3.4

Walking back from the marsh, Aron annoyed Remal by constantly interrupting any time he started to speak. In addition, although Aron pretended to ignore Remal by not looking directly at him, the fellow clearly kept track of where Remal was and walked between him and Emri at all times. What's more, Faver followed suit and left Remal to walk back behind them, accompanied only by Rinna who watched everyone in a calculating manner. At first, Remal expected Rinna to correct Aron, but then he realized that she wasn't going to, so Remal put on a rebellious air and sniffed at Rinna as though he didn't care, and as if he wasn't trying to watch Emri closely - even if the Leaders wanted him to.

"Here, I'll take those for you." Remal said to Rinna just before they got to Faver's work tent. "Surely you have plenty of other things to do." He mostly tried to appear respectful, but arched an eyebrow at her for emphasis on his suggestion that she wasn't needed there.

Smiling in a wry manner, Rinna handed over the sack she'd had slung over her back and a few additional plants she carried in her arms, which when combined with what he'd gathered himself, left Remal practically overflowing with plants. He wouldn't go back on what he said, however, and followed the others into the tent.

"Don't drop those!" Faver scolded upon seeing Remal's arms full, "Put them here." He indicated the cot that Remal had slept on before, already half-covered with what the other three had brought in.

Setting what he carried down and glancing around, Remal saw that the cot Emri had slept on had been removed, and in its place were a few stools topped with small basins of water, washcloths, and a couple cakes of soap. All Brylin's doing, he was certain.

As if on cue, he heard Brylin herself just outside the tent. Aron and Emri stepped back out, while Faver busied himself with a couple small bowls and a jar. Going out himself, Remal passed Nathley bringing in a stack of something like maybe some more cloths, or clothing. He heard Faver behind him immediately order Nathley to fetch Acker.

Outside the tent again, Remal was disappointed to see that Rinna was still there (with Brylin), but he also saw Nina standing by her mother. He waved a hello to his niece, but she had her hands full with another stack of clothing in her arms up to her chin, so she just nodded at him with a smile.

"...and I didn't think anything of mine or Nina's would fit," Brylin was saying (and which Nina giggled at) "so I hunted out some clothes that might."

Rinna nodded approvingly, and Brylin pulled the top item off the stack held by Nina. It unfolded into a dress, which Brylin held up to Emri's shoulders to compare with her stature and general build.

"I think this one would fit tolerably well." Brylin said after a moment. Nevertheless, she threw it over the stack held by Nina while somehow also grabbing another dress out of that same stack. She looked at Rinna and then back to Emri. "Which do you think?" she asked them. Emri sort of shrugged, and Rinna looked to be considering it slowly.

"The first one, I think." Remal stated.

He thought Brylin might retort, but from behind him came Nathley's voice: "Let me see."

She came forward, and after a few moments of her and Brylin each holding up a different dress, Nathley agreed with Remal that the first one looked better. Nina agreed with them, Rinna continued her considering looks, and Brylin muttered something unintelligible before saying: "Well, you can try them both on. You can borrow either or both for as long as you need to. If neither fits comfortably, we'll take another look at what's available."

Remal didn't know what to make of the way Emri kept looking at both of the dresses. They were certainly more plain than what she'd been wearing, but maybe she didn't care about that. Yet again, Remal wished that she showed expressions on her whole face... (he had lost count of how many times he'd already wished it) ...instead of only her eyes. Maybe she just couldn't decide, but then (as Brylin had said) she could try them both on.

"Does... someone else not need them?" Emri said slowly.

Suddenly Remal realized where he'd seen them before. They used to belong to a young woman who had died not so long ago, who had been a little shorter than Emri but a similar build otherwise. If he remembered correctly, it would explain the way that Aron had been silently staring the whole time. Since many people in the camp had lost almost everything before leaving Oxhale, many others (like Aron) who lost family along the way, had given clothes and other useful things left by their dead relatives, that wouldn't be of any use to themselves (unless for sentimental reasons only) to make them available for anyone who might need them. The greater amount of clothing so donated had probably already been given to others, some probably with alterations done - but all things considered, there were still some things like that in a general collection of stuff not currently in use by anybody, but still useful and valuable enough to bring along with the camp. Remal never paid any attention to which cart such things had been gathered in, but of course Brylin knew where to find anything and everything.

Did Brylin realize? Rinna probably had. Should he say something? He was sure Aron wouldn't.

"No..." Brylin said. "Not currently. We've got a bunch of things... just sort of sitting around in case someone needs them."

Remal glanced at Aron and saw him nod.

Brylin continued. "Anyway, go ahead and try one or both on, and wear whichever you want. I'll take your clothes to get them washed, and return them to you after they've dried. You've got plenty of other work to do, so I don't want you to have to worry about washing clothes, but you really ought to change out of what you wore while walking around the marsh."

Rinna nodded her agreement with Brylin, and Emri gave a little nod in return. Then, to the surprise of everyone present, Emri made a move as though to start undressing in order to change clothes right there in front of the work tent... in front of everyone.

Remal wasn't sure if everyone there was about to say something - certainly, some started to - but Brylin was fastest. She put a hand on Emri's arm, firm but gentle. "Wait. Not here."

Emri paused and reversed her movement in a somewhat startled manner. There was something hesitant about the way she looked at Brylin, like maybe she wasn't sure if she had committed a serious offense or not. Like a child who doesn't know what's going on. Remal was reminded of the way Emri had shuffled cautiously when he'd first found her up in the hills; awkwardly, like a newborn lamb or goat's kid, before they gained their footing. She really did sometimes seem to be so much younger than she actually looked.

Nina giggled, and Brylin shot her an 'it's-not-funny' kind of look, then turned back to Emri. However, Remal saw Emri watch them closely, and she seemed to relax her posture a little when she saw that Nina wasn't getting scolded. That, and the way Brylin looked kindly back at Emri, seemed to convince her that she hadn't committed a serious offense, only a mild breach of customs. Attentively, she listened to Brylin.

"Regardless of how things are done where you come from, around here people just don't change clothes in front of everyone." Brylin threw brief looks at Aron and Remal, as if to suggest that they had done something wrong. What, were they at fault just for being there? Remal scowled.

Brylin kept a hand on Emri's arm and started steering her away. "Besides, you all need to wash up before putting on clean clothes. I've got a washing-up tent set up just over here. The boys will wash up in Faver's work tent, and-"

Faver coughed, and Remal turned to see him standing there with Acker, each holding a bowl that smelled like the poultice for bites. No doubt everyone who had been out walking in the marsh had been bitten numerous times; Remal hadn't even bothered to count how many new bites he'd gotten himself.

Acker grabbed Aron's sleeve and pulled him into the work tent. Faver handed the bowl he had to Nathley, and waved at her to follow Brylin. Remal could still hear Brylin - assisted by Rinna - giving Emri pointers on what was considered proper, and what wasn't. They weren't far off; the washing-up tent was just on the other side of the next nearest tent.

Nina giggled again, and nudged Remal with her elbow. "Isn't it funny," she said, still giggling, "if Emri is from a place where people don't care who they change clothes in front of?"

Remal always found Nina's curiosity amusing, as well as her mannerisms (like the look on her face at this moment) but he did his best to keep a straight face right now. "No." He couldn't help picturing what he imagined Nina might be thinking; except, he was sure that the way it would look to him, if everyone there were to all wash up together, wouldn't be funny in the way Nina was thinking about it. He looked away from everyone and down at the ground, doggedly attempting to think of something else.

Faver spoke up. "Nina, the important thing is that's not how we do things here in this camp. You listen to your mother, and run along now. Aren't those clothes you've got, the ones they'll need when they finish washing?" He gave her a light pat on the back to send her on her way.

"Come on." He tugged on Remal's sleeve, pulling him into the work tent. With his other hand, he closed the door flap, and then used both hands to tie it shut after nudging Remal towards the wash basins.

Acker had a lot of practice by now with washing people who were too sick to get up; it might be different for him to be helping wash someone who was standing up, and maybe the fact that the person was moving around wouldn't be helpful for Acker, but he had clearly been helping Aron wash in as quick and efficient a manner as Acker seemed to do almost everything. By the time that Remal and Faver had stripped and begun washing, Acker had started applying poultice to every place he could find where Aron had been bitten. Remal was sure that Faver had sent Nathley with the girls in order to do that very same task there.

Feeling uncomfortably alone in his thoughts, Remal broke the silence. "Isn't it completely ridiculous and impractical, for someone to be traveling around with almost nothing?"

"You think so?" Faver said. "When you and other scouts are away from camp, you usually travel light and carry very little with you, right?"

Remal scoffed. "But always with at least a poncho or a blanket or something, and a couple of knives and things for hunting, like-"

Aron interrupted sharply, but not loudly. "Sometimes people don't have a choice; it's something that just happens. We all know people who have suddenly lost everything, and had to leave a place with no time to gather anything up to take along with them."

Of course Remal knew that! And he didn't like for Aron to use that tone with him. He snapped back. "If she had to flee from someone or something, that's all the more reason to find out what, in case it might be anything that could threaten the camp. It's reckless and irresponsible of her, if she knows of any danger around here, but won't speak of it to people she professes to want to help."

Faver waved his hands dismissively at them both. "There's nothing to argue here. We're all in agreement about those things already. Besides, don't you think that maybe whatever she left behind might only concern her, and isn't a danger to the camp as a whole?"

"It might be." Aron admitted. "Maybe you can find a diplomatic way to ask her about it."

Acker was helping Aron dress, trying to make sure the clothing didn't mess up the poultice applications too badly. Aron was getting his shirt on while he spoke, so he wasn't obviously looking at either Remal or Faver when he said that, but Remal guessed he meant it for Faver. Remal replied anyway.

"I'm certain she wouldn't speak of any such thing to me," he said adamantly.

Faver sighed. "I may, but I don't want to be pushy about something like that."

Finished dressing, Aron gave Faver a pat on the shoulder. "Do what you can, but of course your work with the sick is more important."

Faver nodded, and Aron left without another glance or word to Remal. Remal told himself he didn't care, and assumed that Aron needed to hurry off and report to someone anyway.

Meanwhile, Acker had turned his attention to applying poultice to Faver's bites. Faver had washed in a hurry, and now seemed more concerned with taking his time in looking everywhere he could for marsh fly bites. Of course he couldn't see places like behind his own back, but Acker had gone over that first. Remal, on the other hand, took enough time for things like washing behind his ears and under his fingernails. Not that he really cared much normally, but on a day like this he wanted one less reason for his sister to criticize him.

Faver broke the silence this time by clearing his throat.

"So, that was a really nice thing you did, preparing a walking stick for Emri."

Remal fixed Faver with what he hoped was one of his best glares, standing still and holding the expression until Faver made eye contact back.

“That was only to help you," Remal said in a deliberate way, "so you don’t have to worry about her too much. You… might be right about her only helping, but if she can’t take care of herself, then she’ll be a burden on you, and I can’t have that.”

Faver grinned and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Remal's injured shoulder. “Aw, so glad that you care, brother.”

“Pffft.” Faver wasn’t funny. Well, not that funny. Remal adopted an exceedingly serious sort of lecturing tone. “I'm just looking out for you, because your work is so important. Besides, do you have any idea of what a huge mountain of grief I’d get from Brylin if anything were to happen to you on my watch? Not to mention that it would upset Nina, and nobody wants that. Anyhow, the stick was nothing.”

“All right, forget I mentioned it.” Faver’s tone was nonchalant, but he was still grinning.

Remal slugged him in the arm. “Cut that out! I’m serious.”

“Okay.” Faver said, then laughed.

“Hmph.” Remal turned his back and continued washing.

By the time Remal had run out of places to wash, Acker was already helping Faver put on his trousers. And then there was no escaping it: Acker and Faver both turned their attentions to Remal, the one applying poultice to his bites and the other giving him a thorough checking over. Remal knew that as much as he wanted it to be over, he couldn't make an early escape without it coming back to get him later. He grumbled a little, but put up with it. Soon enough, Faver was bringing out all the things for tending to Remal's shoulder, while Acker helped him get dressed. The undershorts and trousers, anyway. Remal's shirt would wait until after Faver had tended to his shoulder.

"Hello in there!" Hin's voice called from outside the tent's door.

"Hello!" Faver called back, and motioned to Acker to go undo the ties on the inside of the door.

Remal hurried to finish belting up his trousers in case anyone else was out there, but as it turned out, Hin entered alone.

"Hin! It's good to see you." Faver greeted him cheerfully while fussing about with things at the work table, barely looking up. "How are things going with the move?"

"Well enough, so far."

"Any sign of hostility from the neighboring burg?"

"Not yet. Could be they haven't noticed."

Remal chimed in. "Perhaps... or maybe they're just waiting to see if we're going to venture farther into their territory. They might not mind as long as we stay on this side of the hills."

Hin nodded. "Perhaps... if we don't stay long."

"Good thing we're not planning to stay." Faver commented, then passed a bottle to Acker, instructing him to go find Aron and give him a preventative dose of the liquid medicine, and then make sure to give a dose to everyone else who'd been out at the marshes that day. Remal didn't know all the signs that Faver had gotten into the habit of using with Acker, but Faver usually spoke his instructions aloud as well. Acker really was quite adept at interpreting the way people's mouths moved when they spoke.

Faver gave Remal a dose of the medicine, and then took a dose himself. It tasted just as bad as before, but at least it tasted like medicine, rather than something putrid.

Faver then made Remal sit on a stool, where he could best reach Remal's shoulder to clean and re-bandage it. Hin stood by and described to Faver how things had been going with everyone who had gone downriver today, on the near side at the new (and very temporary) campsite.

When Hin left them, most were still in the process of unloading the carts and wagons that would be brought back to this site, but he expected they'd have finished by now, in the time it had taken Hin to get back to Faver. The majority of people would be returning with the carts and wagons tonight, so as to already be on hand to transport the sick tomorrow morning. There would be people staying overnight to guard everything that had already been transported to the riverside, and there also were people on either side of the river who were finishing preparations for the river crossing. Those people included some who had previously gone ahead, up another branch of the river to a forest by the hills well north of the lake, and had brought rafts down the river to the crossing place. Some of the carts and wagons could be floated across, but some were too heavy (especially when full) so they would either have to be ferried across on rafts, or pulled across while empty. Most had been made back in the Downs where the only river was far more narrow than this one, and had bridges in enough places that no one building wagons worried about whether or not they could float; some were made with heavier timber than others, and not shaped in such a way as to avoid taking on water.

"It really is a shame," Faver commented while unrolling some bandages, "that we don't have more of the medium-sized wagons that can be floated across while loaded."

Remal spoke up. "If we did, we wouldn't have enough oxen to pull them anyway. We'd still have to move the camp in stages for as long as so many people are sick."

In tying the bandage, Faver pulled it a bit too tight for Remal's liking. "Obviously, I meant that I wish we had more of those wagons and more oxen to pull them."

Grumbling and wincing, Remal tugged on the bandage to loosen it just a little.

Hin gave Faver a pat on the shoulder. "It would be be nice." Annoyingly, Hin agreed with Faver. Well, it was true enough... but Remal wasn't going to say so. It was entirely unrealistic to wish for something like that when you can't have it.

"You know," Hin continued, "some of the leaders are still saying they think the sick should have been moved first."

"Absolutely not!" Faver practically shouted. "They were out-voted for good reason! Some of our people are too-"

"I know." Hin said in what Remal figured was his best attempt to sound soothing in spite of interrupting Faver. "Once you started trying new medicine, you wanted our sickest people to rest longer before moving them. I just wanted you to know that some of the leaders still hold to what you'd said before that, about moving them as soon as possible. I don't agree with them, I agree with you. Okay?"

Faver huffed, crossing his arms. "So they won't want to let everyone take a day to rest after getting to the river."

Hin nodded. "That's a vote they're winning. However, you may be able to persuade them to rest the camp after getting everyone across the river."

"I hope so." Faver muttered, gathering up the things he'd used in bandaging Remal's shoulder.

"Not if that burg takes notice." Remal muttered darkly, still trying to loosen the bandage.

"Stop that!" Faver scolded him sharply, swatting his hand away. "Leave my fine bandaging alone." Having set the other things aside, he then busied himself with extracting his shirt from the stack of clean clothing that remained neatly folded near the wash basin. Acker had helped him on with an undershirt before he'd left, so Faver only had to pull the shirt over it - though he still did so carefully, to minimize disturbance to the applications of poultice on his arms and torso.

"Here." Hin suggested, passing Remal the other clean shirt and undershirt, before Remal could tug at the bandaging again.

Remal grumbled sullenly. Taking the shirt from Hin's hand and tossing the undershirt aside, Remal asked him, "What of the flocks?"

Faver tutted, picking up the undershirt and re-folding it. He gave Hin a significant nod, and Hin started helping Remal put the shirt on, being more careful about the poultice applications than Remal would have been by himself.

Remal made a point of ignoring Faver, but let Hin help him. "Well?" he prompted.

"The flocks are expected to be taken upriver towards the forest as soon as they have crossed the river tomorrow. They might stay with the majority of the camp longer, if the sick remain by the river for a time after crossing over. As for tonight, the flocks will be back here at this campsite, since most of the people will be here. Some of those who mind the flocks are helping move the carts and wagons back here; I expect they'll arrive before long. A fair number of them were interested in learning about the new herbs and how to identify them. So as not to have the class be too large, we'll start with just the ones who are best at both foraging, and at teaching plant identification to others. When they are traveling upriver to the forest later on with the flocks, those people can teach the other herders what they learned and look for more herbs along their way."

Remal nodded; this sounded reasonable enough to him as to not require objections, though he suspected that he could find fault with the plan if he looked hard enough. He reminded himself, however, that he did not want to be one of the people making all the big decisions. So long as things worked out fine without causing him more trouble than necessary. He stood, and considered whether to tuck in his shirt or not. It'd be warmer if the long shirt were tucked in or belted, but he didn't feel like belting it. Then again, he didn't feel like tucking it in, either. Faver had tucked in his undershirt, and then belted the shirt. The man had also pulled on something like a small version of a woolen poncho; more like a vest that he could wear while working and have it not get in his way.

There had also been a poncho and hat left for Remal; he shook his head when Hin looked like he was about to pass them to him. Running his fingers through his hair so it wouldn't be so untidy, Remal watched Hin go to the door. Remal might have followed, but Faver insisted he stay put for a little longer, while Faver (yet again) checked on things like his heart rate, breathing, and such. Remal tolerated it, but his attention was on the tent's front door. Hin had pulled the flaps open to show that Brylin was there, chatting with Rinna. Hin joined them for a minute, and then Hin went off with Rinna while Brylin came inside.