"Where do you think you're going?"
She resisted his touch, only to find it far stronger than she expected—and herself far weaker.
With little choice, Eva slumped back into the bed. She was more tired than she should be, a headache throbbing at her temples. Whatever the cicadas had done had taken it out of her.
"I need to warn Caden," she argued, trying to push away the covers Chirron was drawing to her chest.
He won their brief struggle.
"The only thing you're going to do is lay there and recuperate your strength," he informed her.
Eva summoned a glare, the expression bouncing off Chirron with zero effect. Understandable since she felt about as ferocious as the mouse Ajari sometimes called her.
"You can't keep me here," Eva argued.
Chirron quirked an eyebrow at her. "You and the Anateri commander share the trait of stubbornness. He tried to tell me how to do my job too. Guess how well that went for him."
Eva's lips pressed together, trying not to feel impressed at the healer's gumption. Not many could give Caden orders and survive. Let alone get him to listen.
Guess they hadn't been kidding when they said Chirron's influence was unlike any other clan leader.
Not directly, of course. He wasn't the type to get into a physical confrontation. He was far more subtle than that.
Healers had always occupied an interesting place in Trateri culture. On one hand, the Trateri respected strength—physical strength most of all. They were a warlike people, and it showed in the esteem they held for their warriors.
However, when you dug deeper, you couldn't help but see how complex their society was, far from the barbarians the Lowlanders painted them as.
Without strong warriors, a clan would inevitably fall and its vulnerable would be prey to the less scrupulous.
But that didn't mean they were the only ones considered worthy of status.
Those who held unique skill sets or were beneficial to the whole also enjoyed positions of power.
Take Eva for example. Except for Caden, she was the highest ranked member in camp. Her will superseding all others. Not because she was considered an exceptional warrior or particularly powerful. Rather it was due to her being able to do something no one else could. Something that was considered important.
Chirron and the rest of his healers were the same. It was why they were allowed to travel anywhere, visit any clan they wished. For that to work, healers had to give up formal claim to their clans when they joined. Someone who must be willing to treat everyone could have no loyalties preventing their duties.
Theoretically at least.
It was also one of the reasons why they were so rare.
In a society where your ties to family and clan were often considered more important than your own life, not many were willing to make the sacrifices necessary to follow the healer's path.
Perhaps that's why Eva found herself a little intimidated by Chirron. A single word from him held the potential to move mountains. What clan wouldn't want him on their side? Someone who held power over life and death. They'd fight among themselves to carry out his wishes.
It was what made him just a little bit scary. If he ever decided to see her as an eye sore, he wouldn't need to attack her directly. No, a whisper would do the job quite nicely, sending ripples throughout the clans. Eva wouldn't stand a chance.
"You needn't be so cautious of me," Chirron said with a deep gaze. "I'll hardly eat you."
"Is that a comment on the types of people I hang around?"
All of whom had a somewhat checkered history of doing exactly that.
Chirron's eyebrow moved upwards. "I wasn't aware the Kyren and Tenrin were people eaters. I'll have to update my records."
That was just great. Here, Eva was trying to be cautious, and she gave the healer a weapon to turn public opinion against the mythologicals if he so wished. The only saving grace was the fact that information wasn't exactly secret. More than one Trateri had seen both species chowing down on their enemies' flesh.
"How do you do it?" Chirron asked with sudden curiosity.
