"He is like a meek dove fighting against injustice, while I come from hell itself."
***
The branches of the trees were an obstacle to his haste. That dark and pathless forest was taking its toll on him since he had no free space to ride in; even so, he did not stop. Aimlessly, with cold sweat all over his body and blood pouring from his side, he used what little energy he had left to escape. The branches hit him mercilessly and, thanks to the darkness, he would not know when they would hit his face, causing his eyes to burn; however, he rode at full speed with only one thought: to save his life.
The branches stopped his attack bringing relief to his face. He didn't know if he was hallucinating, but he thought he saw the end of the forest and a light. He stopped his gait suddenly when he saw a terrifying figure holding a small lamp, because of the shock and the quickness of the stop, the horse threw him to the ground and took flight. The horrifying figure approached him, so he feared and wanted to flee like his treacherous companion, but he had no strength; little by little the light was waning and he lost consciousness.
(...)
The body was strong, so it was difficult to carry him to the small hut. Was he dead? She took his pulse and hurried to lay him down. Once at his disposal, he tore the bloody shirt and, by candlelight, cleaned the wound and stopped the bleeding. She reached for one of the jars that were on a table filled with jars and containers of herbs, took a greenish powder from it, and covered the wound with the strange remedy. After cleaning and applying the contents of the container, she bandaged the narrow waist of the stranger.
Curious, she brought the candle close to the convalescent and saw a young and attractive face. His closed eyes showed thick black eyelashes. She ran her gaze over the man's face, fixing her eyes on his small and aesthetic nose, also on his fleshy and beautiful lips. She couldn't remember ever seeing such an attractive and elegant man. His skin was creamy despite the pallor from blood loss. His silky black hair shone in the low light, it was disheveled, though it was noticeable that he kept it well-groomed. She continued to shine the light until she reached his torso, firm and strong.
Who was this man? An angel who had lost his way, some royalty? Why was he wounded? Why had his horse abandoned him? And... How did he get there?! So many unanswered questions. She would have to wait for him to wake up. But... What would she do when that happened? He could be dangerous, perhaps an escaped felon. She shook her head with some trepidation. Maybe he was mugged on the road. Whatever happened might affect her, as it was obvious that this stranger was no ordinary person. His clothes were very fine and the watch, a ring on his right hand, and the thick chain around his neck were of pure gold.
(...)
The sun's rays that slipped through the holes attacked his eyes until they dissipated his sleep. His expression was one of fright and confusion, where was he? A pain in his side reminded him that he had been stabbed on the road. He lowered his gaze to his abdomen and widened his eyes as he noticed that he was bandaged and his chest exposed.
He scanned the place with his gaze and scrunched up his face as he realized how gaunt that attempt at a hut was. He couldn't deny the neatness and orderliness of its owner, but any breeze would blow the little house away.
‘What a bad builder,’ he thought with amusement.
His rescuer was a person of very low means, to be living in such squalid conditions. The "bed" was a pile of straws tied together with cloth, and on this lay a huge white sheet with a delicious scent of flowers. A brown quilt lay on his legs and in front of him was a long wooden table on a rock, simulating a small table. On top of it was a deep dish with a broth that had only vegetables in it, and next to it was a cup with what he assumed was tea. His attention was drawn to the small tablecloth that covered the wood, giving it a less poor and rough appearance. The only window in the hut was closed and under it was a small wooden table that limped with different jugs, bowls with rare powders, and a basket full of herbs. Amidst all the concoction, stood a candle inside what appeared to be a glass lamp.
His stomach growled and he eyed the broth warily. The person who rescued him must have left it there for him, but... Should he ingest food that a stranger prepared? His stomach growled painfully again and he thought it was no time to be fussy or suspicious, anyway, that person saved his life.
He sighed contentedly and with a bit of joy despite his circumstance, for both the broth and the tea were delicious; and, finishing it all, had comforted him.
Something about that mysterious place gave him tranquility and a sense of well-being. Suddenly, the peace that settled him for another sleep session was broken when he perceived a shadow. On the one hand, he was happy to be able to thank his savior for the great gesture, but on the other hand, he feared that this person was someone dangerous. The silhouette of a figure wrapped in rags caught his attention, but before he could discover who it was, the person backed away with haste and intention to escape or hide, an action that seemed very strange to him.
“I know you're there, it's ridiculous for you to hide. Who are you and why are you hiding in your own house?”
Frustration filled his chest as he received no answer. He knew he was there, he could see his shadow.
“Listen, I didn't come to your house, you brought me here and cured me, believe me, I won't hurt you," he insisted.
He remained expectant without taking his eyes off the door waiting for a reaction; then, the shadow moved, and, timidly and hesitantly, the image of a person entered the deteriorated place. He stood transfixed for a moment looking at that... Woman?
He knew he was being rude and impolite, looking at her as if she were a rare thing, but that female had impressed him.
He opened and closed his eyes several times without getting out of his impression. It was then that he remembered the reason why he had fallen off his horse. Both he and the animal had been frightened by the strange and careless figure of that woman, who was looking at him in dismay and embarrassment at that moment.
He could not say she was ugly, since she wore her face hidden under a red veil, but, there was a reason she covered it that way, wasn't there? If he were to judge by the rest of her appearance, then the verdict would be an unattractive woman who should take more care of her appearance.
Her long hair was surrounded by that veil, but, even so, it was notoriously careless and tangled, he could compare it to a bird's nest or something like that.
Her figure was difficult to appreciate since she was covered in rags as if she were a beggar, well, given the circumstances in which she lived, one could say that she was. Despite her facades, there was something about her that was sparkling that he could not define. He lingered for a moment on her eyes, until he finally found something beautiful about her! He was captivated for a while with that beautiful hazel gaze, surrounded by big, brown lashes. According to her pose and the outline of her striking orbs, this was a young woman. He decided to break the silence when he sensed the discomfort of her hostess.
“Miss,” he tilted his face to one side, staring at her... “What is your name?”
“My name doesn't matter, what does matter and what I'm interested in knowing is how you got here," she answered coldly and rudely.
“Well…” he shrugged his shoulders, “I imagine you brought me here.”
“You think you're funny?” she asked offended.
He frowned.
“Miss, it's the truth. You somehow dragged me here, but if you mean how I got to your grounds or whatever this place is, I ended up here by chance. I was on a business trip with my men and we were attacked on the road, there were too many of them to defend ourselves and come out unscathed, we put up a good fight, but they killed several of my companions and as you can see, I was wounded in the attempt. The rest of us had to escape to our fate, I just rode to save my life without a fixed course. I got lost in the woods and then I saw you, my horse got frightened and the wretch ran away and left me stranded. Then I must thank you for saving my life.”
“Your men must be looking for you," she reasoned more to herself than to him, completely ignoring the man's thanks.
“That's right.”
“It will be difficult for them to find you since this place is hidden," she said, staring off somewhere.
“But they will. Who knows? Maybe my horse won't be so wretched after all and lead them to me.”
She widened her eyes in terror.
“You mean they'll find this place?! Why on earth did you have to come here?!” she sputtered with an alteration.
“Why are you reacting that way?” he asked, puzzled.
“I only ask that when they find you, please be discreet with this place.” Again she ignored his question.
“Count on it," he answered with a skeptical look. “One question, and excuse my boldness, but... Why or from what are you hiding?”
“It's none of your business," she answered sharply. The man frowned at his gruff reply.
“Well, I apologize for butting in," he returned a little annoyed by her attitude, who avoided his gaze. ‘How rude!’ he thought, ‘Could she be a criminal on the run from justice?’
The smell of chicken soup caused his mouth to water and his stomach growled restlessly and desperately to receive such a longed-for broth that, according to the aroma, promised to be a delight.Three days had passed and his wound looked better and he could stand up, albeit with difficulty, but at least he could stand on his feet for a few seconds. Despite the squalor of the place, he did not complain about the treatment he received, which, although his hostess was not much to speak of, kept him well-fed, changed his sheets often, and helped him bathe. He was anxious to recover or, failing that, to be found by his men so that he would no longer be a burden for that woman who, besides looking after him and feeding him, had to sleep on the floor, since the bed was too small for both of them.“It was delicious, thank you very much,”
Her heartbeat was so agitated and intense that she thought she could hear it. “Tun-tun, tun-tun…” The sounds kept repeating in her head as if she was being chased by those palpitations. She didn't know where she had gotten so much energy since her body was weak. Was it the survival instinct? She didn't know! She only wanted to achieve her goal: to escape for her life.With her bare feet, ignoring the thorns on the path or the small stones that were embedded in his soles, she ran with all her strength and breath. She had to make it, she had to escape from that hell. The sweat, the bugs, and the strands of hair sticking to her skin were wreaking havoc on her escape. Her wounds stung and blood ran down her legs; she smiled as she saw the exit and then, everything was dark.(...)
“Samuel!” Arthur ran in the direction of the tall brown-haired man with yellow eyes.“Sir, you’re alive! I knew it! Triton is a good horse, he led us to this place. We found him wandering in the fields near this region and he led us to this forest” Samuel expressed with marked emotion.“Who are they?” Sam approached Arthur with trepidation.“They are my trusted men, they found me thanks to Triton. He stroked the horse's forehead. You're not a crow, after all,” he kissed him.“Then you'll be back,” Sam commented with sadness in her eyes.“Sir, you must come with us immediately, the Jones have declared you dead and want t
Arthur was caressed by the cool breeze of his region, which greeted him with clouds in the sky. Arriving at his ranch, he got off his horse and Raul led him to the stable. Arthur walked with fists clenched and chest erect, to confront the intruders who had broken into his property.“You are not our masters, our master is Arthur Connovan!” one of the workers shouted indignantly. They had had enough of the abuses of these thieving intruders.“Arthur? The dead one? He has already passed on to a better life and, since Arthur has no heirs, these lands pass into our hands,” a young man, with short blond hair, blue eyes, and great height, said cynically.“Henry Jones!" Arthur called out to him with an indignant face, the blond widened his eyes in surprise. "As y
She crept closer as tears streamed down her face. The door was half open and that made her spying easier. Why was she torturing herself? Her hands were shaking and her heart ached, it wasn't fair! She should be there, she should be enjoying that intimacy.Sam woke up with tears in her eyes, dreaming about her memories opened that wound she tried to ignore because she didn't know how to heal it. Loneliness gnawed at her bones, maybe it was what she deserved after all. She was presumptuous to desire love, companionship, passion. Why? She shook her head trying to throw out those harmful thoughts, it was amazing how the evil words of others could hurt so much that, you end up believing them. No, she shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to love and feel loved, she shouldn't think so low of herself and blame herself for wanting to have passion in her life, for wanting to experience pleasure, if it existed.
“Sam…” he stammered in shock. She avoided his gaze and distanced herself, not wanting him to see her so haggard and dirty.“Get away from me,” she uttered almost in a whisper and stood up on her feet intending to leave. This couldn't be happening to her, why did she have to show up at her worst moment? She couldn't stand the embarrassment and awkwardness. Him, so cute and neat; in fine clothes and expensive jewelry, perfumed with that delicious scent. And she, a malnourished, dirty beggar dressed in rags. It was a nightmare that the man she liked -because even though six long months had passed without seeing him, her feelings for him surfaced just by hearing his voice-, would see her in those clothes and with that stench. She had to run away, she couldn't bear to be in his presence a second longer.&ldquo
Three months had passed. Sam had regained her weight and her skin was not pale anymore. Every day she looked more energetic and healthy and she no longer seemed as shy as when she first arrived at the ranch. Raul kept following her around asking her imprudent questions and trying to find out why she was covering her face, but she ignored him and only laughed at his witticisms.“I owe the boss a lot,” the boy sat down on the grass and put a twig in his mouth. “My parents died in a shootout when I was ten and I spent three years living on the streets and stealing in the markets to be able to eat. One day a man selling apples caught me stealing from him and chased me with a rifle. I ran into Mr. Connovan and he assured the man that he would punish me and he did. He demanded I clean the stable and then pulled me by the ears because I wouldn't bathe. When he fed me, bought me clothes, an
Sam lay down on his father's bed and hugged his pillow. She missed him so much! Even though it had been four months since his death, she still wasn't over him. She was alone and with no one to comfort her. Her father was an orphan who got to where he was through hard work and the mercy of a doctor, who trained him in the field of medicine. At that time not so much was demanded of doctors and some people practiced freely, a cause of death for many patients who believed in untrained doctors. Her father not only taught her how the human body worked, but he also taught her about the medicinal power of plants. She became very good at it and even took classes with professionals, she stopped her studies when she got engaged with the promise to resume them after a year of marriage, so she could give quality time to her husband. Her heart ached, for she did not know if their relationship could be called a marriage. Daniel was not the same man she had known yea