A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Beam kept his head down as he made his way to Nila's house. Just before it came into view, he quickly cleaned his leg of blood. There wasn't much of it, given the scab that was covering the wound, but there was enough to make him look like he was in a bad way. With that gone, he supposed he could at least feign some degree of health.

With his sled outside of her house, Beam knocked on her door.

He turned his back to walk a few steps away after knocking, but before he could make it back to his cart, the door had already opened and he heard a surprised shout from behind him. "My! Beam? What are you doing on your feet so early?"

Beam turned to see Nila's mother, with her young son David clutching her leg and her daughter peering out from behind him.

"Ah, came to deliver the wood," Beam said awkwardly.

"In your condition? We could have waited, you know! You should have let us wait! That was a foolish thing you've done," Nila's mother said. Her shouting soon drew her other daughter to the door and Nila's red hair peaked out from behind her.

"What's that idiot doing..?" Beam heard her say as she squeezed past her little brother and sister and walked out the door. "You've taken the stitches out already? It's only been a week – there's no way it'll have sealed up yet."

Beam's mother was in agreement, having more experience tending to the wounded than her. "Quite right – with a wound like that, you should have at least waited two weeks before you took them out. And you definitely shouldn't have been on your feet like this."

Under the shower of angry concern, Beam just scratched his head awkwardly, knowing that their words came from a good place, but not knowing quite how to deal with them. "Well… I needed to get moving, you know? Besides, it isn't too bad. It's slowly getting back to normal."

"No chance," Nila said, squatting down in front of him to look at it. "…Though it does look like it's healed up quite well. What do you think, mother?"

Her mother joined her in inspecting the wound and she too gave her approval. "…It's definitely healed up quicker than it should… But still! You're in absolutely no condition to be walking yet. Even with the stitches out you should be waiting another couple of weeks before putting any weight on it."

"I can't," Beam said with a faltering smile.

Seeing that look of weakness on his face made it harder for them to push him any further. "…Still, this wood, it'll help us so much this winter. Thank you, Beam," Nila's mother said, rubbing his head, before pulling him into a hug.

"I'm going to get you another three-quarter full sled tomorrow," Beam told her once she'd released him. "Will that be enough to get you comfortably through winter?"

"More than comfortably," she said. "We'll be able to make sure our home stays warm all the way through – thank you again. With you and my gorgeous little Nila, this winter should be very manageable." She rubbed Nila's head then too, as though she was afraid of leaving her out.

Nila frowned, but let her hair be messed up anyway. She spoke to Beam. "Again tomorrow..? If you're going to be pushing yourself like an idiot anyway, I should probably come with you, to keep an eye on you."

"To make me carry your kills again?"

"No!" Idiot! Even I'm not that insensitive," Nila said in irritation. "I'll just hunt what I can carry myself this time, and then if you need help, I'll be there to help you."

"You don't need to, you know," Beam said. "I might be injured, but it's not like I'm paralyzed. I can manage."

"We both saw the state of your leg – you're not fooling us. I don't know how in the name of the Gods you're standing on it, but I can bet it's not easy. Otherwise you'd have brought a full sled, right?" Nila pointed out with a smile, as though seeing through him. "You're the type of person who hates taking a single backward step."

Beam frowned at that. "You don't know me that well."

Nila winced at the rebuke, looking hurt, but she soon fixed her face. It was true, after all. They'd only really known each other for all of two days before the Hobgoblin attacked. It wasn't really enough to close the distance between them.

"You're stupid – I don't have to know you to see what you're like," Nila replied haughtily. "Anyway, I'm going to unload this wood, so you can complain all you want about me coming tomorrow but I'll be there anyway. Should I meet you in the forest? Since there's no reason for you to come all the way here just to pick me up."

Beam nodded hesitantly, not comfortable with the consideration that she was showing him. "Sure… I guess. I'll meet you at the second stream, where it meets the main hunter's trail."

"That'll do for me," Nila said, hefting an armful of wood. David copied her, taking what he could from the sled and carrying it into the house.

They left Beam with Nila's mother looking at him with sad eyes, making him uncomfortable. "You really pushed yourself bringing this sled today, didn't you?"

"I needed to get moving," Beam said evenly.

She cast her eyes down to the floor. "I don't know your circumstances… But please take care of yourself. I know neither Nila or I know you very well – but we appreciate what you've done for us. It would hurt us to see you hurt."

Beam blinked a few times, unsure of how to respond. In the end, he settled on a simple and hesitant "thank you."

The lady nodded with a sunny smile, full of warmth and tenderness, and then she brushed past Beam to help unloading the sled. "Nila told me of the coins you gave her – for those too, thank you."