Inemin

"Get your hands off me!" she wrestled against my grip, so I held her even tighter. "Put this on!" I groaned, toiling to keep her in place and wishing again I’d worn the damn gloves. The feel of her warm skin under my arm and palm wasn’t helping my focus. "I'm not taking you home like this!" "You don't tell me what to do!" she snapped, thrashing to break free of my hold as I fumbled with the cloak in my other hand, trying to drape it over her bare shoulders. "I'm not going home! Let me go, I said!" "Did you really think I got you out of there just to let you wander the streets, almost naked, like a lunatic?" That stopped her. "What did you call me?!" "LU-NA-TIC." "You... You…! Take your hands off me, you insolent brute!" Enraged, she yanked her arm too abruptly and lost her balance. I caught her, wrapped her in the cloak, and threw her over my shoulder. "PUT ME DOWN!" She shrieked and flailed, but I ignored her, making my way to the Commander’s house, which, thanks to Braa, was only two streets away. Since the entire population was in the square for the ridiculous festival, no one intervened at the frantic cries of the wild creature. No wonder in the ten years I've known the Commander, I've never heard that he has a daughter. She must’ve been kept locked away. Strangely, she suddenly went still and quiet. Had she grown tired, worried about attracting attention, or finally realized how inappropriate it was to show up at her parents' doorstep in this state? She didn’t seem to care before. With every step, my anxiety grew—she was limp. "Hey!" No answer. Seriously?! "Hey, you!" Nothing. A bad feeling crept over me, so I pulled her off my shoulder and into my arms. Her head fell against my chest—unconscious. "Hey! Hey, you!" I shook her, but she didn’t react. Panic surged through me. Had she fainted? Had I held her too tight? Lifting her more securely, I sprinted toward the Commander's house.