"Deep." She's already reaching for her pack with the other hand, still holding my wrist. "Not to the bone. Lucky."
"Lucky."
"I'm going to clean it. It's going to sting."
"Okay."
She pours water over the cuts and it does sting, but that is not what I am focused on. What I am focused on is the top of her head, inches from my chin, the braid half-undone, a streak of bear blood across her hairline. What I am focused on is the way she hums under her breath when she's concentrating. What I am focused on is that she is holding my arm in her hands and I am not allowed to do anything about any of it.
Her thumb strokes once across my wrist. Unconscious. A healer's checking-for-pulse gesture. It might as well be a brand.
"Other arm."
I give her the other arm. She works through the secondset of cuts the same way—clean, pack, wrap. Her hands are fast. Her hands have been fast all day.
"Done." She steps back and wipes her hands on her dress. "Try not to fight any more bears this week."
"I'll think about it."
Melori turns to Axan. "Show me your ribs."
"Thought you'd never ask." He lifts his shirt—three shallow cuts across the lower ribs, already closing. She examines them and his eyes move to me over her head.
I look away.
Kestria's standing now and she looks at Melori—at the blood drying on her hands, the paste under her nails.
"You're insane."
"He was dying."
"He almostkilledyou."
"He didn't, though."
"Because they held him down."
"Yes." Melori looks at her, looks at me, looks at Axan. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Don't ever do that again."
"I probably will."
"I know. That's the problem."
Axan stays beside me, doesn't speak for a long time. Our boots on the trail. Birds above.
Ahead of us, Melori and Kestria. Melori is talking—explaining the wound, the infection, what she packed it with, how long recovery takes for an animal that size. Her hands move when she talks.
Always.
Kestria listens, nods, doesn't interrupt.
Axan clears his throat.
"Twenty years." He's watching the trail. "Not once have I seen you take an order from anyone."
"She didn'torderme to do anything."
