2.1

Brylin took the gathering and management of information very seriously. She always liked to personally confirm or disprove rumors when possible, correct misinformation or negative gossip before such things did too much damage to morale or interpersonal relations in the camp, and to promote the sharing of good news or information that might be considered beneficial for the education or positive influencing of people in the camp. She thought of this as being a really important function on par with her roles as mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend to those in her direct sphere of influence. Secondary to her were the jobs she did in coordinating preparation of meals and monitoring the camp's food supplies, planning ration amounts with the Leaders, and organizing those who collected supplies anytime anyone had a chance to hunt, gather, or trade for anything to use in preparing meals. Working with everyone concerned in the food preparation additionally involved dealing with anyone who supplied items needed for preparing food: people who gathered wood for fires, collected water or milked animals, butchers and anyone who made or mended pots, utensils, baskets, barrels, carts, or other sundry items needed.

Brylin happened to be good at organizing all those sorts of things and coordinating with everyone, though it was fair to say she took every advantage from it to gather and manage information. As important as the non-information-gathering tasks were, she wasn't the only person who helped with them, and though many people might think they were among the most important jobs in the camp, Brylin sincerely believed that nothing could be more vital than promoting harmony and cooperation, and that information management in the way she approached it was the best thing she could do towards that goal. That was more or less how she thought of it, even if she didn't actually call it 'information management' and generally didn't go around putting it into words and describing it as being her job in that way when she spoke to people. Some people did put it into words, and they called it 'being a busybody' or other similar terms, and generally saw it as a hobby of hers and not a vocation like she did. A few of the Leaders might have understood what she was about, though they didn't say so. Especially the older ones, who tended to watch quietly and nod knowingly.

Rinna being one of the somewhat younger Leaders (being more middle-aged, not so much older than Brylin herself was) was one who appeared to do a lot of the same kind of information gathering and management as Brylin, though she often seemed far less inclined to share the information she gathered than Brylin was. Brylin often wished Rinna were a bit freer with what she learned, and Rinna was known to regard Brylin as deserving of a reputation as a gossip; still, they more or less each credited the other with having deserved the reputations they'd earned for 'finding out everything' that went on in camp, and there was often something of a feeling of kinship between them on the subject of fact-finding.

Today, however, was a fine example of the difference between their ways rather than their similarities. The whole camp was mostly chattering about two main topics by dinner time: that there was a visitor in camp, and that Hin's children had just returned from fetching water. The bad news was that those youngsters were sick, but the good news was that the visitor in camp had told the Leaders she knew a medicine that could help with the sickness, or might help, or would help, depending on how hopeful the person passing on the gossip sounded. When Brylin saw Rinna, Brylin was with those who were serving dinner and Rinna had just walked back into camp with Aron. Brylin gathered that Aron had been at Faver's work tent and then gone to find Rinna, who had been out gathering herbs with Hin and the visitor. Evidently, Rinna (having heard about Hin's children on her way back with Aron) had discouraged others from going to fetch Hin, assuring everyone that he would be going straight back to the healing tents soon anyway. Most of what Brylin hadn't already heard previously she got from Aron this time, while Rinna was arranging for how many dinners to take back to Faver's work tent with them. Rinna was being irritatingly closed-mouthed about everything else, and surprisingly, even Aron was less chatty than Brylin would have expected him to normally be. He was generally a nice young man, one she had baby sat when he'd been only a little thing like her younger brother, but all she could get him to say about the visitor was her name and that she was 'polite' - as for other matters, Aron did confirm the rumor that Remal was over at Faver's work tent, but wouldn't offer anything more about that except that Remal was 'helping' Faver. There had to be something else to that, because Brylin knew full well that Remal hated helping with that sort of work, but neither Aron nor Rinna seemed at all willing to explain just how Remal was supposed to be 'helping' Faver.

More determined than ever that she needed to make it a priority to meet this visitor for herself sooner rather than later, Brylin added her own dinner to the number of meals to be taken to Faver's work tent, and herself helped Rinna and Aron deliver them. She wasn't sure what the looks were about that Rinna and Aron seemed to exchange over it, but this was one thing that even though they were Leaders, they'd need a really good reason if they wanted to oppose her coming along. Since Faver was her husband, no one ever denied Brylin the right to take dinner to him herself when she saw fit to do so, nor for her to sit and eat her own meals where she might have a chance to see him even if some emergency happened to require him to be working at the time and unable to calmly sit and eat with her. Aside from that, although she hadn't taken up her mother's work and had never officially apprenticed to it, having been raised by the Healer who taught Faver everything he knew (and having learned enough to assist her mother at times) Brylin was not only one of the most qualified midwives in camp but also a capable Healer's assistant for any number of other situations and had been known to help Faver in his work from time to time, especially if he or his apprentices were ever ill or injured. No one had any illusions, however, as to the fact that Brylin frequently took advantage of the fact that next to food preparation and the Leaders' Circle, the Healer's work was central and well-connected to just about everything else that went on in camp and a very good place for her to exercise her fact-finding. She didn't only often bring meals and check whether her help might be needed, but generally would also check whether anything else might be needed that she could arrange for, and thus usually visit regularly and check in on her husband almost any time she saw fit to do so.

While taking the food over, they heard that someone had seen what looked like Remal and Faver fighting just out past the edge of the camp on the other side of the healing tents a short while ago. Not merely having an argument like Brylin might normally expect from such a report, but supposedly it had been an actual fight. For some reason, Aron did not seem surprised, and Rinna shrugged at her. Brylin walked faster - not at a run, since she was carrying a wooden bowl of soup in each hand, but somewhat faster than she had already been at her customarily brisk and businesslike pace. Rinna and Aron fell behind slightly, but kept up well enough that she didn't have much time to survey what she saw upon entering Faver's work tent before the two Leaders came in behind her, set everything they were carrying down on the work table, and muttered something about going to check on their fellow Leaders who were sick. In a moment, they were out again through the other side of the tent.

If Brylin didn't have her hands full, she'd cross her arms, but as it was she tapped her foot on the rush mat and made a loud 'tsk' in a way that she hoped sounded extremely disapproving.

Remal certainly looked like he'd been in a fight. He had a big bruise on one side of his face by his jaw, a split lip, and a bit of a black eye, aside from some other bruises clearly visible since he had his shirt off, sitting on Faver's cot with his legs up on it and covered with a blanket like Faver was going to have him lie down for a rest. As for Faver, at first glance he didn't immediately look to her like he'd been fighting, but then Brylin saw that on his forearms below his rolled-up shirtsleeves it appeared he might have the sort of bruises one might get from blocking a number of punches with them. He looked to be checking a reasonably large bandage (though not so large as to suggest something grave) Faver had probably just put on the backside of Remal's shoulder, wrapped around to hold it in place. A small folding table and a stool nearby were cluttered with various things a Healer would use for stitching and bandaging, and also something that looked like a type of poultice maybe for cuts or small wounds and bruises. On second thought, maybe it was for insect bites, since all the places she could see it had been applied to Remal looked like spots small enough to cover the little bites people had been getting from the marsh flies, and as though it had nothing to do with the bruises he had, nor were any of the poultice applications not-round, as one might expect if applied to a cut or scrape that would cover an area longer than it was wide.

Brylin did not get a satisfactory response to her clear disapproval. Faver had nodded like he normally might when simply acknowledging someone's presence while engrossed in his work and especially if he had nothing to say. Remal on the other hand looked askance at her, avoiding direct eye contact as if he could pretend that he wasn't there by doing so.

With a huff, Brylin set the food she had brought onto the work table by the other dishes, then walked up to stand by Faver - with her arms crossed this time.

"Did you do this?" she asked curtly, with a nod towards Remal.

"Did I stitch this up and bandage it? Yes." Faver replied, punctuating the last word with an abrupt pat to the bandage he'd just finished checking. Remal groaned and shrugged his shoulder. Brylin frowned.

Unintimidated, Faver said "Thank you for bringing dinner, Dear." and kissed Brylin on the cheek, while Remal rolled his eyes and made a show of looking the other way. Faver made a move to hug her, but Brylin instead grabbed one of his arms and held it up like she was showing it to him. He winced like maybe that pulled a sore muscle somewhere, or perhaps he had a worse bruise under his shirt sleeve that she'd put pressure on by grabbing his arm.

She didn't bother to ask now if they'd been fighting like she'd heard, nor even to state that she believed they'd been fighting. She merely looked over Faver's bruised arm and into his eyes, until she saw his expression looking back turn sober - accepting she was serious and wasn't going to laugh this one off.

"So who won?" she asked.

Faver pulled his arm down and started to put away the things he'd had all over the stool and small table, clearing the stool first and inviting Brylin to use it with a simple nod. Remal continued to pretend not to be there. Brylin relocated the stool closer to the work table.

"It doesn't matter either way, does it?" Faver asked. "Aren't you already mad at both of us for fighting? Besides, regardless of who won, you're sure to be disappointed in the loser."

Remal spoke up then, though he still wouldn't look directly at her and instead was examining the back of his arm where he'd had some poultice applied to a few insect bites. From where she now sat, Brylin could see it looked like had plenty more of the same on his back. Just this morning, he'd been talking as though he'd hardly gotten any so far.

"Faver won." Remal said, sounding a little sullen and grudging.

Having some idea of their individual strengths and abilities, Brylin raised an eyebrow at that, but couldn't deny that Remal did look more beat up.

"Remal gave up too easily." Faver said, putting the things for stitching and bandaging into a little cabinet drawer, and rummaging around for something else. Brylin found that difficult to believe, though she knew Faver to be dependably truthful - even if he was occasionally selective about how much he would say about some things.

"It wasn't a fair or serious fight anyway." Faver added. "Remal needs rest and I prescribed him to get some exercise first." He walked the short way across the tent back to Remal, carrying a jar he'd dug out of the drawer.

"Felt serious." Remal muttered, rubbing at the bruised area over his jaw. Brylin didn't think she was meant to have heard it.

"Put this on that." Faver instructed, nudging Remal's arm and passing him the jar. Brylin recognized it as one that was used for a salve that was supposed to help with bruises, among other things.

Faver's explanation of events was not very convincing to Brylin, even without Remal undermining it. It might be factually truthful or at least partially accurate in a way, but Brylin had a feeling this version was only a fraction of the truth. If it was really more than just a form of exercise, if they hadn't simply been sparring but actually fighting about something, that was the main reason for her to disapprove. Of all people, she expected her husband - a Healer - to set an example for peace and cooperation in the camp. Honestly, what were conditions coming to if stress in the camp could make Faver susceptible to being goaded into fighting, even if it was Remal doing the goading? Or, especially then.

Brylin stood back up and folded her arms again, stepping to where she could stare Remal in the face until he actually looked back.

"Anyone would think," she said levelly, "that you were Faver's little brother, instead of mine."

"Near enough." Faver commented from over by his work table. It sounded like he was eating. "Brothers by marriage, anyway."

"Pfft." Remal shrugged, glancing at Faver and back to Brylin, who kept staring at him. "You're not my sister anyway because you act like you think you're a second mother instead."

They might think they were being funny, Brylin did not.

Faver started to say something more, but Brylin held up a hand like she did when she meant that she wasn't finished. Remal always had a bad habit of interrupting and talking back. Seemed he was a bad influence on Faver, though Brylin had always hoped things would run the other way and that Faver (especially being a bit older than Remal) would be the greater influence. Well, Faver was still the better man, and Brylin was used to it by now anyway.

She stalked over to the work table, declaring, "I would make you both go without dinner-" (she stared at Faver pointedly, but he continued eating, unperturbed) then Brylin picked up another bowl with its wooden spoon and walked back to Remal while she finished: "-except you need to eat and keep up your strength."

"But not for fighting!" she added with a pointed glare at Remal before shoving the bowl at him to take. "There's an awful lot of work to be done."

Brylin looked back at Faver, who nodded and agreed with, "Yes, there is."

"You started it anyway." Remal said.

"Oh, you know you were picking fights first." Faver retorted.

How like brothers, to be sticking together one minute and then be against each other the next. If it kept up, Brylin thought that in a few minutes she might be able to get Faver to tell her what it really was all about. Remal surely wouldn't ever, but Faver might. She hadn't finished what she had to say about the fighting anyway.

"You're setting a terrible example for the children, you know. I've seen a number of them fighting over the past few days, and just yesterday I even caught Nina fighting with some of the others her age!"

Remal pointed his wooden spoon at Brylin. "Nina doesn't fight with the other kids. They're just practicing."

"As long as it's not in anger with harmful intent," Faver said, "it's not unreasonable if they spar to learn self-defense skills, now is it?"

Back to sticking together. Brylin glared at Faver. "Will you still say that when your own daughter is in here with broken bones that you have to set?"

"There are worse things that could happen." Remal commented. For a moment, Brylin was surprised that it almost sounded like he had switched sides to back her up, but the next thing he said made it clear that he intended nothing of the sort. "These are dangerous times. The earlier the kids start learning to protect themselves, the better."

Brylin huffed, exasperated, and crossed her arms again. "The whole point of us packing up and traveling through one cursed place after another is so we can find a peaceful new home where the children will be safe! Where they won't have to fight for their lives or to keep their food, where they can grow up without starving or living in constant fear of attack!"

She'd been glaring at Remal while she spoke, not noticing that Faver had walked over until he put his arms around her. "I know, Dear." He hugged her tight and kissed her cheek. "We'll find it… but we aren't there yet."

"No one can say how long it might take to find such a place." Remal insisted stubbornly.

"Well, then…" Brylin said, just as stubbornly, "none of the children should be encouraged to spar unsupervised. I think we should talk to Hin and the Leaders about having some of our best fighters teach classes. Not you. Someone who really would teach more about defense than attacking."

"Wouldn't wanna teach a bunch of kids anyway." Remal muttered into his food.

Faver nodded at what Brylin said, but couldn't help chuckling at Remal.

"You shouldn't encourage him." Brylin scolded.

Faver kissed her on the cheek again. "I really don't, you know."

"Do I know that?" Brylin asked dubiously, then addressed herself to Remal again. "Why are you here, anyway? You surely didn't come to get your shoulder treated unless it was something worse than it would appear by the size of the bandage." Not expecting any reasonable answer from him, she immediately turned to interrogate Faver. "Was that something that was left untreated long enough to get badly infected? Has it made him sick, or is he catching-"

"Let someone else get a word in if you want an answer." Remal interrupted, rudely.

"He's alright." Faver said evenly. "He's not sick and the shoulder's hardly more than a scratch, but he does need rest, like I said. He's been working hard, and not sleeping much at all. Since I'm making him stay here where I can make sure he rests, I'm testing a new poultice on him so I can see how well it works on a… relatively healthy, active sort of person who is neither old nor a child, and has not yet gotten sick. I wouldn't want to ask anyone to skip out on their work for it, and the Leaders prefer I don't test it first on anyone doing Healing work."

Brylin pursed her lips, and gave her husband a light slap on the arm, almost like how she might smack a naughty puppy on the nose. He really did encourage Remal sometimes. Her younger brother had such an infuriatingly uncommunicative way of handling things - or, rather, of not handling them, and instead avoiding dealing with the kinds of things that worried their Mother most. He didn't take care of himself like he should, and even when he actually did go to Faver for any sort of treatment, he would get Faver to keep quiet about it instead of telling his family. Brylin's inclusion of fact-finding about her little brother's state of health in her frequent visits to the Healer's work tent was a deliberately calculated countermeasure against Remal's childishly stubborn insistence on never telling her nor their Mother anything important. She had a duty to keep Mother informed as best she could, no matter how much Remal might try to prevent it - especially seeing as he wasn't doing his own duty as a son because he wasn't keeping Mother informed himself.

"So you both thought it was fine to go ahead without bothering to tell me or Mother? Especially Mother, you know she worries."

Remal started to sputter and protest, but Faver stepped up to him immediately and put a hand over his mouth. "Don't you start again!" Faver ordered sternly. Remal glared.

A little surprised at the sudden fierceness Faver directed at Remal instead of giving her some kind of lighthearted and unconvincing excuse, Brylin folded her arms again and waited as Faver next held up a hand to indicate to her that he had something to say he considered important. She wanted to hear it, especially if he was going to give some answers and prevent Remal from interrupting. She'd rather have Faver's version of things anyway.

Faver folded his arms as well, taking up a stubborn stance and a businesslike tone.

"Remal is fine. He's not sick, and if I thought there was even any chance of real harm to him, I would have said so first, but as things are I thought it best to not delay. It's important that I test this right away. The Leaders agree. Now, this is where I work! I can't have people arguing here all day and night, interfering with my work and my patients' rest. It makes everyone more anxious and people literally lose sleep over it when they hear a bunch of shouting, so I can't have you two start anything like that here. Remal thinks you're too bossy, you think he doesn't listen, but if you two want to fight about it, do it on another day when I don't need him here and when you can take it out away from everyone else.  I've already asked Remal to stop griping at others over the same old things, and I'm asking you to also avoid involving other people in your complaints with each other. Most of all, though, I'm not having it in here, alright? Also, as I said before, Remal needs to rest, so I'd appreciate you leaving him be for a while."

Faver put an arm around Brylin and steered her back towards the stool to sit on. She didn't like for anyone to tell her what to do, even him… but it wasn't unreasonable for Faver to take control of his work space, and she respected him for having enough backbone to do so.

"Besides," Faver added, "none of us have finished eating, and as you said before, we all need our strength. You too." He passed her a bowl and took up his own, clearly intending she eat instead of talking any more.

Brylin saw Remal watching, and knew that if she tried to say much of anything at this point, her brother would insist on having his say also. Well, at the moment, nothing was more important than Faver's work, so for now she'd do as he wished. Anyway, she had already gotten answers to a couple of the important questions she'd had. The rest could wait until she actually met this visitor called Emri who was supposedly helping out here today.

"All right, we'll discuss it later." Meaning not only that she'd talk to Remal some other time like Faver suggested, but also that she intended to have a talk with Faver about these things later as well. She hoped her husband understood that from the look she gave him.

They hadn't been eating for long when Nina showed up. Brylin and Faver's only child - the only one to have survived past infancy, though Brylin didn't like thinking about that - Nina was much doted on, being also now the only grandchild of Brylin's mother, and a favorite of her only surviving uncle. She was an energetic child of nine years, and though both her parents were on the taller side of average height, she didn't appear to be following them in that. Not so far, anyway. Her mother worried that maybe the plain unvaried diet and careful rations they all had been keeping to for the past several months might be holding back her growth, but Faver insisted that since Nina wasn't really shorter than the average height for children her age, there was no need to worry. He thought she would have significant growth spurts later on.

Brylin suspected that Nina had come for some of the same reasons that she herself had, more or less; curiosity about there being a visitor in camp helping Faver, and one rumor or another about Remal being there.

"Nina, how's my favorite short person?" Remal greeted her as if everything were completely normal.

"Good…" Nina replied, obviously not convinced by his nonchalant tone. She walked up and poked at a large, obvious bruise on his arm. "Uncle Rem, are you alright?"

"Sure. I'm just here helping your dad out." He elbowed her lightly in the ribs. "What are you doing?"

"Didn't I send you to eat dinner with Grandma?" Brylin questioned.

"I already finished eating, and Grandma said for me not to wait for her to finish, but come back later for the dinner things."

"How is Grandma?" Faver said, and patted Brylin on the arm. She decided to let it be for now. Nina could stay as long as she herself was there… as long as the men didn't start condoning violence. She did sometimes worry that Remal might be a bad influence on Nina in that respect, but lately she and Faver had considered that Nina tended to be more of a good influence on Remal. There seemed to be so few people anymore that he actually got along with and would treat like friends, that they were glad for his sake that he was still friends with his niece.

"She's alright." Nina answered Faver. "Eating well, but slow like always." She turned abruptly back to Remal, poking him in the arm again despite his protests. Brylin figured he deserved it anyway.

"You look like you got in a fight." Nina said. Brylin didn't know if Nina had actually heard about it yet or not. She shot Remal a warning glance.

"Yeah." Remal said, then coughed dryly when he noticed Brylin glaring. "With a mean old bear."

"A bear?" Nina said doubtfully. "Did you get hurt much?" She poked at the bandaging on his shoulder.

"Not really." Remal said, leaning away from Nina and using his spoon to fend off further poking.

Brylin heard a cough from Faver, and looked to see he was clearly trying not to laugh.

"Did you teach him a lesson?" Nina asked, stealing the spoon out of Remal's hand when he looked over at Faver.

Remal, acting more surprised than Brylin expected, made a show of trying to get the spoon back - but she suspected he wasn't trying very hard, letting Nina wave it at him and pull it out of reach over and again.

"You know," he said, grabbing at where the spoon had been an instant after it was pulled away, "this time it was the bear doing the teaching, but I'll get him back later."

"Can I watch?" Nina asked, now poking him with the spoon.

"Probably not." Remal held up his bowl as if it were a shield to fend off the spoon, and Brylin sincerely hoped he'd finished eating so there wouldn't be anything left to spill on the blanket.

1.7

One of the larger ox carts was there, pulled up next to the tent. A few of the adults who would have been working nearby were helping a couple of teenage boys down from the cart, while some of those who had been tending the sick made up a couple of places for the boys to lay down. The boys were Hallen and Zaneth, Hin's oldest two. Their younger sister Safia, a girl about the same age as Acker or maybe younger, was sitting up in the front of the cart holding the reins for the oxen. The three of them had left the day before to fetch water from farther down the river. If they had succeeded, the barrels on the back of the cart should be filled with water which the camp desperately needed. Now was not the time to think much about it, but Remal saw a couple of people unloading a barrel which was probably to be left there by the tents of the sick.

Faver lost no time in assigning Acker and Remal to see to the boys, while he went to check on their sister. She had been helped down and someone had taken hold of the oxen, but Safia didn't let go of the reins until someone else took them out of her shaking hands and reassured her that they would take the cart where it needed to go. Faver tried to ask Safia how she was feeling and if she had any symptoms of being sick, but instead of answering she asked where her parents were. One of Faver's helpers told Safia that someone had gone to fetch her mother. Faver said her father would be back soon.

Remal and the people who had got the boys down from the cart had helped them sit down. The boys were clearly very dizzy as well as nauseous. One of the things Acker had brought was supposed to help with that, if they could keep it down long enough. He started to give each of them a spoonful, while Remal looked over to see the cart being driven away and Safia looking at them.

"Pa isn't back yet?" she asked, while Faver checked her pulse. She probably expected that Hin and Remal had gone scouting together, as was usually the case.

Faver spoke in a reassuring tone. "He went back out just for a little while. He's getting some things to help me. Now, look here and let me see how straight you stand. Breathe deep and look that way, then the other way." Remal figured that since she hadn't answered Faver's questions so far, he was looking to see if Safia would appear to be getting dizzy or disoriented as well as making sure her breathing was normal and looking for whatever else might be significant to him.

Acker poked at Remal's arm to get his attention, and tugged down on his shirt to get him to kneel by the sick boys. Handing him the cloth and pushing the bucket of water nearer, Acker pointed for Remal to wash the boys off while he helped them out of their dirty vomit-stained shirts and put another bucket between the brothers.

Remal could hear Faver trying to ask Safia how many times she had been bitten by the marsh flies, but instead of giving a clear answer she started describing how she had finished filling up the last two barrels using a bucket to go back and forth from the cart and the riverbank because her brothers had gotten too unsteady to fill and move the water barrels. She had only gone with them to tend the oxen while they filled the barrels, but they hadn't been able to finish their work.

Faver reassured her that she had done well to get them all back to camp, and that they would take good care of her brothers.

"You don't seem to have a fever," he said, "does your head hurt? Here, drink some of this."

"What's that?"

"It's water with some nutrients. Now, how do you feel?"

"Okay, maybe? That doesn't taste good."

"It's good for you though. Do you hurt anywhere? Do you think you could eat something? How's your head?"

"Just a little… fuzzy."

"Alright, sit down here for a little while and rest. Here, Nathley, hand this bottle to Acker for the boys, then run get something for Safia to eat."

Remal wasn't sure how long Nathley had been standing by. She passed the bottle to Acker with a cup, and he immediately handed the cup to Remal to hold while he poured some of the solution out. So far the boys seemed to be keeping down what Acker gave them first, so maybe they could stomach this stuff. Remal guessed that if they couldn't, then he'd be washing them off again. Nathley, about eighteen and a couple of years older than Hallen and Zaneth, stood watching until Faver called to her again.

"Nathley! Run get something for Safia. Hopefully something like a fatty bit of mutton with some biscuits or that darrowroot people have been doing up boiled and roasted."

"They roasted then boiled some earlier." Nathley said slowly. "I think they put it in a stew with the fatty pieces of mutton."

"Even better." Faver declared. "Get some of that with plenty of broth and whatever kind of juice you can find. Go on, quick!"

Finally, Nathley took off, running like she was trying to make up for the time she'd spent dawdling. She was a nice girl, but really a muddle-headed daydreamer type. Pretty, though.

A scuffle and a yell caught Remal's attention, and he looked the other way to see Hin's wife Eloisa crying: "Oh, my babies!" She apparently had stopped short after running to get there, but wasn't too breathless to have yelled.

"Be still the ground under my feet." She intoned, and hurried over to hug her daughter and kiss her cheek. "My sweet girl! I shouldn't have let you go with your brothers! If-"

Faver interrupted, saying: "She brought them back. Otherwise the oxen might have wandered quite a ways before either making it back or being found by someone else. She's fine for now. The boys would be sick from when they fetched water closer to the marshes a few days ago. Most of their bites look that old. Safia wasn't with them then, was she? I don't see any marsh fly bites on her. Has she been bitten at all, or more than once or twice?"

Acker poked Remal's arm again, so he turned back and didn't see whether Eloisa nodded or made a sign in answer, but while he looked to see what Acker wanted, he heard her asking, "Are you really sure she isn't catching sick? And the boys, are they- I mean, how badly-" Eloisa sounded like she didn't want to know yet, but was making herself ask anyway.

Remal and Acker had poured the water over the cloth into the other bucket instead of dirtying all the water by dipping the cloth in it. The bucket was still perhaps barely a third full, and Acker gestured to Remal to refill it from the barrel that had just been left not far off. Meanwhile, Acker had Hallen and Zaneth lay down while he checked them over some more.

While he refilled the bucket, Remal could still hear what Faver was saying. "The boys aren't badly off. They need their rest and it may be awhile before they should try to eat something, but we'll have them take some broth after a bit. Nathley's gone to fetch dinner for Safia. When she gets back, send her to fetch broth for the boys but let Acker say when it's been enough time for them to try it. Safia may be a bit dazed, but looks to only be suffering from fatigue and stress. See that she takes as much fluids as possible, and have her eat some of the mutton and root even if she's not feeling hungry. I'd like her to stay here where Acker can keep an eye on her and the boys together, until I come back to check on them a little later. Don't worry too much about them just now, and let them try to sleep after they've had dinner."

Bringing the bucket of water back, Remal saw Eloisa still hugging Safia tight like she didn't intend to let go anytime soon. Faver patted her arm reassuringly while briefly looking to Acker, who was nodding in a way that suggested he'd follow what Faver said he should do.

"How can I not worry?" Eloisa said. "Everyone-"

Looking at Safia and her mother again, Faver briefly patted the girl on the head. "Hallen and Zaneth have only just started showing symptoms between yesterday and today. They aren't badly off and are doing well so far. We're working on a new treatment, but it's too soon to be giving it to everyone but the most desperately urgent cases. Really, don't worry overmuch. We'll find something to help them."

Acker shook his head disparagingly at Remal for sloshing the water a little when he set the bucket down, and moreover had changed his mind a couple of times already about where he wanted it to be placed. Remal had already set it down and picked it up and put it down again, and wasn't going to keep moving it indefinitely.

Acker might be Faver's apprentice, and Remal was only helping, but he didn't like having the boy tell him what to do, especially when he did so with such a curt manner even though he didn't say a word.

"I'm not moving it again!" Remal asserted, standing up straight and crossing his arms. Acker shrugged.

Before Remal could say something more, he was poked hard on the back of the shoulder right in the middle of where Faver had stitched it. Surprised, Remal turned around quickly to see Faver standing there and looking at him sternly.

"Acker, keep an eye on these three for me and give Safia some of that arpin tonic if she needs it, or if-" Here Faver nodded towards the boys, and Acker nodded dutifully back.

Then Faver slapped the bandaged spot on Remal's shoulder, hard.

"You come with me." He ordered, and started walking briskly out of camp, but to the side that was just beyond view of the people they were leaving behind, and where most of the sick tents blocked the view from the nearest part of camp. He walked faster to stay ahead every time Remal sped up to keep pace with him.

"What are you trying to do?" Remal asked irritably, rubbing the sore spot on his shoulder. "You just patched that up, why do you keep messing with it?"

"To get your attention, since you've been acting incredibly unobservant today. That's not like you, and I need to know if it's a side effect or if it's because you're angry and tired. I've heard from Hin that you haven't been getting much sleep, and watching you today I suspect you've barely been getting enough to stay awake. You must realize we need you to be at your best, and right now you are not."

"I am!" Remal insisted angrily, running to get ahead of Faver and stop him with a shove to the chest. "I'm one of the best! How-"

"You're not. Not when you're being as erratic as you have been."

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" Remal took a threatening stance.

"Yes." Faver declared, standing oppositionally.

"What?" Remal was even more surprised than he'd been earlier. Faver appeared quite serious, though Remal wasn't sure if he was as angry as he had been when shouting at him before.

"You don't pay attention and notice all the things you normally would when you're all worked up and mad at everyone. Do you think Hin would do something like that? You've built up too much aggression. Take some of it out on me, instead of trying to fight someone like Aron."

"You don't really want to fight me, and-" Remal didn't want to have everyone else come after him for it if he injured Faver, but he wasn't sure how to say that without either sounding like a coward or a braggart. He was sure Faver wouldn't have a chance if he fought him seriously.

"When I said we'd deal with with things after helping those kids, I meant this. I bet I'll win, too. Your reaction time is probably impaired. Let me see how much."

"There's no way-"

Faver interrupted him with a fist to the face that made Remal bite his tongue hard.

"Why you-" Remal stopped to dodge a second hit, wiping his mouth.

"Barely." Faver declared, readjusting his stance. "You're sloppy. I think your focus and perception are impaired too. And you're all talk today, aren't you?"

"You've done all the talking!" Remal shouted, and slugged Faver almost as hard as he could in the arm. Then Faver sidestepped Remal's next few attempts and landed another hit to Remal's face and one to the gut.

That hurt, but it wasn't like sparring with Hin, who hit a lot harder. Hin was an older and more experienced fighter than Remal, still in excellent shape, and significantly stronger than him. Remal was fairly strong for not being as large a man as Hin, and he was certainly stronger than Faver. That wouldn't count for much if he couldn't land another punch, though. Faver was faster, but Remal didn't think he should be as fast as he seemed to be today. It was irritating, especially with Faver saying he was slow. Remal managed to hit him around the middle and the side, but then missed a few more times while Faver hit him twice as much in return. Annoyed, Remal swung harder but missed again. Having put himself off-balance, Faver's next jab to Remal's shoulder knocked him on his back.

"I told you, you're a mess." Faver taunted. "Your reaction time should be a lot better than this. I've seen you do better and I'd expect better, but I already decided I can't expect much from you today."

"Shut up!" Remal shouted, and while pretending that he was going to get back up he instead grabbed Faver's leg and tripped him. Faver fell hard, and while he was stunned a moment, Remal tackled him. He was sure Faver couldn't beat him at wrestling, even today. Before too long, Remal got him in a headlock. However, where Remal had one hand holding his opposite arm, Faver got a thumb under and pinched a nerve so hard it startled Remal into loosening his grip a little. Faver took advantage and pulled Remal's arm away enough to reach around and jab him where his shoulder was injured, then twisted that arm around behind Remal's back with a knee in the shoulder. Right where it hurt most.

"Not bad." Remal grunted. It was as close as he was going to get to conceding.

"You know, if you lock your hands together it might be harder for someone to get to a pressure point like that."

"You're going to have to fix my shoulder up again." Remal spit on the ground. His tongue was still bleeding where he'd bit it.

"I know. Let me see." Faver removed his knee and Remal felt him poke around that spot under the shirt to check the stitches he'd made. It felt like they might have torn loose, but Remal couldn't be sure.

 He tried to literally shrug off a twinge in that shoulder. "Mind if I get up? I could get you back instead, but I don't want everyone to be mad if I seriously injured you."

Faver stood up and gave Remal a hand. "As if you could the way you are today. You didn't, in any case." Whatever he said, though, he winced and rubbed his side while pulling Remal up, and afterwards stretched his own shoulder.

"Sure." Remal mumbled, rubbing his jaw. "You must have been practicing lately."

"Some lessons with Hin." Faver grabbed Remal's arm and pulled him along the way back to his work tent.

"That explains it." Remal shook his arm free to suggest he didn't need to be dragged, and walked with Faver.

Faver didn't miss a step. "Might have taught him a thing or two as well."

"I doubt it."

"I doubt you. You need to get more rest or you'll be practically useless, you understand? You should fight well enough to not need tips from me, and if you really were at your best, you probably wouldn't have let what I did give you pause."

Remal huffed and crossed his arms, but still walked with Faver to his work tent.

1.6

Remal was thinking of something sarcastic to reply, when Faver answered first.

“She went back out with Hin to gather more herbs. Rinna went with them to also learn how to find the plants.”

Aron looked askance at Remal. “More likely Rinna went along because Remal stayed here.” He then looked straight at Remal and added: “You didn’t go with them because…?”

Remal did not appreciate any expectation that two different people might demand he be in two different places at once, even if Aron wasn’t entirely serious and only teasing Remal like he always did.

“I tried to do that,” Remal said in an attempt to sound nonchalant, “but everyone demanded I stay here like Faver wanted.”

Faver retorted with: “It’s your own fault that you insisted the medicines be tested on you.”

Aron grinned in that annoying way he had whenever he found something funny at Remal’s expense. Remal rolled his eyes at him while Faver continued.

“Since I’ve got you here until I’m satisfied that I’ve had enough time to observe you for potential side effects, I ought to check the rest of you over for insect bites and to see if you have any more injuries that you’ve been hiding no matter how minor you want to pretend they are.”

Remal glared at him, but he knew there would be no arguing against it. If he tried to get away now, he wouldn’t only annoy Faver - it would cause a fuss with everyone else as well, and a lot more trouble for him.

“That’s fine for now.” Aron declared. “Though it would be appreciated, Faver, if you would keep Remal around until the Leaders’ Circle decides how long to let Emri stay. When she gets back, whether she is helping you here or if you go with her to collect more plants, drag Remal along even when you don’t need to observe him directly anymore. The Leaders would like you to have him help with anything you assign for Emri to do, whether it’s here or out gathering plants, fetching water or anything else.”

“I don’t like it.” Faver said.

From the look on his face, Remal guessed Faver didn’t appreciate the leaders telling him what to do any more than Remal did. No one told Faver what to do - except his wife, and Remal didn’t think she interfered with his work… much. The Leaders and everyone else usually left Faver to decide for himself how to do his work and assign tasks to his apprentices or others assisting him. Remal thought it was about time Faver got a taste of the kinds of orders the leaders liked to give to him, which unfortunately he figured would only continue for the foreseeable future.

“You don’t have to like it,” Aron said, “you just have to support it. If you’re already convinced that you want her assisting you, the best way you can convince the Leaders’ Circle that it’s a good idea for her to stay is to help find out more about her and to have her watched so we can be sure that she doesn’t do anything harmful.” Aron never sounded as serious and businesslike as he did when he was relaying messages on behalf of the Leaders.

Faver just looked more annoyed. “I thought that if her herbal preparations help, that would be convincing in itself.”

“For you, maybe. Others may need more to go on.”

“Exactly what I think.” Remal declared. “We don’t even know-”

Faver cut him off. “Of everyone who wanted to do us harm, none of them ever showed up offering to help first.”

Aron spoke in a more casual tone now, no longer seeming like he was trying to be official. “Look, I also want to believe she’s only trying to help. She certainly didn’t look threatening to me, but even the Leaders who think the same just want to be more certain. The way she suddenly showed up, wants to travel with us, and we don’t know where from? They want to find out whether she’s running from anything that could be a danger to the camp, even if she’s not any danger herself. I personally don’t think it’s necessary, but I can understand their thinking. Being cautious and finding out more is the only way to reassure them.”

Remal grumbled a little over the way they were just talking like he wasn’t there and not letting him get a word in. Aron didn’t even mention how many of the Leaders might be most skeptical and whether they were as concerned as Remal was. Maybe he could ask Rinna later; she would be taking a realistic view of things. He wasn’t even trying to join in now. He just let them go on, Faver now describing to Aron what his first impressions of their visitor had been so far. Remal stopped paying attention. His shoulder ached. The spot Faver had bandaged still stung from being cleaned out, and it itched a little. He thought about how he might be able to scratch at it without Faver noticing, but he was too much in the Healer’s range of vision. Faver wasn’t looking directly at him, but Remal suddenly realized Faver was now talking about him.

“...probably the most paranoid person we have in the camp, now, and he’s only going to get in my way. Couldn’t they have picked someone else to terrify visitors who actually might help? Besides, I’d have thought they would rather he be out socializing when he’s in camp, helping all the young single ladies. Don’t they still think he should marry one of the lovely young widows?”

“That’s what Brylin thinks!” Remal said sharply, getting up and pointing at Faver. “You’ve been listening to her go on about it, haven’t you? Since I don’t let her bully me, she wants to get everyone else to tell me what she wants me to do!”

Remal poked Faver in the chest accusingly, but the Healer just grabbed his wrist and checked his pulse.

“You shouldn’t get all worked up right now; I have to make sure that all your vital signs are normal.” Faver glanced at an hourglass he had sitting on his work table. Remal wasn’t quite sure how long it was since Faver gave him some of the medicine - about a half hour by the look of it, if Faver had turned the glass at that time.

“Sit back down,” Faver ordered, “let me see if you’re still breathing normally.”

Aron helped push Remal back onto his chair - which, along with the amused grin on Aron’s face, was entirely unnecessary. One of these times, Remal was going to have to knock that smirk off of Aron, but he wanted Faver to be able to do his job. Right now, that was the most important thing, so he sat quietly and let the Healer check his breathing and hold his eyes open while asking him to look every which way and then scrutinize his tongue, throat, ears, skin, and whatever else Faver thought necessary to make sure that there was no sign of a bad reaction at all.

“Alright.” Faver declared at length. He briefly summed up for Aron what he’d discussed with Rinna about how soon he would give the medicine to only those who were the very worst off, and wait several hours longer to see if things seemed to be going okay and make sure Remal wasn’t suffering any ill effects before deciding how many of the others who were badly off should be given the medicine next.

“You,” he said firmly to Remal, “stay sitting right there. Don’t get up while I’m gone. And you,” Faver ordered Aron, “make sure he stays there, and call out if he suddenly collapses or stops breathing or something. Although I recommend not getting within arm’s reach of him for now.”

Faver picked up the bowl of medicine and what he needed for administering it to the patients, along with what he likely wanted for checking on them. He looked at them both as though they were troublemaking children, and stepped out the back of his work tent to the cluster of tents behind. Everyone who had been assisting with tending the sick would be there, doing whatever they could for those who were ill, even if they couldn’t do much for some of them. No doubt Faver would tell his helpers about the new medicine - but knowing him, he’d insist on giving the first doses himself.

As short as Faver was being with him, Remal wasn’t sure if he would have preferred to go with him anyway instead of staying where he was and having Aron assigned to watch him. Once Aron started talking again, though, Remal made up his mind. He’d rather be with Faver now than here. In an apparent attempt to look casual and failing at it, Aron leaned against the work table and crossed his arms.

“It’s not only Brylin who thinks you’d be better off if you’d find someone to marry, you know. If you had a family of your own to take care of-”

“I have family to take care of.” Remal growled.

"You know what they mean. They mean having your own wife and children to look after, instead of wearing yourself out acting like the safety of the entire camp is all on you. You're not the only person trying to protect everyone."

"I tried to get married once. You know how that worked out. Besides, this is hardly the time-"

"Remal, it's been one crisis after another since we left Oxhale. We do the best we can with each difficulty as it comes, but life doesn't come to a standstill because of it. We can hardly expect everything will go well and be normal after this crisis or the next. There's never going to be a perfect time for anything."

"Perfect timing is a myth, and the expectation that things will only continue badly is more of an argument the other way! Do you think it's a good idea for some poor young lady to get all attached, and then be twice widowed when something happens to me?"

"You don't know what's in your future. You shouldn't expect the worst to happen. It might not, especially if you decide that you have more reasons to take care of yourself. You know if you wait too long, you won't have many opportunities left. There's a lot of nice young ladies and widows now, but there's also a lot of eligible young men around to get their attention."

"You talk like it's the most important thing. As if it's even a simple thing! Like it's easy to find someone who'd want to tie her life to mine and all I have to do is look? You don't even know what you're talking about because there's not much for me anyway. Most of the young women my age who aren't currently married are the widows with small children that I can't stand. The younger girls are too immature, and the older widows whose children are old enough for me to possibly be able to get along with them as long as they aren't fools - the kids at least as old as my niece - those mothers are too old for me. There's no point to me cozying up to any of them, they're all better off finding someone else."

Remal crossed his arms and leaned back, more annoyed with Aron by the second, and he didn't even have to say another word, he was already unbearably irritating just standing there looking smug. For a moment, Remal considered hitting him, but then he'd get an earful from Faver and others.

Aron said more anyway, looking and sounding like he was amused at Remal's expense again. "I don't know, Remal, I think you should give the widows with small children a chance. You could actually be good with toddlers and babies if you'd quit being so high-strung and serious. Your list of objections seems calculated to leave everyone out. You're being too particular to make excuses for not getting to know any of them better, because you just don't want to take a chance on-"

"Don't go there." Remal growled, leaning forward. Why did this guy always think he knew everything?

Aron seemed determined and not sufficiently dissuaded from running off his mouth. "I know it's a sensitive subject, but it's not good for you to never talk about it. I understand you're worried about your mother and still grieving for the others you lost, but if you're ever going to get over-"

"Don't!" Remal got up suddenly and in two steps he was in Aron's face, glaring at him as threateningly as he could.

"Don't even say the names. And you're the last person I would ever talk to about it, Spelal." He really, really wanted to hit Aron, but he was sure the guy wouldn't fight back, and not only would that be unsatisfying, but it would make him look like a bully. He'd leave instead, but if he did then Faver would get after him for it and have someone like Hin, Rinna, or (even worse) Brylin drag him back by his ear. He couldn't fight everyone just because he wanted to hit Aron. He'd try a different way to hit Aron where it ought to hurt.

"If you're so much in favor of moving on, then you go ahead and get on with your own life, and leave me to mine. You go play with the toddlers and hold the babies of those young widows you talk about so fondly. It's what you want, isn't it? What you might have had by now. You should have plenty in common to talk about with the ones who have the most recent losses. Why don't you get them all together, and you can lead a discussion about everyone you've lost. You can all cry and hug and say you're going to put it behind you, when really not a one of you actually will."

The resulting downcast look on Aron's face was, disappointingly, as unsatisfying as Remal thought it would be to hit Aron and not have him fight back. He wasn't even trying to get away from Remal, he just stood there like he didn't know what to do. Maybe Remal could find a way to get Aron mad enough to fight him, instead.

"But I have serious doubts that you can do anything anymore without another person telling you to do it. I don't suppose you could do something like that anyway without someone else organizing it. Maybe Brylin could do that for you, since she apparently has nothing better to do than to tell other people what she thinks I should do! Ask her to order you around more instead! Did she give you an assignment directly, or did she talk the Leaders' Circle into ordering you to to talk to me about it all? Either way, I hope none of them have been disturbing my mother by making her worry over it. They shouldn't-"

Faver stormed back in, glaring severely at Remal and saying:

"And you shouldn't be disturbing my patients by yelling about it!" He grabbed Remal by the shoulder, digging his thumb in where it hurt. Remal at first resisted being pulled away from Aron, but then grudgingly let Faver drag him back a step.

"All those people need their rest! They don't want to hear any more about it, and neither do I. Step back, sit down, and be quiet a moment!" Faver used both hands to shove Remal back onto the chair. "Quit assuming that Brylin is responsible for everything; more likely it was your mother who was the one to bring it up with her and others, because your mother loves you in spite of the way you always make her worry. And she worries because of the things you do, not because of anything anyone says to her. This had better be the last I hear about it from you. Complain to Brylin if you still insist on bothering anyone, but quit growling at everyone else over it!"

Faver might be several years older, and a relative as well, but Remal didn't think that gave him any right to lecture him on things that weren't part of Faver's job as a Healer. If Faver weren't desperately needed, Remal would try to hit him now instead of picking on Aron, but as things were, he grumpily sat quiet for now, thinking about how best to convince Faver not to lecture him as if he were Faver's own child. Aron looked as if he'd been lectured as well, though none of what Faver said had been directed at him. When did he start acting so weak?

Faver did now speak to Aron. "Best you go do whatever else you need to, Aron. Probably shouldn't try to talk sense with Remal, and instead leave all of that alone. He's stubborn like an old goat. The more you try to lead him anywhere, the more he's going to dig in his heels."

Aron nodded, and backed out of the tent as if he thought he needed to keep Remal in his sight and not turn his back until he was away. Remal glared at him as he went, though admittedly it was slightly gratifying to see him act properly intimidated.

Remal opened his mouth to dispute what Faver had said about him, but Faver said, "Not now, Remal! We've got young people who just got back and need tending to. You're going to put on your shirt and come with me, and you're going to keep your mouth shut or I will prescribe rest for you, give you something to make you sleep, and lay you out on the floor where you won't be in my way nor disturbing anyone else."

"You just try." Remal said threateningly.

"Hin said you haven't been getting enough sleep. Maybe I'll just have him knock you unconscious if you keep fussing like a tired baby."

Getting back up, Remal stepped up to Faver, only to have Faver shove him back with both hands, which was surprising to Remal, as was how severely the Healer now glared at him, with his jaw set and talking through his teeth.

"And you keep making my job harder."

Remal had never seen Faver look so angry. He was usually not easy to rile up. Though surprised, Remal was still mad at him. He nevertheless didn't attack Faver when he grabbed Remal's shoulder and held him at arm's length.

"Acker." Faver called out with a wave, and Remal suddenly realized that Faver's youngest apprentice had at some point come in the same way that Faver had, carrying the medicine and other things Faver had taken with him earlier. Acker, a quiet boy of about twelve or thirteen, looked astonished but put the things on the worktable where Faver pointed to him to place them, and in a few words Faver told Acker what else to gather up, pointing with one hand while still holding Remal's arm with the other. While Acker did so, Faver turned and severely spoke at Remal again.

"We'll deal with this outside later, but first we have work to do. Maybe you didn't rightly hear what I said the first time, but I want you to help me with the kids who just came in, and not just because I need to keep an eye on you. They're Hin's, and that should matter to you."

Faver looked to make sure that Acker had gathered up the right things, then let go of Remal and threw his shirt back at him. He shoved a cloth at Remal as well, then picked up an additional, larger jar of medicine. Snapping his fingers at Remal, he pointed at a bucket of water he clearly wanted him to carry. He added an additional glare that Remal was sure he meant as another warning not to talk, and Remal glared right back. Then Faver ushered Acker and Remal both out and around the tents to one of the ones on the farther side.