Upon hearing this, Ariana froze.
Holden quickly explained, âI couldnât get in there, so I had to move you here.
I switched his tag, telling him to go easy on you, but he didnât⦠I messed up.
â
He softly brushed Arianaâs forehead and inquired, âDoes it still hurt?â
Ariana felt resigned, shaking her head.
âItâs nothing.
He probably just got frustrated because he couldnât take me down right away.
â She then hesitated before saying, âBut itâs still dangerous here.
What should we do next?â
Holden replied, âJust hang in there for a bit longer.
Bennett is hosting a banquet for Conata officials here in three days.
Iâll get you out then.
â
After a pause, he added, âDonât worry.
Iâll be keeping an eye on you these next few days.
â
Ariana finally released her pent-up pressure and began to cry.
Holden ki*sed her and said, â
Iâm sorry.
He should have targeted me.
â
Ariana, still crying, shook her head and ki*sed Holden.
He embraced her tightly, responding to her ki*s.
Holden hated the thought of letting her stay here any longer but knew it wasnât the right time to take her away now.
He didnât want to risk Ariana getting hurt again.
After sharing a quick update, Holden crouched down and pulled a small tube of ointment from his bag.
He applied the ointment to Arianaâs wound.
She winced at the chilly touch, and Holden, blowing gently to warm the area, asked, âDoes it hurt?â
âItâs just cold,â Ariana replied, showing no sign of pain.
After all she had been through, she was used to discomfort.
Medication was in short supply here and, if one wasnât on the verge of dying, one was usually left to fend for oneself.
Despite Arianaâs assurance, Holden was extra careful.
âThis stuff is effective, and thereâs no smell, so it wonât attract any unwanted attention.
Youâll be fine,â he said.
When he finished applying the ointment, Holden set about prepping a spot for Ariana to sleep.
Despite the dirt everywhere, he didnât seem bothered as he used a clean rag to clear the mess.
Ariana felt awkward because part of the mess was her own vomit.
She reached out for the rag, saying, âI got it; let me help.
â
âDonât worry about it.
Just relax.
Have something to eat, and Iâll handle this,â Holden replied, gently guiding her to sit down.
âOkay,â Ariana said.
Despite Holdenâs reassurance, Ariana didnât rest; she just squatted next to him, watching him tidy up.
âI thought youâd like this little puppy,â Holden remarked as he picked up the puppyâs bowl and poured in some goatâs milk.
Hearing him say that, Ariana felt a pang of sadness.
Holden brought her a bowl of noodles with some bits of meat, a real treat she hadnât tasted in days.
As she ate, tears started to roll down her cheeks.