After helping Iris sit down at the small table inside the hut, Ian pulled his own chair and made himself comftarble , sitting opposite from Iris.
Looking at the table Iris soon realised that there is no food in front of her. Frowning she looked up at Ian, sensing her question, Ian decided to speak.
" I only have one bowl and your hands are hurt....we will have to share a bowl for the time being. I'll feed you ". Ian finished his thoughts with grin gracing his face.
Iris's brows knitted, looking down at her hands, realising that she was covered in bandages from her head to her toes.
Shocked at her own thoughts, she pulled the hem of her tunic an looked at her body, only to see more bandages all over her body.
Looking up at Ian, he was still smiling amused with Iris's reaction at her realisation that this man had seen her in her bithday suit.
The blood in her face drained, what was left anyway , her mouth opened trying to speak but no words came out.
Seeing the flustered expression on Iris's face, Ian decided to chime in.
" I am a healer, you're not the only woman I have treated or seen naked for that matter, there is no need to be embarrassed. Now eat"
Ian was holding the spoon in front her mouth.
" I....I'm not embarrassed " Iris tried to recover from the monumental awkwardness she was feeling.
Ian let out a hearty chuckle.
" If you say so.....".
" I'm not ,just a little surprised, that's all. I didn't realised that I was so badly wounded" she decided to share half of the truth.
" If the wolf wouldn't have helped you, you would've been dead" he added in a very serious voice.
" The blade that pierced your chest missed your heart but got to your lung. I'm surprised that you survived". Ian continued his thoughts while spoon feeding Iris and himself.
Hearing what Ian just said, Iris's gaze lowered, looking at the table, she sighed as if getting ready to get something off her chest.
" I was trying to pierce my heart, looks like I've failed " . Iris's voice was low and a bit full of regret.
Looking at her intently, with shock plastered all over his face, in complete disbelief. He wondered what made her take that road.
" What made you do that?" Ian asked trying to keep calm.
" I would rather die than give him what he wants ". Iris replied in cold tone
" Him? " Ian asked his curiosity getting the best him
Iris looked at him wondering wether to tell him the truth about her, she wondered if they knew that she was still alive and breathing.
Would they come after her? Of course they would she was the last piece of the puzzle.
Ian seemed like a decent man, a handsome decent man. His blonde short hair a bit longer at the front, looked like honey was dripping on his forehead, bright amber eyes with soft features, he was tall and slender.
Not a warrior, Iris mused to herself. He wouldn't survive the people that were chasing her, she barely survived herself.
Suprised at her own thoughts, Iris quickly snapped out of it.
" Some really bad people " Iris decided to give as little information as she could.
Seeing her reluctance in sharing the information, Ian decided to change to ropic to something less daunting. The wolf should do he thought to himself.
Shifting his gaze from Iris to the wolf that was lying on the floor, he wondered if the wolf would now leave seeing that the girl was safe.
After a few moments of silence, Ian looking at the wolf, Ian decided to break the silence.
" The wolf, you said it was not yours, right?!" posed the question with a curios voice
" No, it's not mine!" Iris replied shifting her gaze to the unmoving wolf on the floor.
" How did it become attached to you? He doesn't seem like ordinary wolf and you don't seem to be a typical girl?" Ian shot the questions looking at Iris with a keen eye.
" He is not just a just a wolf, he seems to be more than that. I have never seen a wolf like that!" shifting her eyes from the wolf to Ian, Iris shared her own thoughts on the matter.
"Hmmm"
" Best that we figure out what exactly is the connection between you and him. I'm very curious as to why he decided to protect you instead of eating you?" Ian added with a glint in his eyes and an amused tone.
" We should finish eating and rest for today and leave that mystery for some other day".Ian continued his thoughts looking at Iris, realising that he did most of the talking.
At his words Iris nodded and carried on eating without saying anything else about the matter.
After finishing dinner, Ian helped Iris back to the bed and returned to the table to clear everything and quickly wash up everything that was used during their meal.
Sitting on the bed, Iris's eyes went back to the man fiddling on the other side of hut.
Her thoughts started drifting at her current situation and the man that she was with.
He seems such a kind and caring man. Iris thought to herself. Not many people would've done what he did. He is so gentle and calm and handsome too.
I wonder how come he lives here on his own, why did he choose this life with no one to care for him or keep him company?
" I will quickly check your wounds before going to bed" Ian voice snapped Iris from her deep thoughts and Iris gave him a shy smile realising her thoughts and that Ian was standing in front of her.
" I need you to lie down, since the biggest one is on your chest". Ian added in calm and soothing voice.
Iris laid on the bed without saying anything, closing her eyes tight, feeling awkward and wishing that she would be unconscious at this point.
Sensing Iris's plight, Ian smiled at her attempt to keep a calm composure and fighting the urge to get up and run out of the hut.
Lifting her tunic, he checked the wounds on her abdomen and gently fumbling with his hands slowly he made his way to he upper chest area.
Hearing Iris drawing a sharp breat when he touched her breast, Ian looked up at Iris's face, noticing the red tinge on her face, Ian chuckled.
" There is no need to be embarrassed Iris, as I said I have treated women and men alike before. I'll have to check your legs next and some the wounds are in places that you can't see, so I'll have to do it. You'll have to bear with it for now." Ian shared his thoughts trying to make Iris feel comfortable with him touching her.
Iris nodded at his words and let out a shaky breath, that she was holding in since he touched her breast.
" I need to check you legs next. I'll will have to lift your tunic in order to have a proper look at the wounds on you, most of them are on the back of your legs and on the sides." Ian informed Iris, trying to prepare her for what was to come.
Lifting her tunic, Ian started to check the wounds on her legs with a careful and gentle touch.
" I need you to turn around so I can check the back of your legs" Ian said in low voice.
Iris opened her eyes, her face still red. Looking up at him, he seemed unaffected by their current situation.
Gently turning to her side, Ian lifted her tunic, without wasting too much time he quickly checked the wounds and hummed
" Hmmm"
Turning to her previous position, Iris looked at Ian that was crouching on the floor.
" Your wounds are healing faster than I expected. Tomorrow I will take you to the river, since you are able to walk and will have to clean up the wounds and reapply the poultice, to prevent scars on your body." Ian added with a tinge of amazment and disappointment.
Iris nodded at what Ian said and added her own thoughts.
" It seems that you're a very skilled healer. I have never met anyone that could heal wounds this fast with herbs." trying to shift the attention from her body to him
At Iris's words, Ian gave a shy smile and nodded.
"It's time to rest! Will see what tomorrow brings". He then turned around and made his way to the candles and started blowing them one by one.
His actions made the wolf get up from the floor and headed out of the hut.
Ian looked at wolfs retreating back and said in a whispered voice.
" I wonder if he will come back" to no one in particular.
Not waiting for a reply, he laid on the floor not very far from where Iris was, sighing he closed his eyes and went to sleep.