CHAPTER 11

Rosalba felt small cold drops on her cheek. She opened his eyes and the first thing that she saw was the pale and bloodstained Nicholas face. Her eyes trembled for a moment remembered when they fell. She really didn't think that he was going to jump from the cliff. She wanted to ask him why he did that but now she has another task. Save his life.

Rosalba tried to stand up but Nicholas grabbed her very strongly and he didn't let loose her even when he was unconscious. Rosalba felt bitter but moving too. She carried Nicholas' body and started to walk by the forest looking for a cave or a place where they could hide.

—Agh! —Rosalba almost slipped after stepping on mud. She managed to stabilize her balance but her injuries were bleeding more. She couldn't use magic because the enemies could find them. It is the reason why she didn't use magic in her injuries or the injuries of Nicholas.

The water fell by her platinum hair that had returned to normality. Rosalba felt very tired and she wanted to faint. But she obliged herself to continue. After more or less half an hour. She arrived at a cave that looked secure and relatively hidden. She left Nicholas in the ground and she went out of the cave to search for medicinal grass. She had seen some in her way so she ran quickly to pick it up.

When she returned the downpour got worse and Nicholas had a fever. Rosalba cleaned the grass and put in his wounds. She needed him to take some grass by mouth because she needed to neutralize the poison that was in his body. So she hadn't any choice but to give them to him herself. She chewed the grass and fed it to him with her mouth. After a while, she finished and sat Nicholas near to the fire and took off his wet clothes. She maintained her eyes in his body for a few seconds before she looked away, uncomfortable. Then, she put grass in her wounds and after taking a look at Nicholas she took off her clothes.

She was trembling from the cold and she couldn't avoid moving towards Nicholas. His body was warm because of the fever so she curled up to his side. She felt very tired and wanted to sleep but it wasn't good that both were asleep. She obligated herself to stay awake. She sighed while she whispered.

—It will be a long night...

***

Rosalba awoke startled in the first hours of the morning. She fell asleep in the wee hours.

—Damn it —At least they are safe. But it couldn't occur again. She reprimanded herself while she noticed her position.

Rosalba turned stiff and her face blushed. She was almost embraced by Nicholas. She had her mind blank for a while before she could recover the composure. Rosalba moved away from him and went out of the cave to search for water and more grass. Although she went out to the cave quickly she didn't dare to stay far.

She returned with a dead rabbit too. She put the juice of some grass in the entrance of the cave to put off other animals. Then she cooked the rabbit and fed Nicholas a few of its fat. After the meal, the sky started to hide again. She wanted to change the grass of Nichola's body before the rain. So she fed him with grass and put on his clothes. Rosalba was finished feeding him with the grass when she felt that the tongue of Nicholas moved and touched hers.

Her eyes opened suddenly. She saw the face of Nicholas asleep and thought that probably she was imagining that. But anyway she didn't dare to feed him again. She moved away from him while she took a look furtively. She saw his pale face and his quiet breath with a complicated mind. After a sigh, she didn't look at him again. It was the reason why she didn't see the fingers of Nicholas clenched.

When the night fell Nicholas opened his eyes. Rosalba noticed that he was waking up and moved towards him. He seemed confused and she said.

—Are you awake? How do you feel? —Nicholas looked at her and seemed surprised.

Rosalba saw his surprise and thought 'Had he amnesia?' Rosalba was worried about it. Because he had a great wound in his head and the poison wasn't easy to manage. It was the other reason why his wounds and hers couldn't be cured quickly.

—...So...Is it your real appearance? —Rosalba was completely astonished when a thing totally different from what she expected was said.

Rosalba shuddered when she remembered that she had her real appearance.

—Mmm...platinum hair, black eyes, the name of Rosalba… —Rosalba felt that her heart was stopping when he started murmuring that.

—I have an idea who you are —Rosalba closed her eyes when he said that but she was even confused when he said —But it doesn't matter now.

—Eh? —Nicholas smiled a little when he saw her confused.

—I'm injured now, I'm weak, you saved me. It is enough. We can talk about this later —He took a lock of her platinum hair and said.

—It is pretty...— Rosalba still was profoundly shocked.

—Oh...—It was the only thing that she could say.

—There are other problems now —The face of Nicholas turned serious —Tell me, How many days have we been here? —The attention of Rosalba was attracted to that topic with success and started to say.

—Almost two days...—Nicholas thought for a while and said.

—Weren't there, trails of our troops? Or the assassins? —Rosalba shakes her head.

—No, I didn't find anything —She had searched stealthily these days.

—I see —Nicholas touched his head and said —Well, we don't have any other choice but to wait —Rosalba was silently in agreement with him.

—By the way, Do you have something to eat? I have a little hunger —Rosalba unconsciously remembered that moment when she fed him and she stuttered.

—Y-Yes..—Nicholas saw her standing up off a jump and he curved an evil smile.

Nicholas ate a little roast rabbit with satisfaction and when the time of sleep came. He couldn't avoid bothering Rosalba.

—Rosa —Rosalba heard him calling her and looked at him.

—You are very cold. You should move towards me —Rosalba seemed uncomfortable but still, she said.

—No, I'm okay. Please, go to sleep —Nicholas saw her ignore his offer although she was trembling from the cold.

—Rosalba. Do you want me to die frozen? —Rosalba knit her brows with that strange question.

He saw her confused and said —Although I have a body warm by the fever and by nature of werewolves. It's raining. I have only these ripped clothes. I'm cold too —Rosalba knew that he was right but she was hesitant.

Nicholas added—Remember the most important is survival —He had a face extremely serious that made Rosalba believe in him unconsciously.

Nicholas saw Rosalba move towards him slowly and she stopped a few meters away from him. Nicholas said, unsatisfied.

—You didn't even touch me —Rosalba was angry but she moved a little more.

Nicholas grabbed her arm and threw her into his arms. Rosalba was stupefied while she screamed.

—What…?!

—It's only for this time. To survive —Rosalba didn't know if he was serious or was joking with her. But she decided to surrender and stay there. She was frozen and she didn't have more energy to discuss. So for now, she decided to ignore the beatings of her heart and his blushed cheeks.