Chapter 142: Man in the clearing..

Anaria stood for a moment after the System’s panel disappeared. She had a candidate and a task to do, and the countdown had already begun. Sitting around would not help him nor would it complete the task, she had to think of something fast and quick that doesn’t involve the other following her.

She turned back to Kenai, who was keeping Ana entertained with her wooden toy.

"I’m taking her out for a little walk," Anaria said. "We’ve been home long enough. I want to see what’s happening around the settlement."

Kenai glanced at her, then down at Ana. "Take care of her. And don’t stay out too long if she gets tired."

"I won’t."

Anaria told Rylan the same thing when she found him. He agreed, but, as she had expected, he arranged for a guard to accompany her. She didn’t argue. Trying to leave without anyone noticing would only make him more suspicious.

A little later, Ana was secured against her chest, and Anaria set off with the guard walking nearby. She greeted a few people and paused when a woman stopped to admire Ana, checking the indicator while they spoke.

The arrow pointed towards the outer edge of Wolfrine.

"Can you guide me more precisely?" she asked under her breath.

[Continue in the indicated direction.]

"I am continuing. I’d just appreciate it if you made this easier."

The guard glanced at her. "Did you say something?"

"Just talking to Ana." Anaria smiled at her daughter and adjusted the wrap around her.

She followed the path casually, waiting for a chance to slip away, but the guard stayed close.

When they reached a stretch where the path narrowed beside some shrubs, Anaria stopped to look at a cluster of berries.

"Do you know if these are edible?" she asked.

The guard came closer to inspect them. "Some are. These might be, but I’d need to check."

"Would you? I don’t want Ana grabbing one if they’re poisonous."

He bent towards the shrubs. Anaria waited until his attention was on the berries, then stepped behind a thick stand of trees and hurried off in the direction of the indicator.

She heard him call for her to wait, but kept moving. She hated making him worry, yet the man’s life was slipping away.

The indicator led her away from the path and through a patch of undergrowth. She held Ana close with one arm and used the other to move branches aside. When the trees opened into a small clearing, she stopped.

A huge beastman lay at the foot of a tree.

His clothes were torn, his face was bruised, and blood had soaked the side of his clothing. There were marks in the dirt around him, as if he had tried to crawl away. Anaria’s stomach tightened.

"Oh, no."

She checked the area. No one else was in sight.

"What happened to him?" she whispered.

[Robbers attacked the candidate, stole his belongings, beat him, and left him here.]

"Were they alone?"

[The System detects no immediate threat.]

Anaria crouched beside him, careful not to let Ana bump against him. The man’s chest rose unevenly. He was alive, but barely. Even lying down, he was so broad and muscular that moving him would be a problem.

His eyes opened a little.

His unfocused gaze settled on Anaria’s face. For a heartbeat, he seemed to forget the pain. He had never seen her and couldn’t understand why such a beautiful woman stood beside him with a child against her chest.

He tried to speak. A faint sound came out.

"Don’t try to talk," Anaria told him. "You’ve been hurt badly."

His eyes remained on her. He seemed to want to ask something, but his lips barely moved.

"I’m going to help you. Just stay still."

She shifted Ana carefully, making sure the wrap held her securely, then placed her free hand near the worst of his injuries. Her healing ability stirred beneath her palm. She focused on the wounds, willing them to close and the bleeding to stop.

She concentrated on the damage beneath her hand, treating the most dangerous injuries first. The amount of blood he had lost made her anxious.

He watched through half-lidded eyes, disbelief replacing confusion as the pain eased. He had never expected a stranger to stop for him, much less heal him with a touch.

He wanted to ask her name. He wanted to know why she was helping him. But his strength was draining away, and the clearing blurred at the edges.

"Stay with me," Anaria said, glancing at his face. "I’m not finished yet."

His eyes closed.

"Hey!" She leaned closer and checked his breathing. It was weak, but still there. "Come on. Don’t do that."

She checked his pulse with two fingers, relieved when she felt it, however faintly. His skin was cold, and she knew that closing the wounds wasn’t enough. If they left him here, he could worsen before she had a chance to help him again. She looked at the path behind her, hoping the guard would appear, but there was still no sign of him.

[The candidate has lost consciousness because of severe blood loss.]

"I know he’s lost blood. Can you help me do something about it?"

[Host’s healing ability can repair his wounds. He needs to be moved to a safe place where treatment can continue.]

Anaria stared at the man, then at Ana, who was still strapped against her chest. She couldn’t carry him. She could barely imagine getting him onto his feet even if he were conscious, and dragging him would only reopen the wounds she had just treated.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" she muttered.

[The guard Host left behind is searching for her and will reach this area soon.]

Anaria looked towards the trees. "Soon isn’t good enough. He needs help now."

She scanned the clearing and spotted a brown wolf beastman pushing a wooden cart loaded with branches.

Anaria hurried towards him, keeping Ana steady.

"Please! Could you help me?"

The wolf stopped, glancing from the child against her chest to the injured man behind her.

"What happened?"

"He was attacked by robbers. I found him here, and I’ve managed to stop most of the bleeding, but he needs to be taken somewhere safe." Anaria pointed towards his cart. "Could we use that to move him? I can’t lift him by myself while carrying my daughter."

The wolf looked past her at the enormous beastman. "That fellow is heavy."

"I know. We’ll have to be careful, but we can’t leave him here."

He hesitated and glanced around the trees. "What if the robbers are still close?"

"The System said there’s no immediate threat," she almost said, then caught herself. Instead, she answered, "I haven’t seen anyone else, and I don’t want to wait until he gets worse."

The wolf rubbed his jaw. He looked unsure, and Anaria couldn’t blame him. Helping a stranger could bring trouble, especially if the attackers returned. She took a breath and tried again.

"Please. If he were your family, you’d want someone to stop and help him."

That seemed to reach him. He looked at the injured man once more, then let out a reluctant sigh.

"Fine. I’ll help. But we need to lift him carefully, and I’m not leaving my cart behind."

"Thank you. Truly."

The wolf pushed the cart into the clearing and moved the branches out of the way. Anaria returned to the candidate and checked that his breathing had not worsened. His wounds were closing, but he was still frighteningly pale.

The wolf crouched beside him. "Do you know him?"

Anaria hesitated for only a moment. "He’s my husband."

The lie came out before she could think of a better answer. It was easier than explaining why she had come looking for a stranger, and she needed the wolf to understand why she was so desperate to save him.

The wolf gave her a curious look but didn’t press her. Anaria was relieved. She rarely came out into the settlement, and not everyone in Wolfrine knew who she was. For now, she could remain just another worried woman asking for help.

They worked out how to lift the beastman without putting pressure on his injured side. Anaria kept Ana secure against her chest while the wolf positioned the cart beside them.

A distant call came from the trees. The guard was still searching for her.

Anaria flinched, then looked down at the unconscious man. She would have to explain herself soon. Rylan might hear about this, and she could already imagine the questions. But none of that mattered as much as getting the candidate somewhere safe.

"Please survive this," she murmured to the man as they prepared to move him. "I’ve done far too much already for you to die on me now."

The wolf took hold of the man’s shoulders. Anaria moved to support his other side as best she could, careful not to jostle Ana.

Together, they began lifting him towards the cart.