Page 62 of Tusks & Saddles
“Gotta stop the spread,” Miss Eaves managed between clenched teeth. “Before…before more of those bastards show up and it gets too dark.”
He hadn’t noticed, but during the battle the sun had nearly disappeared beneath the horizon. Welborn tried to keep his mind on the task at hand, but his nerves shot up at the sight of Sandy nosing at Miss Eaves horse. Half of their traveling troupe was on the verge of—
“I—” Welborn’s free hand reached for his satchel. “I have something for that!”
The chunk of quartz he kept on hand for healing was right where he had left it. Welborn freed the gemstone from his satchel and stretched an arm out toward Miss Eaves injury—
She jerked back.
Welborn froze, lifting his gaze to stare at where he thought hers were in a panic. The implication of what she may have thought—whatshethought hisintentionswere—
“It’s not like that!” Welborn exclaimed, voice pitching high in a way it hadn’t seen his nineteenth year. “I’m not—I wouldnever—”
“Welborn!” she snapped. “Stop apologizing and—”
Her voice had changed. Miss Eaves had the kind of voice that sent shivers down Welborn’s spine, but this…it sounded otherworldly. As if the woman had grown several tongues and spoke with every one of them. Welborn was so stunned, he hadn’t realized he’d been shocked into silence until she spoke again.
“Help me,” Miss Eaves said with a wince.“Please.”
It wasWelborn’s training that pushed his nerves aside. Whatever affection—however much he denied it—Welborn had for the woman wasn’t as important as saving her life. Miss Eaves had steadied her frame with the aid of her hands, pressing them back into the dirt. Her weapon lay within reach, which was a bit of relief. If Miss Eaves thought he was crossing some kind of line between them, Welborn wouldn’t begrudge her if she chose to shoot him.
Hell, both his father and brother would have knocked his head from his shoulders if he ever tried anything against a lady’s wishes.
Welborn carefully pushed Miss Eaves’ skirts aside. There were so many layers, he hadn’t realized that the bottom-most skirt had a cut down the side. Or rather, that it had been designed that way. Professional healer or not, Welborn was still a man and he would be lying if he said he was a little bit distracted as he pushed the final layer aside and—
Oh, All Seer!
It was worse than Miss Eaves had let on. Where the barb had been was broken skin, an angry wound that looked almost like an infection. The entry point on her thigh was oozing that same yellow sludge the tumbleweeds had. Discolored wounds were never a good sign. With haste, Welborn brought the gemstone to the entrance of the wound, pressing the sharp tip into it—
“Dauntless Verity!”
Welborn’s ear perked up at the goddess’ name. The Dauntless Verity was the name for the being who guarded over the domain of justice, harmony, and fairness. A ancient white dragon that the old souls of Ordia used to seek counsel with in times of strife. She was worshiped by nobles, lawmen, and those who were seekingjustice—something Welborn could ask about later as he tapped into the quartz’s latent power.
All Seer, please help direct this toxin into the crystal,Welborn prayed.Please help Miss Eaves.
The divinity within Welborn’s hand shimmered, light pooling like a star shooting through the night sky. It collected within the gemstone, glowing brightly like fireflies. From within the wound, Welborn could see the poison drawn toward the light. Moths to a flame, the discoloration of Miss Eave’s wound began to lose its sickly color. Diseased yellow began to shift to a healthy shade.
Unlike other clerics, he had been gifted with a deity that was generous enough with their knowledge. He knew that crystals—specifically quartz—were ideal for healing when used alongside divine magic. Miss Eaves was tense beneath Welborn’s hands, but if she could endure the slow process of the purification, he was sure she’d recover with little issue.
Don’t forget about yourself, Welby!
Boone’s voice—a voice Welborn could barely remember—echoed loudly in his mind. Healing—even something as simple as purification of disease or poisons, took a bit out of most clerics and paladins. Welborn could already feel the exhaustion settling in his shoulders. The day had already been taxing enough with all the new stimuli to engage with—all the new sights and smells. Not to mention the ache in his bones from riding a horse.
I’ll be fine,Welborn thought to his brother’s voice inside his head that was really his own brain.Stop worrying about me!
It was ridiculous, but as the adrenaline began to subside and the crystal went from clear to a brilliant lemon, Welborn finally breathed with ease. Miss Eaves—Welborn still couldn’tsee her,butthe way her fists had relaxed behind her was a good sign. If he had lessened her pain even just a little bit, Welborn would thank the All Seer tenfold before bed that night.
When the divinity ebbed and the quartz grew still, Welborn gently pulled it from Miss Eave’s injury. The poison was now safely trapped within the quartz and subsequently neutralized. He wouldn’t be able to use it again, but it had been worth the cost to use it. Miss Eaves wouldn’t suffer the effects of the toxins and Welborn was certain if he could get five minutes to catch his breath, he would be able to heal the injury on Miss Eaves lilac skin—
“Lilac?” he murmured in wonder.
Miss Eaves skin—her thigh that Welborn had just now noticed the soft, plushness—it waslilac.
“Shut it,” Miss Eaves murmured.
If Welborn didn’t know better, he’d think she sounded bashful. The thought would have given him the advantage if he wasn’t so amazed at thelilacthigh within reach of his scarred hand. A color that Welborn had only really seen in the waters of the Chroma Coast and the flowers of the same namesake. It wasn’t a color that Welborn would give any thought, too, as he wore none of it himself and it had no association with any deity that he could think of in the—
“I—” Welborn cleared his throat. “If you give me a bit, I can heal that with—”
