He shivered and shook his finger, its skin broken by the bite, letting the rain wash away the blood.
"Ah, since I chose to save you, I'll try going a little farther."
Shaking his head helplessly, he set off once more down the seemingly endless road.
This time, however, the distant light drew closer as he advanced. After a little over ten minutes, he arrived outside an old, rustic stone cottage.
Thin wisps of smoke rose from the cottage's chimney. Dim yellow lamplight spilled through the windows, casting a faint halo over the doorway and lending it a touch of warmth.
Edward hurried forward. As soon as he reached the door, he caught the faint aroma of food.
Knock, knock, knock.
He knocked on the wooden door. "Excuse me, is anyone home?"
"Who is it?"
"I'm passing through and looking for somewhere to shelter from the rain. Would that be all right?"
After a brief wait, the wooden door creaked open. A girl of about twenty with long black hair stood inside. She looked him up and down for a moment, then took two steps back. "Come in."
"Meow~"
Just then, the kitten huddled against his chest gave another feeble cry. The girl frowned. "A cat? Where?"
He immediately took the little thing out. "I found her on the road just now. If I left her alone, she would have frozen to death."
As he spoke, he looked toward the blazing fireplace. "May I..."
"Yes."
He hurried over to the fireplace, holding the kitten close enough to the flames to keep her warm.
"Here."
The girl handed him a dry towel.
"Thank you."
He dried the kitten a little with the towel, then wrapped her in it.
The girl said, "The towel was for you."
"Uh, sorry. I thought..."
"Never