3 Chapter Three

Tranquility filled the area as the two men vanished from sight through the foliage, no one said a word, or meow in Hem's case. They clambered down in silence, Hailey leaping of the branch and into Gianluca's arms.

"Who were they?" Gianluca asked Hailey, his chrysocollan eyes narrowed beneath his hood.

"I don't know, this young girl doesn't understand what is happening," Hailey said, "How is this young girl supposed to answer this kind man when she, herself, doesn't understand what's happening?"

Gianluca didn't reply, he just seized her petite hand in his and began to walk in the opposite direction that the man had gone. Hailey was bewildered, she didn't understand why Gianluca was so upset, it wasn't her fault. Or was it? Hailey couldn't tell, in either case she reprimanded herself harshly in her mind.

Gianluca, on the other hand, felt guilty, he didn't understand why he had snapped at her. Was it because he could get into grave danger while looking after her and helping the young child through her travels? He didn't know. He briefly glanced back to the hushed child to see her digging her free hand into her opposite arm. With hurried movements, he gripped her hand and wrenched it away from her arm. Unclasping his bag, he pulled out bandages and promptly wrapped her bleeding arm.

As he glimpsed up, sugilite eyes stared dejectedly into chrysocollan ones. They proceeded to stare at each other for a while but it was interrupted by the slate furred feline, her body brushing between them as she oscillated her tail daintily.

"This kind man will protect you."

Despondent eyes changed into false cheerfulness. Gianluca swivelled around, kneeling on the ground, his arms stretched behind him. Hailey stood there, her mind bewildered on what Gianluca was doing, why was he crouching like that? Does he have an itch on his back that he can't scratch?

"There's a tree besides you," she said, "You can rub your back against it."

"What?" Gianluca looked over his shoulder, his mask that covered his nose and mouth slipped slightly, revealing small freckles dotted over his nose, "I don't have an itch to scratch for I am offering you a ride on my back. Does this young child not know what I'm doing?"

"I've never heard of this before," Hailey said, "What exactly am I supposed to do?"

He gestured her forwards and said, "Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"I think so." She replied, thinking for a moment.

"Good, just sit on my back like you would a horse then wrap your arms around this kind man's shoulders."

Hailey did as she was told and clambered on. It felt weird to her, as if she had known what it was, but why was she struggling to remember anything? With her arms wrapped around his neck, not srong enough to strangle him, Gianluca stood up steadily, his head looking over his shoulder. An amused smile graced his covered lips as Hailey's eyes gleamed with real happiness.