had, it had killed others. They didn't know what it was or how it spread, but Ashe had been fine the day before.
Eddie, for one, hoped like hell they weren't all about to die a nasty, sickness-ridden death.
The next hour was filled with busy work, but it paid off when Ashe regained consciousness. Eddie knelt in front of him, Ridgely supporting him, both of them sweating from the fire they'd built up. Ashe was still cold and clammy, though they'd wrapped him in blankets and kept him near the flames.
Eddie paused, holding a bowl of warm water in one hand, a spoon in the other. She'd gotten some of it into him, at least. He'd swallowed on his own. "Ashe?"
He swallowed again, his pale tongue wetting his lips. "Katsu." It wasn't a croak. Wasn't even a whisper.
Eddie leaned closer. "He's not here." Distantly, she was aware of Nate walking over, of various others coming near.
Ashe breathed for a long moment, as if just that took effort. There was a rattle in his lungs that hadn't been there before. "Byron," he managed.
Nate leaned in. "Katsu's with Byron?"
Eddie couldn't have said if Ashe's head had settled, or if he'd nodded. Either way, it seemed to be enough for Nate. He went striding toward his horse, swinging up into the saddle as he rattled off four names -- people to accompany him. The rest would stay to nurse Ashe.
Eddie didn't have much belief that they'd do more than make him comfortable. It wasn't just loyalty that had Nate pounding off down the road after the caravan again, she suspected. Ridgely had some healer's skill, but nothing that could stop this. They needed Katsu.
***
It was dark when Eddie caught sight of riders. They'd moved the camp farther off the road, set sentries out, took shifts watching or nursing.
Ashe had slipped into unconsciousness and hadn't woken again. They couldn't make him drink, much less eat. Ridgely shook his head and looked grim when anyone asked how Ashe was doing.
Eddie made a shitty nurse, but her eyes were keen. So she sat on the outskirts of camp, the way Nate had gone, and watched.
One horse came into view. Then two. A third, and she was stringing her bow up, edging closer, staying low to the ground. In the dark, from this distance, she couldn't see who it was. She could only hope.
"You no-good sons of bitches," Nate shouted, reining up near the two corpses by the road. "Where the hell'd you go?"
Eddie stood. "Did you find Katsu?"
In answer, Nate swung down, hauling a bundle with him. The bundle groaned and cursed.
"Shit, is he sick too?" If he was, they were all screwed.
"Hurt," Nate answered shortly. "Broken ribs. Broken arm. Found him on the road beside another corpse and two dead horses." He didn't bother putting Katsu down, just switched his hold and carried the smaller man, following Eddie back toward their camp. One of those Nate had left behind had some small wood magic; enough to shelter them from a casual gaze.
Carefully, Nate knelt beside Ashe, bringing Katsu low enough to touch him. "This wasn't the best plan ever, Katsu," Nate murmured, and Eddie wondered what their fearless leader had learned.
"I didn't think they'd toss one of us and not the other," Katsu grumbled, strain clear in his voice. "Or that they'd try and kill me instead of just shoving me out."
"You're sure you can fix it?"
Katsu settled one hand on Ashe's face, slid it down the pale throat, pushed the blanket aside to find the slim chest. "I..." He frowned, firelight casting deeper shadows between his brows. "Everything's shut down so badly..."
Nate didn't so much as move, perched beside one invalid, acting as brace and chair for the other. Katsu moved slightly, and Eddie winced at the blood smeared across one swollen eye and pooling in his ear. In the darkness, it matched his inky black hair.
Then Katsu relaxed. As if mirroring Katsu, the tension drained out of Ashe's body, and Ashe took a deep breath for the first time in hours.
"Yes," Katsu said, and his smile wasn't smug as it
Eddie, for one, hoped like hell they weren't all about to die a nasty, sickness-ridden death.
The next hour was filled with busy work, but it paid off when Ashe regained consciousness. Eddie knelt in front of him, Ridgely supporting him, both of them sweating from the fire they'd built up. Ashe was still cold and clammy, though they'd wrapped him in blankets and kept him near the flames.
Eddie paused, holding a bowl of warm water in one hand, a spoon in the other. She'd gotten some of it into him, at least. He'd swallowed on his own. "Ashe?"
He swallowed again, his pale tongue wetting his lips. "Katsu." It wasn't a croak. Wasn't even a whisper.
Eddie leaned closer. "He's not here." Distantly, she was aware of Nate walking over, of various others coming near.
Ashe breathed for a long moment, as if just that took effort. There was a rattle in his lungs that hadn't been there before. "Byron," he managed.
Nate leaned in. "Katsu's with Byron?"
Eddie couldn't have said if Ashe's head had settled, or if he'd nodded. Either way, it seemed to be enough for Nate. He went striding toward his horse, swinging up into the saddle as he rattled off four names -- people to accompany him. The rest would stay to nurse Ashe.
Eddie didn't have much belief that they'd do more than make him comfortable. It wasn't just loyalty that had Nate pounding off down the road after the caravan again, she suspected. Ridgely had some healer's skill, but nothing that could stop this. They needed Katsu.
***
It was dark when Eddie caught sight of riders. They'd moved the camp farther off the road, set sentries out, took shifts watching or nursing.
Ashe had slipped into unconsciousness and hadn't woken again. They couldn't make him drink, much less eat. Ridgely shook his head and looked grim when anyone asked how Ashe was doing.
Eddie made a shitty nurse, but her eyes were keen. So she sat on the outskirts of camp, the way Nate had gone, and watched.
One horse came into view. Then two. A third, and she was stringing her bow up, edging closer, staying low to the ground. In the dark, from this distance, she couldn't see who it was. She could only hope.
"You no-good sons of bitches," Nate shouted, reining up near the two corpses by the road. "Where the hell'd you go?"
Eddie stood. "Did you find Katsu?"
In answer, Nate swung down, hauling a bundle with him. The bundle groaned and cursed.
"Shit, is he sick too?" If he was, they were all screwed.
"Hurt," Nate answered shortly. "Broken ribs. Broken arm. Found him on the road beside another corpse and two dead horses." He didn't bother putting Katsu down, just switched his hold and carried the smaller man, following Eddie back toward their camp. One of those Nate had left behind had some small wood magic; enough to shelter them from a casual gaze.
Carefully, Nate knelt beside Ashe, bringing Katsu low enough to touch him. "This wasn't the best plan ever, Katsu," Nate murmured, and Eddie wondered what their fearless leader had learned.
"I didn't think they'd toss one of us and not the other," Katsu grumbled, strain clear in his voice. "Or that they'd try and kill me instead of just shoving me out."
"You're sure you can fix it?"
Katsu settled one hand on Ashe's face, slid it down the pale throat, pushed the blanket aside to find the slim chest. "I..." He frowned, firelight casting deeper shadows between his brows. "Everything's shut down so badly..."
Nate didn't so much as move, perched beside one invalid, acting as brace and chair for the other. Katsu moved slightly, and Eddie winced at the blood smeared across one swollen eye and pooling in his ear. In the darkness, it matched his inky black hair.
Then Katsu relaxed. As if mirroring Katsu, the tension drained out of Ashe's body, and Ashe took a deep breath for the first time in hours.
"Yes," Katsu said, and his smile wasn't smug as it
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