Tarashana by Rachel Neumeier (little red riding hood ebook TXT) 📕

course, but when everything stopped, I was still wrapped around it, except I was—” she gestured around. “Here. I had no idea in the world what to do. I know where Aras is—I can feel the pull—I bet you can too—”

“Yes.” I gestured toward Aras, along the line of the valley, but also up.

“Exactly. But I couldn’t begin to carry that pack, and climb with it? No. I thought I’d take just a few things and leave the rest. But now you’re ...” She paused, her expression changing again. “You’re hurt.”

“I think not badly,” I assured her. “I think there may be thread in that pack. First I would like water, but then if there is thread, and a needle ...” I was kneeling by the pack now, lifting everything out, looking to see what we had. Waterskins, which were very welcome, but yes, also everything else we needed. Rope, and a bowl for heating water, and travel sticks. I did not like to think of the others, who did not have these things. There was only the one other pack. I did not dare to hope everyone else had remained together.

But this was good for us—especially for me. There was not only thread, but the fine gut that is better for closing a wound. Curved needles, and straight ones, with the gut already through the eye of the needle so that an injured person would not have to steady his hands enough to prepare the needle.

I sat down and began to unwrap the bandages. There was more blood, but not enough to worry me. I said to Lalani, “This is a difficult place for me to do it myself, but if—”

“Of course you can’t do it yourself.” She took the needle from my hand. “Let me get some snow to clean this up better ... all right, Ryo, let me take a look.” Her hands were gentle. After a moment, she said briskly, “These little scratches are hardly worth the bother of stitching, but next time you might duck faster and save anybody the trouble.”

“I know,” I said. “He was faster than I expected. His weapon was so sharp I did not even know at first I was cut.”

“Yes, I can see it was sharp. It’s just as well you weren’t any slower. Lie down, please.”

I lay down, putting my head on the pack, but looking up at the sky instead of at Lalani. Some people do not like a wounded man to watch them work. She was deft. Talon wives learn how to do such tasks. After she had completed four stitches, I said, “Put the stitches closer together when you come to the deeper part. I do not want the wound to open again if I must climb or fight.”

“I know that, Ryo. This isn’t the first time I’ve stitched up a soldier in between battles.”

“I apologize. I did not mean to slight your skill.”

She hummed absently, patting my arm to show she took no offense. “You’re certainly an easy patient, Ryo. Not even Esau is this quiet when I’m stitching him up, even when we’ve got poppy. He never lets me give him enough to make him sleep, just to take the edge off. Stubborn man. You men are mostly stubborn as donkeys.”

“I have not seen a donkey, but I am certain you are correct. We do not grow poppy in the winter country.”

“Of course you don’t.” She completed four more rapid stitches. Then she sat back and said, a note of discovery in her tone, “I suppose that’s why you Ugaro put so much emphasis on teaching your boys to endure pain. Because you must get injured all the time, and you don’t have poppy, so you’d better be able to endure.”

I had not thought of this. I said, “Perhaps it could be so.”

She smiled at me. “Plus you would just be embarrassed to show any sign of discomfort, just because you nearly got eviscerated and need about a hundred stitches. Five twenties,” she added, to tease me. She knew I could perfectly well work out how many a hundred would be.

“This will not be so many, I hope,” I said.

“About, hmm, three twenties or so, probably. Putting them close together, as you said, and the lowest cut’s going to need a few extra. Mostly these cuts aren't too deep—for an Ugaro. You’re lucky you’re not a Lau. Cuts as deep as this would have eviscerated a Lau.”

“There are many reasons I am glad I am not a Lau,” I told her.

“I’m sure. Don’t talk now. If you were a Lau, you’d want me to talk to you, if you were awake through all this. The best time for a woman to talk to a Lau man—well, the second-best time—is when he has no choice but to lie still and listen to her. You’re different, but still, why waste the chance? If we all survive this, or at least if you and Aras both survive, it’s time for you to tell him to let you go back to the winter country, Ryo.”

I almost wanted to laugh. Of course Lalani would seize her chance to say something a man might not want to hear. I said, “This would be a disgraceful—”

“Hush! You’ve been good for Aras, Ryo, everyone knows that, but now that I’ve had a chance to see you in the winter country, it’s obvious that you ought to be permitted to go back to your own people. You were different the moment we crossed the river. Oh, you might not have realized,” she added, seeing me roll my eyes to look at her. “But nobody else could miss it. You were born to take an important place among your people. The other young Ugaro men treat you like you’re their warleader—and you behave like you are. Your father wouldn’t have let just