to the South, a city said to be surrounded by fields of roses and grapes. He looked much like a flower himself, dainty and fragile but he carried himself with confidence as if he was as big as a mountain and as fierce as a lion. I nodded "Well then, Sir Alister, since you're clearly the smartest of the lot-." I began, my words laced with sarcasm that made the rest of the Knights chuckle and Griff look at me with confusion written across his face. I bit out the word 'Sir' in a mocking tone, emphasizing it "Would you mind taking me on?" it was a challenge, one that would cause shame to a Knight if he was to reject it. Griff stood and stepped back into the crowd, giving me room to move back from Alister by a few paces. The nobleman nodded after glancing at his fellow Knights and stepped into the heart of the clearing. I wasn't planning on taking it easy on him like I had with Griff simply because his face made my teeth grit and my fists ball at the sight of it. The way he spoke down to a commoner was something most nobles did however for one Knight to speak down to another was a disgrace to his Knighthood. As members of the Royal Guard they should act as family, respect one another and fight alongside each other without such petty differences getting in the way. The Capital and their King was more important than their problems.