There’s no point for you to be exposed to the wound and be reminded of it endlessly.” He shot her a smile. “Better for me to put on the appearance of full health.”
Nora smiled weakly and retrieved his shirt. She helped him pull it over the bad arm, and he winced every time it moved.
“Next, we’re close to Nakusp. I should be able to walk—” He pushed himself up with effort and stood on his two feet. He wavered for a second before catching his balance, then stood straight. “But unfortunately, I won’t be able to run with you.”
“That’s fine,” Nora said. She was more worried about his health than getting to town quickly.
“If I estimate our distance correctly, we should be able to get to Nakusp by nightfall, even with me in my current state. It’ll be good to enter town at that time anyway, to avoid any attention from the townspeople.” Nora nodded in agreement. “Once there, we can find a place of refuge – somewhere we can stay – and I’ll tell you how to get to the archive.”
“What about your arm?”
“We’ll see,” Alexander said. “There are some herbs I know that might stave off the poison – but they won’t rid my body of it completely.”
“Can I find them here?” Nora asked. “Tell me what they look like, and I’ll help you look.”
Alexander shook his head. “No. They’re not indigenous to this forest. The only way to get them is in Nakusp. The native tribes that live there, they have a healing woman – or, they should – and she is usually one skilled with herbs and medicines. You will seek her out for me tomorrow and see what she has.”
“Alright,” Nora nodded, determined to find a way to save him. “I can do that.”
“Now, there’s one more thing we need to address.”
“What’s that?”
“This pack that just attacked us. Since you’re the one who came back, and not Korver’s wife, I assume you were able to best her?” Nora tilted her head in agreement.
In spite of herself, Nora gulped. Korver’s wife was dead , and Nora had taken her blood. What would Korver do when he and his boys found the body? She doubted he would keep his word, then. But she resolved not to say anything about it to Alexander. He had enough to worry about with his shoulder, right now.
“And there is also the issue of our arrival. Or, rather, your control over yourself on our arrival. It will be…difficult…for you to be amongst so many humans, since you haven’t fed yet. We will have to plan your first feeding so it attracts only minimal attention. We will not be able to do it right away, unfortunately. You will struggle, but you have to hold on. If word gets out that a murder occurred in the small community on the day two newcomers arrive, well…it would not bode well for us. It is likely the other Vassiz would quickly hear of it and put two and two together.”
“I can control myself,” Nora promised him. With the newly-taken Vassiz blood pulsing through her veins, with her first feeding out of the way, she should be as immune to the call of human blood as…well, as she ever could be.
“Good,” Alexander sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “I saw Gray behind a tree. You should go tend to him. I do not think he was hurt, only scared.”
Nora nodded. If she had even the slightest concern that Gray was hurt, she would have attended to him a long time ago. But she had an overwhelming certainty within her – somehow – that he was not. And she knew that Alexander was.
They had to get to town quickly, and she would need to seek out the healing woman to attain the herbs…whatever they were. With a bit of luck, she hoped they could stave off the poison’s spread.
Chapter Thirteen
~Abilities~
Nora found Gray peeking out from behind a tree. When he saw her looking at him, he moved forward cautiously. “It’s alright,” she told him, kneeling down. “Nobody’s going to hurt you, anymore.”
As if he understood the
Nora smiled weakly and retrieved his shirt. She helped him pull it over the bad arm, and he winced every time it moved.
“Next, we’re close to Nakusp. I should be able to walk—” He pushed himself up with effort and stood on his two feet. He wavered for a second before catching his balance, then stood straight. “But unfortunately, I won’t be able to run with you.”
“That’s fine,” Nora said. She was more worried about his health than getting to town quickly.
“If I estimate our distance correctly, we should be able to get to Nakusp by nightfall, even with me in my current state. It’ll be good to enter town at that time anyway, to avoid any attention from the townspeople.” Nora nodded in agreement. “Once there, we can find a place of refuge – somewhere we can stay – and I’ll tell you how to get to the archive.”
“What about your arm?”
“We’ll see,” Alexander said. “There are some herbs I know that might stave off the poison – but they won’t rid my body of it completely.”
“Can I find them here?” Nora asked. “Tell me what they look like, and I’ll help you look.”
Alexander shook his head. “No. They’re not indigenous to this forest. The only way to get them is in Nakusp. The native tribes that live there, they have a healing woman – or, they should – and she is usually one skilled with herbs and medicines. You will seek her out for me tomorrow and see what she has.”
“Alright,” Nora nodded, determined to find a way to save him. “I can do that.”
“Now, there’s one more thing we need to address.”
“What’s that?”
“This pack that just attacked us. Since you’re the one who came back, and not Korver’s wife, I assume you were able to best her?” Nora tilted her head in agreement.
In spite of herself, Nora gulped. Korver’s wife was dead , and Nora had taken her blood. What would Korver do when he and his boys found the body? She doubted he would keep his word, then. But she resolved not to say anything about it to Alexander. He had enough to worry about with his shoulder, right now.
“And there is also the issue of our arrival. Or, rather, your control over yourself on our arrival. It will be…difficult…for you to be amongst so many humans, since you haven’t fed yet. We will have to plan your first feeding so it attracts only minimal attention. We will not be able to do it right away, unfortunately. You will struggle, but you have to hold on. If word gets out that a murder occurred in the small community on the day two newcomers arrive, well…it would not bode well for us. It is likely the other Vassiz would quickly hear of it and put two and two together.”
“I can control myself,” Nora promised him. With the newly-taken Vassiz blood pulsing through her veins, with her first feeding out of the way, she should be as immune to the call of human blood as…well, as she ever could be.
“Good,” Alexander sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “I saw Gray behind a tree. You should go tend to him. I do not think he was hurt, only scared.”
Nora nodded. If she had even the slightest concern that Gray was hurt, she would have attended to him a long time ago. But she had an overwhelming certainty within her – somehow – that he was not. And she knew that Alexander was.
They had to get to town quickly, and she would need to seek out the healing woman to attain the herbs…whatever they were. With a bit of luck, she hoped they could stave off the poison’s spread.
Chapter Thirteen
~Abilities~
Nora found Gray peeking out from behind a tree. When he saw her looking at him, he moved forward cautiously. “It’s alright,” she told him, kneeling down. “Nobody’s going to hurt you, anymore.”
As if he understood the
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