“I don’t know, exactly. I’m going to poke at you a bit. I hope I don’t hurt you, but I have to do it.”

“Just do it and get it over with, Sylve.” An edge of anger crept into her voice despite her effort to sound resigned.

It didn’t rattle Sylve. “I know you’re not angry at me. Stand still, now.”

She felt one of Sylve’s cool, scaled hands track down her spine from the nape of her neck to the middle of her back.

“That didn’t hurt? Good. It looks like it’s all sound flesh, but it’s scaled heavily and it’s…I don’t know…it’s different from how a human’s back should be. It stands up like it’s more muscled or something. Now, to either side of that space…” Thymara hissed and flinched wildly and Sylve took her hands away. “Um, there are these two, uh, slashes. They match. Each is about the span of my hand long, and the edges are all ridged. And—please, stand still again.”

She felt Sylve’s cold hands again, and then, as Sylve picked at something, Thymara gave a sudden yelp and curled forward, clenching her teeth and eyes. A burning pain spread out from whatever Sylve had done. When Sylve spoke, it sounded as if her own teeth were clenched. “Sorry, Thymara. So sorry. I shouldn’t have done that; it looks like you’re bleeding a bit now. But there’s—there’s something inside each of the slashes.”

“Something what? Dirt? Infection?”

Sylve took a deep shaking breath. “No. Something growing. Something bony like, well, like fingers or something. Thymara, you should go to Bellin or Alise. Or even Mercor. Someone who knows more than me has to look at this and tell you what to do. It’s bad. It’s really bad.”

Thymara didn’t bother with her rag bandage. She snatched up her shirt and pulled it on, heedless of how much pain the sudden movement cost her. “Don’t tell!” she insisted hoarsely. “Please, Sylve, don’t tell. Don’t tell anyone until I have a chance to think about this.” And talk to that damn dragon. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

“Thymara, you have to tell. Something has to be done.”

“Don’t tell, Sylve. Please. Don’t tell.”

Sylve ground her teeth. “All right. I won’t tell.”

But just as Thymara began to relax, Sylve added, “I won’t tell yet. I’ll wait one day. One day only. Then I go to Bellin. You can’t ignore this, Thymara. It won’t go away on its own.”

“I won’t ignore it. I promise. Just give me a day, Sylve. Just give me a day.”

“ALISE, I HAVE to talk to you. Do you have time for me?”