"Alina!" the voice of The Commander brought me to an instant halt. His voice alone could kill me.
"Yes, Commander," I answered in my little voice.
"Where are you going to? Are you not skilled with applying herbs on wounds?"
"I am..."
"Turn around."
It was a command and my body obeyed immediately. I still avoided his eyes because I didn't want to die yet. I believe that somehow, someday, I will return to my people on earth, and I will make sure I strangle my father with my bare hands.
"Now, speak to me, little human. Do you not know it is an offense to speak to a man of my status with your back to me?"
What! I will die sooner or later because I have been breaking rules carelessly.
"I'm sorry, Commander. No one told me about that." How was I supposed to live watching his naked body? What if he turns to lie on his back?
"Have I made a mistake by asking you to apply herbs to my wound? I won't bother you if the Healer was less busy."
I guess that was his way of telling me that he only asked for my help. Before I could open my mouth to say something he sat up in bed. My eyes almost bore holes in the ground for fixing them and widening them simultaneously.
"But if you have no knowledge about it, I can call one of the other servants to put it on me."
It was also an insult to decline to help a higher man in Tiba. I shook my head frantically. "No, Commander. I have a great experience. I shall go get warm water to clean up your wound to avoid inflammation."
"I do not want you to treat me, little one. The wound will heal before sunset."
I can't argue with him, but I can try convincing him. "I had a little knowledge from my mother. I will be quick about it."
He groaned and lay back on his fluffy bed. The groan told me that he has given up arguing with me. Without wasting more time and giving him time to change his mind, I bolted out of the room toward the kitchen. As I made my journey toward the kitchen, Madam Zak called me from her tent. I walked over to her quickly, putting my head down.
"You called me Madam Zak."
"I hear that you don't sleep in camp," she said.
"I... I..." Was that an offense too? Those girls chased me out of the tent and still had the mind to report me to Madam Zak. "There was no space in the room for me...So, I... I sleep under the big tree... But it's...it's okay, I am comfortable."
"Just make sure you don't get eaten by those night beasts."
I cringed. There were beasts in those woods? BEASTS! BEASTS! The word kept ringing in my head.
"Have you done your duties to your masters?"
"Yes...The Commander wants me to get warm water from the kitchen."
"You should go then!" she said as if I have said something alarming.
I dashed off to the kitchen without wasting any more time. In no time, I was back in The Commander's tent with a bucket of warm water. He was no longer on his bed and I stood there trying to think about what to do. I kept my gaze pinned to the ground in case he shows up naked.
In no time he came out, all dressed in leather and fur pants, his chest was bare. The warriors always only covered their waists, and their chests were always bare. I shook a little when I heard his heavy footsteps come in from the back. His hand was on the head of his sword.
"You wasted time, Alina. I have to return to the war front."
"I am sorry, Commander. I was held by Madam Zak."
"Zak is my subject. You should attend to me first before her."
"I'm sorry, Commander, but I couldn't do anything about it since I am just a servant. Please, let me still tend to your wound." I was sure this was not the first time a man like him had a wound and left it untended to, but I couldn't feel better letting him carry that wound like that exposed to infections.
The Commander remained quiet for a while so I almost dropped the bucket, bowed, and left, but he sat on his bed.
"You have to be quick with it. I accept your help."
He accepts my help? These warriors and their pride. Does he think I am begging him to help him?
He lay down on his stomach. I got a clean cloth and set to work. It was easier to concentrate now that he was half covered. For some strange reason, I wanted to prove to this hunky god that my hands were not only made for cleaning grounds and floors. Maybe that was why I was so bent on convincing him to let me tend to his wound.
I cleaned up his wound and blew air on it with my mouth. My mother always did that to wounded people. She told me it makes them feel relaxed, so anything else you do to them will be less painful. I adapted to it too. Humans always squirm and whine when mother do that, but I guess warriors don't squirm. The first warrior I treated on earth made no sound when I tended to him, this warrior is not squirming or groaning, but I still did what I learned.
"Are you humans all blessed with the gift of healing?" he asked.
"...uhm...no, my mother was a healer back on earth and I learned from her. She was gifted with it."
"Mmh," was all he said and silence crashed on us again.
After cleaning the wound as best as I can, I started to massage it- it was another thing my mother did. As I did that, I recalled the night I treated my mysterious stranger in our storage.
"Do you humans healers always treat wounds like babies?" he grunted.
I couldn't help but smile. These men were devoid of emotions. They feel embarrassed by any form of emotion shown toward them.
"No, my mother did this because she was gifted and felt it relaxed the patient, that made her loved by everyone."
"Mmh..." he made that sound again.
I didn't know if I was allowed to speak if he didn't speak to me first, but I pushed my luck. "You are the second patient I have ever treated."
"Mmh..."
I took the herb pot, dipped my hand into it, and started to apply it to his wound. I smelt the herb the first time he asked me to rub it on him and knew it was medicinal. I have taken my time since I came to Tiba to study herbs and know the medicinal ones. I could just tell the work of a herb by its smell.
I applied the herb to his wound slowly and gently, making sure it covered every open lesion. The silence settled in between us again.
"I am done, Commander, but you have to..." my words were cut short when he pushed up from the bed. I kept my face on the floor.
He walked toward the entrance without saying anything else to me and disappeared. I picked up the bucket and the herb pot.
"...rest for a while for it to coat," I completed my statement and stood up from where I knelt.
I went straight to Madam Zak's tent when I left his tent and fell on my knees. "Madam Zak, please...uhm...can I...can you place me somewhere else, away from The Commander?" the question didn't come out right, I knew it, but I didn't want to get a heart attack by working for that man. He intimidates me in all ramifications.
"Why should I?"
"Because The Commander doesn't want a weak human working for him." I lied, but it was a valid point.
"Go about your business, I will see to that."
I didn't expect it to be that simple, but anything about The Commander's discomfort was taken seriously. I wondered if the lie will catch up with me one day. But Madam Zak hardly spoke with The Commander and my presence doesn't even matter, it's not like he will care if I worked for him or not. He didn't have the time nor the heart to think about that. I walked off toward the kitchen in hurried steps to go and continue other tasks.
By evening, Madam Zak swapped me with another Tibian girl working for another warrior. I was glad. Those other warriors were less frightening than The Commander and I didn't want to be in a position where I will always break rules because of fidgeting in front of The Commander.
Two days went by without any problems. I still dodged The Commander when I see him and no one complained or queried me for lying about switching The Commander's tent. My other new master was just like my first master Ehis, he didn't have time and never spoke to me, it was almost as if he wasn't seeing me there and I liked it.
It was perfect until the third day. I was done cleaning Master Ehis' tent and was happy with the job I did. To congratulate myself for doing a perfect job in a short time, I turned back to admire my work, walking out of the tent with my back. Once the tent flap was down, I turned and bumped into a tree- no, someone.
Two people were standing in front of Master Ehis' tent. I recognized the back of the warrior I tended to just a few days ago. The Commander was standing right there in front of me and I BUMPED INTO HIM!
The other person was Madam Zak. MADAM ZAK AND THE COMMANDER TOGETHER! What was fate doing to me right now? This was surely my doom.
I rendered my apology and started moving away to disappear forever and ever.
"Alina!"
I halted. Madam Zak's voice has never been more piercing or was that how I felt? "Yes, Madam Zak." My whole body was shaking uncontrollably now. I know a pair of eyes were staring at me and I know they were not Madam Zak's.
"Go to The Commander's tent and..." her words trailed off and I heard her apologize to The Commander. "My apologies, Commander, I will send a Tibian female instead. You are dismissed, Alina."
Relief almost crippled me there, but I dragged myself away, trying to walk with normal steps and I felt those eyes still following me until I disappeared behind a tent.