LoA- Healer's Touch (Art by FlashW)

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Another day had past, a day of fighting and bloodshed. This was Levi’s life, the only life he knew, a life he saw himself destined to live. The life of a king’s ranger. the battle scarred cougar sat down on the lush grass covered hill, peering out over the lake in the direction of the setting sun. The very sky burned with bright colors of red, orange and yellow, and cooled with deep shades of blue and purple.  The mountains reminded him of the ones of his homeland, far south, and how the sun would dance along the waters as it sank into the sea on the horizon.
Such a beautiful sight it was, if wasn’t for-

His eyes suddenly closed tightly, and his brow wrinkled, as the voices came, as they always seemed to do when he was alone. These were voices that only he heard, the cries of the...ghosts, he believed  that haunted him, vexed him, reminding him of the dark times long past. They called to him, begging, calling to him from the dark regions of his mind. Each voice had a face with it, one that he remembered well, a soul that he personally knew, and that he, or at least he thought, was responsible for their end.
But, there was another voice, a new voice among them, a softer, friendlier voice. It was calling his name.
“...Levi...”
The other voices grew fainter, as this one grew louder, from...outside his mind, behind him.
Then, something, or someone had touched him.
The cougar opened his eyes, and looked over his shoulder.
kneeling there behind him was a frail creature in black fur, a female cat he had helped rescue a few weeks ago from a slaver’s chains. Arya was her name. She was a healer, from the some islands far beyond here.
On the ground beside her was her medicine kit, the only belongings she had beside the fine violet garments she wore. In her hand was a piece of soap,  while her other hand examined the scars on his back.
“What are you doing?” the cougar murmered, a soft growl in his voice as his muscles tensed, leaning his body away from her hands.

The cat paused in her movements, and smiled kindly at him.
“I’m not trying to hurt you. Your wounds need tending to.”

“I’m fine.They’ll heal by themselves” he replied solemnly.

She touched his wounds with the soap, causing him to tense up from the sudden sting, the sudden touch on his skin.
“Only on the surface. I see your scars go deep, near to your soul.”

Levi looked back at Arya over his shoulder. What had she meant by that?
“If it satisfies you” he chuffed, not wanting to press the subject further, returning his gaze to the distant sunset, leaning back so she could reach his wounds better.


He sat silently staring afar off, while she set to work on his injuries, humming a soft tune to herself as she sifted through her medicine bag for salves, ointments, and bandages, her fingers delicately applying them to his battle scarred back.
He kept still, only the tip of his tail showing life by slowly twitching, his eyes fixated on the distant mountains.
Her song caught his ears. It was so soft, and soothing, and her fingers seemed to move in rhythm with the tune. Everything about her seemed melodic, her voice, her movements, her touch.
Her touch.
Levi looked at her over his shoulder, his ears tilting forward curiously. He was, letting someone, a stranger he had only known a short time, touch him, something that if anyone else tried, even his brothers, would cause him to lash out at them.
Why? What was so unique about this female that quelled that instinct?

Arya slowed in her actions when she noticed his curious gaze.
“Is...something wrong?” she asked, laying down the first bandage on his back.

The cougar cracked a smile, the first time he had done so in years.
“No, nothing at all...” he replied, turning once again to look at the sunset.
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 Artwork by the spectacular
Story by

A short concept story inspired by a piece of artwork I commissioned FlashW for, based on a relationship idea I had for two of my minor characters in Legends of Aeluria, Levi and Arya.