Page 23 of Ties of Bargains

After only a few minutes of walking, the path ended at a large boulder, which rested alongside a massive tree. Other trees clustered in a dense grove, creating what seemed to be a safe haven in the forest. A few yards away, a creek meandered between the trees, clear and clean.

It was about the most painting perfect campsite she’d ever seen. Suspiciously so. Was this the forest’s benevolence or a malicious trap?

Daisy sniffed around the boulder, her tail stillwagging vigorously. She, at least, didn’t seem alarmed by the place.

Harm all but hung from his arm over her shoulders. He wasn’t making it much farther.

This would have to do. If it was a trap, she’d deal with it.

She lowered Harm to sit with his back to one of the trees. He slouched there, somewhat tilted to one side, as if he didn’t have the energy to move even to make himself more comfortable.

Val set up the tent and both bedrolls as quickly as she could. Once done, she hauled Harm into the tent and onto his bedroll. He was only half-conscious, and he likely wouldn’t even remember any of this in the morning. Sighing, she removed his boots and tucked him into the bedroll as best she could.

Trusting Daisy to wake her if there was trouble, Val crawled into her own bedroll, though it took a while before she managed to fall asleep.

Harm peeled his eyes open,his eyelids scratchy. His mouth felt strangely gummy, his tongue so dry it stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Blinking to clear his vision, he found he was staring at the underside of the brown canvas tent. He was bundled in the bedroll, his boots at the end of the bed, though he still wore his coat and bloody shirt.

How long had he been asleep? He had no memoriesof crawling into the tent and only vague recollections of stumbling through the forest after the monster attack.

He pressed a hand to his chest, then held up his arm. His wounds mildly ached, but not nearly as much as they should.

Sitting up, Harm peeled the bloody shirt and bandages away from his chest, the fabric stiff with dried blood, and peered at his wounds. Strangely, the gashes had closed, new pink skin already showing.

How long had he been asleep? That healing potion must have been strong stuff to have healed him this much in a single night. If it was a single night.

Without so much as a knock or a warning, the front flap of the tent flipped aside, revealing Val crouched there, peering at him.

Harm gave something of a yelp, reaching for the blanket though he managed to stop himself before he pulled it to his chin. “Knock before you enter! What if I’d been dressing?”

“Oh, stop squealing like a blushing maiden.” She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t even know if you were awake.”

“You’d squawk if I burst in on you.” Harm flapped his good hand at her.

“You wouldn’t dare. I’d stab you.” She patted the knife at her belt.

“So just because you have the power to enforce your boundaries makes them the only ones worth considering?” Harm started to cross his arms, but the movement tugged at his still healing wounds. He dropped his arms to his sides instead.

Val opened her mouth, then hesitated, her eyes goingdistant for a moment. Perhaps she was thinking of Queen Titania and her grabby hands for her jaw hardened.

Then her gaze sharpened, and she gestured at him again. “And how much of all your proper layers and protestations have to do with your actual morality and how much is merely a performance?”

Like her, Harm opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. A performance. Just like Queen Titania’s and King Oberon’s performance of being warriors. How many of his own actions were done for the appearance of virtue rather than actual virtue?

Instead of continuing this discussion, Harm eased his feet out of his bedroll. “How long was I asleep?”

“The rest of the night and all morning.” Val gestured toward the brightness outside of the tent. “It’s early afternoon now.”

At least he hadn’t slept a week or something like that.

Val’s expression returned to that impassive, no-nonsense one, her tone brisk. “Now, let’s have a look at your wounds.”

And…there it was again. Harm sighed, but he didn’t protest as he peeled off the bloody remnants of his shirt.

As soon as he dropped the fabric to the side, Val grabbed his injured arm and set to work unwrapping the bandages.

Harm tugged the bandages off his chest as best he could with one hand. No way was he going to let Val do that.

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