I don't like that answer at all.
Once I have drunk my fill and helped Pemba refill our flasks, I wander a little farther down the creek, shutting my eyes and taking deep breaths to see if there is anything nearby that might help him. The earth has always provided what I need, and I trust it to do so now as well.
The terrain is different up here, and so are the herbs. Surprisingly, there are quite a few useful ones, and when I get a lungful of rubymint, I almost cry in relief. I fill my pockets to the brim, handfuls stuffed in there, because it’s not a fussy herb to pick.
Once I’ve scoured the area and collected everything else I can find, I tuck the other herbs into my handkerchief to separate them, ensuring, as I have been taught a thousand times before, I don’t contaminate anything.
The rubymint is the most important thing though, and when I get back to Pemba, I hold out a leaf to him with a small, triumphant smile.
A corner of his mouth quirks up. “Is there anything you can't find, little one?” he says, but he takes the leaf and chews it without question.
I see his relief instantly, the headache he was no doubt sporting melting away under the medicinal properties of my bounty. I have enough in my pocket that once we have seen the Seer, we can brew up a tea to go to bed with… well, to stretch out under the stars and fall asleep with, I guess.
I don’t know how long it will be until I sleep in a bed again.
I think about offering a leaf to Url, but he eyes us both like we're crazy as we chew on the leaves together.
I try to make light of it, to break some of the tension in the air. “It’ll help with the effects of the banshee, if you're brave enough to try.”
He shrugs at me. “I just saw you blow the head off an elf with nothing more than a stick, so I think I will keep to my own magic, thank you, little witch.”
He’s not wrong, and I can't blame him for mentioning it, though my stomach does turn at the reminder of the mess I made of the elf.
I did what I had to do, and though it still pains my heart when I think about it, I also know that I wouldn't change a thing. Not with my brother's life in the balance.
I’ve lost too many people.
We get back on the road again, and Pemba maps out the path of the sun, counting under his breath to figure out how much longer we'll be on the road. I already know we have a few more hours, and I've let myself slip back into a tranquil sleep when I feel the burning ghost of a pain in my side.
For a second, I think that maybe I’ve collected the wrong herb and poisoned Pemba and I. Panic flares in my body as my heart rate rises, but then I realize the pain is not my own.
Donn is hurt.
What's happened? I call out frantically. It’s the first time I’ve ever reached out to him first, but he doesn't answer.
My hands begin to shake, and I curse myself for not just telling him where we're heading. I almost do now, because though my head might not trust this man yet, my heart does. The prospect of losing him terrifies me… just as much as the thought of losing my brother.
Pemba notices me shaking, and he slips his hand into mine and gives it a squeeze of reassurance even as he continues his calculations.
There are a lot of dangerous folk out at the moment; you shouldn't be traveling alone.
I take a deep breath and sigh, thankful to hear Donn’s voice. He's obviously not injured too badly if he's still able to berate me for venturing into the world without more protection.
I'm not alone. I'm perfectly safe.
Liar,he whispers into my mind, and a shiver runs down my spine at the sensual tone of it. How can this man read me so easily already without us having met in person yet? How can he know what my half-truths sound like, when even Pemba struggles to pick them up?
I fall even deeper into his web, no longer sure if it’s such a bad idea. We’re hours away from finding out my fate. If ever there was a moment to give in to this man, it’s now.
I'm not alone, and I'm as safe as I can be, considering.
He still doesn't sound happy about that, and then I feel the cool relief of his injury being healed. Whoever he is, he has access to somebody with magic.Strongmagic, if they're able to knit a wound together so quickly and effectively.
I'm sorry you had to feel that. I was taken unaware and couldn’t block it from you in time. I wouldn't ever hurt you, and the thought of you feeling such things is unconscionable to me. It will never happen again.
The words ring true. Whether that’s because my heart is hoping for such a thing or some innate part of me knows it, I’m not sure, but I have to duck my head to hide my grin from Pemba. The distraction of Donn's voice in my head is enough for me to feel giddy with excitement, and I’m less careful than I should be.
I'm not afraid of some pain. There's nothing to apologize for.
