"Look at the skin of her hands," another chimed in, "Maybe she can keep us company tonight," he suggested excitedly.
I winced, trying to ignore the pain in my cheeks. There was also some weird sensation that made me rub my cheek against the cloth.
I looked down and realized that half of my face was covered with the cloth.
I scrambled to my feet, placing my hand against the trunk, "Stay away from me," I croaked, struggling to speak through the dryness in my throat.
"Stay away? Ha-ha," One of them laughed loudly, "That's what we have been doing all this time, love."
"Yeah," another one scratched his crotch, "We hardly came across a she-wolf. This shows Moon Goddess loves us equally."
They were all nodding their heads at this stupid theory.
One of them held my elbow and yanked me towards him, "Her hair is red… but… short…" he completed it with a frown, "And… she is partially bald."
"Honey!" One of them got closer, "We already like you, but you need to change your hairdresser," they all started laughing at this.
My mind was racing with all the possibilities. I needed just a few seconds to myself so that I could apply the potions.
Another one held my other arm, drawing me closer. This time, I could see lice swarming his beard.
All of them were dirty, in shabby and torn clothes. They had weird beards that never got trimmed. An odd stench was emanating from their bodies.
"Let me have my time with her," the longest-bearded man told his friend and tried to hug me. But the first one pulled me away,
"Don't be selfish. Last time you had your first chance," he started fighting his pal. The rest of them were getting bored with their fight.
Nobody was thinking about me.
"Umm. Can I …" I cleared my throat to get their attention, "Can I go to the bathroom?"
The one from the audience gave me a confused look, "Bathroom? Do you mean behind a tree? Do we look like fools to you?"
Urgh. I just needed a minute, and I would be invisible.
For some odd reason, I found the situation quite funny.
One of them tried to crack a joke, "You must be busy, thinking who to give the first chance," His friends cracked up.
I was confused about whether I should make a run and apply the potions quickly or fight these thugs. I tried dabbing the cloth against my cheek again to get rid of the burning sensation.
"Let me see your beautiful face, honey," The first man reached out, snatching the damp handkerchief from my cheek.
Before I could protest, he sniffed and then recoiled, "Urgh. This smell!"
The others who were looking at me made disgusted faces and stepped back, grimacing, "Forget it," one said, "Just look at her. She's not worth it. Let's get away from her, or I might vomit the rabbit I just ate."
Before I could utter another word, they all turned away and disappeared into the forest, leaving me alone once more.
I raised my face to look at the clear sky, thanking the Moon Goddess for saving me.
Looking up, I noticed the direction of the wind. I needed to find a water source to splash some on my face.
Walking slowly, I followed a trail till I reached the river. I let my body fall on the bank. The faces of those evil men sent shivers down my spine.
Thank you, Goddess, for saving me. But what did they find on my face? I dipped the handkerchief in water and placed it on my face.
Sigh! There was instant relief from the burning sensation, but then there was this constant itching.
I removed the cloth and placed my finger there. My cheek felt mushy. I felt something under my finger and picked it up.
A worm. A long, thread-like worm.
That was the drawback of staying in a damp forest overnight. Any of your body parts could become a home to all the insects and worms.
With a smirk, I brushed my finger where the tingling sensation had returned. The moment I scratched it, another worm slithered out.
Disgusting!
What was happening?
I sat up and splashed some water on my face like a mad woman. There was more tingling now. More crawling sensations.
I started picking up worms and kept throwing them in the water. There were endless. I felt my heart sinking in the pit of my stomach.
What was it?
I tried to look at my reflection in the water, but the water here was a little muddy. There were again crawling sensations on my face, and this time I started slapping my cheeks like a crazy woman.
Oh, please, Goddess!
Where should I go for help?
There was a faint crack nearby. I turned towards the sound.
A squirrel.
It was trying to break open a nutshell.
I tried to smile. It looked so cute, struggling to open the shell and nibble on the nut.
It must have sensed my gaze because its eyes suddenly snapped up. The moment it saw me watching, it let out a high-pitched squeak and darted away.
Strange.
I had never seen an animal react like that before.
The tingling sensation was making it hard for me to breathe. It seemed like the worms were multiplying after getting the sunlight.
The human towns were far away. If I wanted instant relief, I had to go to the Crimson Claw pack and let them treat this.
I would go with Delis's plan and tell them about the Black Moon pack that was wiped out in the fire. Later, I could request them to let me go and live with humans.
Inhaling a long sigh, I got to my feet and started walking in the direction of the Blood Stone pack. This time, I didn't forget to apply the scent suppressant and invisibility potion.
Within two hours, I needed to reach the pack territory. I kept walking and could feel the worms attacking my neck and my back.
The tingling sensation was now accompanied by more burning and intense pain. I was feeling like several needles were injected into my face.
The initial itching had turned into searing pain. I bit down on my torn sleeve to stop myself from screaming.