Darkthaw by Kate A. Boorman

get you to use the rifles?”
    â€œHe say he has wooden bow for us. It was—
comment on dit?
—exchange.”

“YOU JUST STAY RESTING,” I SAY TO NISHWA, laying my hand on his shoulder and squeezing. Matisa looks over her shoulder from the fire, where she is stirring a pot of tea. Once we got the bleeding stopped with my paste of spruce gum and yarrow, I gave Nishwa some of the tincture Matisa made for my foot, hoping it would dull the pain. The bandage looks good, but he lies on his back with his eyes closed, his face an unnatural white. I place the tincture vessel next to his slack hand.
    Matisa nods her thanks. “We will make you more, Em.”
    A pang of guilt hits that she’s thanking me at all. I leave Kane with Nishwa and step away, taking deep breaths. Isi paces around the outskirts of our makeshift resting spot. The rest of the group have ventured farther down the rise to unpack provisions for the midday meal. I can tell no one’s sure how settled they should get. Nobody’s talked about moving on or setting up camp yet.
    Charlie sits with his family, watching on. He gave hismost precious implement to help save Nishwa’s leg. Still can’t quite believe it.
    â€œNishwa needs better medicine,” Isi’s voice breaks into my thoughts. I start and turn, find him standing with his arms crossed. “That trap must have broken his leg.”
    â€œCouldn’t feel anything out of place,” I say.
    â€œBreaks can be difficult to find,” Isi replies with a shrug.
    We look over to where Nishwa lies. Kane is checking his forehead for fever. He notices us looking on, hops up, and joins us. “He’ll need time to heal.”
    â€œI’m pretty sure if there were a bone to set, I’d have found it,” I say to Isi.
    Isi waves me off. “He needs to see our
âstehowew
—it means healer.”
    â€œI know what it means, and I know how to take care of wounds,” I say.
    â€œThis is not about you!” Isi snaps.
    Anger surges through me. “You sure about that? Because all you’re doing is pointing out where I’ve failed!”
    â€œEasy, Em!” Kane says.
    Isi’s face goes dark. He spins and stalks away.
    Kane crosses his arms. “What was that about?” The curve of his brow is cleft with a deep line, and his eyes are troubled.
    â€œJust standing up for myself,” I say.
    â€œIsi wasn’t saying you were responsible.”
    â€œI
am
responsible. I’m the reason we’re headed for that crossing, the reason we passed through these particular woods in the first place.”
    â€œEm—”
    â€œNishwa had to give up his horse for Charlie’s family orhe wouldn’t have been on foot. And now Isi’s sure I haven’t healed him proper.”
    â€œHe’s just worried.”
    I look down. Pull my arms close around my body. “It’s just—” I force the words out. “Isi’s right: Nishwa needs to go back.” As much as I want to believe I’ve helped his leg, I know he won’t be better tomorrow. Or the next day.
    Kane nods.
    We look at each other.
    â€œSo we leave Charlie and his family.” But as I say the words, I feel sick. I wrap my arms tighter around myself.
    Kane’s forehead creases.
    â€œIt’s only another day. If they just follow the river . . .” I trail off. Can’t be sure they’ll make it. But I can’t ask Matisa to keep going this route. She’s done so much for us already.
    â€œEm,” he says. “My ma—she’s skittered.”
    I nod. Can understand that. “All right. So we’ll press on—”
    â€œNo,” Kane cuts me off. “For a while now she’s been talking about what the mapmaker said. About the rogue types out here—the people who can’t be trusted. Whoever laid that trap must be nearby.”
    For a while
. I think about seeing the