Foxfire and Rose Briars: A Rose's Thorns

Chapter 8, Bleeding

3rd PoV

Alan stepped towards a pale, bleeding Rosaleen; her eyes were tired and dull as he reached over her shoulder making sure her injured one was away from him.

"Sir... Is she going to be okay?" Ella asked from his shoulders, Rosaleen's coat holding her in place now that it was tied like a baby carrier. The young frail girl watched the fiery orange woman stumble and try to stop Alan from helping her.

"She will be if she lets me carry her." He said his deep green eyes watching her, worry was deep down as his hand swept under her knees and picked her up, her dark eyes widened slightly as her eyes looked up at Alan.

"Rose, can you hear me?" He asked looking over her features and she nodded softly, her hands were shaky and her shoulder still bled. Her artifact fans back on her hip like they never left, she coughed slightly as her bleeding slowed way down.

"Okay, we are going to get Ella home and take you back to Dark Wick to get the Mortkranken students to look at your shoulder." He said and she nodded slightly, her eyes drooping as she fought sleep and stared up at Alan and seeing Ella staring at her scared and worried.

"I... I can walk..." She whispered and Alan shook his head roughly, looking at her wound, then back at her and starting to trek towards the train stop to go back to the park and get the little girl home.

He stepped onto the train, setting Rosaleen on the bench then grabbing Ella under the armpits and lifting her off his shoulders, setting her down where she went and crawling on the bench with Rosaleen.

"Can you drape her in her jacket?" Ella asked to pull the jacket off herself, her children's jean jacket was dusty and torn in the arms, her hair was matted and unclean but her eyes were puffy and dirt streaked down her face from crying.

"Yeah. That's a good idea." Alan said, taking the coat from Ella and throwing it gently over Rosaleen.

"T-Thank you..." Rosaleen said weakly as she stayed still, feeling small hands running through her dirty hair.

"I like your hair." Ella said, playing with the tendrils of orange, making Rosaleen sigh softly and hum in thanks.

"What kind of anomaly was he? I had never seen anything like him." Alan said looking at Rosaleen who was still awake, but zoned out, his voice bringing her back to reality as she spoke.

"Dragon, he was hoarding young women, they did that, kidnap 'marry' then murder." Rosaleen explained coughing slightly as she shivered gently growing cold.

"They were common in Ireland..." She mumbled and zoned out again as her pupils started to fluctuate slightly, widening and narrowing she was trying to focus as she huffed.

"We are here. Ella, can you walk?" He asked and she nodded fiercely.

"Yeah, I can show you the way." She said and he nodded looking at Rosaleen.

"Stay here. I will be back in a second I promise." He promised looking her in the eyes and she nodded softly, her tired eyes not really focusing on him but could see him.

Rosaleen's PoV

"Rose?" I heard my name, my eyelids opening as I looked over, seeing Cara she was alone my eyes looked around.

"Where's Alan..." I croaked my eyes searching fearfully realizing the train was moving and my anxiety picked up and I grunted in pain standing, swaying slightly.

"You're injured! You're bleeding!" She yelped as I stumbled slightly, looking around realizing it was just us.

"Where's Kaito and Luca?" I asked, I may had been injured and out of it but I could see the guilt wash over her features like a crashing wave, my eyes searching her features.

"I..." She started but she sighed and gave up.

"They told me to go home... I thought I could... And it would be okay..." She said and my eyes narrowed slightly as I coughed slightly, stumbling and landing on my butt on the bench again. Gritting my teeth as I huffed.

"What happened? Where's Alan? Why are you alone?" She shot question after question at me and I raised my hand to calm her down, as I collected my brain.

"Dragon kidnapped me, Alan is taking a little girl named Ella home... I don't know how long it's been..." I coughed slightly shivering as I clutched the jacket around me more, Cara looked at me worried as I huddled myself more into the bench.

"Rose. Thank god you're still here!" Alan said racing into the car, he must have been searching the train for me, a train cat meowing as he walked through.

"Alan..." I said gently looking at him, my eyes tired as Cara moved out of the way eyes wide.

"Who are you?" He asked but didn't give Cara time to answer, as he inspected me quietly, making sure I was alright.

"Did you use the matches on her?" I asked my eyes watching him and he nodded softly, my heart clenching as he sighed gently, crouched in front of me. The train stopped again and a familiar voice was heard.

"Is that Rosaleen?" Rui's voice could be heard and I moved my head slightly to meet his eyes and he looked at me worried, but I smiled softly and instead he went and sat down with Cara chatting with her.

The train stopped again, Alan picked me up again as I made my voice known.

"I can walk." I announced but Alan didn't react, walking along the train platform the night air crisp as it nipped at my skin of the wound.

"I am not letting you walk when you're injured" He said and I huffed giving up, knowing I wasn't going to win this fight, feeling the heat radiate from his body. I flushed slightly feeling the heat crawl my neck slightly.

"But..." I mumbled and he stopped, looking down at me, brow raised as I went quiet under his heated gaze.

"Sorry..." I whispered and his eyes softened slightly but kept walking, my dull eyes still watching his features as I studied him. I hated being carried but I wasn't winning the walking fight.

"Can I at least just lean on you...? I can walk..." I tried to compromise but he didn't listen and kept walking. We entered Dark Wick, his steps quick and uninterrupted as whispers around the halls could be heard all around us. I hid my face with my jacket, wanting to stay out of the rumor mill. Knowing it was already too late.

"Ah. Alan how nice to- What happened?" A new voice asked as new footsteps approached fast, from the corner of my eye I saw a man with cerulean eyes and dusty green hair.

"Put her here, I will have her patched up and back in Frostheim before dinner." He said and my jacket was removed from my body revealing the white cotton tank top that covered my top half, the wound now visible and touching oxygen I hissed.

"Yuri. She was hit with literal darkness, that anomaly had control of it somehow. It was... What?" He asked, looking at me who was shivering from the cold.

"Dragon." I mumbled and he motioned with his hand at me and Yuri nodded slightly, his handsome features were wrinkled in thought as he bent over my shoulder.

"She will be fine, just a flesh that bled a lot because she wouldn't stop moving." Yuri chastised me and I flushed in embarrassment as I huffed.

"Well. Couldn't let the creep get Ella..." I muttered sharply and I heard Alan chuckle softly, as my dark eyes flicked to him.

"You're a stubborn little Flower aren't you?" He asked eyes watching me, I huffed and scrunched up my nose.

"My name is Rose... Or Rosaleen." I said to him, Alan laughed slightly and stared at me, his steely eyes amused as he studied me. His body turning and leaving now.

"I have to go, Yuri take care of her." Alan said, his eyes staring at Yuri who nodded quickly, his eyes wide as he turned back to me, grabbing some medical supplies. Alan walked out after giving me one last glance.

"Alan Mido hey?" Yuri teased and I glared at him, my eyes narrowed as he started to clean the wound and I yelped and let out a pained hiss as he got it disinfected.

"Sorry about that, I know it stings. But you need to sit still so I don't tear any more skin." He said and I huffed, trying to hold as still as I could feeling him rummage in the wound slightly.

"Okay good, this is gonna sting. Do you want anything to bite down on? I need to put some of this healing balm on it, to encourage the healing. As the wound is too big I will need to put three stitches in. It will be healed by tomorrow with no scar." He said and I shook my head swiftly.

"No. Just patch me up." I said and clenched my jaw feeling the cold balm hit my skin, hissing gently I kept still from wiggling.

"There, now look away from this. It will not be visually pleasing." He said and I moved my eyes away from the large hole that was already slowly growing smaller as he put three stitches in, fast like an artist working.

"There. Now get back to your dorm, don't do anything with that arm for a while, so you don't tear the muscle. That will take a bit. Get food you're pale." He ordered and I nodded mutely, sitting up my head pounding in pain as I groaned, clutching my temple.

"Go. You need food, your head hurts because of lack of food." Yuri explained and I shot him a glare making him shut up, my eyes closing in pain as I stood up and started walking away.

'Rose. Jacket." Yuri said, I stopped, turned and grabbed my jacket. Making my way out of the room I was just in and headed down the hall back towards the main entrance. Jacket back on my back as I stumbled down the hall.

"Are you okay?" I leapt out of my skin, spinning hands at the ready to defend myself to see someone I was least expecting.

"Sho?" I asked and he nodded slightly, looking me up and down his brows furrowing slightly, watching me.

"You look like s**t, have you eaten? Doesn't matter, come with me you need to eat." He said grabbing my right wrist, the left one connected to the pained shoulder.

"Where are we going-?" I asked but Sho didn't answer dragging me out the front door, my brows went up as he dragged me towards a building I had yet to enter.

We got inside and he pulled me behind him still, lightly pushing me towards a booth.

"Sit, I will be back in a second." I looked around confused, the Diner was completely empty and my brows up in surprise. I sat for roughly 15 minutes before Sho came back out with a plate in his hand, my brow arching in confusion.

He set the plate down, pushing it in front of me and on the plate it had a burger, an actual burger and a fruit salad. I looked up at Sho confused trying to understand him.

"Why?" I asked and he shrugged and sat across from me.

"If Leo and I had just sucked it up and helped... No one would have gotten hurt. I wanted to apologize. I don't do that often so don't expect this to be a common occurrence." He said and I nodded stiffly, my eyes watching him as he motioned to the food, his own deep blue eyes looking at the food.

"Enjoy. I am going back to my dorm." He said standing and leaving, leaving me alone in the deserted mystery diner, my eyes searching around as I huffed. Pulling my phone from my pocket.

Ishibashi- I want that report by tomorrow at noon. For the time being rest up.

I rolled my eyes and threw my middle finger up at the message and left the chat window, flicking over to the other one.

Me- Thank you for taking me to see Yuri, you really didn't need to carry me.

I typed then dug into the food, my eyes widened in amazement as I took a bite of the burger. My stomach screamed at me and I huffed an apology to myself.

After eating I stepped into the kitchen and set the empty plate near the skin, letting out a startled yelp when I noticed a blob near me.

"...." The being didn't say anything, glancing at the plate before waddling away, I let out a soft breath realizing it was harmless and I smiled. Leaving the diner now. Walking towards Frostheim.