Chapter 22

I had taken a bath the next day of my sickness, which forced me to remain in bed. After the contact with the fish, my clothes smelled awful, and I felt as if that stinking smell had soaked my skin.

It was one of the few times I enjoyed taking a bath so much. When I had finished, I put on clean clothes and threw the previous ones in a corner to wash them in the river.

After two days of washing clothes under the hot sun and rivers of sweat flowing my body, plus I was with my period, I felt doubly dirty, and I wanted to take another bath before we left this place.

I would leave my post, but it would be for a while. There was no one but us, so there was nobody that could steal them, and no wind was blowing to move them away.

The men, who had gone hunting and walked almost the entire area, said they had only seen small animals. No dangerous ones, so I wasn't afraid to go alone.

I squeezed the soap in my handful resolutely and looked at the boat, and nobody was looking at my side. I started walking along the river, looking for a safe place to take my bath.

It felt good walking again on solid land.

Every now and then, I checked behind me the distance I had covered.

The sound of the water flowing next to me calmed me. The gentle smell of the trees came in waves and pierced my nostrils, sending a shiver of pleasure to my body.

At one point, I saw a stream and approached it. Its course was perpendicular to the river, and it came down from the forest and fell into the river. Full of curiosity, I turned left, following it. This move of mine would send me into the woods, but I thought I would follow it to get back, so there was no way I could get lost.

I lifted my skirt to my ankles to prevent the hemline from getting dirty from the ground's dirt.

I was looking around to see if anyone was there, but luckily I was alone. My only company was the birds chirping. I was never able to distinguish which tweet belonged to which bird, but what did it matter? What mattered was that I needed this walk to be alone for a while. All these days, I had never been alone; I have always been among people. Now was my chance to enjoy my loneliness for a time.

The spicy smell of the forest full of freshness was unmatched by any other. I took a deep breath, sucking in as much air as I could, and looked around at the trees. It was not one of the tree species I knew. Their leaves were expansive and heart-shaped, and their trunks didn't reach very high.

I felt like the forest was enveloping me. For some strange reason, I felt protected, and I was no longer looking behind me.

I walked for some time next to the stream until I started to get frustrated. There was no place where I could take the bath I longed for; the water was too shallow.

Discouraged, I decided to go back to the main river and look for a place there when the sound of falling water reached my ears. A waterfall?

I took courage and decided to move on, determined to find the source of the water sound.

The further I went, the louder the sound of the water became until I saw it. It was a high, hollow rock, and the water flowed, caressing it to a point, and then meeting the empty cavity, it was falling free into a small lake.

As I was absorbed in the beautiful sight of the falling water, I didn't notice that someone was there. The sound of footsteps in the water had caught my attention. I looked there, and whoever he was, my eyes saw him just at the moment he was diving into the water. He must have been a man. He had his back turned to me, and certainly, this back didn't belong to a woman. And neither…

Oh my God! I turned my head abruptly and pulled myself behind the trunk of a tree next to me, closing my eyes tightly. This man was naked. Did my eyes play a game with me, or had I just seen this man's... ass?

No, no, it was impossible something like this just happened to me. I probably didn't see well.

I started getting out of breath, and I could feel the air running low in my lungs.

I had to leave from there immediately. I took a step and heard a loud 'crack' coming from a dry branch under my thick shoe.

"Who's there?" I heard a hoarse voice thundering.

My mouth dropped to the ground. Was that the Captain's voice? No, please God, let not be him. Anyone but him.

I didn't move from my position.

I couldn't move. I was numb all over my body.

"I said who's there?" he asked again, but my voice couldn't come out to answer him; my heart was pounding so hard that I could feel it beating in my throat.

"Show yourself now or I will hunt you down. You can't escape from me." and while he was saying this, I heard his footsteps coming out of the water. So, I couldn't appear now.

I would see him from the front side as well. At the thought of that, I swallowed hard.

I had to do something, though. Things would get worse if he had to chase me. I decided to talk.

"It's me, Captain." Even I didn't recognize the voice that came out of my blocked throat.

Silence prevailed as long as two heartbeats lasted. "Serena!??"

I swallowed hard; a knot was closing my throat. "Yes, Captain," my voice trembled. I looked at my hands, and they were shaking too. But I didn't know from what. Fear? Panic? Fluster? Upheaval? Which of all? Or were all of them together?

"Wait! Don't go!" he spoke aloud, and in a little while, I heard footsteps approaching me fast.

I hoped not to be…. naked!

I closed my eyes tightly.

I felt him standing next to me. I heard the deep breath he took.

"Open your eyes, Serena," he told me.

"Are you..?"

"No, I have worn the basics. You see, I was in a hurry."

"Were you in a hurry? For what?" I queried. "Do you have to go somewhere?"

"Yes… and I have just arrived," he said softly in his hoarse voice, and my cheeks got on fire abruptly.

"Open your eyes, Serena," he said impatiently. He put his hand under my chin and lifted my head. "Now," he ordered me in a low voice.

I slowly opened my eyes, and I immersed myself in his into the ocean's depths.

We remained for a while, immersed in each other's eyes without saying a word.

The Captain spoke first. "Now I'll ask you and I want you to tell me the truth."

I swallowed the knot of guilt that came up in my throat.

His eyes sparkled for a moment. "Did you just see my… ass?"

I closed my eyes tightly. My heart started pounding. "No, no, I didn't see anything. Anything," I said, shaking my head negatively.

He held me gently by the jaw, forcing me to stop shaking my head.

"Look at me, Serena. Open your eyes." He demanded, and I opened them.

"I want the truth," he stressed. "I'm asking you again. Did you see it?"

I rounded my shoulders. "Yes, but for a second, only for a tiny moment before you dived into the water," I told him quickly without taking a breath.

He raised his eyebrow while a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Oh, is that so?"

"Please forgive me, Captain. I didn't mean to. It was by mistake. You have to believe me." I was talking fast. His face was so close to mine.

"I do believe you, Serena, calm down, I believe you. But, in any way the result is the same. You have seen my… »

"Yes, but don't say it," I caught him, and the soft, cheerful laughter that came out of his throat filled me with wonder. What? Didn't it bother him? Didn't he get mad with me?

"I will not say it if is that you want. But I will forgive you only if you forgive me first."

If I forgave him? Did that mean he hadn't forgotten?

"Okay, I forgive you," I said firmly.

"And I forgive you. Now we are even and the issue closes here. Are you okay with that?" he asked, stroking my chin.

"Yes, I am." I replied.

"Tell me something? What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for a place to take a bath," I told him and opened my handful to reveal the soap I was holding. "And when I believed I had finally found it, someone else had overtaken me."

"Yes, and fortunately for you that it was me. Today I took off the bandage and the doctor recommended to exercise my shoulder a bit. I discovered this point and I found it ideal." He explained, and then he whispered. "And it was indeed."

He dragged his finger to my jawline. "Go back, Serena, because I don't think I can hold on myself any longer. And don't do this again. It's not safe for a woman to wander alone in such dangerous place."

Although I didn't feel threatened by anything while I was alone, I didn't object.

"And that you saw before? Please hold it only for yourself."

"No need to ask, captain. I didn't intend to tell anyone anyway. I'm leaving immediately," I told him, taking a step back. Then I turned my back on him and started to walk away quickly, following the same path I used when I came.

I took a few steps and heard the sound of something falling into the water. It was the Captain for sure and… naked!

I started running away with all my force. At some point, I got tired and stopped.

"Now we are even." His words repeated in my head while I couldn't hold back a smile that blossomed on my lips.