Heirot

"Celeste" She replied, she tucked her head under his chin and relaxed a bit more "I have no home . . .so I wander" She kept trying to channel her healing magic but it wouldn't build up so she could use it. "Darn" she breathed, She could feel Caleb was hurt, but couldn't help him.

"Darn?" he asked her as he finally reached the well. He set her down carefully on the stone bench next to the well and began drawing up the bucket. The pulley was far enough from the buildings in the town that it had survived the fire. He pulled the bucket off the hook and set it down next to the angel, looking at her back. He could see blood soaking into her tunic, but her wings were bleeding also, and those wouldn't require him to ask her to lift up her clothing. He decided to focus on the wings.

He sighed and pulled off the tattered shirt he was wearing, ripping it into long strips.

"My magic isn't working" Celeste said miserably, she concentrated on keeping her breathing steady and even. She peered at Caleb ans smiled softly "You know what? I'm glad you found me . . .you seem to be very kind"

"That's not the reaction I usually inspire in people," he smirked as he poured handfuls of cold water over her cuts. He paused as he thought about what she'd said. Her magic... He remembered that she had done something to his scratched arm earlier that day. "If it's taxing to use magic, I think it would be better to let your wounds heal on their own," he advised. "I'll stay nearby until-" he stopped, realizing he had been about to offer to stay by her until she healed. "Until morning."

There was very little he could do to bandage the cuts on her wings, so he blotted them with the fabric from his shirt, holding light pressure on them to lessen the bleeding. He left the fabric over the cuts and looked again at her back. "I might need to...see your back," he said, supremely uncomfortable.

Celeste nodded "yeah, I can't really reach my back easily and it would hurt my wing" She closed her eyes and waited for Caleb's reply. her mind started to wander and she yawned softly, her body ached and all she wanted to do was snuggle Caleb and maybe doze in his arms, but she didn't want him to feel strange.

Caleb looked down at her garment. Her permission didn't make this much less awkward for him. Sitting directly behind her to avoid infringing on her privacy, he lifted the hem of her tunic upward until it bunched just under her wings, exposing her back. He glanced away to avoid admiring the gentle curve of her spine and her exposed figure, but it wasn't possible for him as a man not to notice those things.

He dipped his hand into the water and poured it across the gashes where the panther's teeth had torn through her clothes. These cuts seemed deeper than the others. "I'm reaching around you, he warned when the wounds were clean. He took the long strip of cloth from his shirt and leaned close to her in order to put his arms around her front and wrap the bandage. He tried not to touch her too much as he passed the cloth several times around her ribs and then secured it with a knot in the back. He took a careful look at his work and decided that this was as well bandaged as she was going to get. besides, he was out of cloth. He pulled her tunic back into place.

Celeste hid her face in the crook of her elbow, she could feel her cheeks redden. she mentally chastised herself about letting that get to her she was somewhat unaccustomed to being around others, But it wasn't her fault, she had to stay on the move. If she didn't her Father would find her. "Is it safe for me to sit up?" she asked softly, taking a steadying breath.

"Yes, the bandages should hold up," Caleb said, gently lifting the pieces of cloth away from the cuts that were finally clotting on her wings. "I'm afraid I don't know any tricks for the pain."

"I'll ignore it" Celeste grunted as she sat up. Her body protested but she sat up through the pain. She yawned again, and closed her eyes. "I'm sleepy, but I don't want to sleep"

"That's probably shock," Caleb said. "Your adrenaline runs when you're hurt, and then when the alarm wears off, your body is exhausted, but there's still too much adrenaline to sleep-..." he stopped himself. This was relatively new science in Ighten, and much of what he was saying was miles above the level of the average 'educated' person. Rambles like this had cost him nearly ever social relationship he'd ever attempted to have. He was always coming across as a know-it-all when he really meant to help or inform. People got intimidated, and the way he reacted often made him seem even more condescending. He didn't want to make this sweet girl think he was pompous. He didn't want to play dumb, either. It was difficult to live without an intellectual equal.

"Are you cold?" he tried to change the subject. "I can start a fire."

"yeah" Celeste replied "and I knew that . . ." She smiled softly, and looked at Caleb. She shivered and looked away.

Caleb looked at her blankly. "You did?" he asked quietly, hopefully, and immediately regretted it. She might think he was testing her now. She might not know what he meant at all. She might have agreed with him just to be polite, and now he was pushing her on it like a jerk. He felt a pinch of defensive anger, already expecting her disdain. It was too hard to walk this tightrope of egos and wits. He was sick of it, so sick of people. Why was he doing this, anyway?

"I was raised as an intellectual . . ." Celeste said, she went quiet and then whispered "promise me that what I'm going to tell you you won't tell another soul, ever" She looked at Caleb.

Caleb studied her curiously, dropping his guard somewhat. "Sure..." he said.

"I'm not from this country . . .I'm the Princess of Faralon" Celeste said softly "I'm not you're average Angel, but I hated being treated like royalty . . ." She smiled and looked at Caleb "but My kingdom is no more . . ."