Davien carried her the entire way back to the camp, his arm steady around her.
When they arrived, he lowered her gently onto a fallen tree log—his movements careful, as if she might break at any moment.
Then he reached into his bag and handed her a small piece of bread and dried meat.
"Eat," he said quietly.
She looked up, wanting to speak—wanting to thank him—but she couldn't. Davien had already turned away, walking back toward the forest. He stopped.
"Stay here," he said, his voice firmer this time, "and don't go anywhere till I get back."
He didn't give her a moment to answer. He didn't wait or turn to look at her.
He simply walked into the forest.
Lila let out a long breath, then stared down at her bread and took a small bite out of it, familiar with its taste.
The forest around her was calm; a cool breeze brushed against her warm skin, and distant birds chirped softly.
She stayed there, enjoying the warm, comforting feeling the forest gave her.
Just as she closed her eyes, savoring the moment, she heard it.
A sound—soft and faint, almost too faint to notice.
Her eyes opened.
It wasn't from the trees above, nor from around the camp.
The chip sounded weak. She sat up straighter, scanning the trees. Then it came again—clearer this time—from somewhere in the forest, not far from the camp.
She forced herself to stand, her legs hurting, but she swallowed the pain. Davien had told her not to move… but she couldn't ignore that sound.
"One step at a time," she whispered to herself, then began walking.
Each step hurt more than the last.
The grass brushed softly against her ankles as she slowly made her way toward the sound.
The small chirping grew louder as she moved into the forest. She stopped beside a tree, scanning the area.
Then she saw it.
A small bird—tiny, with white beak and feathers. She wondered what kind of bird it was… maybe a sparrow, though she had never seen one with white feathers and as white as it is.
It lay on the ground, its wings twisted awkwardly against its body. One wing moved weakly as the bird let out a small, desperate chip.
She knelt beside it, ignoring the burning pain in her legs.
"It's okay now," she murmured gently. "I'm here.
The little bird stared up at her with tiny blue eyes, pain visible in them.
Lila reached out and gently cupped her hands around it. Its feathers were soft against her palms.
She lifted it carefully, holding it close to her chest.
"It's okay," she whispered again, forcing herself to stand as she walked back toward the camp.
When she arrived, the camp was quiet. Davien still hadn't returned.
Good, she thought with relief.
Lila sat back on the fallen log, holding the bird as gently as she could, stroking its soft head with one careful finger.
"You're safe now," she told it.
Davien returned minutes later with a small flat wooden board in his hands. He walked straight to her and knelt down.
"Show me your leg."
"Why?" Lila asked, confused.
He ignored her question, pulled out her leg, and examined it. Then he brought the wooden board closer. On it was a greenish-looking paste, which he began to apply to her leg.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Medicine," he replied coldly.
Then he heard the small cheep. He looked up at Lila, then at the bird.
"Please take a look at it," Lila said quickly. "I found it in the forest. I think something is wrong."
"Lila, didn't I tell you not to go anywhere?" he questioned.
"But I couldn't ignore it," she replied.
A long silence settled between them.
Finally, Davien spoke.
"Let me see."
Lila's face lit up with relief. She extended her hands for him to see the bird.
"Where did you see this bird?" he asked, examining it.
"In the forest, beside a tree. Why are you asking?"
"I've never seen it before. This kind of bird must be rare."
He continued touching and examining it. "Its wings look broken," he said, glancing up at Lila.
"What should we do?" she asked worriedly.
Without a word, he applied the same paste he had used on her onto the bird's wings, then tied a small piece of cloth around them.
"Is the bird going to be alright?" she asked.
"That's if it's alive tomorrow," Davien replied flatly.
He stood, walked to their luggage, removed some clothes, and returned to her.
"Here. Take this," he said, handing the clothes to her.
"For what?" Lila asked, clearly confused.
"Do you think you can train in your gown?" he asked, raising a brow.
"No, I—" Lila began.
"Good. Starting tomorrow, you wear that. No more dresses until we get to our destination," he said, cutting her off. He walked to the other side of the camp, then stopped.
"We won't be continuing our journey for now. We'll focus on your training. I don't care what condition your legs are in—training starts tomorrow."
Then he finally left.
Why is he angry? Did I do something? she wondered, letting out a soft sigh.