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“There’s no more coming?”
“Not that I can sense.”
“That spell…” He shook his head. “That was incredible. How come you never used it on the dragons?”
“I did, only it wasn’t half as powerful.”
“Why the difference?”
Her lips pinched as she eyed her bloody hand. “I don’t know, but if I had to guess, my blood enhanced it.”
The mention of her injury had him barking, “Rory, get the bandages while l find a splint for Hogan.”
The next hour was spent straightening Hogan’s leg and tying it to a straight branch as well as cleaning the torn skin on Fionna’s arm. A healing poultice lathered atop it made her wince, but she relaxed as he wound the fabric bandage around her wound.
“Why can’t you heal it?” he asked.
“Oddly enough, witches can only attend to others. Something about being unable to manipulate our own threads.” She grimaced. “Annoying.”
“It could have been worse. You should be okay to fly back to the citadel.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you’re injured.”
“Barely.”
“Someone needs to accompany Hogan,” he argued instead.
“Are you really going to choose Rory to continue your chase over me?” They both glanced over at the boy who sat with his sword over his knees, staring outwards as if another monster would appear. She added softly, “He deserves to live to a ripe age.”
Kormac agreed. “So do you.”
Her lips curved. “I plan to, and I’m going to ensure you do as well.”
“Is it even wise to continue?” Look at him, the fearless warlord thinking of giving up. Then again, one day on the road and he’d lost three of his men.
“We will draw less notice if it’s just the pair of us.”
He snorted. “More like we’ll appear easy pickings.”
“Not true. I can hide us from view. Block us from smell. I should have done it earlier, only it’s easier to shield two people in close proximity than six spread apart.”
“Are you sure you want to keep going?”
“I could ask the same of you. Lomar can’t be left to roam free. He’s too dangerous.”
“Agreed.” He glanced at Rory. “He won’t be happy to be sent home.”
“Then spin it so that it’s the bravest thing he can do, accompanying his wounded comrade.”
“Or I could just order him.”
“Whatever the warlord wants,” she muttered.
A still in shock Rory didn’t argue when Kormac gave his decision. Fighting in the training rings hadn’t prepared the boy for monsters of legend. Hogan simply grunted when told he’d be going back to the citadel. Hopefully they wouldn’t run into trouble.
As Rory and Hogan prepared to leave, Kormac saw Fionna whispering to the young man and pressing something into his hand. Only once they’d left did he ask, “What did you give him?”
