From the Forest | ATWOW

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Lo'ak! Hi!" Sai'eyla greeted as she yanked the curtain to her marui open. Coincidentally, Lo'ak had just returned from training with Tsireya and looked frazzled.

His eyes flickered to see the girl grinning from ear to ear, and his heart warmed a little. The only other person this excited to see him would be Tuk. Lo'ak bowed his head and approached her slowly. "Hey,"

Her brown eyes roamed him, landing on a deep cut he had on his shoulder and another one on his chest. She reached a hand out with furrowed brows to gently trace over his chest, and her eyes darted to how his face contorted in pain. Before she could roam any further, Lo'ak snatched her hand, squeezing it gently.

"You're injured--sorry--what happened?" Her tone was curious and cautious.

"I got flung into a rock." He deadpanned.

"Oh!" Sai'eyla clasped her hands over her mouth. She tried to be discreet, but Lo'ak heard her soft giggle and smiled at her.

"I thought things were coming along," She hesitated.

Lo'ak scoffed, looking off to the side momentarily before turning back around. "Whoever told you that is a liar."

"Tsireya said that."

"Oh,"

He was at a loss for words, and Sai'eyla laughed at him. She used the same hand that was holding her to pull him inside her marui. She guided him to sit on a blanket, telling him to stay put and not move. Lo'ak did just that. His eyes wandered, landing on everything from bracelets, beads, shells, blankets, unfinished blankets, unfished projects, clothes, her mat, and some trinkets she had lying around. Her marui had that vibe that made him feel at home. It was so personalized. It was her.

Lo'ak retained her focus on her bent-over form. Eyes trailed down her back, marveling at what he saw.

"Can I?" She asked when she reached over to him—lowering herself on her knees to get a better look at his cuts. Lo'ak subconsciously straightened his back.

"Go for it." He mumbled.

Sai'eyla dragged him to the edge of the mat so that she could get a better feel. In her hand, she held a bowl with some crushed herbs that held a sticky-like paste. Her other hand held a warm, wet cloth that she brought up to his wounds and got as close as possible. Lo'ak watched as she carefully tended to the cuts, her touch was gentle yet focused as she cleaned at his wounds and applied the ointment. He hissed at the feeling, closing his eyes and biting his tongue. A string of curse words also flew out of his mouth, but they went unnoticed by Sai'eyla, who was intent on helping him.

He couldn't help but notice how she leaned in close, her breath warm against his skin as she worked. It was a simple act of kindness, but it felt like so much more to him. Lo'ak didn't mean to stare either, but ewya--she was just so close. He admired the way her long eyelashes fluttered as she concentrated on her task. Her fingertips dug into the bowl to collect some of the ointment and applied it. Sai'eyla's hair fell in soft waves around her face, framing her delicate features. The boy hadn't known her for long, but in that moment, he felt like he was seeing her for the first time.

As Sai'eyla finished the application, she grabbed a fresh new cloth from yonder and wrapped it around both wounds efficiently. When she was done, she looked up at him with a small smile that Lo'ak couldn't help but return.

He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself as he spoke. "Thank you," he mumbled.

Sai'eyla pursed her lips and nodded, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she looked away. "No problem, didn't want to see you spazzing out later if it went untreated."