“It’s alright, we all have to learn at some point.”
“What is it with you two and your endless bickering, anyway?”
“Honestly, Idon’tknow. Idon’tthink she does, either. I just know she gets under my skin like nobody else ever has,” he explained, then sighed.
“Well, try to keep it together, please. For mineandEzra’s sake.”
Rayven agreed, and I began inspecting the extent of Ezra’s wounds.
And Stars, were theybad.
The burns were all at least a second degree, and the bruises were varying shades of purple and blue across his creamy skin. His skin had split in multiple places,likely onimpact, but Icouldn’tbring myself to think any further on how thishadall come to be.
Soon enough, Matea returned with a bucket of cool water. Taking a small cloth from thetrokavkit, I got to work cleaning Ezra’s wounds.
“Could you hand me a cloth, too, Drayven?” Matea asked. Her tone sounded calmer now, which I appreciated.
“I need pretty much all of them, Matea,” I warned.
“I’m going to cleanyourwound, little sister,” she said, and I could tell this was a hill she was willing to die on.
Sighing, I knew my wing needed it, so I nodded slightly to Rayven, who then handed a cloth to Matea.
“Only one,” I said firmly.
With that, we set to work cleaning wounds. I even assigned Rayven to sit on Ezra’s other side and clean what he could over there, just to make things go by a little faster.
I did my best not to flinch each time Matea’s cloth touched my wing, but the pain was doing its best to bubble up out of that deep spotI’dpushed it down into. But if it escaped, so would my complicated emotions, and we simplydidn’thave time for me to process all of that.
SoI pushed it all down further and got to work.
Rayvendidn’thave any formaltrokavtraining, but I soon learned that Matea knew a thing or two. I knew she was a plant wielder,but apparently, Billie—our shared grandmother—had trained as atrokavfor a while, and taught Matea what she knew.I’dspent enough time with Hugo growing up whenever I was bored—which was often—that I knew the basics, too.
Aftershe’dfinished tearing small strips of her cloak to wrap mywing with, she insisted on helping me with Ezra. We fell into arhythm of sprouting small herbs, using thingsfrom the kit Chesshad givenme, and doing our best to apply our combined knowledge to the unconscious male before us.
We ebbed and flowed well together, and soon enough,we’ddone all we could for Ezra.
I still wished I could’ve done more.
Now, Ezrahadvarying bandages and wraps made from strips of our clothing tied around him and his wounds. By morning, he should bealrightenough to discard some of the wraps.
“I’ll keepwatch,” Rayven offered. Before I could object, he added, “Please. Iwon’tbe able to sleep, anyway.”
I watched as his gaze slid over to his friend’s unconscious form, and I understood. I was worried about Ezra, too.
He may heal physically, but how was he besides that?
Only time would tell.
“Alright,” I said, nodding. “Thank you.”
Itdidn’ttake long after that for Matea and me to find a dry section of the stable and a bed of hay. We curled up next to each other, and with the wing that shedidn’twrap, I covered her shivering form. It was obvious shewasn’taccustomed to the weather here in the mountains.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, and soon afterwards her breathing leveled out in a way where I knewshe’dfallen asleep.
I laid on my back for moments afterwards, staring up towards the Stars through a crack in the roof above.
Please get us home safely, I wished to them before I allowed sleep to overpower me.
