“Emily.”
Her name left Eleanor’s mouth sharper than intended.
Emily’s body went slack in her arms. She was no longer responsive as she was just a second back. She'd passed out from weakness and pain.
Emily’s skin was very warm, and it was not just surface heat.
This was internal.
Her breathing came shallow and uneven. Eleanor pressed two fingers to her pulse and closed her eyes briefly.
“Still strong,” she murmured
She did not waste time dragging Emily gently inside the hut, she laid her on the small bed near the window.
From a shelf lined with jars and cloth-wrapped bundles, Eleanor began selecting herbs with steady hands.
Dried silverleaf, crushed frostroot, a dark resin that smelled bitter.
She ground them together in a mortar, added a measure of cool water infused wit
