Raven Girl

Chapter 13

While Regina vomited somewhere in the bushes and tried to scrub Easfallian blood from her hands, Nadine tried to sort both men out. Firstly she bound Elias's wound as tightly as she could – they'd need to get him to a doctor – and then she turned to Gylfi. Worried he was bleeding somewhere beneath many layers of clothing, she worked them off and went in search of blood.

To her dismay, his eyes opened with her body over his, and she sensed rather than saw his face crack into a malicious grin.

"You know, you could have just asked, and I'd have said yes."

"Shut up." Nadine hit him on the shoulder, reeling back. She sat on her haunches and glared, trying not to stare too much at his muscled torso. Honestly, Elias's sculpted body was bad enough. "I'm looking for wounds."

"Find any?" He lifted his arms and looked down. "Oh. I'm not completely naked. So you managed to restrain yourself, at least a little? I'm impressed."

Nadine turned to look at the fire, trying to hide her blush. She wanted to stab the pirate. Right now. She was going to take a burning stick out of the fire and – "Just tell me, instead. Are you hurt?"

"Nah. I have a headache, though. I could also do with a massage, if you're willing?"

Nadine looked back to see Gylfi wiggling his eyebrows. She threw a sleeping bag over him and grinned at the sound of his muffled protests. At least they were muffled.

Regina returned, and Nadine gave her a withering look. "Thanks for your help."

Gylfi whistled at Regina's still-red hands. "Who've you murdered?"

"Elias. She had to dig his bullet out," Nadine replied.

"Is he...?"

"In bad shape. We need a doctor. He'll die if he stays out here."

"Any chance of finding one without getting our heads lobbed off?"

"Yes," Regina said suddenly. "There's a town, not too far from here, where one of the Kostin family friends lives. He's a rich doctor, and he's extremely loyal. Once he sees me, he'll help. I'll spin him a story."

"Well, there's no chance of us staying here," Gylfi said. "The shrikes will come hunting for us, once they realise what we took."

Nadine spread out the map of Knife's Edge, and the map of Blackthorn. Both looked intricate and difficult to navigate. Two kinds of mazes. She sighed. It was making her head hurt. She put them back in her pack and ordered Gylfi to sleep off his headache or concussion or whatever he had. Regina stayed by the fire to organize their supplies, before climbing to a rock to watch for shrikes. Nadine huddled beside Elias, counting each rattling breath he took.

They needed him. She couldn't let him die now.

They rode to Regina's friend's house the next night. It was a short ride, which was good, as Elias drifted in and out of a stupor. He was loosing more blood by the hour. Nadine let Regina do the talking once they arrived at the grand manor house, and to her relief, the rich middle-aged couple let them in and tended to Elias's wounds. They insisted that Regina, Nadine and Gylfi dine with them. Regina kept up a steady flow of conversation, while Nadine exchanged uncomfortable glances with Gylfi. They felt out of place at the shining mahogany table with its crystal centerpieces, although the food was divine – rassolnik, which was a soup made from pickled cucumbers, pearl barley, and beef kidneys, followed by lymonnyk, a lemon pie. They tried to eat as slowly and as dignified as possible, but Nadine struggled. Her stomach was aching from hunger.

She knew the doctor and his wife kept staring at her and Gylfi – they were so obviously commoners – and hoped Regina would be able to smooth things out enough that they wouldn't get too suspicious, or contact Kostin. She excused herself early, and made her way up the stairs to look for Elias's room.