“Don’t let that upset you, Danny,” Loren said. “Quain feels like that all the time. Ow!”

Quain clocked Loren.

“I see those two haven’t changed,” Danny said, showing he’d grown in more ways than his height.

“I think they have a disease and are stuck in adolescence,” I said. “Do not look to them as role models.”

Danny grinned and glanced over at Noak.

Interesting. The gesture reminded me of another question I had for the boy. “Little Brother?”

“I’m tribe now.” He told them about healing Rakel, Noak’s sister, and challenging the tribe’s leader. “And that really put the pressure on us to find a cure. If the tribespeople kept dying, we would have had to fight Noak and his dad, Canute.” Danny hooked a thumb at Noak. “He’s a teddy bear compared to his father.”

“Kerrick didn’t know this, did he?” I asked.

“No way. The details of Canute’s abdication weren’t public knowledge. I didn’t tell him ’cause I knew Kerrick wanted to get back to you. He’d have never left me if he’d known.”

“I’m glad it worked out,” I said. “Plus you gained a valuable experience.”

“That I did, but I’ve lots to learn. That’s one of the reasons I’m here. I also wanted to help with the wounded.”

“You were safer in Alga,” Loren said.

Danny gave him a mulish look.

Loren laughed. “Does his expression remind you of anyone, Quain?”

“I thought that stubbornness was learned at healer school, but it must be instinctive,” Quain said.

Danny chuckled. “Whenever I was being difficult, Kerrick said I reminded him of Avry.”

“Hey,” I protested, but it lacked heat. After all, we knew just how difficult I could be.

“Where’s Kerrick?” Danny asked.

We filled him in on our adventures.

“...and Kerrick should be back in two days,” I said.

“Good, I’ve lots to tell him.”

“So you intend to stay here?” Loren asked.

“As long as it’s okay with Avry.” Danny widened his eyes in a pretty-please, puppy-dog, I’m-so-cute-how-can-you-say-no look.

“It’s all right with me.” Another chill brushed my spine. Noak was staring at me again. “Will it be okay with Big Brother?” I inclined my head in Noak’s direction.

“Yep. Don’t let him scare you.” Danny gestured to the surroundings. “This is all strange to him. The tribespeople are used to flat, open land where you can see for miles. They’re uncomfortable in the woods and they almost panicked crossing the Nine Mountains.” He chuckled. “We had to travel at night so they couldn’t see down.”

I smiled at his confidence. “You’d make a good ambassador.”