The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)

“Everything is pure hell.” Caleb agreed as he stopped just short of her and stared down at her in utter bewilderment. “I can’t believe how much you have changed!” he shook his head again and then seemed to remember Shade. “Bloody hell. Let me see to Shade and then we talk.” His gaze moved to Valor and he sighed again. “We need to talk too I’m afraid. I have a lot of explaining to do, and a very large favor to ask of you.”


Valor nodded dumbly in response and then seemed to remember Caleb had no idea where he was going. “Uh yes, I’m sure we do, and as for a favor, well I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Let’s see to Shade first though.” He mumbled and waved a hand toward the main house. He stared at the goblin for several breaths and then looked to Jala before striding quickly after Caleb.





*





Zoelyn stood in absolute silence braced against the bedroom wall as Caleb calmly produced a black dagger from his belt and cleaned it as thoroughly as he could with hot water and clean towels. Jala stood just behind him with a look of pure trepidation on her face and she was paler than normal.

“Are you really going to carve his face?” Valor asked sounding a bit squeamish himself as he dropped lightly into a seat near the bed with a look of horrified fascination on his face.

Caleb glanced up from his dagger and looked slowly around at his audience before nodding slowly. “As well as his leg and back if the Lady Merrodin can heal that much in one day.” He replied quietly.

Jala swallowed heavily and nodded. “I’ve seen plenty of wounds from a battlefield, but the only time I’ve ever intentionally inflicted damage on an old wound to heal, it was my own wound. That was just a hand. It wasn’t nearly as delicate as an eye is. As for how much I can heal…we shouldn’t have a problem with my magic reserves.” She admitted quietly.

“Are you sure you are up to this then? I mean the eye part. If you have the power and not the talent it is a waste of both of our time.” Caleb asked again with doubt clear in his voice.

“She healed Finn’s eye after it was lost to fire. That was a cauterized wound. I’m sure she can handle this.” Valor offered with a reassuring smile to both of them.

“I do not doubt my skills. I doubt yours.” Jala began slowly. “If you miss something delicate that should be healed he might not get his sight back fully. I don’t see how you can tell what you are carving in an area as confined as an eye socket. I can heal whatever is damaged, but if you don’t damage the right thing all we are doing is cosmetic and he will still be half-blind.” She clarified when Caleb’s expression darkened once more.

“I can skin a greased weasel in the dark with one eye closed without damaging the pelt. I think I can handle this.” Caleb returned dryly.

“That must have been an unusual skill to master and one that I can see absolutely no practical use for.” Jala returned in the same tone.

“It was a figure of speech Lady Merrodin, not meant to be taken literally.” Caleb growled and shook his head.

“Grim can handle the cutting, and I know you can handle the healing.” Zoelyn broke in quickly before things could get worse. The last thing she wanted was two of her friends to become enemies.

“If you say so.” Jala sighed and motioned delicately to Caleb. “Begin where ever you like and I will patch him up as needed.” She invited.

“Are we certain he isn’t going to wake up in the middle of this? What if he just fainted? I mean I would really hate to wake up with someone’s knife in my eye.” Valor said before Caleb could take a single step toward the bed.

“If he starts to wake I’ll make sure he stays out cold.” Caleb promised as he pulled a chair closer to the bed and settled in it. He leaned over silently and turned Shade’s face toward him. With gentleness that Jala obviously hadn’t expected he removed the makeshift bandage from Shade’s eye and examined the wound closely before raising his dagger to begin.

Jala turned her head and Zoelyn caught her eye and smiled. “Evanell was the Master healer for the city of Amdany. Grim helped her as he was needed. So he isn’t a complete amateur at this. Nel tended to be a bit squeamish about some things and so Grim would do the dirty work.” Zoelyn spoke quietly and she saw Jala relax a bit at her words.

“Do you remember that time that hunter stepped in his own trap and the Dazzi mauled him? I had to carve him up to remove the trap and push his guts back in before Nel would even come close.” Caleb said in a distracted voice.

“As I recall even you almost lost your lunch at the sight of that one.” Zoelyn replied quietly.

“Nel had nightmares about that for weeks. Every time I went out to hunt after that I thought she was going to kneecap me to keep me from leaving the house.” Caleb continued as his dagger tip carefully cut away the first layer of scar tissue from Shade’s eye. Shade stirred under his hand and Caleb leaned back and carefully sat the dagger down.

Jala flinched back and by her expression it was clear that she expected Caleb to punch Shade to knock him out, but when he reached for his bag instead her expression shifted to curiosity.

Barely a breath had passed before Caleb dropped his bag and leaned forward once more with a small amber colored glass vial in his hand. He quickly pulled the stopper from the vial and gently shook Shade. “Shade, wake a bit. Here I need you to drink this. It will help you.” Caleb’s voice was gentle as he held the vial to Shade’s lips with one hand and lifted his head enough to drink with the other. Shade swallowed weakly and coughed a few times as Caleb lowered his head to the pillow once more. “Just rest now. We made it to Merro and Jala is going to heal you. All you have to do is sleep.” Caleb said as he dropped the empty vial onto the table beside him and watched Shade settle back into the bed.