Two weeks after her encounter with the lycanthrope, Isabella was cleaning her home and thinking that the place turned all right. " To think all this was only an old tree before ". Most people have this weird feeling when they first step into her home. This feeling that her house is alive as if the wood was still a tree and not just planks. They weren't completely wrong. 4 years ago when Isabella first wandered into this forest, she found this incredibly sturdy but old tree. She decided this place was where she wanted to live. The soil was rich to make any type of herb sprout, the river wasn't that far, it was far enough from the village, it was the perfect location. She traced runes around that would be her future territory and also put one on the tree that would be her house. As all the runes were in place she closed her eyes and started focusing her energy and pictured an image. The image was clear, the tree expanding and distorting itself to the shape she wanted it to be. The foundations of the house were the roots deep in the ground, the sides of the house were covered in vines and thorns. "Might as well be fancy ." she thought as she pictured a porch with wood pillars. Once she opened her eyes, there it was, the house of her dreams. She decided to enter it, it had a lot of space. She could put a fireplace right at the center that would be the cooking station and the main source of light. Directly to her left was a crooked stairwell that led to what would become her bathroom and bedroom. Downstairs would be where cooking, relaxation and herborist preparations would occur. The following years she acquired furniture from some of her visits in town or made them herself by wood manipulation. Now that the home was cleaned up, she could focus on preparing future potions but there was a slight problem, she was missing a specific type of liquor, she had one of her mental sigh " Uhhh i have to go to town, why now? If only I had someone that could just bring me what I need ". And then, as if fate itself heard her, someone knocked on the door. She wasn't waiting for anyone. It was odd, no one ever visited without announcing themselves. But if they were ill intended they wouldn't have been able to go this far without her noticing it. But once again she was feeling uneasiness " Why didn't I sense them before they knocked? ". Her guts was telling her it was alright, so she decided to open the door. And behind the door was standing someone she wasn't thinking about seeing so soon again : Richard.

  " Hey Isabella, told you we would see each other soon! " he said with his usual smile, his damn smile.

  Now that he was just in front of her she realised he was actually quite tall, around a hundred and ninety centimeters. He had an old scar under his right eye, probably a sharp object that missed him, it didn't look like a claw scar. His hair was arranged better this time, he had his long cape with a hood like before, he was wearing a full armor of cured leather, sturdy but light. Many knives at his belt, a few pouches and one huge knife strangely curved, one like she had never seen before. She looked around to make sure he was alone while remaining inside her home.

  " How did you find where i live? " she asked as she managed to break out of her observation state.

  " I'm a hunter in case you didn't notice, tracking prey is what I do."

  " So i'm a prey ? " She asked as she took a step back .

  " No no no! That's not what i meant! I meant you are easy to follow, you have a particular smell! "

  " You don't talk to many women do you? " she said as she found his clumsiness a bit charming

  " I'd like you to know I'm quite popular! "

  " Sure you are, come on in "

  She closed the door behind him. In her presence he looked like a giant, the fire was being reflected from all the pieces of metal he had on him. Richard was looking around, slowly walking into this place that looked like nothing he had expected to look like.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  " And THIS is your house? " He said, impressed.

  " Yes, what do you want? "

  She wanted to cut to the chase. Noticing that, Richard decided to tell her right away.

  " Well I was hunting a few boars and one charged me and one of its tusks kinda pierced my left shoulder, can you look it up and stitch me up? "

  " I'm an herborist, not a nurse, get out " She said coldly as she opened the door.

  Richard obviously looked disappointed.

  " Oh come on, it's probably nothing, the faster you look the faster I'm gone. "

  He was still smiling, for some reason she felt like she couldn't say no. He was pushy and familiar but somehow not making her totally uneasy. She finally closed the door and huffed in annoyance.

  " Ok show me this shoulder."

  His smile grew bigger and for some reason she smiled too without meaning to. Richard sat down on a chair and started undoing the straps that were maintaining his armor up. Isabella was getting all she needed for stitching if there was any need for it. Once she had collected everything and turned to face Richard. To her surprise he had moved and his face was an inch away from hers. Not only had he moved in complete silence but he had also stripped his torso from any clothing. His bare chest was barely moving when he was breathing. He had a few scars on his body but overall he looked quite normal, an athletic man forged by the discipline of the hunt and life in the wild. " Why can't I ever hear him move around ? " she thought as she tried calming her heartbeat. He was looking around like a kid in a candy store.

  " What is all this ? " he said as he started touching some of the ointments she had aligned.

  What she hated most is people touching things without being invited to do so. She ignored his question and just pointed the chair to him without saying a word. He looked at her still smiling and sat down. She was facing him and started looking at the wound on his shoulder, it was indeed in need of stitches.

  " I'm going to put some alcohol on it first to disinfect it and only then will I close it. "

  He simply nodded and remained silent." He is way more quiet now that he sees I'm serious about this.'' she thought. The alcohol was ready, her green eyes were locked on his grey eyes and vice versa.

  " it's gonna sting, are you ready ?"

  He smiled again.

  " I won't even flinch." he said proudly.

  '' And what if you flinch ? '' she said, raising her chin as if she was giving him a challenge.

  ''Then I will do whatever you want.'' he said as serious as he could.

  " Ok I'll take tha.. "

  " BUT if I don't flinch, YOU do something I want."

  She didn't like where this was heading but she was pretty sure he would flinch and she was feeling like humoring him a bit so she agreed. But as she put her hand on his chest he winced in pain, she simply smirked at him while raising an eyebrow. He tried defending himself.

  " Your hands are cold and you surprised me! "

  " Hmm hmm "

  Before pouring the alcohol she focused on the sensation of her hand on his chest, he had barely any chest hair, his movements were regulars, powerful yet calm.

  " Your chest is hot.''

  Seeing him smile even more she rectified herself.

  " I mean it is high in temperature, you might have a fever or something. "

  " I don't think I'm the one whose forehead is one fire right now. Can't you just admit that you have cold hands? "

  " No! now stop talking ".

  She poured the liquid on his wound and she was waiting for a movement, he was perfectly still. Having accepted her fate already she remained silent as she closed the wound with her needle and a thread.

  " There, all fixed! " she said, proud of her work.

  Richard stood up and moved his shoulder around.

  " I'll be a bit sore for a few days but at least I can still use it, thanks Isabella ".

  He sounded so relieved that he could pronounce those words.

  " You can get dressed and tell me what you want from me now " she asked as she was preparing for the worst.

  He slowly walked towards her, his warm smile still on his face, she wasn't afraid, he got closer and closer and he whispered to her.

  " I'll ask for my favor when I need it, thank you for today, do I owe you any money ?"

  '' No, just get dressed and leave. " she said now looking down on the ground.

  Why was her heart shaking? She has had men close to her, she already had men walk up to her this way only for them to be kicked in their privates. As she looked up, just before he had put his tunic she noticed something on his lower back, it was a tattoo, a raven holding a cross and a snake. She had heard of this before. This was quite a well known mark among the men in the Fardug army, a special division of witch hunters.