After we have lunch and a small nap, we descend the hill, and we take the direction of the river. I haven't swum in months, with Aria and I barely leaving the house and I am hoping the water isn't as cold as last time.

I am a bit nervous about her going back to the water. I know she has told me she is a competent swimmer, but I also can't help it. What if all the trauma when she almost died comes back?

"Igor, I told you I can handle the water. Stop your thinking so hard." She says directly to my ear.

"There's no rule that says I can't worry about you, Aria." I answer her as we come to view of the river that just looks bigger and blacker today.

Something doesn't feel right or that's all in my head. We stop at the rocks in front of it. Aria jumps off my back with an enthusiasm I want to groan at. I wish I had a valid reason for her to not get in the water.

She starts taking off her clothes.

"Hold it there. I need to check the water first." I remind her.

"Well, hurry, the water is calling me."

I groan as I take my shirt off then my pants and shoes. I dip a toe and I am disappointed it doesn't feel cold as I'd like. I jump in and the water is good. I move my hands, contemplating whether to lie to her. But I see her taking the rest of her clothes off.

"I didn't say it wasn't cold."

"You don't have to. Your skin would be pale if it was." She jumps in the water next and the water splashes on my face. I get under to see if she is going to swim fine, but she emerges. I swim closer to her. And she starts swimming away from me.

"Aria, what are you doing?"

"You are being a mother hen!" she is giggling and swimming away from me. I catch up with her and I hold her body to mine. She has a wide grin on her face and turns and holds my face in her hands.

"Why are you so stubborn?" I exhale before I smile a little because I can't help it. I now know I will spend the rest of our lives chasing this human of mine, she excites me every day.

"Because it riles you up and turns you on when I do?" she wraps her arms around my waist. And she isn't wrong. I should be shrinking under water, but I am getting hard instead.

"You don't want your body to have any rest, do you?"

"No." she says with confidence. "Life is too short to wait for tomorrow. I..." she kisses me, "Want..." another kiss, "you..." another, "all..." another, "the..." kiss, "time. I feel like I have wasted my whole life doing useless things and now that I found us, I just want to be as happy as I can."

"You are perfect for me."

"Again, orc, I know."

I chuckle. "Hm, what else do you know?" I lower my voice.

"I know that you are hard right now. I know you already want to taste me. I know you are devoted to me." she kisses me. We kiss in the water, and we float in our bubble.

She wiggles from me after and swims away. We play and I chase her in the water. After a while I think we should get out. The sun is going down.

"Aria, let's go home." I say as she swims around, diving under.

"Just a few more minutes, orc." She splashes water and swims away. I remain where I am, watching her have the time of her life.

She dips under water, and I see her feet. She is down for one more second than before. She comes up and she screams. "Ah!" before she is under again.

Instant panic sets in and I swim. I get under water to see what's under there. It's too dark to see much underwater but I can see her struggling. I swim faster. It looks like something may have her.

My heart squeezes terribly inside me as my blood boils and rage takes over. I must get to my woman. Her head is out the water when I get to her, and I lift her out of the water.

It's a poisonous fish snake. It's still latched to her. These parasites. Aria is crying.

"Igor, it hurts." She sobs

"It's gonna be alright, dove." I pull the animals fangs from her leg, and I tear the thing in half before I swim us out of the water. By the time we are out of the water the spot she was bitten is dark red. I need to make sure the poison doesn't travel up.

"Igor, what was that?"

"It's a fish snake, dove. Relax, okay. I am going to help you."

"It hurts."

My heart breaks for her. I take my shirt and I tear it and I tie above the area, so the poisoned blood doesn't travel up. "I'm going to tie you here so the poison doesn't go up to your heart, okay?" I tell her.

She nods and screams when I tie her. She is in pain. My mind runs fast. I take her leg and I suck the area she was bitten. Hoping to get some of the poison out. But I need herbs.

I lock away thoughts of panic. I need to focus. Focus on getting her better.

I take our clothes then pick her up. It is almost dark outside. I run to our house. Wolfie is gone. I could have really used her help.

I still have some of the herbs but if I need something else, I'd have to run out and leave her here. I place her gently on the bed. Her eyes are droopy.

"Don't close your eyes, Aria. Stay awake for me, okay?" I hold her face. She nods as she pants.

I rush out and I get the herbs. My heart is running like a wild horse in my chest, I can hear it in my own ears. Luckily, we had placed water for later in low fire and there is warm water.

I take the herbs and mortar and a basin and head into the room. She is starting to sweat, and she keeps blinking even though I see she is struggling.

"Just keep your eyes open for me, beautiful dove, okay? I'm making medicine for you."

Her eyes are on what I'm doing. I feel like such a failure. I couldn't protect her from getting harmed. What use am I?

I mix the water and herbs and I strain the one she will drink, and I pour the rest in a basin to clean the wound. She is now writhing in pain, and I wish I could take it for her. Seeing her so hurt is shrouding me with despair. I can't lose her.

When I near her, I help her drink the medicine. Most doesn't stay in her mouth, but some manages to get in. I help her drink a fair amount and she calms down a bit. But the wound is swelling. I clean it and then I take a rag and I place some of the herbs in it and I cover the wound with it.

"I'm cold." she manages with a tiny voice, even though she is sweating.

I take the blanket and I cover her.

"Igor, help me. Help me."

Her cries for help break my very soul. I get in bed next to her, and I hold her. Hoping she gets some of my warmth. But she is burning up.

My mind runs. What more can I do? She's a human, maybe the other humans will know what to do and they have appropriate medicine. Maybe Hanser can help.

I get up and I wrap her in a small blanket, and I take some of the herbs and I run. It usually takes me 2 hours to walk to the farm, but I run. I run through the vineyard, and I come up to the fruit trees before I pass his vegetable garden.

Their dogs bark when they see me like they always do and Hanser opens the door. It's like he can sense something is wrong. His wife is behind him.

"I need help." I pant

"What's going on, Igor? Who is that?"

They both come closer.

"Igor, where did you get th—" they both halt when they see Aria. They must know her.

They tremble. "Igor, where did you get her?" Hanser asks, horrified.

"We can't do this." His wife says. She grabs her husband's arms. "You need to leave!" she shouts at me.

"She needs help!" I shout. I don't care about being discreet anymore. My woman needs help, and I don't care who sees me as long as I get help.

"Igor, you do know who that is?" Hanser says, eye still bugged out.

"She needs help, Hanser. You will help her."

"No, we won't, Igor. I think my husband has helped you enough over the years."

"Fay, hush." Hanser grits his teeth to his wife. "Igor, I have a family. She...she is the disgraced queen, and everyone thinks she died. We can't help."

"Hanser, you owe me. If you do this for me, I will consider your debt paid." I remind him.

His eyes dart around. "Fay, get back inside and get my jacket."

"Hanser, you aren't going to help him. The king will have our heads if this gets out."

Hanser turns to her. "Get it now. She's dying. We have to help."

She doesn't move. "Now!"

She rushes inside and comes back with his jacket.

"Go back inside. Lock everything and make sure our children are asleep. I'll just show him to the doctor, I'll be back soon."

She turns and I run as Hanser directs me. It's in the dead of night so no one was outside. In half an hour we get to the house of the doctor. And Hanser knocks. The woman opens.

"She was bitten by a fish snake, she needs help." I say before they even say anything, and I advance and rush past them. I ignore the utter fear and horror in her face seeing me. I place Aria on the table. The doctor rushes to us after Hanser pushes her in and closes the door. She halts when she sees her face.

"No. It can't be."

"Help her!" I roar. She jumps in fear.

Then she looks to Hanser in accusation. "You brought them here? You wish me dead?"

"Listen, I will relieve you of your limbs right now if you don't help her." I say. Her flinch tells me she understands the gravity of the situation. I have no patience. Aria's eyes are closed, and her pulse is getting faint. Panic is all I have as I remember that first day I met her.

The doctor drops and I uncover her body. The leg has swelled a little more.

"Did you make this for her?" the doctor asks as she removes the rag on her.

I nod.

"You did well. Go to my kitchen and take the jar with green liquid and under the table there is a basin with dry leaves get it for me." she says to me. "Get me water and a rag in the kitchen." She says to Hanser.

We both rush to get the things we need. The doctor gets to work.

"Okay, I need space to work." She says to me. I realize I'm hovering. But I don't trust any of these humans. I don't trust anyone with her.

I feel so powerless because at this moment I have no choice but to trust this stranger to help her. I lean on the wall. Hanser joins me. he is sweating.

"Thank you for bringing us here. You have no more obligation to me. You should go back to your family."

"Igor, can I talk to you in private?" he glances nervously at the doctor who is engrossed in helping Aria, but I know humans with their curious ears. I nod and I gesture to a room.

I can only imagine what he wants to ask, and I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it. Especially because of the imminent danger she could be in.

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