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I chatwith Gail for a bit longer, have a second cup of tea, and then drop my basket off at my hut and switch it out for my gathering bag. I sling the large leather satchel crosswise over my shoulder and clutch my bone staff with the sharpened end that I use for digging. Everyone’s busy, and I still haven’t seen Daisy, so I’m going to go out hunting for the tiny, curling leaves of the young sweetweed plants. Gail says that the immature ones taste terrible and they’ll make a brilliant blue when mixed with a dark yellow fat, so I’m going to give that a try.
A baby cries as I pass by Veronica’s hut, and I can’t help but stick my nose into things. I tap on the doorframe, even though it’s open. “It’s Flor. Need a hand?”
Veronica comes to the entrance with a squirming baby in her arms and a frazzled look on her face. “Oh gosh, I hate to impose…but do you have a moment?”
“That’s why I asked,” I say cheerfully. I set down my bag and pole and then take my shoes off before coming inside. “What can I help with?”
She jiggles the little one in her arms. “I need to feed this one but I’m trying to cook up lunch for his brother, who doesn’t want to wait. He just got up from a nap and iscranky.”
“Maamaaaaa,” wails Katamneas. “I’m hungry!”
“I know, baby,” Veronica calls back. “Give mama a moment.” She gives me a pleading look even as the baby in her arms whimpers.
Right. This I can help with. I wink at her and head inside. “Tita Flor is here, Kata. I’m gonna make you some lunch. You want a booger stew?”
“No!” he cries, and breaks into giggles.
“Uh oh! But that’s what Tita Flor knows how to make!” I move to his side by the fire and tickle him, then press a kiss to his crazy puffy golden hair, a sign of his dad’s strong genes. “Let’s see what mama made for you then, huh? Oh, a yummy porridge and it’s almost ready. Let’s stir it, shall we?”
I end up staying at Veronica’s through lunch as she feeds the baby and Kata firmly tells me that I should call him Katamneas because that’s his name and Kata is a “baby” name. I let the little one scold me and pretend to be chastised, biting back a smile. When the healer burps the baby in her arms and gives me a grateful look, I feel guilty that I once harbored resentment towards her. She got the healer khui and I didn’t, and it made my expertise as a registered nurse rather useless. Knowing wound care and how to handle illnesses and take care of patients is redundant when a healer can fix everything with a touch.
But I’ve come to know Veronica and she’s utterly guileless and sweet. She’s also over her head with two strong-willed baby boys and just looks frazzled at the moment. “Where’s Ashtar today?”
“Oh, he went off looking for Daisy and O’jek,” she tells me, rubbing Varukhal’s small back. “Said there looks like there might be more storms today and he wanted to make sure they didn’t get washed out to sea. He’s heading over to Croatoan tomorrow and just wants to make sure he isn’t needed for a search before he heads out.”
“Are they missing?”
Veronica shakes her head, a wry smile on her face. “Have you seen Daisy paddle that raft? I don’t think they can get far. More like Ashtar’s just being nosy and using it as an excuse.”
I laugh, because Ashtar is as much in everyone’s business as I am. “Fair enough. I don’t suppose you have any of the really young sweetweed leaves in your herbs, do you? The tiny curled ones?” When she shakes her head, I sigh. “Ok, well then I’m still heading out.”
“Didn’t you hear the part about the storm?” Veronica chides me. “Don’t make me send my mate after you, too.”
“It’s just more snow,” I joke. “And I’m not going far. Just up the hill and looking for some of the sweetweed. I’ll come right back to camp. I won’t be gone more than an hour, maybe two. And I’ll bring a cloak.”
“I’ll go with you, Tita Flor,” Katamneas says brightly.
Veronica frowns down at her young son. “No you will not, sir. You’re going to stay in camp.”
“I shall go with her.”
I cringe at the sound of R’jaal’s voice. Damn it. Do we have to do this song and dance today? I turn towards where R’jaal stands at the entrance to Veronica’s hut. I’m not entirely sure if he followed me here or if there was some other motive, but I’m a little annoyed at his presence. Doing my best to hide it, I smile brightly. “I’m sure you’re busy, and I’ve got to go get a cloak…”
He holds up a spare poncho with a hood on it. My poncho. The one I left in his hut a million years ago and never went back to get.
Well…shit.
Smiling tightly, I take it from him and slip it over my head. “Your timing is amazing. Really.”
“Thank you,” he says, not catching my sarcasm. “Shall I carry your bag?”
If it was anyone else, I’d be all over that offer. But because it’s R’jaal, I practically snatch it away before he can touch it. Everything with R’jaal comes loaded with a ton of guilt. “I’ve got it.”
Veronica gives me a sympathetic look. “Maybe you shouldn’t go out after all.”
I’m tempted. Spending the afternoon listening to R’jaal’s self-recriminations is not high on my list of things I want to do. He’s clearly torn with what he wants from me, and I’m just done with it all. But at the same time, I want to work on the dyes. If I don’t go out and get the leaves today and a storm comes in, I’m going to be sitting in my hut twiddling my thumbs. That decides me.
“It’ll be fine. Come on, R’jaal. I’m heading for sweetweed plants.” I grab my walking stick, salute Veronica, and head for the distant cliff paths that will take me up into the snowy foothills.
