9 Florence dilemma

Florence sat looking at the young woman's back, and could not understand how it could happen to someone who was so young. She must have been through a lot for a long time, with all those wounds. The scars on Luna's back especially shocked her. It looked like something that had happened several months ago, but the other wounds were new and relatively fresh. Florence could only guess at what had happened and who had done it.

Luna started shaking and Florence could see that something was wrong. "I'm done now. We just have to hope I got it treated in time for it to heal properly" Florence looked with a smile at Luna who was about to take the dress down again. "Do you not have any extra clothes? That can not be comfortable to wear" asked Florence as she looked up and down at Luna. "No," Luna said briefly, then went to take a blanket, which she wrapped around herself.

Florence went to rummage around in the fire for a while, and put some more firewood on. She then looked in a small shoulder bag she always had with her, and could see that she was running out of herbs.

She looked over at Luna, and considered whether she should go out to find new supplies, but she did not want to leave Luna alone. She looked like someone who did not want to be by herself, but Florence had to go out into the woods.

"Do you mind if I take a little walk out into the woods to find more herbs and food?" Luna looked up at her with an exhausted facial expression and one could see that she was really thinking.

"It is just fine with me," Luna said as she smiled at Florence. "Can you take care of the fire while I am gone so it does not go out?" asked Florence as she took her bag over her shoulder. She looked over at Luna who nodded, and sat down over to the fire.

It did not take long before Florence found the yarrow, it was a very normal plant around here. It would be hard to find honey, but Florence was used to moving around in forests, so she thought she would succeed at some point before it got dark.

As she searched, she thought of Luna

A young woman like her should not have that kind of injury. It looked like she had been with someone who had abused her for a long time.

Luna reminded her of herself when she was that age. Florence shook her head a little at the thought of her past.

In the corner of her eye she saw something, and her reflexes acted on their own. She bent down, took her hands down to her leg, where she had a small knife sitting in a holster. She aimed and threw it. It hit the rabbit right between the ears, and it dropped dead.

She went over to the animal, and began to skin it. It was better to do it in the woods than at the cave. The smell of blood would attract predators, and it was better they came here than at the safe cave. As she stood there she began to think.

Should she tell Luna about her past? If she did this, it could change Luna's view of her, and not for the better. But what if she could help Luna, take her under her wings and make her an apprentice? To do so, she would have to tell her everything.

Florence finished preparing the rabbit, and could now begin to look for a beehive. She began to walk while discussing with herself.

Suddenly she could see something up in one of the trees. She could not hear any buzz, so it was a good one of a kind. She would not have to destroy a bee colony. Still, she lit a small bonfire to get the last bees out so they would not get hurt.

It took a while, but eventually she had honey in her jar. She had now found everything and began to go back to the cave.

…

Luna sat in the cave thinking about her scars, and could not make any sense of it. How could the big wounds be healed while the small ones were not. She rummaged a bit in the fire with a stick and put some more firewood on.

It had been some time since Florence had left, and Luna was getting a little worried. She also became worried even though she had only known her for a few hours. Florence had something about her that made you want to lean on her, she made you feel safe.

Florence came in but said nothing. She went and sat by the fire, and sat there some time before she said anything.

"I want to tell you something now, but do not say anything until I'm done."