166 He’s Drunk?

HELENA'S POV

Hearing the pitter-patters of the rain, I woke up no longer enduring the sharp teeth of those tiny menaces chomping on my flesh. Their bites instantly delivered a nerve-racking pain that's extemely hard to bear, to the point I wouldn't want to experience it ever again.

When I woke up lying on a soft bed under a thick blanket, I moved my eyes around on the high ceiling made of dark wood with hanging sheer ivory drapery, waving at the soft breeze coming in. With the gloomy weather with no sun beams coming in the open small criss-cross windows, I can hardly tell the time. Only the flickers of the red flames from the lamp lighted the place, like the room has its own sunset.

The strong scent of lavender and sandalwood is totally calming. I breathe them through my nose a couple of times, and exhaled freely with a loud sigh. It reminded me of the herbs in our moving home in Aelmere. Wiggling my toes, I started to feel the aches in my body that was once excruciating. Well, it's quite bearable now. I ran my hands over my skin where I got bitten. A few have completely healed already, yet some of the deepest bites still sting. I tried to get up as I lift my upper body with my hands when I heard a creaking sound just right beside me.

"You should get some more sleep, your wounds haven't completely healed yet", Stellan suddenly asked while he sit on an old pumpkin porter chair a few step from me. He looked dashing in an ornate all black brocade doublet and trousers. I didn't realized I was in a daze until he leaned forward calling my name. "Haelan? Can you hear me?", he asked but I just kept staring, wondering how in the world he look so refreshed with his cheeks blushing when I feel I've been through hell and back. Soon I realized, he smell of alcohol. "I just showered and changed to my own personal set of clothes that I brought with me in Areon. I reek of bourbon Iaso gave me", he explained as if he could hear my thoughts.

So that explains his glazed eyes. "I don't really mind at all, but I'm glad you found Areon. He was chased away by some goblins. Is he well?", I averted my eyes to avoid the awkwardness starting to arise. His presence always make my heart flutter, with just his eyes staring at me, or even at his lightest touch.

"He's recovering from a few bites.. surely he's well fed by now", Stellan replied.

"That's great then. Where are we? And who's Iaso?", I struggled to sit down supporting my body with my elbows. When I looked at myself, I'm wearing a thin long ash grey bliaut. I instantly covered myself with the whimsy blanket on the bed.

Then, I looked around the room and just noticed how the walls and floors are playfully decorated with several unique and odd colors and patterns of tapestries and paintings. The room is quite small with an excessively high and large bed. There's a small side table for a rounded glass and brass oil lamp. Then right by one of the white paned criss-cross window, there's a table full of evidences that I have bled and treated in this very same room.

"We're in Wicce, the Witches' village, and Iaso is the leader of their coven", Stellan stood up and held my frail body with one arm as he grab a fix two floral pillows with his other hand. He took the autonomy to stack them on my back so I can sit comfortably. He was too close that I could smell the mild fragrance of zest and musk on his clothes, and a light scent on his skin. He took his time, as he lower his face inching from me while he fix the pillows on my back.

By a fluke, I held his warm neck that made him stop and stare. I suddenly remembered that he was bleeding somewhere there as I delft in sleep and pain. "I'm sure you were hurt here", I searched for the wounds on his bare neck but I found none. Stellan didn't flinch at my touch like always. He stayed willingly close, that made me quite nervous, but in a good way.

Then slowly, I started to collect memories of what happened after I fell off the waterfalls. "You jumped off the brink with me, are you crazy?", I pushed him off as he drop down on the bed beside me, chuckling as if I amuse him. His dark brown eyes gleamed as he smile.

"I guess I am.. but not more than you. You healed me the moment you got the chance to use your powers", Stellan lifted his one leg up on the bed comfortably as he give me a look that seemed so tender.

"Oh, I did?", I tilted my head to the side trying to remember more. "Are you all better now?", I asked.

He nodded with his eyes closed. "I'm completely fine now, just a little tipsy", he said with a reddened face. He's surely drunk.

"Why would you drink anyway? I don't think it's the best time to be drunk", I said.

"I'm not drunk", He then removed his boots and crawled towards the other side of the bed.

"Great… uhh.. What are you doing?", I asked as he started unbuttoning his doublet. He took it off followed by his trousers. "Excuse me?", I moved my eyes away as I feel my face heat up.

"I'm going to sleep", he casually said. When I peek at him, only his thin black tunic remained as he pulled half of my quilt over him. Not even satisfied, he took the pillows from my back and rested his head on those. "I can't sleep with just one pillow", he said leaving me with not even one head cushion. He extended his arm across my side, tapping as if it was an invitation for me to use his arm as a pillow.

"I'm not sleeping on your arm", I thought he must haven't got some good rest since we arrived, and he's too drunk to think. I decided to get up and give him the entire bed when he snaked his arm around my waist.

"Hurry while I'm being generous. There's no more other comfy space to sleep in here", he commanded with knitted brows. "You and the other guys don't do this?", his grasp surely won't let me go.