She pulled the blade free in one smooth motion. Blood welled immediately from the wound, but she was ready, pressing the draught-soaked cloth against it before he could lose too much.
After a few minutes, the bleeding had stopped. Elora pulled out a small tin of healing salve and spread it carefully over the wound, her fingers gentle against his skin. Then came the numbing bandage, which she wrapped around his torso with efficient movements.
An intimate quiet settled between them. The only sounds were the crackling fire and Rell's controlled breathing as she worked. Elora had expected some of his usual dry humor, a quip about her bedside manner or a joke about the situation they'd found themselves in. Instead, he just watched her.
His gray eyes were intent, studying her face with an expression she couldn't quite read. Like something about her in this moment had rendered him speechless. She finished tying off the wound and let her hands linger for a second, fingers pressed to his bare skin. The smell of blood and sweat, the heat of his body, the way he kept looking at her—all of it sent her pulse into a staccato, animal rhythm.
"Elora…" Rell said, voice hoarse.
She couldn't ignore the tight knot that formed in her stomach when Rell's fingers brushed her wrist, holding her hand against his side.
She had to look away, but the heat crawling up her neck reached her cheeks. Her eyes caught sight of another scar just a bit lower on his side. Similar placement, similar size, clearly from another blade.
"You've been stabbed here before," she observed, her fingertips brushing the old scar tissue.
Rell's expression darkened slightly. "Yeah. Also from Snatchers."
"What happened?"
He was quiet for a moment, staring into the fire. "Tried to save someone. Got a dagger in the side when I failed." His voice was matter-of-fact, but she could hear the old pain beneath it. "Nearly killed me. Somehow I lived."
Elora's hands stilled on the bandage. "Who were you trying to save?"
"Just... someone who needed saving." He met her eyes again, and she saw the weight of old failures there. "Someone I couldn't get to in time."
She understood then—the controlled fury she'd seen in him all day, the way he'd moved through the forest like a man possessed. This wasn't just about justice or revenge. It was about all the people he hadn't been able to save.
"Well," she said softly, "you saved someone tonight."
Rell's lips curved in a small, sad smile. "Did I? She ran off the moment you freed her."
"She's alive and free. That's what matters."
Rell pulled his shirt back on, and Elora was surprised by the sharp pang of disappointment she felt watching the fabric cover hischest and shoulders. She quickly pushed the feeling aside, focusing instead on packing away her remaining supplies.
Already she could see his strength returning, and with it came his typical way of burying pain beneath humor and action. He stood carefully, testing his balance, then began moving around the camp with purpose.
"Might as well see what these bastards were hoarding."
He rifled through their belongings. There was a tent pitched near the fire with a bedroll inside that looked relatively clean. Sacks of food were stacked nearby—dried meat, hard bread, and bottles of what smelled like cheap alcohol.
"Look at this," Rell called, gesturing toward where the horses had been tethered. One still remained, a sturdy-looking mare that eyed them warily but didn't bolt. "The detour was worth it just for this. We can ride the rest of the way instead of walking."
Elora shifted uncomfortably as she watched him settle into the camp like he was taking ownership of it. "Shouldn't we leave? What if more of them show up?"
Rell shook his head, uncorking one of the bottles and taking a cautious sniff. "I've never seen a group larger than ten, and we already killed their friends yesterday. Trust me, we got all of them."
Despite his confidence, Elora felt the familiar pull of her other form. She shocked herself by giving in to it, letting the change wash over her as her senses sharpened. Her hearing became acute, able to pick up sounds from much farther away. If anyone was approaching through the woods, she'd know.
She settled by the fire in her shifted form, golden-ringed eyes scanning the tree line. Rell glanced at her but didn't comment, instead rummaging through the food supplies.
"Here," he said, tossing her a piece of dried meat. "You must be hungry after all that."
Elora caught it. "Thanks."
Rell sat across from her, his own piece of meat in hand. "You were amazing back there, you know."
Heat rose to Elora's cheeks. "You're the one who actually killed them."
