The next day after Horin arrived, things settled a little—but that didn't mean they went well.
The first deaths appeared: a young Eluwyn and an elderly Ravari passed within hours of one another, their fevers too severe for their bodies to endure. It was a devastating blow for Mira, who had tried to help them both.
But her healing couldn't overcome the deeper complications they faced. Her magic—her aether—wasn't enough, and the two simply had problems that even magic couldn't heal.
What hurt her most was the absence of the one she saw as a mother figure. The old healer, Mother Kueha, hadn't come to comfort her. Since she hadn't contracted the disease—the rot—Kueha had stayed behind in the new Ravari village, tending to the wounded there.
"Mira… you did your best. Their time simply came. We can only accept it and keep helping the others…" Fay tried to console her, but he could tell his words weren't reaching the nearly five-year-old girl.
Sometimes being older meant knowing what to say. Today, he felt like he was failing.
He sighed, unsure what more he could do, when someone weakly stepped into their tent. It was Horin, still pale and unsteady.
Both Fay and Mira looked at her in surprise.
"What are you doing, Horin? You shouldn't be moving yet. You need all your strength," Fay said quickly, rushing to her side. He helped her down onto one of the mats.
"Did you need more heal… healing, Rin?" Mira asked, wiping her eyes.
"No, not yet. I just came to see you, Mira. You're the one who needs healing now. So let's just talk. Sometimes words can heal too…"
She gave Fay a look—one that asked him to leave. Like her father, she had a quiet pride that didn't let her show vulnerability easily.
"I'll… go bring medicine. The strongest one. And food." Fay gave a wink, knowing full well that Horin turned into a kitten when medicine was mentioned. Her ears even twitched at the word.
He left the tent and began wandering through the supply area, where he spotted Nahrin.
The chief looked exactly like his daughter—too proud to remain seated among the sick.
He was drinking his own medicine: a strong tea that made his ears twitch with every tiny, cautious sip.
Fay shook his head, finally understanding where Horin got it from.
"Are you feeling better, sir? You don't have a fever anymore, right?" Fay asked. This content belongs to nοvelfire.net
The sabertooth looked down and cleared his throat. "Doing better. But I'll need you to help channel aether into me. I used more than I should have, and I'm not recovering as fast as I expected… just half an hour should do, little warrior."
Fay nodded, already thinking of the schedule he had in mind. There were three other patients in need of aether channeling—summoners among the sick.
"Give me two hours," he said. "I need to work on two others first. They've been waiting longer and might be in danger if not stabilized soon."
The leader nodded and kept sipping his tea.
"She's fine. She went to see Mira. The girl's upset after the first deaths…"
The sabertooth set down his cup. "It was not her fault. Or yours. Remember that. I'll visit the little healer soon. I may have something to lift her spirits."
Fay nodded with a smile, curious but not bold enough to ask what it was.
"I'll go tend to the aether channeling now. I'll meet you later, Chief."
Before carrying out his duties, Fay returned to the girls with what he'd gone to get. He started with the medicine—getting a few laughs from Horin's dramatic reactions—then handed over their stew. It had a generous portion of meat this time, a sign the hunters were doing their jobs well.
With that done, he moved on to the summoners to replenish their aether—a task only he could handle for now. Fortunately, summoners weren't common among either tribe. The Eluwyn, while skilled in illusion magic, had few who pursued summoning.
It took much longer than expected. Fay had thought he'd only need to help two patients, but that number grew to more than four. Afterward, he went to see the chief and began channeling aether into him as well.
The process was long, boring, and tedious—but it was his responsibility. He was being fed and cared for, and he took his job very seriously.
Only when Chief Nahrin finally told him to stop did Fay return to the tent, where he found Horin fast asleep. Mira had already gone off to continue her healing rounds.
He scratched his head in puzzlement but made sure Horin was properly covered before heading out again.
He found Mira hard at work healing and tending to the sick, once more. She didn't seem as downcast as before—which meant Horin had done her part.
"How's your aether, Mira? Do you think you need more?" Fay asked while patting her back, checking on her aether amount with spirit vision, and saw that she still had enough.
He was exhausted, honestly.
All he wanted was to lie down and sleep. But making sure Mira was okay always came first.
"Fine. Can do more. Rest, Fayfay. I don't want you to hurt," the girl said, shaking her head.
She was too serious for her age as she directed Jiggz, who was steadily healing a patient.
Not wanting to go too far, Fay simply sat near a tree and leaned back against the trunk. The day had been chaotic and draining—and though he kept his eyes on Mira, he slipped into sleep before he realized it.
Mira noticed that her brother had fallen asleep and smiled softly. She was glad he had finally taken a rest. He was always looking out for her, and she didn't want him to get sick from overworking himself.
She then recalled Horin's words.
Mira understood now—Horin liked Fay just as much as she did. No less than Mira, but still liked him.
But Fay… he didn't show that he liked Horin.