After I blinked in shock, I realized I was still stuck. But when I looked down, the opening was wider, and I pulled my right hand and knife out of the tree.
While he had distracted me, drawn himself up against me, his left hand must have been at work, perhaps with one of his knives, to set me free.
30
NOW: NAME
We had stayed up half the night, sitting in the wagon, grinding the moss into paste, and putting it into tins. Ilsit and Tessa then distributed it. As I had already been caught by the Vyggian collecting mother’s moss, we decided it would be better if they took over this part of the criminal undertaking. The Vyggian aside, we had to proceed with caution for other reasons. Ilsit complained of Gerard’s having ridden by our wagon more than once and Tessa agreed, saying that Bertram had watched her walk to and from the bread lines on many nights.
In the morning, I took our waste bucket to the daily latrine dug by the lowest-ranking Perpatanian soldiers. I was early in my pursuit and the only person at the ditch. As I poured piss from at least three of us into the latrine, I heard his voice over the slap of the liquid in the dirt.
“Shall we call a truce, midwife?”
I turned, half-lurching towards where he stood just behind me, droplets of piss flying at his knees from my abrupt spin.
Still poised, he took a step back, that placid look fixed on his features, his eye on me assessing but not quite alert, as if he had madeup his mind about me and no longer had a need for that relentless scrutiny.
I found myself strangely disappointed. “What does a truce look like?” I asked. “If it means you will finally leave me alone, I readily agree.”
The Vyggian took his first and middle fingers and looped them into the neckline of his hooded jerkin, pulling the hood tighter around his head now tilted to one side. “I mean that I will not pursue you so ruthlessly. I mean that I will trust you if you will trust me.” He gave me one of his careless little smiles.
“I have no choice,” I said. “I have to trust you.”
“And I you,” he countered.
We stood staring at each other.
“Does my brother try his luck out on you, madam?” said the Vyggian with the braid, striding into view and clapping his brother on the shoulder. “He’s surprisingly good with women, but I sense not with you.” He grinned at me and then flicked his eyes to the one-eyed man, who stood completely still.
“Good morning,” I said rather stiffly and made to walk past them back to our wagon.
“Hold on,” said the long-haired Vyggian, stepping towards me.
I paused.
“My brother means no harm,” he continued, sidling up to me. “He may have gotten a bit rusty in his ability to woo. It has been a while since I’ve seen him chase a woman. Would you say that is so, Reed?”
A name, I thought.
“Keir,” answered the one-eyed man, his stance growing even more relaxed. “You assume so much. I wouldn’t try my luck with a viper even if it was a particularly beautiful serpent.”
I scoffed, looking past the braided Vyggian and saying, “You call me viper? You are marked twice with the shape of a snake and I only once.”
Keir snorted. “Such mean language, man.”
“What foul language is Reed using?” came another voice.
I turned towards the camp to find the tall lady and the big Helmsman striding towards us. I tried not to flinch as they both looked me up and down.
“He insinuated that this poor woman had the bite of a serpent. A viper,” said Keir. “And meanwhile, she is the only healer on this whole damn caravan.”
“Fool,” said the Helmsman, but there was warmth in his voice.
Reed finally took his eye from me and flicked it to the big man.
“There are two physicians with the army,” I said.
The lady huffed. “Oh forgive me, madam. They’re only good for stitching up a cut. And they’d as soon cut your whole limb off first. Grim, the lot of them. Thinking their god is punishing anyone with a sprained ankle.”
