“The Bond That Heals”
The flickering oil lamps dimmed as dawn’s light crept through the flaps of the infirmary tent. The battlefield lay behind them, silent now, littered with broken weapons and blood-soaked soil. But inside the tent, another war was being waged—one of spirit, not steel.
Rowan lay still on the cot, his body pale beneath the blankets. Esme hovered nearby, wiping sweat from his brow and checking the pulse that fluttered weakly at his neck. Despite the herbs, the transfusions, and the moon-enhanced healing rituals, Rowan’s condition teetered on a knife’s edge.
But Caleb hadn’t left.
Not once.
His fingers had remained laced with Rowan’s, even when the healers had urged him to rest. Even when his own wounds screamed in protest. Even when Rowan’s breathing had stilled to te
