The Best Shelter When There's a Storm

The forest is now dark. Even though the golds are shining they aren't as bright as when the sun was shining on them. Cold and harsh winds are pushing Athanasia. She couldn't help but tremble from the cold. Her golden robe is not very much of a help in this harsh weather.

It took her at least half a day to reach the tree that has the golden drops. Because of the weather, the animals that usually help her go down the mountain are now hiding. She had to rely on her threads to help her go down and not fall.

She immediately harvested the golden drops. Thankfully, all of them are already in the bottles that she set up. As she was getting the bottle, sounds of thunder echoed in the forest followed by a tremendous amount of rain that fell almost instantly after the thunder was heard.

The camp that she set up is blown by the harsh wind. She panicked and run to the hole where the chained man is.

They had a bad encounter and Athanasia wasn't planning on going to him anymore but the weather is just so bad she needs a proper shelter.

"I'm sorry I'm here. I just had to because of the storm." Athanasia immediately said when she reached the ground.

To her surprise, the man is already looking at her while soaking wet. The water that came from the rain was going through the man chained at the center.

"Don't be surprised. I can hear you sliding down the hole." The man said.

"You need to get into cover," Athanasia said.

Athanasia went to the man slowly, she felt guilty that she is not getting wet from the rain but the man who was in here is soaking wet. She took out her golden robe and threw it at the man.

"My robe is waterproof. It is also fireproof and impact-proof." She boasted.

The man just looked at the robe that Athanasia threw at him then he looked at her again.

"I don't want things from you or any of your kind." He flatly said.

Athanasia's brow raised. Amused, golden threads started to come out of her hand. The threads slowly reached the robe and it grabbed it. The man was forced to wear the robe. Golden threads are wrapped around him and the robe.

Even though the man tried his best to refuse the robe, the threads wrapped around him won't budge. He felt frustrated because of his lack of power and the pity that he is receiving from Athanasia.

"Have you eaten yet?" Athanasia asked while setting up a small area where she has her mat to sleep on, a basket full of foods, and her bag that is full of bottles and paper. She also managed to bring a small lamp where she placed beside her bag.

She sat at her mat and took out a strawberry pie in her basket. She also took out a bottle of water that she brought.

When the didn't respond to her question, Athanasia began working on her threads again. She wrapped her threads on a slice of the strawberry pie and a bottle of water and the food started to go to the man.

The man saw Athanasia working on her threads again. His eyebrows furrowed and he rolled his eyes. She surely loved her power.

"I already ate." The man responded when the food started to go to him.

"What did you eat? Those fruits? You should eat more." Athanasia said.

Athanasia looked at the pile of fruit beside the man. He is rationing it to one fruit a day. She wondered how he can get those fruits?

The man didn't even glance at the food in front of him. The aroma made his stomach grumble. He blushed because of the sound his stomach made.

Athanasia chuckled at the man's blushing face.

She teased him by using her threads to put the food in front of his mouth.

"Come on, eat."

In front of the, his face is a delicious-looking strawberry pie that he hasn't tasted in ages. He felt irritated at Athanasia's playfulness. He glared at her and bit on the food.

He is glaring at her as he chews the strawberry pie. Athanasia couldn't help but laugh at the face that he is making. With a golden robe messily wrapped around him and him glaring at her while eating is all, it takes for him to look adorable in Athanasia's eyes.

"I hate your laugh." He said when he finished eating.

"Why don't you say thank you first?" Athanasia asked.

He just rolled his eyes and looked away from her. He feels much more comfortable now that he is not getting wet by the rain and now that his stomach is satisfied, yet he couldn't bring himself to thank her because he is annoyed with her and himself.

"By the way, where is your fox?" Athanasia asked while looking around.

"He is hunting or finding fruits if there's nothing to hunt."

She is surprised because of his fast response. Is he finally comfortable with her? Or he just doesn't want to be teased anymore?

"But the weather is bad." She said.

"He'll be fine." He replied, clearly he doesn't worry about his fox.

"I can treat your wounds if you let me." She said while looking at him. She has the medicine and equipment for his treatment. Athanasia just shoved them in her bag before leaving the clinic.

"I don't need your medical treatment." He said.

Silence occurs between them. The sound of rain and thunder grew louder as they became silent.

The sound of the rain and thunder below is not that loud. It is almost relaxing as Athanasia felt sleepy while listening to the sound of it.

He looked at her when she quieted down. She is sleeping comfortably on her mat. Her relaxed figure made him relaxed too. He felt annoyed because she made him relax. For decades. every day that he spent in here felt like a nightmare and he was always on guard.

The sound of something sliding down the hole startled Athanasia from her sleep. She quickly sat and looked for the sound.

The fox pet of the man popped out of the hole with a bunch of fruits also sliding. The fox was exhausted and he was so wet. After sitting for a few moments the fox started to nudge the fruits towards the man.

Athanasia watched as the fox nudge the fruit towards the man. The fox is the one who gives him all the fruits that he eats. She was surprised by how smart the fox is.

"So he delivers you food? He's so smart." Athanasia said.

"He is." He replied.

The fox looked at her when she spoke. It seems like it didn't notice her until she spoke. The fox looked happy to see her. It seems like he likes humans.

The fox wagged its tail and run towards her. He stopped in front of her and looked at her. Athanasia wasn't sure but it looks like the fox wants to be patted.

She patted its head. The fox liked it and leaned closer to her. Usually, a fox is a wild animal that avoids people but this fox is different as it likes to be patted.

"He's like a dog. Is he your pet?" Athanasia asked the man who was watching them.

"He's not. He just came in here one day and started giving me fruits." He said with a gentle look on his face.

"Have you named him?" Athanasia asked.

"I call him Hawdy." He said.

The name startled Athanasia. If her mind is clear, her patient's name is Hawdy. Coincidently they have the same name as the intelligent fox. Athanasia laughed at the coincidence.

"My patient's name is also Hawdy." She said while chuckling.

The man looked at her to see if she was serious or if she is just laughing at the name he gave to the fox.

"I named him after my friend, Hawdy. He is a werewolf. Is your patient a werewolf?" He asked.

He heard and smelled his friend last month and then it disappeared after a few weeks. Hawdy has been missing for weeks now. Hawdy came looking for him but he failed. He was surprised when he smelled him because he thought he had already forgot about him.

"He is." She said while looking at him carefully.

She still hasn't forgotten what Hawdy said this morning. She can clearly remember that Hawdy is looking for his friend. His friend is a Dark one.

This is why he hates me, Athanasia thought.

"He is safe then. You told me that you are a good doctor." The man said while looking at Athanasia.

"He is now stable. But I'm afraid I can't let him go in this forest again." She replied.

"That's okay. Just don't tell him where I am and he won't go there again. He is a coward, you see." He said.

Athanasia nodded and lay down again with the fox beside her. Now that she knows that he is a dark one, the controller of the undead, she made sure to cast the only spell that she knows, a protective barrier that she also cast on her clinic and home.

With the thought of the barrier protecting her, Athanasia fell asleep without a nightmare.