Looking at each other, eyes kept going on the wolf and back at each other, neither of them daring to ask the more questions.
The staring contest went on for a while, the girl sitting on the floor, with Ian a few steps away from her and the wolf in the middle , somewhat to the side, completely unbothered by their current predicament as if he was enjoying the so much needed peace and quiet.
After some time, Ian decided to break the silence that was reigning between them.
"I'm Ian and I'm a healer " Ian decided to answer the girls question that she previously asked, in hope that the tension that had settled in the hut would somewhat ease.
The girl lifted her gaze, which was previously on the wolf, her bright green eyes staring at the man in front of her, as if trying to decide, wether to trust him or not.
" He did save my life " the girl got lost in her thoughts while keeping a keen eye on the man .
" I'm Iris" she replied with a pained voice.
Hearing her soft and pained tone of voice, Ian closed the distance between placed the jug of water on the table that was next to the bed and pulled her up from where she was sitting and helped her back on the bed.
" Do you want more water? " he asked concern marring his voice.
Iris nodded, he turned around grabbing a glass, started pouring water for her to drink.
Placing the jug back on the table he turned around to give Iris her glass of water.
Looking at him, Iris was a bit in surprised at how much care a mere stranger was showing her.
" You need to drink and eat.....dinner will be ready soon" Ian said snapping from her thoughts.
" You seem to recover quicker than I expected. I didn't think you would wake up so soon" Ian continued sharing his thoughts while Iris drank her water.
Placing the empty glass on the table next to the bed, Iris looked at Ian with pained look.
" I was thirsty!" Iris replied with same pained voice.
Ian looked at her and it dawned on him that when he tried to give her pain the medicine earlier he got distracted.
"Are you in pain?" Ian asked a little embarrassed at his own mistake, quickly realising that was another stupid question.
" Yes" Iris replied with the same pained voice as before.
Ian quickly switched gears and made his to the table grabbed the bottle of medicine that he was planning on using earlier and gave it to Iris.
" It will relieving your pain ....it doesn't last very long, only half a day"
Iris looked at the bottle with questioning gaze.
Sensing her reluctance, Ian added.
" It's the same medicine that I have been giving you since a found you and the wolf in the forest. If I would have wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now. Why go through all the trouble to heal you so I can kill you"
Hearing his words, with an apologetic smile gracing her face.
" I'm sorry, I find difficult to trust people".
"It's alright, I understand " . Ian added in a mellowed voice trying shift the tension between them from his previous statement.
Without wasting more time, Iris gulped the botled medicine, a grim expression on her face after tasting the concoction that Ian gave her.
" This is awful ".
" I know! That's how I know is good and works!" Ian added with a chuckle seeing the look plastered on Iris's face.
Seeing Ian was amused by her current situation, frustration took over switching from disgust to anger, she glared at Ian.
"I hope the wolf bites you, this way you can taste you own stupid potion!" a wicked smile on her face
" Hmmm, how do you think I know it works? " Ian decided to play along seeing the spark in Iris's eyes.
Hearing his words, Iris looked around, listening intently for noises coming from the outside. Soon she realised, that it was just them two and the wolf.
" Where is everyone else?" she asked in curios voice.
" It's just us two and the wolf". Ian replied to her question, without taking any notice of the surprised look plastered on her face.
" Will talk some more while having dinner, by then the pain should've numbed in your body"
Turning around he made his way to the slow burning fire and he carried on stirring the stew in the pot like nothing happened.
Iris laid back in the bed, closing her eyes, trying to go back to sleep. After trying for some time to lull herself back to sleep, she realised that is not happening.
Sitting up on the bed, her eyes fell on the back of the man that was stirring in the pot like there was no one in the same room with him. Seeing that his foucus was on the pot, Iris's attention shifted to the wolf sprawled on the floor, with his eyes closed, like nothing would getting him out of that state.
Looking at him, Iris's noticed his silver mane that was well kept almost shining in low glow of the candles placed around the hut. The size of the wolf wasn't ordinary, he was nuch bigger than any wolf she had seen before.
The calmness of the wolf disturbed her the most, it didn't make any sense that a wolf that grew up in the wild would be so tame.
" Dinner is ready" Ian's broke her thoughts and she shifted her gaze from the wolf to Ian
Making his way toward the bed, Ian offered Iris his hand to help her up and take her to the table.
Iris looked at his hand, after a few seconfs of hesitation she grabbed his hand and she slowly got up from the bed and made their way to the table.