Wound

ㅤ Reid froze, momentarily forgetting to breathe. Never before had he seen a wolf rear up on its hind legs and deal with an eggbear. Never before had he seen a wolf be stronger than a bear. And as their battle concluded, the wolf glanced at the hapless hunter. Swallowing quickly, Reid thrust his sword forward, attacking: it was do or die. Against such a formidable opponent, any hesitation could cost him his life. Taking a direct wound to the stomach, the beast howled and fled. 'We can't leave him! He's too dangerous and too close to the village!' He had to give chase, fortunately the blood on the grass and broken tree branches showed the way to the experienced hunter. The beast moved quickly, but the wound and blood loss gradually slowed it, making it easier to find tracks. And soon Reid saw… "Are you okay!?" he was horrified, seeing a person sitting behind a tree. "Did a wolf get you? What a toothy beast…" A teenage boy, about Reid's age, was shaking with fear and pain, clutching a fresh wound on his stomach. A white strand in his shock of dark brown hair served as bangs and made his plain appearance stand out. 'Tsk, I'll have to hunt the wolf next time. First, we need to take care of the boy.' "It's okay, I'll take care of you. Farah taught me first aid, so I'll have you patched up in no time." Reid grinned broadly, encouraging the boy. However, the boy only clutched his wound tighter and pressed himself against the tree trunk, preventing him from falling to the ground. "Come on, it won't make things worse. Show me how serious it is." Even though Reid verbally insisted on the boy's voluntary participation, he had to resort to force, holding the wounded boy's bloody hands as he struggled. For the first time, he even spoke. Or rather, he growled and cried out in fear: "Let me go!" And only when he saw the wound did Reid understand why he had been so afraid. These weren't claw marks. A sword. He had been stabbed with a sword. Reid glanced at the blood on the blade of his weapon, then at the location of the boy's wound. Everything clicked. "Are you…?" he looked at him questioningly. Reid had heard of the Lycanth, but he'd never met one in person. A race persecuted by humanity, full of bestial malice and dangerous to everyone. True, inquisitors often found Lycanths living peacefully among humans, suppressing their essence. However, a beast always remains a beast, so Lycanths were executed without trial or mercy. But the boy in front of Reid trembled like an ordinary person, his eyes reddened with tears. A perfectly ordinary boy, unlucky enough to be born into such a world. "Sorry, I didn't know! Damn, I stabbed you so deep!" Reid was at a loss, having forgotten all the skills Farah had taught him. Besides, he couldn't have done anything about such a serious wound. 'What did I expect?! Even if it had been a jagged claw wound, it probably wouldn't have been any better!' "Sorry, I'm a fool!" I'll carry you to the village, Farah will help you! You can trust her! "No, wait!" "Come on, stop struggling! How can I carry you if you can't hold on yourself?" "But I… You understand perfectly well, don't play dumb!" "What do I understand? That you're a Lycanth? So what? Am I supposed to abandon you? That seems way too irresponsible, even if I hadn't hurt you. So shut up and hold on!" Reid offered his back, holding the boy by the legs, waiting for him to wrap his arms around his neck. There was no chance of escaping without strangling him. But the boy had no intention of causing harm. The same as before, in his beast form, as now. "But…" he said calmly, his voice growing doubtful. "Your clothes… will get dirty," he said hesitantly. "So what," Reid muttered. "They're long overdue for washing anyway. Farah and mom always scold me for wearing out my clothes." Carefully, weakly, the boy still grabbed hold, allowing himself to be lifted. It's unreasonable to die alone in the forest… Reid didn't seem like a bad person. A naive fool, yes. But not a bad one. "Thank you," the boy said quietly. "What's your name? I'm Reid." "Caius." "So, Nice to meet you. Rest for now…"

* * *

The pain kept him from sleeping properly, but consciousness was elusive. Caius began to regain consciousness in the village, sensing unfamiliar smells and sounds. Knocking on the door and calling out the now-familiar name, Reid entered the house. "What happened!?" Farah exclaimed as Reid laid Caius on her bed. "Who did this?!" "Well… I did," Reid admitted, unsure how to explain it simply. "What!? How could you!?" "Why me? He was in wolf form… Ow!" He was immediately hit on the top of the head with a punch, calling: "Keep quiet!" "Why are you hitting me?! You asked, and I answered. And who can hear us here anyway?" "My mother, for example, you're an idiot!" "You scream louder than me, and you hitting me too!" "Mmm," Caius tried to stir, opening his eyes slightly. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'll take care of you now," Farah immediately shifted her attention, reaching for the first aid kit. "Hey, you idiot, bring some water," she asked Reid, more softly, but still with a disapproving and displeased tone. "Don't worry," she turned to Caius, smiling broadly as if she were the very embodiment of positivity, "I'll get you back on your feet in no time, you'll see," she winked, getting to work. Having finished treating the wound, Farah exhaled and finally asked: "Why were you wandering around the forest near the village in wolf form?" "An eggbear attacked me," Caius answered calmly. "And then Reid showed up. I didn't even have time to escape…" "Sorry…" "It's not your fault. I should have been quicker. After all, beast form is much faster and stronger than human form." "That's no reason to use it left and right," Farah scolded. "Are you really so weak in human form that you can't even fight off an eggbear? You're a Lycanth!" She ignored Reid's warning "Don't scream, fool!" and continued, "You should know how to fight. Even Reid learned. He had some good motivation, though, in the form of meat…" "I only know how in beast form," Caius hesitated. "What, you don't even know how to wield a sword?" Reid was surprised. "I don't." "I can teach you," Reid smiled. "It's not that hard, unless you plan on fighting other swordsmen. For hunting and defense, basic skills will do." "And if swinging a stick is awkward for you and using your fists is more natural, then I can be your teacher," Farah interjected, growing animated. "We can even fashion some claws for you from the blades! I'll also teach you first aid, so you can take care of yourself after a battle if necessary!" Reid and Farah continued their noisy conversation, constantly trying to draw their new friend's attention to themselves, while Caius only smiled faintly: lack of blood prevented him from doing more. He'd once heard a human saying: "Every cloud has a silver lining." It turned out to be true. And this misfortune helped him find a home and true friends. Caius was never alone again… ㅤ