alone no more
My name is Zeno; I have been living in Sunrise village for sixteen years, so all my life. I am a cat with white fur and blue eyes. It was a warm spring afternoon in Sunrise village and I am sitting in a tree near the river bank lost in thought, when suddenly someone falls on the opposite side of the river out of some bushes. I gasp clambering down to the ground landing gracefully on my paws and dart over to the river side and notice that the person on the other side of the river was gravely injured. I ran through the water over to the injured person who I could now identify as a wolf. The wolf had black fur with a white patch on his belly, I couldn't tell what colour his eyes were but I guessed they were either the shade of and emerald or a ruby. The wolf's breathing was shallow which could only mean one thing. He was close to death. He had lost a lot of blood and his wounds looked even worse up close.
I tried to carry him but I would only end up falling. I was told by the village's chief to never to use my healing magic for anyone outside of the village. However I never listened to him. I raised my hands over the wolf's body focusing on his major wounds and let the magic do the rest. His breathing had gone back to normal but he had lost a lot of blood so I acted as a crutch and helped him back to the village. I have been living on my own for five years as my parents died in a wild fire. So I have the house all to myself.
Thankfully the village had all gone to bed so it wasn't too much trouble to get him to my house and through the door without anyone noticing. I turned on the living room light and lay him down on the couch and went to get some bandages, water and a cloth for his wounds. When I got back through he wasn't on the couch anymore. I looked around the house for him and began to panic when I couldn't find him. I didn't know why I was panicking over someone I hardly knew. I went back to the living room and sat down on the couch, curling into a ball and crying.
"Hey, kid you ok?" A husky voice asked me and I looked up to find myself looking into two bright green eyes. I couldn't find my voice and so I just nodded my reply taking a few deep breaths. The wolf raised an eyebrow before shrugging and turning to the door.
"Wait, you have to let me take care of your wounds." I managed to say before he opened the door. He turned to me a look of shock or something. He walked over to me, leaned forward and looked me right in the eyes.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be fine." He said to me. I felt a tear roll down my cheek and I hurried to wipe it away before he could notice. Unfortunately he had noticed and pulled me into a hug that warmed me, funny because I hadn't known I was cold. When he pulled away from me I stifled a whimper at the loss of contact of the warmth.
"At least let me get you some food to eat on your journey." I tried not wanting to seem like I was begging. He seemed to think about what I had said for a long time and after a few minutes he nodded his agreement. I smiled and went off to the kitchen and made a sandwich with what he told me he likes. I made the sandwich and a flask of coffee.
"Thanks," He mumbled to me taking the flask and sandwich. I nodded and walked him to the door. "Where are your parents?" he asked suddenly and I froze to the spot, not out of panic or fear but out of pain from the memory of losing them.
"Gone," I said in a choked voice and he picked up on that again and pulled me into a hug. "They died five years ago it's just hard to think about them."
"I'm so sorry for your loss." He said squeezing me reassuringly. I turned to him telling him it was fine he nodded and knelt down so he was at least eye level with me. "I will stay for the next two days, ok. I just don't think it's a good idea to leave you alone like this." I nodded and led him to a bedroom that he could sleep in.
After about an hour of sitting in the living room reading a book on healing magic I heard a noise that sound like someone knocking their head off a wall or something. I put my book down scared off what the noise might be. The wolf was out cold sleeping in the bedroom so I was the only one up. I looked around the house for anything that might have fallen but there was nothing. After that I went to check on the wolf but he was still out cold in a deep slumber. I smiled at his peaceful expression before closing the door quietly and returning to the living room and continued reading my book and eventually found my eyelids getting heavy.
I awoke to the smell of bacon floating through the house. I blink the last of the sleep from my eyes and look around I was in a bed. I sat up suspicious of what might happen and where I was. The wolf walked through the door with a tray of food, I gave a timid smile to him and he returned with his own hurt warming grin. He set the tray down on my lap when I had gotten into a sitting position.
"I don't know what you like eating so I just made this, hope its ok." He said to me and I patted the empty space beside me. He gave me a suspicious look before climbing into the bed and sitting beside me.
"I was wondering what's your name?" I asked looking at him. He smiled and turned to face me.
"I will tell you my name, if you tell me yours. Do we have a deal?" He replied. I nodded and he smiled. "Jake and what's your name?"
"My name is Zeno sir." He gave a light chuckle when I used the word sir, I wondered why and he told me I didn't have to call him sir. I nodded and blushing a bright shade of red. Jake brushed my cheek with the back of his paw and I leaned into the contact and sighed softly.
"So Zeno, do you want to tell me what this is?" He asked pulling out my book on healing magic. I bit my lip unsure of how to answer his question.
"I...uh d-don't know, its n-not my book." I stammered trying to hard not to look at him. He sighed and pulled my face around so I was looking into his mesmerizing green eyes.
"Please be honest." He pleaded I nodded and reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a knife. Now I knew I was still at home, I kept a knife in the nightstand in case of break ins like the robber that broke in last week. I took the blade firmly in my right hand and pulled it across my left arms leaving a red slash over my arm. He gasped in shock at what I had just done, I held up a hand to stop him the held it over my wound and let my magic do the rest. He watched my skin stitch its self-back together. I looked at him he stared at my arm and after a while he raised a paw timidly hovering over where my cut had been. I lifted my paw and pushed down on his lightly indicating it was ok to touch my arm. He turned my arm over and couldn't find any indication of a cut. I smiled timidly at him and he returned with a grin that told me he didn't mind my unnatural gift.
"It's a gift I have." I told him, he nodded excitedly and started asking lots of questions about my 'gift'.
We spent all day in bed asking each other questions he brought through food. The day passed by too quickly for my liking and next thing I know it's the next morning and he is bringing me breakfast like the day before. I smile at him on the way in but deep down my heart is telling me to tell him how I fell. The problem, I just don't know how to.
"Hey em, Jake I was wondering," I started my voice lower than normal. He noticed and walked over to me a little bit quicker.
"What's wrong?" he asked panic coating his voice. I assured him nothing was wrong and he nodded and wanted to know what I wanted.
"I was just wondering how do you feel about me?" he seemed confused about what I said. And then I exploded. "Look I am really, really sorry I am doing this the day before you are going to leave but I just wanted you to know that I love you, and I want to know how you feel about me." I blurted out thanks to my explosion then reality caved in on me and I hid under the covers. It wasn't until I heard the sound of his hearty chuckle that I knew something I said was funny 'so he doesn't feel the same.' I thought to myself disappointment filling my thoughts.
"Well that's a relief I feel the exact same way, I just didn't know how to tell you." He told me, 'oh great now my ears are giving me false hope' I thought bitterly.
I felt his paw on my head then the covers hiding me from sight were gone. He took my chin and softly turned my head and placed a passionate kiss on my lips. I smiled laying my head down on his chest and asked him if he was going to leave. He said no, holding me close to him and I sighed smiling, knowing i was not alone anymore.