Of course, the Commander wouldn't allow her to help clean up the camp, and each time she tried to get up and help, he shot her a look petrifying enough that she stayed put, sitting on the ground while all the evidence of their stay was gone, and all that was left were the remnants of a fire. She felt a bit spoiled, but the aching in her ankle and shoulder reminded her that there was a purpose to his actions, and she was going to have to be obedient. When everything was put away, Henry outstretched his hand towards the woman he stood over, and she seemed displeased but still allowed him to help her up. "You're being stubborn, but don't worry. Once we get to the bottom of the mountain, we will be shut away for the winter, and the mages will fix you up so you aren't forced to rely on others," he assured her. Irene's expression softened, hoping he wasn't thinking of her as rude. "It isn't that I'm ungrateful—" she began. "I didn't think you were," he responded quickly. "I know by now that you don't like to be underestimated, but you need to know that I'm not underestimating you, and I certainly won't start because you were hurt while protecting me." "I see" was all she could utter. Irene was caught off guard as she looked up at him, and he gently patted her on her shoulder armor and a small smirk appeared on his lips. Whenever he made an expression like that as he silently regarded her, she didn't know what he was thinking, because whenever he looked at her in such a way, it felt like he could see right through her. It also didn't seem as if he hated what he saw when he set his eyes upon her. At the realization that this was likely how he viewed all the knights, she attempted to step away from him, but stumbled before she could make it far. In silent acceptance, she didn't resist when the Commander moved forward quickly to stabilize her. It seemed he was going to be her crutch that day as well. If she didn't have to wear armor or carry her pack, she might be able to do it by herself. Rather than stay close to the rock wall where the wind was blocked, they moved through the trees and towards the open area of grass. This area was more windy, considering the higher elevation, and Irene found herself pulling her cloak a bit higher around her neck when the Commander led her to a rock that she could sit against and get some of the weight off of her injured leg. "This is the most obvious point to wait for the others," he explained. "We unwittingly came upon a shortcut through the mountain and seemed to have made it here the fastest." "Unfortunately, that's probably the only time we will be able to use it," Irene admitted. "We discovered it only for it to collapse." "In the future, perhaps I'll have to find a way to dig it out," the Commander mused thoughtfully. "If the skeletons of goblins and my metal leg greave are worth your time…" Irene gently joked. "Perhaps," the Commander relented, realizing that he had such an extensive list of things he needed to do before then that it would have to remain a low priority. Eventually, Henry settled against the rock just beside Irene, and they both seemed to stare at the sky for a while. There wasn't much else to do except talk or get lost in their own individual trains of thought. The clouds so high on the mountain changed rather quickly as time passed, and they witnessed an opalesce sky of greys and blues as they waited for the others to find them. The only direction the rest of the traveling party had was to keep going up; all paths led to that plateau area just below the summit, which still was a bit higher. "I hope that the others fared well," Irene admitted. "These trails aren't always the most forgiving." "I believe it was wise for us to split off with varying levels of experience in each group," the Commander admitted. "You were my guide, after all." "What a terrible guide I am," Irene joked. "Injured two different times." "I wouldn't have changed a thing about this trip, other than having to witness you get hurt… twice," the Commander uttered. "Speaking of that, let me see if your pack has bothered the bandages. I would hate to know you're slowly bleeding underneath all of those layers." Irene seemed resistant for a moment, but she had met her match—someone who was unwilling to bend. His dark eyes peered into her until she was forced to relent. The red-haired knight pushed the pack off of her shoulder and the Commander caught it just in time. "The ground is wet," he uttered, not allowing her supplies to suffer just because he wanted to check her bandages. Irene let out an even sigh, deciding not to say anything else, but quietly showing him the ways in which she was displeased with being doted on. She loosened the strap of her chest and shoulder plate and allowed the Commander a view into the layers just under the armor. The looseness of the tunic that she wore turned out to be a good thing because he could slide it far enough to see the bandages. "No blood," he observed. "I'll just tighten them a bit." Irene witnessed the man pull off his gloves with his teeth since one hand was occupied with the bandages. He then tucked the gloves into his belt, and his hands began undoing the knots so he could tighten them a bit. Naturally, the weight of everything on top of them had caused the bandages to loosen just a bit. That act in itself caused Irene's face to feel hot. He seemed entirely unaware that anything he did struck her for some reason. She didn't believe for a moment that there weren't multitudes of women in his life trying to get his attention. Just as Henry pulled the tunic back over Irene's shoulder, he heard someone shout "Commander" from behind him. Relieved that there was finally someone else there to act as a buffer between her and the Commander, Irene smiled, recognizing Sir Gunnar's voice anywhere. After all, it was one she heard often during the war when she was following him around. The source of this content ɪs 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍