"It's okay, it's okay..."
Minerva repeated, her right hand gently stroking the back of the boy's head, her embrace and soft whispers gradually melting the frozen terror in Roland's heart. It was as if a body chilled to the bone was regaining its warmth, and the nausea accumulating in his chest was subsiding.
This must be what healing feels like, Roland thought subconsciously.
However, the human body and mind are extremely pragmatic... As soon as he regained his composure, the boy immediately noticed something he hadn't before: the breath tickling his ear, the perfume that itched his nose, and the... soft body pressed against his face.