It was only much later that it struck Savn as odd that neither he nor Polyi thought of calling Mae and Pae, which would have been their automatic reaction only three days before.
At last Polyi said in a whisper, “What are they doing?”
“Watching us.”
“I can see that, chag-brain. I mean why are they watching us.”
“I don’t know.”
Savn stared back at them, refusing to be intimidated. That there might actually be intelligence behind those quick, tiny eyes made it worse. Well, he wanted to say. What do you want with me?
Could Vlad have sent them?
Maybe. But, if so, why not give them a note, like he gave to Fird?
Perhaps because he couldn’t.
But, if he couldn’t, how could he have sent the jhereg?
Savn scowled. He just didn’t know enough about Vlad’s relationship with these things. It was a matter of witchcraft, and—
Witchcraft.
Just like the spell he’d put on Mae and Pae.
He broke free of Polyi, turned, and walked away from the house. Behind him, Polyi was asking something, but he didn’t really hear her.
Vlad was in trouble, maybe dying; that was the only possible explanation.
Vlad had, for whatever reason, laid enchantments on Mae and Pae.
Vlad needed help.
Vlad didn’t deserve help.
Savn slammed back into the house and got a small cooking pot, two wooden bowls, a little barley (Vlad could pay for that at least, and he’d better!), and some three-season herb, which was another thing Master Wag had recommended against fever.
Polyi came back in. “Where are you going?”
“Vlad’s gotten sick again,” he growled.
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
He rolled up his sleeping furs and tied them into a bundle.
“Aren’t you coming back?” said Polyi.
“Yes, I’m coming back, I just don’t know when.”
Prairiesong grew next to the road; he could pick some ; on the way. What else did he need?
“What do you mean, you don’t know when?”
“I’m going to stay with Vlad until he’s well, or until he dies, or until they find us. And, when he’s well, I’m going to make him—I’m going to talk to him about some things.”
He carefully wrapped Pae’s best kitchen knife in a towel and stowed it among his furs.
“But,” said Polyi, “that could take—”
“I know.”
“Mae and Pae—”
“Won’t even notice.”
Polyi shut up. Savn continued to pack as quickly as possible, ending up with one large roll that fit over his shoulder and a light sack that he could carry.
“I’m going with you,” announced Polyi.
Savn looked at her in the light of the stove. Her hair, which always gave her trouble, looked completely disorganized; her thin brows were drawn together in a line, and her mouth was set in an expression that he’d often seen before and thought of as stubborn; now it looked determined. He wasn’t certain what the difference was, but he knew it was there.
“Of course you are,” he said. “Hurry up and get ready. We have to take the long way around, and I don’t want to waste any time.”
The two jhereg shadowed them as they walked. It was too dark to see them, but Savn and Polyi heard the occasional thwp thwp of their wings, which made Savn nervous, though he didn’t mention it. Polyi didn’t mention it, either. In fact, Polyi didn’t say anything at all, though a couple of times Savn tried, halfheartedly, to engage in her conversation. The only thing she said was, “How are we going to see in the cave? It’s bad enough out here.”
“I left a torch just outside; maybe we can find it.” Their progress through the woods was very slow. There was no light at all save for the diffuse glow from the sky and the faraway beacons from His Lordship’s manor house, which, faint as it was, got fainter as they went further from Manor Road and into the woods above Bigcliff. Savn was afraid they would miss the path altogether and step off the cliff itself. He made Polyi take hold of his arm, and he went very slowly, feeling for low branches with his free hand and exposed roots with his feet.
“I’m glad you came along,” he said. “This would be even scarier alone.”
Polyi didn’t answer.
Soon the light from the manor house was gone entirely, and Savn was afraid he’d lose his sense of direction and wander the woods all night, but shortly thereafter they emerged, and he realized that the soft glow from the sky was enough to allow him to pick his way with care down the path to the caves.
Finding the torch proved difficult indeed, and he might not have managed it if he hadn’t bumped into the tree he’d been leaning against earlier. He scraped his cheek slightly, but was otherwise unhurt, and by feeling around at the tree’s base, discovered the torch he’d brought out of the cave.
It was only then, with the unlit torch in his hand, that he realized that it was chilly. “Are you cold?” he asked Polyi.
“Yes,” she said, “but I’m all right. Hurry up and light the torch so we can go.”
While Polyi waited by the cave mouth, Savn pushed together a pile of leaves that weren’t too damp and succeeded in making a fire. The glow hurt his eyes so much, he had to look away while igniting the torch, and once he’d managed to do so, he had to look away from both while he stamped out the fire. When he’d done this, he hesitated, wanting to wait until his eyes adjusted to the light, but not wanting to remain outside the cave where the light could be observed.
As he stood, undecided, Polyi said, “Come on, Savn,” so he squinted as best he could and headed into the cave. The jhereg, visible now in the torchlight, stayed with them, as if to be certain they completed their journey.
At last they reached the chamber where Vlad lay. Savn put the torch in the wall, lit another from the stack on the floor, brought it over to the Easterner, and gasped.
“Savn, what’s wro—”
“Hand me the sack, Polyi. Thanks. Now, find the mortar and pestle. Quick.”
“Where? Oh, here it is.”
Savn dumped the contents of the sack on the floor, and found the prairiesong. “Crush this up with some water,” he said.
“Where’s the water?”
“I don’t know, look around. Wait, in the wineskin, against the wall, below the torch. No, the brown wineskin; that one still has wine. Yes.”
“How much water?”
“After you’ve crushed the prairiesong, fill the bowl. Wait, give me the water first.”
Savn inspected Vlad, looking at each wound carefully, then got a cloth wet and put it around Vlad’s head. Then he began fanning him.
“What happened?” said Polyi.
“The Imps of Fever have entered his body, but I don’t know how. His wound isn’t infected.”
“What do we do?”
“Have you mixed the prairiesong yet?”
“Yes.”
“Then we will help him drink it.”
“Then what?”
“Then we’ll get the fire started again. Is there any wood left?”
“Not much.”
“After he’s had the prairiesong, take a torch with you and get some wood. Don’t stay out there any longer then you have to. Be careful not to be seen.”
“All right. What will we do when we’ve got the fire going?”
“We will sit here with him, keeping him cool, chanting the charms against fever, and feeding him water with prairiesong until his fever breaks.”
“What if it doesn’t break?”
“It will,” said Savn.
“But what if it doesn’t?”
“It will. Here. I’ll hold his head, you open his lips and pour. Slowly, we don’t want to spill any.”
They helped the Easterner drink. He was only semiconscious, but he was able to swallow normally. His skin was still very hot. Savn wiped Vlad’s forehead again, while Polyi got the firewood. He reviewed the chants against fever, while he ground up more prairiesong and set it aside, then began fanning Vlad. I’ll have to send Polyi out for more water, he thought, but that can wait until the fire’s going.