Raffin and Bann slipped through the doorway. And when Katsa and Po turned back to Tealiff, the old man’s eyes were open.

“Grandfather,” Po said.

“Po?” His voice rasped with the effort of speaking. “Po.” He struggled to clear his throat and then lay still for a moment, exhausted. “Great seas, boy. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to see you.”

“I’ve been tracking you down, Grandfather,” Po said.

“Move that lamp closer, boy,” Tealiff said. “What in the name of Lienid have you done to your face?”

“It’s nothing, Grandfather. I’ve only been fighting.”

“With what, a pack of wolves?”

“With the Lady Katsa,” Po said. He cocked his head at Katsa, who stood at the foot of the bed. “Don’t worry, Grandfather. It was only a friendly scuffle.”

Tealiff snorted. “A friendly scuffle. You look worse than she does, Po.”

Po burst into laughter. He laughed a lot, this Lienid prince. “I’ve met my match, Grandfather.”

“More than your match,” Tealiff said, “it looks to me. Come here, child,” he said to Katsa. “Come to the light.”

Katsa approached the other side of the bed and knelt beside him. Tealiff turned to her, and she became suddenly conscious of her dirty, bloody face, her tangled hair. How dreadful she must look to this old man.

“My dear,” he said. “I believe you saved my life.”

“Lord Prince,” Katsa said, “if anyone did that, it was my cousin Raffin with his medicines.”

“Yes, Raffin’s a good boy,” he said. He patted her hand. “But I know what you did, you and the others. You’ve saved my life, though I can’t think why. I doubt any Lienid has ever done you a kindness.”

“I’d never met a Lienid,” Katsa said, “before you, Lord Prince. But you seem very kind.”

Tealiff closed his eyes. He seemed to sink into his pillows. His breath was a drawn-out sigh.

“He falls asleep like that,” Raffin said from the doorway. “His strength will come back, with rest.” He carried something wrapped in a cloth, which he handed to Po. “Ice. Hold it to that eye. It looks like she’s cracked your lip, too. Where else does it hurt?”

“Everywhere,” Po said. “I feel as if I’ve been run over by a team of horses.”

“Honestly, Katsa,” Raffin said. “Were you trying to kill him?”

“If I’d been trying to kill him, he’d be dead,” Katsa said, and Po laughed again. “He wouldn’t be laughing,” she added, “if it were that bad.”

It wasn’t that bad; or at least Raffin was able to determine that none of his bones were broken and that he’d sustained no bruises that wouldn’t heal. Then Raffin turned to Katsa. He examined the scratch that stretched across her jaw, and wiped dirt and blood from her face.

“It’s not very deep, this scratch,” he said. “Any other pains?”

“None,” she said. “I don’t even feel the scratch.”

“I suppose you’ll have to retire this dress,” he said. “Helda will give you a terrible scolding.”