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.