Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 24 The Pain

Gabriella's POV

Again I tried to take my leg out of his hold, but it hurts too much to do so. I groaned out in pain, biting my lip, as the aching runs through my leg. I whimper out between clenched teeth, trying to hold back the screams, because I didn't want him to know what kind of an advantage he had on me at the moment, but I'm sure he can see it now, but I need to show that I am still tough and this is not going to stop the fight inside of me.

I use what little bit of strength I have after all of that, to kick with my other leg, making contact with his hand, so my leg is let go. I try to scoot away further from him, but the irritation is apparent on his features as he takes my good leg into his hands and drags me right back to him, putting that one leg between his legs. He squeezes his legs together, trapping my good leg between his. I watch as he swipes his leather gloves off, throwing them to the ground beside us, before he takes my hurt leg back into his hands, rubbing his thumb over my wounds.

Hissing out automatically comes, but this time not pulling my leg away, since I know that will make the pain worse. He glares over at me, not saying a word, but his heated eyes stay connected with mine. I can't tell what he is feeling. This intense look is not saying he hates me, but it's something else. I am not sure what. Maybe just frustration or exhaustion. I don't know. "I plan not to hurt you, but to help you.. So the issue is that with your aggressive actions thrown towards me, you might get hurt even more, but by your own doing. I wish you had listened to me in the first place. Because if you had listened to me, then none of this would have happened." he declares this while staring intently at me as I nod.

I know this is partially my fault and I won't deny that. I don't deny when I am wrong, no matter how hard it might be. So I continued to nod knowingly. His eyes softened as he watched me nod. I bet he didn't expect me to agree with him. But when I am wrong, I accept responsibility for that wrong if I can. I watch his eyes leave mine just to glance down at my foot. I look down at it too, seeing that the coloring is getting worse pretty quickly. I look away and back to him before noticing him looking back at me, taking my breath away with his stunning eyes, which somehow takes the thoughts and words right out of my mouth just to lose them in the breeze that is passing by.

I am needing a breath of air, so I shakily inhale just to let a wavering one out. I am nervous, but oddly enough, I am somehow trusting what he is saying, the anger and honesty intertwined within his words seem genuine. So much so that I can't help but to believe what he is saying, even though I am worried about being tricked again. Maybe it's just the ruggedly handsome looks of his that is convincing me of his words. I just don't know what to believe, and I have been tricked enough for today.

I watch the glare of his heated eyes automatically shifting to worry when he is staring down at my injured leg that is still within his gentle but large hands. He instantly switches his position to sitting on top of his knees to prop himself up and get a better look at my wounds. He shakes his head before looking around us but never fully taking his attention from me. Deep rumbles erupt from his broad chest as he grunts something to himself that sounded like complaining just under his breath, right before grabbing the ripped part of my dress and ripping a long strip of it off.

It's just the thick bottom hem that is coming off without hesitation, as if it wasn't attached in the first place or maybe like it was meant to come off when I know it wasn't. His swift moves in this action looked almost effortless. The loud tearing of the cloth with his drastic actions startled me. I jumped, as I shook my head while trying to scoot back, but in response he instantly pulls me back to him. "I won't hurt you Gabriella, let me help you." he states looking at me as he gently drifts his hands across my skin, getting the bits of dirt and sticks out of the cut that is over the top of my entire shin, it is the biggest wound I have acquired.

And from what I can see, it's the only one still bleeding. But it's not the one that's hurting the most. I just can't get myself to look at the wound that's hurting the most because I am scared to see it again, but there is something else wrong with this leg and I know it is not just the large cut. I don't know how I know this without getting a better look at it, but it's as if I am listening to my body tell me that there is something worse that was done to my leg. So, with worry consuming me, I just can't get myself to look past the blood from the cut. But the worry on his face is what is making me stress even more than I should about this because, as I suspected, this is not good.

I prop myself up on my elbows to watch him as much as I possibly can. I don't want to trust him no matter how much my body is telling me I can, so I just keep a strict eye on him. My eyes are completely glued to every movement he makes while I watch him tighten a knot within the cloth, putting it right below my wound, spinning all around until I can't see the wound anymore, it is covered and looking protected. But there is enough pressure put on it that I can feel even that through the layers of cloth. This action stings but I just continue to bite down on my bottom lip as I watch him with intrigue, wanting to know what his next move shall be.

He glances back to me before clearing his throat. "My little sister used to get into situations that she shouldn't be in as well." He says this casually as if it is the same situation as mine, when we both know it is not. But this makes me wonder why he is saying this now. "Is that how you know how to dress this wound?" I softly ask him, gaining his attention as he hides a small smile on his face before nodding. "Yeah, I helped her with a wound much similar to this.. years ago." He softly checks his work by touching over it. Stinging sensations run through me as I hiss out at the straight contact of the cloth to my wound under pressure until he is tying another knot at the other end.

"What happened to her? Is she back in the village?" I ask as he instantly scoffs at that comment. "Where she is at now is not your business but she would not be in a place like that... Ever." I watch his jaw clench as he huffs out, as if I hit a sensitive nerve with that subject. I didn't know what to say, so I let out a deep breath as he got a better hold on my hurt leg. He is holding it up high enough that I now can see it whether I wanted to or not. I watch as he is looking from my wound and down at my ankle that is throbbing in pain and turned way too far to the wrong side, which is not the way it should be faced.

I jerk it back lightly, not wanting to hurt it more. I'm just worried about what will be next, since the look on his face says to me that there is more to this. "Please trust me, I do not want to hurt you.. but this is going to hurt." He warns, and before I even have a chance to object, he twists my ankle, setting it straight once again. This action is so swift and quick that the first thing noticed is how loudly it pops back into place. The warmth of it hit's just as fast, but the pain is what shocks me the most.

Instantly there is a shooting pain being sent through every inch of me that is unbearably overwhelming. I scream out in pain as I throw myself back, letting my back hit the ground behind me. I slap my hands to the ground, partly wishing I was slapping him after that action. I am quickly gripping the dirt and weeds within my hands as I squeeze with all my might as if that might help, while instantly knowing it won't. I writhe in pain, holding onto my aching leg, just hoping it will be gone soon, or I fear that I might pass out from how overwhelming all of this is.

"I am so sorry.. It was for your own healing. The ankle was twisted so it broke out of place and you don't want it to heal like that, or you won't be able to use it again, like walking, let alone running." he tries to explain, as I gasp for air while whimpering out between my pursed lips. The tears flow effortlessly from my eyes while I shake my head, wishing the pain to go away. "Just breath, Gabriella... just breath." he says in the most calming tone that I start to do it without realizing.

My eyes lock on him, noticing as he inches closer, hovering over me while rubbing his hands gently over my arms right before cooing me further into calming, "Just breathe. It will help." I suck in sharp, short breaths, hoping it will help, but the soothing is only slight, not as much as I would have hoped for. I feel his large hands drift down from my arms just to grab my hands into his, to hold them tight. It slightly helps as I instantly squeeze his hand just breathing as he has instructed.

"You're doing great. Keep breathing." He softly says to me as I feel one of his hands let go before gently caressing over my forearm, but his other hand tightly holds onto my hand as if there is nothing that will take it out of his grip. Which, for whatever reason, helps distract me. After a long and silent moment only filled with my gasps for air, the pain starts to recede, only slightly but enough for the tears to stop falling and my tight grip on his hand to loosen up. I appreciate his help, I think. But I have to keep reminding myself that he is my enemy and not here to help me much more than what he already has.

So I let go of his hand, looking up at him and he looks sad as he watched my hand lightly lay down on my chest. I feel his hand leave my arm to go to his sides. I groan out trying to prop myself back up, before he reaches out to help me do just that. This gives me the opportunity to look down at my foot, which is now completely bandaged and, of course, sore. He sees me looking down at it as he says, "It will heal in time.. You just need to make sure that you don't strain it too much.. And you should probably make sure to clean it as well to prevent any kind of infection, since that would probably lead to amputation." he says this worrying me as I roll my eyes thinking about just that.

I feel the frustrations hitting me once again, since my problems have not disappeared in this situation, they have just been put into the back of my mind while I dealt with bigger issues at hand. So I huffed out before I spat right back sarcastically. "Yeah, sure, I'll make sure to take great care of it as I am locked up in your King's dungeon. I'm sure it will be just like staying in the castle itself, with maids and caretakers as I please. I am sure there would be no possible way I could get an infection in his care, especially since he is such a great man."

His intense staring over at me lets me know that he understands that my words are sarcastic and how worried I really am. I swallow the lump stuck in my throat, while watching him huff out, still sitting right next to me. "I don't know if my actual thoughts matter to you, but I don't want to have to take you there." he says under his breath as I get excited with those quiet words. I quickly sit up so our faces are only inches apart, just hoping he has a heart when seeing the fear and sincerity in my words. I just need to talk to him to help convince him to be the one to help me. This is probably my last chance of that before he takes me back.