He grabs my arm with his right hand and pulls me away from his fractured hand that I had been trying to stop from moving.
Even though his right arm was injured and his body didn't have much strength still he used each last bit of his strength to push me away. I tried my best not to resist as my resistance could make him move more resulting in worsening his injuries.
I freed my arm from his grip, after all, I am not some weak girl but I don't know if it would have been the same if he was fine without any injuries. Although his right arm is not fractured but still is injured, yet he was able to use this much force. One thing is confirmed that he is not some simple gangster.
He tries to get up but falls back groaning in pain.
"I told you don't move, your entire body is gravely injured and you have fractures on your left side", I tried to stop his movements.
The moment I approached him, he gave me a deadly stare, which froze me in place, I was able to feel the murderous aura. His eyebrows furrowed in pain and lifeless eyes stared right into mine.
With a weak yet commanding voice, he asked, "Who are you?"
I shook off the effect of his stare and answered with calmness, "I will tell you that but can you please not move too much? You can die if your condition worsens."
My words fell on deaf ears as he kept up with his stares.
Helpless I sighed, "Fine, I can't tell you about my identity but I will tell you what exactly happened....."
After telling him how I found him injured and treated him he seemed to relax a bit. Once again I tried to approach him and then again that stare.
What an arrogant man, I am trying to help yet he is giving me that scary look. But maybe it's reasonable after what happened to him. If I was in his place I might be the same or maybe worse.
With a smile, I requested him, "Can you please let me check your wounds, I am scared they might have opened up as you moved recklessly."
He looked away in response and I took it as a yes. After checking his wounds which were fortunately fine. I sighed in relief.
He opens his mouth to talk but starts to cough. Next to my backpack I saw a water bottle and helped his head raise. After he drank a little of water I laid him back.
I looked at the bottle in my hand, "It seems it fell out of my bag while I was in a rush last night."
Realizing something important I looked at the man, "Actually there is something important that I entirely forgot. We are surrounded."
The man looks at me attentively, "Is there someone out there."
I nodded, "Not just someone but a lot of guys. They are hiding in the trees as if waiting for something. They can't be related to me but I feel they are somehow related to you. It's just I am not sure whether they are friends or enemies."
A frown appears on his features, "Are you scared of them?"
Confusion filled my mind, "What?"
He continues, "I mean I have a way to find out if they are my fellows or not. I was just asking in case they are not the fellows then will you be able to face them?"
I smirked at his words, "Are you serious? I mean why would they harm me, they are after your life not mine even though I saved your life but still you are close to death. Just tell me how can I find out about their identity."
Once again another stare comes from him, "Fine then go out and say the sentence is there any wolf? But in case they are not the fellows then I am not responsible for your death."
His words made me think a question, "Is that some kind of code?"
The same cold expression on his face but his gaze softens, "Kind of but that's none of your business."
This man seems to be made of some iceberg but the mentioning of code might have reminded him of his fellows the way his gaze softened. The thought made me smile somehow, "Dude, you are kind of mean. Anyways, how would I know about them after I say the sentence? Is there some kind of answer to it?"
Back to his cold gaze he answers, "If you get a negative answer then comrades or in the other scenario...."
He stops his speech as his gaze roams all over me, "You will be surely dead. I mean in the other scenario as you are just a weak girl."
Seriously this man is saying that I am a weak person, me, Matilda. It would be exciting to see his reaction after he sees me as Matilda. The thought made me chuckle as I got up from the ground.
I took a deep breath turning around to leave when the man's voice came from behind, "I don't know why you chuckled but be careful, I already owe you for saving my life, and do tell me your name I don't like owing debts."
I turned around and looked at the man covered in bandages laying on the ground, "Don't worry, I didn't save your life because I want you to pay back. Just be alive and wait until your fellows come to your rescue. As for my name, it's better if you don't know."
"I don't care what you want just tell me a way to contact you. If not your name then maybe something else. I always pay back whether it's for life or death", he speaks out the words with a strange determination in his cold eyes.
I laughed lightly, "Once again I don't need your payback and if you want to meet me again then probably that won't be possible. Just keep one thing in mind that this forest is a haven to me so, don't get into bomb blasts again that might damage my haven."
With those words, I turned around and left the cave without hearing his reply. With a deep breath, I looked around the cave trying not to alert the people up there hiding in the trees.
I can easily tell that the number of men has increased compared to when I saw before. Before they were about twelve to fifteen but now they had probably exceeded twenty.
Taking every step with care I spoke the sentence the man told me in a calm voice, "Is there any wolf?"
A strange tension filled the air, I didn't get any reply except a few falling leaves as they started to move a little bit. With a deep breath I repeated, "Is there any wolf?"
I felt some movement behind myself but had to stay calm. I can't expose my identity until it's real danger but now I am not sure.
"Who are you?", I felt the cold tip of a dagger against my throat.