"Alright, slowly now, take a deep breath," Elinore instructed gently.
I obeyed, letting air fill my lungs until a crack of pain shot through my side, and hissed through my teeth. Elinore frowned and adjusted her spell, washing away the pain with a fresh wave of Life Magic.
"Good. Now breathe out."
I brushed away a tear and did as she asked, exhaling through parted lips. While maintaining her spell with one hand, she patted my head with the other, whispering encouragement the whole time. My tail twitched involuntarily, a flush warming my cheeks despite my best efforts to hide it. Fortunately, the tent was empty aside from ourselves, and Elinore didn't seem to care for my bashfulness, only smiling a bit at the conflict in my eyes. I hated feeling helpless and coddled, but a part of me yearned for that touch, to be soothed and comforted like a child.
