Aaya followed a set routine.

She found appropriate stones which were good for grinding and flat thin ones to serve as plates. Then she started on making the pastes and potions.

She ground out the first potion of herbs, the delicate fragrance of the natural medicine wafting a fragile beautiful scent to the warm air, mixing with the tranquillity of the lush vibrant spot.

After it was made, She had approached the warrior, her intention on helping him put on the medicine clear.

The man had tensed his muscles and swiped her with the jagged end of the wood, as soon as she had gotten close.

Aaya had been prepared, so she dodged the arc. But then persisted.

"Will you not tell me your name?" She would ask.

When she saw that the man had the resolve to not stop his continued attacks, Aaya would put down the flat rock with the medicine near him, and then retreat before he opened up his wounds with his actions.

The cycle would then repeat.

She would make the next potion, work right in front of him, eyeing the untouched medicine by his side, go near him when the other was completed, dodge his attacks while asking for his name, then keep the medicine near him with detailed instructions on how to apply it or where.

After four attempts, she did not go back to her small area she had set up to make the herbs ready for him, but went to the edge of the clearing. She glanced back once, to see the man steadily staring back at her with his cold gaze.

Smiling at him, which went unnoticed under the veil, Aaya walked a little deeper in the forest.

After 20 minutes, she walked out after gathering the fruits she knew would be nearby. The fruits were stored in the fold of her long veil, lifting it up to her chest.

When she came out to the clearing again, in the periphery of her vision, she saw the man sitting back again.

Had he tried to follow her? In the state he was in? if that were the case then why would he not let her come closer?

Keeping her gaze on her spot, she did not give him a glance as she went straight ahead. Aaya took her time washing the fruits and using her small knife to cut it in pieces.

She wilfully chose to ignore the aura of darkness intensifying at the glimpse of the small knife she had taken out of her basket.

Following the repeated set of actions, she took the fruits to him, "Will you tell me your name?" she asked yet again.

By now, the hostility in the man's eyes had banked greatly, his attacks were of the same pattern.

Judging by the skill and power he had, Aaya knew that this warrior was seasoned enough to know never to attack in the same movement, repeatedly in the same style and same places. If the enemy could anticipate the oncoming attack by being observant to this shortcoming, the life of a soldier on a battlefield would be forfeit.

Which meant that this pattern was just for her. He was just putting up a front with no real intention for his offensive action to actually harm her. He was just going through the motions to protest her presence.

With the passing hour and her effort, the warrior was less and less wary of her.

Or that with his blood loss he is more and more closer to his death.

As she was caught up with these thoughts, Aaya went towards him with the fruits she had cut but forgot to swerve around the expected attack.

The jagged end of the stick scratched her forearm hard, the ends getting embedded in her sleeves. Aaya lost her balance as she felt a few slivers of the wood piercing her skin.

Still, she quickly stretched out her veil to catch the falling fruits, then stabilised herself.

It happened in a few seconds, over before she could fully grasp it. So when she looked at that elegant face expecting a hard glare, satisfaction, regret or disdain, she was yet again startled to find a blank face.

His eyes had lost its ferocity but they still stared at her with an intensity flimsily concealed with a shield of indifference.

The man had promptly discarded the wooden branches, flinging them away the instant he realised that his movements had harmed her.

But his demeanour, still remained cold.

Seeing his mannerism, his pointed reluctance on asking about her welfare even though she could see his visible remorse through his actions, Aaya suppressed her laughter.

But judging by the way the warrior's head jerked and his gaze swung to pierce her with an unguarded surprised look, her efforts had to have been poor.

Crouching down in front of him, Aaya let go of her self imposed restriction and laughed out.

Melodious peals of laughter spilled from her lips, the sweet joyful chime blending with the songs of the birds and the river, the environment around her becoming a little warmer, as if nature itself was fascinated by the beautiful sound.

The warrior watched her, unblinking, unmoving.

"I am not hurt, I assure you." Aaya stopped with a smile.

She sat down cross legged, putting the fruits in her veil on her lap, then tugged the sleeve over her arm, exposing the small injury.

Smooth skin as white as snow came in the view of the dark eyes which latched on the sight, a slight trace of obsession taking root.

A few slivers of wood stuck to her skin, a few piercing the arm, but not deep enough. Aaya carelessly took them out.

While she was checking for any other wooden sliver, a strong, bloody masculine hand entered her field of vision.

Aaya paused, to watch that hand reach towards the fruit on her lap.

Taking a few slices, the hand withdrew again.

Aaya slowly looked up, to watch the warrior casually popping the slices in his mouth, chewing the fruit slowly, his face blankly gazing at the stream.

That seemed to be a breakthrough.

Aaya had then quietly shifted her work closer to the person, making the last paste that was needed which she could make with the given tools, while also cutting up all the fruits she had brought.

The warrior quietly ate all that was offered.

He still did not touch the herbs, but neither did he seem to reject her effort in making more.

"I often come here to forage for medicinal plants, this area is rich with it." Aaya spoke as she chose the roots she wanted and cut them in pieces, "My village is known in the capital for its attributes to medicine. I serve in the main temple with the head physician."

Taking a few flowers next, she crushed them together with the roots, all the while being acutely conscious of the heavy gaze of the warrior slowly searing her, following her hands, her movements.

"Because I am the only one who knows of this clearing's existence and am trusted by the priests, usually I am the only one who comes to collect all the nature's treasures. But during the monsoon, or heavy heat, I become vulnerable for the time it takes to identify and collect. It is to that purpose, that a small hut had been made for me to take shelter in, if such a situation arises."

Aaya pointed in the direction she had walked to gather the fruits, indicating a distance a little deeper in the woods, "It is that was, just a few steps out."

At last, she looked at him.

And made a prayer of gratitude for wearing the veil.

For more than four hours she had watched the warrior, observed him, but he still managed to make her poor heart bang against her chest.

His concentration was fixed on her, his sole focus – her existence. His look was direct, uninhibited and steady.

Slowly, he leaned over a little. The action caused her to panic, still she kept quiet, watching his fabric getting wet with his blood. But the man behaved as if pain did not exist for him. He stopped a few inches from her veil, looking steadily at her. His presence so close to her was overwhelming.

Never had she ever had so close a contact with a male, not even the one she had promised herself to. But this man, this man dominated her senses by just coming close to her.

Close enough that even through the veil she could see his eyes to be a complete black. No variations, no mixture of colour, just a burning black.

His interest in her had been entrenched. He ignored the state of his body, just to get close to her.

But he did not speak.

After a few moments, Aaya deliberately resumed her activities and started speaking even though she could only hear herself dimly, so hard was her heart thudding, her own voice drowned out by the pulsing nervous rhythm in her ears.

"Come with me there. You will not last long if your wounds are not treated. I can also—"

"What are you doing?"

Even though his words were whispered, it whipped around her ferociously. His cold voice at odds with the embers in his eyes.

Aaya did not pretend to be dumb, "Being selfish."

At that, the man tilted his head to one side, still expressionless.

Aaya spoke again, "Helping you is something I desire to do."

"Why?" a simple word spoken with a wealth of threat.

Aaya suppressed the shiver, "Why not?"

The warrior watched her, his mannerism resembling a curious man observing someone he found intriguing, not at all like that of a man riddled with wounds, bleeding out each second they talked.

"You are intelligent enough to recognise the danger I can be to you. Do you, perhaps, have a wish to depart from this world?"

His speech was cultured, his words carrying the elegance his face bore. But the menacing question was asked casually, as if killing her, even in his state, was a boring and easy task for him. less than an afterthought.

Who knows? Maybe, it was.

Aaya's smile could be clearly heard in her voice, "You wont harm me."

A single raise of his eyebrows.

At that, a gentle chuckle escaped her.

For the first time, the man exhibited a flash of emotion contrary to his personality. He was stunned.

But it was gone before the expression could settle.

Aaya started collecting the leftover ingredients, "Judging roughly from your injuries, and the slight festering of your wounds, you must have been injured at least 3 days back." Aaya looked up at him, to get his confirmation.

True to his nature, as Aaya was slowly understanding, he remained unchanged.

But she did not need him to authenticate her guesses.

She was that good, she knew herself to be correct.

Carefully, Aaya sorted out the leaves and looked in the basket as she spoke, "The recent skirmish that broke out in the borders was a week old. The Military had to rush in because the Central batch on rotation was being changed at that time. Which was precisely why that moment's vulnerability of our defence was taken advantage of by the tribes.

As such, the incoming batch went in the battle without the provisions being completely stocked. The wagon for the rations was burnt and the soldiers waged the battle of the conflicts fiercely with the tribe, existing on only the food we could provide. The numbers of the soldiers and the food provided was at disparity. No one could have had a full stomach."

Aaya could feel his gaze burning her with every word that echoed in the air.

She didn't glance at him, continuing her work, "You have the same uniform as the batch, with the vambraces having the falcon of the Central Army who had arrived in the change of rotation. Clearly, you were part of that troop. After those seven days, I can easily add three days of the time you remained here. The ground around is deeply stained, you rested here for those three days."

Finishing her work, Aaya packed the wicker basket, propped it up, then turned to face him, giving him her full attention, "Let me ask you something, why is that rabbit alive?"

The warrior's forehead wrinkled at the sudden unexpected question, his eyes puzzled. She had been talking about past events relating to his identity to suddenly switch to asking about the rabbit in the burrow near him?

Aaya's smile deepened, "Your mobility is not affected to the extent of turning you to an invalid, in fact, judging by your attacks on me, you are still capable of killing a person."

Aaya nodded her head to his side space, "You used the wood and managed to create a fire to keep warm, the ashes are still there. So tell me, why was a person, who is no doubt suffering from extreme hunger pangs due to the lack of food over long time, on top of being injured, not kill a rabbit right next to him to eat its meat?"

At once, like a ripple of water dispensing to reveal the calm untouched surface of the lake, the warrior's expressions shut down.

His handsome visage an emotionless mask, his eyes focused on her, the embers in them igniting to a fire as he remained quiet.

Aaya warm voice had a teasing lilt to it, "Could it be, because the rabbit is heavily pregnant?"

She spoke again, "Did you refuse to partake of that creature even at the expense of your own dismal chances of survival—"

"And you would stake your life at the hands of a strange man just because of a small, insignificant thing as a rabbit?" His voice held a lashing scorn. His eyes insolently roved her frame once, "That too being a woman, knowing what can transpire? Is your sense of judgement that poor? Or are you that simple?"

Aaya chose to ignore the litany of insults, she focused on the important part, "Sir, it seems you don't understand human nature much, do you? The small, unconscious actions of an individual are the most precious ones in knowing the truth of their nature. Because those actions reflect the way they process the world, the way they look at it, or disregard it. Those small actions are exactly what lets me know the truth about them."

His derision in his voice thickened, "That I am harmless??" his expression was pitying.

"That you are not evil."

Hearing her his lips turned up in cold smirk.

Aaya repeated again, "Dark and savage you may be, but evil, you are not."

The warrior froze.

Aaya shook her head and collected the stones where she had made the previous potions to store them carefully.

"I attacked you. Repeatedly." His tone was without any inflection. His query, filled with an innocent curiosity.

"If a wolf is approached while being trapped and injured, he will always attack even if the intention of the person is to help him. He will never cease to cause the person harm, can you tell me why?"

The answer was guarded, "it's a Wolf."

"Precisely." Aaya looked at him again, "Its in his nature to keep attacking. If it can stay true to its nature to attack even in duress, even if he is injured, then why shouldn't I? Why should I draw back from wanting to help if that is my true desire? It in its nature to strike, as it is in mine to help."

A short spell of silence descended from the black eyed, ruggedly masculine warrior. Then he said in a formal reserved way, "People do not think the way you do."

Aaya chuckled, "I have heard that before."

A pause, "If I had fed on the animal?"

"Then I would need more time to observe your actions and judge your character." Aaya replied patiently. She looked around to check if she had left something out, "Shall we proceed? Can you stand?"

The warrior curtly nodded.

Aaya stood up and turned to put the wicker basket on, preparing for the short distance she would need to carefully support the man till they made it to the hut.

As her back was turned to the man, she heard him speak.

"Jung Hoseok."

Aaya bit her lips from letting her dazzling smile from spreading wide.

In the end, she did manage to know his name.

Jung Hoseok . . .

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A/N : Will drop more chaps successively.

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