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.