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His hands were too big, big enough so her cheeks could fit whole in his palms, his thumb would easily reach her falling tears, occasionally wiping them away, and even then, I couldn't will them to stop.
'Hush, they will do you no harm now' he wanted to comfort me, but even with his calming voice, my tears continued to spill. I could still see those bleeding men, dead on the side of the road, and I could perfectly see him killing them as if they were flies.
A sob escapes my mouth, it was already dark, he insisted that we should stop for the night, claiming that I needed rest for walking under the sun the day long. It was all so very quiet at the side of the road, all I can hear is my crying, and him.
Feeling his breath on my face, I know how close of me he actually was, his fingers slipped under my collar, touching the outline of my ears. I was so afraid of what would have happened to me if I was by myself, of what those men would do to me, that I let myself lean on his touch, the only safety I could grasp.
He was right, I was tired, but not only for walking around. I had to take care of him, making sure that he ate, him and the Julius, that was fast asleep already in a basket. And that incident didn't help, the course of the day took a toll on me.
I allow myself to close my eyes for a short while, still feeling his hands on my face, tracing my jaw line, my mouth. I fear that the things that his touches were making me feel were wrong, but he was a cardinal, and he took care of my safety, he would never lead me astray from a righteous path.