Pushing onward was out of the question, so they decided to rest until the first light of dawn. They distanced themselves as much as they could from the site of the battle and managed an exhausting climb up a tall tree. There, at least, they’d be safe. Laio examined his friend’s wound with a careful eye. “I can disinfect it, if you’d like,” he proposed hesitantly. Nihal raised her eyebrows at him. “And how would you do that?” “I’ll show you.” From the pouch hanging at his waist, he pulled out a few leaves and began to chew them. Then he took the moistened wad from his mouth and spread it over Nihal’s shoulder. “It’s only a scratch, but at least this way it won’t get infected. I worked for a little while as a kitchen boy at a tavern, and the woman who owned it knew all about the different properties of herbs. She taught me a few things.” When he’d finished, Laio leaned back on the tree trunk and closed his eyes, exhausted. Nihal did the same, though she was still plagued by one, insistent thought.
