She swallowed. She had no idea how deep it was, but when she remembered those talons digging into him, she knew it wasn’t a shallow gash. And it wasn’t only one wound. There were four on this side and, she was sure, a matching four on the other.

When a shadow passed over them, she jumped, but it was only Gavril.

“He’s hurt,” she said, struggling to keep her voice steady. “Badly hurt. The talons—”

She remembered then that Daigo hadn’t been the only one gripped in those terrible claws.

“Your arm,” she said. “Are you—?”

“Only scratched,” he said.

She could see long, bloody gashes through the tattoos on his right forearm. She started to rise. “Those aren’t scratches—”

“Little more,” he said, waving her down. “They’re shallow. Are his . . . ?”

“Not shallow,” she whispered as she turned back to her wildcat.

“Can he stand?”

“He shouldn’t. He needs—”

“Moria, there’s no healer here. If he can walk—”

Daigo answered by struggling to his feet. Three of his wounds gushed fresh blood.

“No!” she said, pushing him back down. “He’ll hurt himself more. They need to be sewn. I didn’t bring— Blast it, why didn’t I bring—?”

Tears sprang to her eyes. She wiped them away. “You go on ahead. Send someone back.”

“It’ll be days before I reach Fairview, Moria. Then someone has to return—”

“By horse. They’ll return by horse. We have water. I can hunt for food. We’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t. Not with that creature hunting for its food. We need to go before it comes back. We have to find shelter.”

She sprang up. “And abandon Daigo? I do not leave him. Anywhere. Ever. If that monster comes back, it comes back for both of us, because—”

“Moria, calm yourself.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I know you won’t leave him. I wouldn’t ask you to. I meant that we need to figure this out.”

She took a deep breath, then peered over the landscape. There were piles of rock here and there, and gullies, too, where the earth had shifted. Were any nearby ones enough to shelter the three of them from the thunder hawk?

“They taught me battle healing,” she said. “Why didn’t I pay more attention?”

As she cursed herself, Gavril said hesitantly, “I might be able to help.”

She looked up sharply. Sorcery. Healing magic.

“I also had lessons in battle healing,” he said quickly, as if reading her thoughts.

And you didn’t mention this when your head was injured? Or when that beast shot quills in us? No, Gavril, that is not what you mean at all.

It didn’t matter. He could help Daigo. That was all that counted. She backed away.

“You ought to gather the packs,” he said. “Some items may have fallen out. You should go look.”