Chapter 23

I felt like I was floating in the air. I hadn't imagined this turn of events at all. Everything changed in an instant.

Where I thought I had it badly, it finally turned out that I was in the right place at the right time.

Now I no longer felt disadvantaged towards him. We had shared private parts of our body, and now we were equal. He saw I saw too.

With my thoughts accompanying me, I didn't realize when I got to the main river again.

My desire to take a bath hadn't left me, so I decided to find another spot. I crossed to the opposite side of the stream and proceeded down until I found the perfect location.

It was a small oval recess created by the river. The water there was calm, and as I calculated, its depth was satisfactory. There were also trees in front of it so no one could see me. I had to hurry; the clothes would have dried by now under the hot sun.

I took off my clothes, took the soap, and went into the water. It was cold, and I felt shivers all over my body. I didn't regret my action because I would get used to its temperature in a little while. I rubbed all my body with the soap, which started to emit its pleasant smell. For last, I left the spot between my legs. When I felt clean, I came out of the water. I removed the excess water off my body and put on a clean cloth for my period, and wore my clothes. I wish my clothes were neat too, but that was now a luxury for me. I rubbed the dirty cloth with the soap and rinsed it. I would hang it on the rope that was in our room with Brielle.

I took the road back until I reached the laying clothes. I touched them to check and saw that they were dry. I picked them up, folded them, and put them in the big basket. I took a deep breath and returned to the boat. I handed the basket to Jimena and went to the room to spread the cloth I had washed.

I entered the room, greeted Brielle, and went straight to the rope to hang the wet cloth I was holding.

"What is this?" he asked me.

"I swam in the river and changed my cloth I wore, and I washed the dirty one." I replied, looking around the room.

"Where are our clean clothes?" I asked her.

"Don't worry and I have arranged them myself."

«Brielle! Why did you do that? What If anyone saw you?" I looked at her angrily.

"Who can see me in the room?" she told me and started scratching her throat intensely.

"What happened to you? Why are you scratching? I asked her and approached her.

"Something sting me or bit me while we were in the river. At that moment I didn't pay attention, but as time goes by it itches me more and more ".

"Let me see it." I told her and put her hand aside. "Brielle has blushed a lot, it has started throwing something like a pimple. Please go to see the doctor. He will definitely have something to give you."

"You think I have to do that for just a bite of an insect?"

"Of course and I do. That bite doesn't look natural to me. Or else he will take us out of our worries."

"Okay. You convinced me. I'm going now." She told me and left.

Since I didn't have something to do now, I found the opportunity to clean the room a bit. When I finished, I headed to the kitchen to see if Jimena wanted any help with the dinner.

When I entered, I saw Jimena sitting at the table with Brielle drinking tea and chatting.

"What did the doctor tell you, Lady?"

Brielle stood up abruptly. "I haven't gone yet. I was heading there when Jimena saw me and invited me to have tea together. I would go later. "

I sighed. "You didn't do well, Lady. As the time goes on and that on your neck is getting worse. Please go now, and you can continue later with the tea. Am I not telling her right, Jimena?" I asked for her support.

"Oh, but of course, Lady, go now. I didn't know. She hadn't told me anything, otherwise I would have told her to come after visiting the doctor. Come on Lady, go now ".

"Okay, I'll go now." She told us and left.

When Brielle returned to the kitchen Jimena, and I was busy preparing the dinner.

"So, what did the doctor tell you, Lady?" I asked her as soon as she appeared at the door's open. Her eyes were slightly sunken, and something in her gaze radiated concern.

"He told me something had stung me. Probably a mosquito. But the problem is that whatever it was that stung me, it may was infected. He gave me a medicine to drink, and he told me I had to visit him straight after the sting to see him."

I stopped the work I was doing and approached her.

"Let me help you go to bed, Lady. I believe a little rest will be perfect for you. I cleaned and ventilated the room."

"Yes, let's go," she answered me and took my hand. "I think a little rest will be great. We will continue our tea another time, Jimena ".

"Yes, of course, Lady. Don't worry about that. "

I accompanied her to the room and helped her lie down.

"Don't worry, Brielle. Everything will be fine," I told her and stroked her hair.

"You will see, it is nothing. The doctor also gave you medicine. "

"And yet it is something." She smiled at me, but it was a smile full of sadness. By instinct? I don't know, and I was hoping to be wrong about it.

I let her sleep and went back to the kitchen.

I was peeling potatoes when I heard the Captain's hoarse voice. I raised my head and looked at him standing at the door open. He looked at me too. His eyes sparkled, he looked happy, and I assumed his swimming had lifted his spirits.

"Jimena, what kind of delicacies are you cooking. I am starving."

"Grilled hare and venison from the hunt that the men went for, and I will accompany them with vegetables and baked potatoes. As you can see, Serena is yet peeling them, but it's not Serena's fault.

I told her when to start peeling them. We still have time for dinner; I didn't know you would be hungry so early. Do you want me to give you some cheese and bread on a plate?"

"Yes, it would be perfect, thank you." he replied.

When Jimena prepared his plate, he gave it to her and returned to work, turning her back to us. Then the Captain smiled at me, blinked at me, and left.

I continued my work and smiled. Now, what was that? For what happened at the waterfall?

The next day we returned to the sea and continued our way to the port of Good Luck, as the Captain had told me then.

We all returned to our regular duties, and it was a pleasant surprise when Alma started helping us in the kitchen sitting on a chair. Her leg was not yet allowed to get too tired, so she peeled all the vegetables Jimena needed for the day's meals. I have to admit that it was a great relief for Jimena and me.

One of the following mornings that I had to deliver breakfast to the Captain, I asked him how many more days we needed to get to the port.

He fixed his eyes on me, and something seemed to me that I saw in them, sadness? I wasn't sure, but probably I was wrong. What reason could there be to make him feel sad?

He was sitting at his desk with his arms crossed in front of the desk

"Why do you ask Serena? Why all this haste for leaving us?"

"No, it is not that. I have no complaints. I just want to know."

"Fine, then," he said, somewhat irritated. "Wait a minute and I'll tell you."

He opened his maps and did some calculations on a piece of paper.

"If the good weather continues we will need about two weeks. Maybe less."

I thought about it for a while. "So, the trip will take more than 2-3 weeks as you said initially."

"It seems so that yes. Is there a problem with that? Is there anyone waiting for you at the port?" He asked me, raising his eyebrow. There was something in the tone of his voice.

"No, no one is waiting for us."

"Then there is no problem for whenever we arrive I guess." he continued in the same tone, dragging his voice a little.

"Yes, you guessed right. There is no problem. "Thank you for the answer," I said and turned my back to leave.

"Wait, Serena!" he told me, and I stopped. I turned and looked at him, and he had already got up and was coming towards me.