He didn't wake up until morning.
Ivy barely slept. She sat on a chair, crossed the weapon, the chin stuck in her shoulder. But the second he stirred, she was on her feet.
The man moaned, his fingers twitching against wood. His eyes gradually opened - flickering in low light.
"I asked you not to save me," he muttered, the voice burst and low.
Ivy crossed her arms. "And I told you, not tonight."
He turned his head, barely. "You are stubborn."
"I get it a lot."
His gaze scanned the room like a soldier and started the battlefield again. His eyebrows were torn.
"You live here?"
"obviously."
His expression turned - resolution, irritation, nothing else can name.
"Why do you want to bring a creature like me to a place this way?"
"You bleed. You change. I didn't let you die in those forests."
He exhaled hard. "You have to be."
Ivy went forward and pulled a stool near the bed.
"Look, I didn't save you so you could insult me. If you want to die, wait as long as you are strong enough to get out of my house first."
He blinked slowly. "Quite appropriate."
She checked the bandages again. The wound stopped bleeding, but the skin did not close very quickly. werewolves were supposed to recover in an hour. Whatever bites him, wasn't common.
She watched him. "What did this to you?"
His jaw stopped.
"I don't know."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not. I didn't see it. It was sharp. Stronger than anything I've faced."
Ivy frowned. "And what exactly are you?"
He didn't answer right away.
Then: "I'm the reason your village built a fence."
She swallowed, the hair on her arms rising.
"And your name?"
He hesitated.
"... Thorne."
She shrunk his eyes. "Seriously?"
He engraved an eyebrow. "You drew a bleeding person from a haunted forest, and that's where you draw the line?
She looked away. "It's convenient."
He gave a small, dry laugh. "Practically a word for this."
Ivy turned to the fire. As ashes, silence was living among them.
Then he spokedagain.
"You're not like them."
She looked at his shoulder. "Them?"
"People were running from the forest. You went right into it."
"I had a reason."
He nodded his head gently. "And what was it?"
She bit her lips. "Someone I love is dying. The herbs I needed don't grow on safe ground."
He was constantly staring at her for a long time.
Finally, he said, "you shouldn't be involved in this"
"In what?"
His eyes became blind. "The jungle not only grows thorns for decoration."
Ivy went back, angry. "Look, if you are going to talk in puzzles I can always put you back where I found you."
"You don't want to do this."
"Try me."
But Thorne didn't take a step. He now looked at her with an intensity that grabbed her breath.
"You are already stuck in it," he said. "You don't know it yet."
"I don't believe in luck," she said.
"Maybe not," he replied with a low voice. "But luck believes in you ".
She tried not to be good.
"What are you doing, Thorne?"
He didn't answer. His gaze fell on the floor, then the ceiling. Then landed on a small leaf hung over her door.
"It won't protect you."
"I never asked for security."
Another silence fell between them, it was heavy.
Ivy stood. "Are you hungry?"
He blinked, startled by the question. "I… guess."
She put a soup in a bowl and placed it beside him.
"I'm not feeding you out of kindness," she said. "I just don't want you dying on my floor."
He picked up the spoon slowly, like it might burn him. "That makes two of us."
Before she could reply, a knock resonitured on the door.
loud. sharp. Not friendly
Thorne trembled immediately. His body stiff notice, muscles.
Ivy turned to the door, her heart against her ribs.
"Ivy!" A voice called. "This is patrol! Open!"
Thorne's eyes expanded.
"You can't let them see me," he said quickly.
"They're just-"
"They want to kill me," he snapped. "Please."
The desperation in his tone startled her.
Ivy turned back to the door. "One second!"
"Hide me," he tore off. "Anywhere."
Her mind strolled. Then she pointed to her back to the basement. Trapdoor under the rug.
He withdrew with his help, and dizzy in the room with her help.
"You're not going to do it alone," she muted putting his hands across her shoulders.
"You are surprisingly strong for someone half my size ."
"And you are surprisingly heavy for someone who almost died last night."
As she blew and opened the blanket and helped him, the bank increased high.
"In a moment!" She shouted again.
Thorne disappeared in the dark.
Ivy closed the trapdoor and smoothed the carpet as the door opened .
The patrol team went inside, armed with spears and silver mucus.
Their eyes scanned the room and the wind changed.
One of them stepped forward. "We're tracking something, ivy. Something dangerous."
Her pulse made a muzzle.
"Nothing here, but just me and the fire," she said calmly.
The tallest man went closer to sniffing the air like a bloodhound. His eyes were compressed on the carpet.
"What's under there?"
"A basement."
"Open it."
Her throat dried up.