Connor pulled both of their entwined hands up to his face to see liquid crimson. With regret he pulled his face away from Sarah’s and noticed by looking down that her hands were dripping with blood.
“Sarah, you’re bleeding!” To his horror he grabbed her other hand and it too had been soaked red. Worry shot through him. “What happened? Did I hurt you? Did the cat do it?”
Coming out of her own daze she said “Relax…relax Connor. When the Cougar growled and I tried to flee, you grabbed me and you were also keeping me from falling. When the Cougar and you charged each other, I fell and scraped my hands. That’s all, don’t worry about it.” She said with a sly smile, plus she was still laying on top of him, enjoying the experience.
He did not smile back in the least. What Connor did next was grab her soft and very womanly hips with both of his hands and effortlessly picked her up. She felt lighter than he first thought or it was the adrenaline making her seem so. She squealed softly, as he sat her down. He sat up and reiterated “I am your protector!” As Connor stood up Sarah didn’t adjust anything in her sitting position, but her face and beautiful green eyes followed his movement. Saying as sweetly as possible he said “Please stay here Sarah. There are a few things that I need to attend to. Will you wait right here for me?”
“I think I can handle waiting for my trusty protector to return to me.” She said it in honesty which truly brightened his dark mood. “I love your smile Sarah, don’t ever stop smiling.”
“Thank you, Princess.” At that endearment she blushed again.
Connor walked over to the dead Cougar and laid him over his shoulder, he weighed well over two hundred pounds. He also picked up gore stained Tool and slid it into the belt loop. Sarah’s and his eyes connected again. As Connor left he saw her eyes twinkling. “What did that mean?”
***
“Connor called me…Princess? Sarah means Princess, but is that a coincidence or his own pet name for girls he likes? I have always hated endearments and pet names for as long as I can remember. Except for some reason I love it coming from him. Am I in love? Infatuated, most definitely.” He walked away carrying the deceased cougar like a sack of potatoes when their eyes met again.
As he walked away he melted back into the forest again. He was walking away like the added weight from the mature cat didn’t bother him, it probably didn’t judging from the build of his large body.
What was a major surprise to Sarah when she fell was that his body was beyond solid. She figured he was heavyset, chunky to be wearing all those baggy clothes, but in reality he was layered in solid, iron muscle. She couldn’t stop thinking about them when she was laying on his large and hard body. “Wow! I have never felt so very sexy and womanly before… We were so close moments ago and I almost kissed him. Blasted bloody hands… Why did you get in my way?
“Even if we only met yesterday, I knew his eyes said that I’m beautiful even if I am nothing, but plain… Oh well, all I can do is wait till my Knight returns. It’s the very least I can do for causing Connor so much trouble.
“I’m waiting, come back as soon as you can Connor.”
Nature and Animals
With the dead weight of the mountain lion draped over his shoulder, Connor needed to find a final resting place to bury this great fallen warrior. All warriors who meet their end in honest combat need a proper burial, even predators. They only do what comes naturally and instinctively so Connor couldn’t begrudge such compassionate needs. In fact he felt a closeness with such creatures. That’s what they are designed for, to hunt and carve out their lives by will alone. Connor would want the same respect given to himself should he fall, no more and no less. Still he needed to find a place and not take too long. The smell of blood would bring in more predators for sure.
As he came across a large natural depression in the ground, that was just the right size for the great cat, Connor gently laid him down into the moist recess. With only the use of his hands, dirt and stone easily moved to cover the cougar, a few yards away wild flowers were blooming since winter’s snow had finally melted away. Connor unearthed a small bundle of the vibrant vegetation, buried it atop the mound as a small memorial to show the task completed and honor had been properly given.
Getting up from the ground, Connor closed his eyes and focused his hearing to listen out for any nearby running water. There are a lot of nearby streams around the area luckily and especially after last night’s heavy rain storm. The sounds of a slow and decent trickle of water ran nearly two dozen yards away, hidden behind some ferns. He walked over to the flowing stream. Firstly he washed the blood off of Tool and then he washed the dirt and blood off of himself as well. The last thing he needed is for his mom or Kara to freak out by seeing blood.
Now clean, Connor stood and looked for raw materials to clean Sarah’s wounds. A small piece of bark lay near the trunk of a tree that seemed capable of holding a little water, shaped like a natural shallow bowl. He picked it up and filled it with the clean and clear running water. Connor could only hope the water didn’t hold any parasites. Now a good antiseptic needed to be found just incase.
Searching for the right plant or herb can be quite daunting and dangerous if one doesn’t know where or what specifically to look out for. The worst thing to do in the outdoors is use or eat anything that you don’t know about. Being raised in the outdoors, Connor learned quite a bit about medicinal herbs from his grandfather’s survival lessons. Many times he had to treat his own wounds from careless mistakes. In about five minutes he found the exact plant he was looking for and would serve the desired purpose.
The shrub like herb barely reached up to his hips. It is a long stemmed plant that has tear shaped leaves and they have a glossy green color. Connor snapped off a few healthy leaves and stuffed them into his pocket, careful not to break them just yet. “Let’s see if Sarah knows what this is.” He said to wryly to himself and snickered. “She probably will, being three hundred years old and all. I’ll still see if she knows.”
He picked up the container of water and headed back to where he left Sarah.
***
While Sarah continued sitting in the damp grass she examined her hands. “Well the cuts really aren’t too bad… At least the bleeding stopped. I just hope it doesn’t get infected.” Her nose wrinkled.
It took nearly an hour before Connor finally returned carrying a small piece of wood filled with water. “I’m back, Princess. How are you feeling?” His voice of heartfelt concern and relief was evident and made her suddenly feel better.
With a shy smile Sarah replied “It’s not every day that you are protected and saved from a hungry and wild animal. I should thank the big cat.”
Connor’s laughter sent her heart beating wildly yet again. “It’s not every day I get to rescue any beautiful maidens.”
Sarah face flared with heat and she knew immediately that he made her blush yet again. Trying to change the subject she asked “What did you do with the uh…cat?”
“Gave him a proper burial, as best as I could manage under the circumstances.” Connor said remorsefully while his unique hazel eyes spoke of compassion. It was a rare glimpse of a person’s true character and one she looked for constantly.
“Interesting, he doesn’t want or like to kill, but he will not hesitate when there is need. That’s how every man should be.” “Good.” Sarah said, breaking the silence that lingered between them. She then noticed that he held a cup of water in his hand. “Connor, I am a little thirsty. May I have some of that water?”
“I’m sorry Princess, but this water is for me to clean your wounds, not to be drunk.” He said while walking towards her. He stopped in front of her and shoved his hands into his black jeans pocket. He pulled out some green leaves which Sarah recognized instantly.
“Sage!” She announced, sounding astonished. Connor smiled a smile like she passed his test. To further prove her knowledge she explained. “This will help keep my hands from getting infected. Good job, Co
nnor. I didn’t think of using that. I didn’t even know if any grew around this area.” He still smiled calmly when he slowly sat down right in front of her. “I can’t believe how talented Connor is at finding a medicinal herb so quickly… let alone how attracted to him I am… no stop that, he’s just a child… well not exactly. He’s already proven himself a capable man already. Few grown men could do what he did.”
Breaking her chain of thought he grabbed her hands gently and turned Sarah’s palms up. Sharp eyes scanned the scrapes with obvious training in medicine. “This will not be pleasant Sarah, but I have to clean and open up these wounds again.” He said remorsefully and his tense expression matched. But what she noticed the most were just how large his hands were. They were the hands of a person used to physical labor.
Pouring a little of the cool water over Sarah’s palms felt very pleasant until she felt his calloused thumbs. Sarah could tell he was going as quickly as possible so as to not prolong her pain while not being overly forceful either. She kept her eyes shut tight to keep from wincing and locked her jaw. She made a slight, pained whimper which made him work more quickly. After a minute, the torture ended and he finished cleaning out the wound. He poured the last of the water over both of her hands to show the blood flowed free and all dirt had been dug out. “Well that wasn’t too bad.” Sarah said, forcing a smile.
Connor didn’t smile, but said instead “As old as you are, you know that was the easiest part. This Sage stings just as much, if not more.” He placed the Sage leaves into the piece of wood that held the water. He pulled Tool out and she noticed that it too had been cleaned. Using the hammer side to crunch and grind the leaves into a paste, the little bit of water residue helped congeal the Sage into the right texture that it needed to be. It makes it more effective and easier to apply. At the exact time she knew it to be ready Connor said “It’s finished. May I take your hand?”
Sarah took his question the wrong way. Her face burned even hotter and brighter than ever before and all she barley could get out was “We have only known each other for a day, Connor!”
He stared at Sarah with a questioning look until he caught onto her train of thought. He let out a strong masculine laugh that gave her stomach butterflies. Sarah’s body was getting out of control from being so near him. When he was able to speak again he said “Sarah, I don’t know about that yet. We really have only known each other for a full day. I definitely have feelings for you, but this is all new for me. I have never felt this way about anyone like this before. It’s all so confusing.”
“I’m ancient and for the first time in my long life, I too haven’t felt this way about anyone before now either. I am just as, if not more confused than you are.” Sarah said in all complete honesty.
“Well let’s just see how things go from here on in.” He said, being honest himself too. He took his index and middle finger and dipped it into the Sage paste. He applied it gently to the wounds on both of her hands.
When the stinging finally ebbed from her own endorphins, Sarah asked him very seriously. “What do we tell people about…us?”
Connor answered with a bone melting smile “We can say that I found you in the woods and brought you back safely. For your scraped hands you may say ‘I tripped on a tree root and scrapped them trying to brace myself from a fall.’ As for us, we tell others that we became good friend. In private we can do whatever we want.” He then added with a grin and a twinkle in his eye, “I won’t tell anyone about your age if you don’t tell anyone that I took on a full grown Cougar and killed it.”
“Will you quit calling me that? Cougar, there must be a better name…” and Sarah gave a wicked smile of her own.
Connor stood up, towering over here and held his hand out and she took it. He helped her stand and get her bearings. They started walking again and Sarah did something completely out of her usual comfort zone.
He currently walked on her left side and led her from about a half stride ahead. “This is reckless, but I really want to do this for some reason.” Sarah bit her bottom lip, stepped closer and encircled her left arm through his right. She felt his well defined muscles under the long black sleeves and became more astounded by their sculpted complexity and flawless structure. He was even more built than she could have ever imagined in a human these days. Connor didn’t flinch or shy away from the impulsive act. The only change came from his stride and it just slowed down to match hers. He looked down at her as Sarah looked up into those gorgeous hazel eyes and asked “Is this alright?”
“I’m not complaining am I?” And she figured out what his smile meant. It was a smile for her alone. “My smile?” Her butterflies took off flying again.
“So where did you come from? Not originally. I mean before you came to live out here.” Sarah thought he just wanted a conversation to get his mind off certain things. Probably the fact that she intentionally pressed her small, perky breasts against his arm forced the subject change.
“I moved here from Washington, just about two hours outside of Seattle. It looks almost like it does out here. It was a pretty place with a thick forest teeming with wildlife and it was peaceful. I have always loved and respected nature.”
“As do I. Everything returns to nature eventually. You cannot take from nature without her getting something in return. Anything we take also gets taken from us, to a degree.” He turned his eyes on her seriously. “One way or another!” He stared straight again. “That’s why we must work with nature, not against.” Staring straight ahead they continued walking.
“You think the same way I do.” And that was the truth.
***
When Connor knew that the clearing to her house laid just up ahead, he stopped walking and looked down into those captivating green eyes. “Were back, Sarah.” She still had her arm wrapped around his and after a minute of contemplating she let go, but her eyes never left his. For a brief moment they were in a private world. Eventually they broke eye contact and hungered to reconnect. They walked silently through the brush and into the bright clearing till he stopped suddenly.
“Dang! I forgot!” He said a little too loudly and she jumped.
“What’s wrong, Connor?” She asked with genuine concern.
“I was supposed to go camping with my grandfather this weekend. That’s his truck.” In the driveway of his house were three vehicles, a silver Honda that belongs to Jenny, a brown jeep which is Mark’s and a red pick-up truck which belongs to his grandfather. Connor turned to look at his beautiful companion. “Sarah, Kara and the others will be worried about you. I know my sister has told everyone what she saw by now. She isn’t the patient kind of person. When you’re done with your father, will you come over to my house and show them that you’re ok? It will ease their concerns.” He looked up into the trees to think. Once a decision became clear he said “Better yet, how about I stay here and wait for you.”
“I think that would be for the best. I have to give you something in return for saving me and bringing me back home safely.” She started blushing again for some reason. Whatever she thought had allowed him to enjoy her expression. He liked knowing that he was capable of doing that.
“I do not need anything, but I will be right here. I’ll see you soon.” Connor sighed as she turned to leave. Her beautifully long hair billowed out in the breeze. The breeze engulfed him in her scent and his body reacted in a way that didn’t want her to leave his side ever again. And the way she moved as she walked will forever be firmly fixed into his mind.
The sway of her curvaceous hips became almost hypnotic and intoxicating because it was beyond impossible to look away from such perfection.
Friends and Family
As Sarah briskly walked away from Connor and through the high grass she had a sudden thought. “Maybe Mother might know why I am having these weird sensations when I am with or even think of Connor…and why I was unable to read his mind.” She turned around and asked him a quick question because he still stood within hearing ran
ge. It took a moment to spot him because he blended so well with the trees that it frightened her. “I have to make a phone call, I’ll need about fifteen to twenty minutes of personal time. Is that alright?”
He nodded saying “I’ll be waiting right here, Princess.” And those simple words sent her heart into another marathon. “Endearments annoy me to the point I’m uncomfortable, but when he says them… I really hope that I don’t get a heart attack. I’ll never tell him that it would be worth it just to stay by his side and hear more.” She smiled while turning back to her house.
The outside walls of the Branderson’s log cabin desperately needed to be repainted, grass needed to be cut and the weeds pulled out of the flowerbed. The grass had grown wildly from years of neglect, but at least it remained green and healthy instead of a dead looking brown. She saw the darkness of her northern bedroom window and realized the curtains were still open. “If Connor could see so well in the dark and track me down he’d surely be able to see into my room.” That thought made her flush in embarrassment and the tips of her ears burned.
As she walked across the field she realized that her feet were caked in nearly a pound of mud. Sarah went over to the water hose by the backside of the cabin and rinsed off her dirty feet. Upon entering the back door of her home, she noticed that her father stayed fast asleep on the sofa. Lucky for her he’s a heavy sleeper and it takes a lot to wake him up, especially after drinking so much. She heard him talking in his sleep as she walked right by. “Jillian… come home… miss you so much.” And he shifted his seating arrangement to lie on his side, not even noticing or acknowledging her presence.
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