Morning Surprise

The night passed quietly in the heart of the enchanted forest. Outside, the sounds of nocturnal creatures stirred, but within the small hut, all was still. Alarielle, exhausted from her ordeal, drifted off to sleep on the bed, her breathing steady and even. The nameless warrior sat by the door, his back against the wall, his gaze distant as he watched over her. Eventually, his eyes closed, and he too found rest, his mind untroubled by dreams.

When morning broke, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the tiny window, casting a soft, golden light over the room. Alarielle stirred, her eyelids fluttering open as she slowly woke. She stretched slightly, feeling the unfamiliar comfort of the bed beneath her. For a moment, she lay there, letting the events of the previous day come back to her—her escape, the forest, the warrior who had saved her life.

Then she noticed something that made her sit up abruptly, her heart skipping a beat. The bed, she realized, was the only one in the hut, and yet here she was, lying comfortably while the warrior was nowhere to be seen.

Panic set in as she scrambled out of bed, her feet hitting the cold wooden floor. She spun around, her eyes wide with worry. Did he sleep on the floor? she thought, her mind racing. Did I take his bed?

She started pacing around the small room, her thoughts spiraling. She was used to the decorum and propriety of court life, where everything had its place and everyone followed certain rules. The idea that she had unwittingly taken the only bed, forcing the man who had saved her to sleep on the hard floor, made her feel incredibly guilty.

How could I have done this? she berated herself, wringing her hands as she circled the room. She muttered under her breath, completely unaware of how frantic she appeared. “This is terrible... so rude of me... how could I be so careless?”

In her panic, Alarielle didn’t notice the warrior standing in the doorway, watching her with a mixture of bemusement and curiosity. He had woken just moments before, having slept soundly despite the discomfort of the floor. As he stood there, arms crossed over his chest, he observed her with a raised eyebrow, wondering how someone could be so flustered so early in the morning.

Alarielle, still lost in her thoughts, turned around sharply, and froze. Her eyes widened as she finally noticed him standing there, calm and composed, while she was anything but.

Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could stop herself, she let out a small, startled yelp, her cheeks flushing a deep red. “Oh—oh no!” she exclaimed, her hands flying to her face in embarrassment.

In her haste to retreat, she misjudged the distance between herself and the wall. With a sudden thud, she collided headfirst into the solid wood, letting out a pained squeak before stumbling back, clutching her forehead.

The warrior, who had remained silent until now, couldn’t help but let out a small sigh. He took a few swift steps toward her, catching her by the arm before she could do any more damage to herself.

“Careful,” he said, his voice low and calm as he gently guided her to sit back on the bed. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

Alarielle winced, both from the pain in her forehead and the overwhelming embarrassment. “I’m so sorry!” she blurted out, her voice a mix of apology and mortification. “I didn’t mean to—oh, this is so embarrassing!”

Ignoring her flustered state, the warrior knelt down beside her and carefully examined the bump forming on her forehead. His touch was surprisingly gentle as he parted her dark hair to get a better look at the injury.

“You’ll be fine,” he said after a moment, his tone as detached as ever. “Just a small bump. Hold still.”

Alarielle bit her lip, trying to keep herself from saying anything else that might make the situation worse. She watched as he fetched a cloth and dipped it into a bowl of cool water, then pressed it lightly against her forehead. The coldness made her wince, but the pain quickly dulled, replaced by a soothing numbness.

“There,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost as if he was trying to reassure her. “You should be more careful.”

Alarielle nodded, her cheeks still pink with embarrassment. “Thank you... I’m sorry for all the trouble.”

The warrior didn’t reply, merely giving a small nod as he finished tending to her. He stood up and walked over to the small fire pit in the center of the hut, where a few logs were stacked. Without a word, he began preparing breakfast, his movements efficient and practiced.

Alarielle watched him for a moment, still feeling a bit awkward. She wasn’t used to being in such a humble setting, let alone causing such a commotion over something so simple. But as she observed him move around the small space, the initial awkwardness began to fade. There was something calming about his presence, even if he was a man of few words.

She quietly shifted on the bed, watching as he kindled the fire and set a small pot over the flames. The smell of herbs and something savory soon filled the room, and Alarielle’s stomach growled softly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since the day before.

The warrior glanced at her, his sharp eyes catching the sound. “It will be ready soon,” he said simply, stirring the pot.

“Thank you,” she replied, her voice softer now, the panic from earlier finally subsiding. “And... I’m sorry again for taking your bed. I didn’t realize—”

“You needed rest,” he interrupted, his tone as flat as ever. “The floor was fine.”

She wanted to protest, to insist that he shouldn’t have had to sleep on the floor, but something in his demeanor told her that arguing would be pointless. So she just nodded, deciding to let it go.

As the warrior continued cooking, Alarielle couldn’t help but steal glances at him. He was an enigma, this man without a name, living alone in a magical forest, far from the world she knew. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, so many things she wanted to understand, but for now, she kept her curiosity in check.

Instead, she focused on the warmth of the hut, the smell of the food cooking over the fire, and the quiet presence of the man who had saved her life. Despite the strangeness of the situation, she felt a sense of calm that she hadn’t known in a long time.

And perhaps, she thought as she watched him move with such effortless strength, this nameless warrior was not as alone as he seemed.