Moonlit vow

8.Snake bites

“No! You haven’t even tried! Let Iris save my brother. Maybe this time, Jimmy can be saved!” Kami pleaded as she turned to me with tear-filled eyes. “Iris, I trust you. Please, come save him.”

A few wolf cubs, normally playful companions, quietly begged as well. Moved by their pleas, the wolf king finally sighed and turned away, though his tone remained resolute. “No. You must leave. Take Jimmy out of the tribe!”

At that moment, Jimmy, lying on the wolfman’s back, cried out in agony with his eyes shut. Tears streamed down his face as he shouted, “Sister! Sister! It hurts so much!”

The crowd stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

“Let me take a look!” Iris’s sudden voice cut through Kami’s wailing.

She quickly stepped forward, kneeling beside Jimmy to inspect his wound. On the calf of his right leg was an area of severe swelling, dotted with blisters. Two puncture marks were visible in the center of the redness.

“Quick! Find two sticks and tear some hand-width strips from animal hides,” Iris commanded with urgency.

Though the surrounding wolfmen didn’t fully understand what was happening, Iris’s confident demeanor gave them hope. They realized this seemingly fragile female might have a way to save Jimmy. Not wanting to lose a tribe member unnecessarily, several beastmen sprang into action to fetch branches and tear their own animal-hide clothing into strips.

With the poison already spreading and time running out, the urgency of the situation eclipsed all other concerns. For the wolfmen, a venomous snakebite was often a death sentence. Since the poison had already had time to circulate, every second counted.

Iris quickly splinted Jimmy’s injured leg using the sticks and secured them with the fabric strips. This compression bandage method, which included immobilizing the limb with the splint, helped reduce the return flow of blood and lymph from the wound. This slowed the spread and absorption of the venom, while the even pressure allowed deep blood flow to continue, preventing ischemic necrosis.

As she worked, Iris asked hurriedly, “Do you remember where Jimmy was bitten? Can you still find the snake?”

“Yes! I killed it. It’s not far from the tribe—I’ll bring it now!” one of the wolfmen who had been with Jimmy earlier replied before dashing off.

Soon, the wolfman returned, carrying the snake he had killed. The snake’s head had been smashed, but its body was still identifiable. Placing her hand on the snake’s body, Iris’s mind filled with the familiar whisper: “Viper. If bitten, the antidote can be made using Two-Color Flower.”

“I’ll get the herbs,” Iris said, rising to her feet and heading back to the cave. She quickly retrieved anti-inflammatory and pain-relief herbs, along with the Two-Color Flower. After crushing the Two-Color Flower with a stone, she boiled it into a potion and fed it to Jimmy. She then applied the anti-inflammatory herbs to the wound.

After a while, Jimmy’s eyes fluttered open. Seeing his sister by his side, he weakly asked, “Sister, am I going to die?”

Kami, sitting by Jimmy’s bedside, quickly reassured him, “No, you’re going to be fine. Iris saved you. She’s our healer.”

The crowd around them, seeing Jimmy regain consciousness, erupted in cheers. Many looked at Iris with newfound respect. Some wolfmen even lifted her into the air in celebration. Having lived so long without a healer, the tribe was accustomed to losing members to injuries and illnesses. This small miracle was enough to fill them with hope and joy.

The wolfmen no longer regarded Iris with suspicion. At this moment, their recognition and admiration for her reached its peak.

Iris hadn’t expected that saving a child would spark such a fervent reaction.

Watching the scene, Leiand frowned at the group of men surrounding Iris. His displeasure was evident. “Alright! Enough! Go back to your tasks and let Kami rest!” he barked.

Iris chuckled softly. She hadn’t imagined this man could show such a jealous side.

To the tribe, “evil spirits” were the most terrifying existence. Illnesses or deaths were often attributed to being possessed by these spirits. Even injuries were feared, as wounds were believed to allow the spirits entry.

Snakebites were particularly dreaded; venomous snakes were seen as “messengers of the evil spirits.” A single bite could cause excruciating pain and rapid death, reinforcing the belief in the spirits’ wrath.

Because snakebite wounds were small and often difficult to treat, even healers from other tribes were usually helpless. This led to the deeply ingrained fear of venomous snakes and the rule that anyone bitten by one must be exiled from the tribe. This was why the wolf king had insisted on taking Jimmy out of the tribe earlier.

Iris found the wolf king’s approach cold and heartless. Shifting blame to “evil spirits” for every untreatable issue felt like an easy way out, a primitive and simplistic mindset fitting for these beastfolk. Whether it was infections or venom, every death was attributed to evil spirits. While laughable to a modern mind, this belief was universally accepted in this ancient wolfman tribe.

On further reflection, Iris realized there might be some logic behind the exile rule. The tribe had likely experienced contagious diseases in the past and learned to fear their spread. Without the knowledge to distinguish between contagious and non-contagious illnesses, removing all severely ill or injured individuals from the tribe was a harsh but pragmatic measure to protect the group as a whole.

After ensuring Jimmy was stable, Iris left some herbs with Kami and explained how to use them. Then, she and Leiand returned to the cave together.

By the time Iris finished her tasks and returned to the cave late that night, the exhaustion had sapped her appetite.

The forest at night was silent and chilly. Iris sat in a corner of the cave, leaning against the rocky wall. Exhaustion was evident in her eyes as she hugged her knees, her head drooping slightly as if she might fall asleep at any moment.

The fire in the pit burned dimly, crackling softly as it waned.

Leiand stood at the entrance of the cave, his gaze falling on Iris’s tired figure. His brows furrowed slightly. “This foolish woman never knows how to take care of herself,” he thought to himself, though there was an almost imperceptible softness in his eyes.

Quietly, Leiand walked over to the fire and crouched down. He added dry wood from the nearby pile, coaxing the flames to life. The firelight danced, spreading its warmth throughout the cave once more. With practiced hands, he adjusted the wood to ensure the flames burned steadily before picking up a prepared piece of game and placing it over the fire to roast.

The aroma of roasting meat gradually filled the air, rich and enticing. Drawn by the smell, Iris lifted her head and glanced at Leiand by the fire. She saw him attentively turning the meat as it cooked.

“Why aren’t you resting? I must’ve dozed off earlier,” she said, her voice tinged with a slight rasp.

Without looking up, Leiand replied, “You’ve been busy all night. I’ll handle the rest. Eat something and then get some sleep.”

A faint smile curved Iris’s lips. She didn’t say much more, only watching his busy figure. A warmth spread in her chest, one she found difficult to describe.

The firelight illuminated Leiand’s profile, his features both sharp and gentle, like a protective barrier keeping the cold of the outside world at bay.

“You’re awake, so eat while it’s hot.” He tore off a piece of meat and handed it to her.

Iris took the roasted meat and looked up, her smile filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Leiand.”

The two of them quickly finished their meal and sat together by the fire.

Leiand leaned casually against a nearby rock wall, idly twirling a small stick in his hand. His gaze occasionally flicked toward Iris, deep and tender.

“You must be exhausted today,” he said, breaking the stillness of the night.

Iris looked at him and shook her head lightly. “It’s not so bad. I just did what I could.” Her eyes softened as they fell on the stick in his hand. “Did you often stay by the fire like this when you were young?”

Leiand paused for a moment, his thoughts drifting back. “Yes. Back then, I was just a boy. My mother died early in a battle, so it was just me and my younger brother. We always felt that the fire was our only sense of security. Looking back, those days seem so simple.”

“And now?” Iris asked softly, her gaze warm and gentle.

“Now?” Leiand chuckled quietly, the memory of Kahar flashing through his mind and filling him with disappointment. His eyes returned to Iris, his voice firm. “Now it’s different. Besides the fire, I have to protect you too.”

Iris felt the heat of his gaze, intense like the flames, as if it might melt her entirely. Her head dipped slightly, her shy voice barely audible. “Then… I’ll leave that to you.”

Leiand’s lips curved into a smile. “If you’re with me, I’ll never let it feel like a burden.”

The night grew deeper, and the firelight stretched their shadows long against the cave walls. In the warmth of the moment, the distance between them seemed to shrink, drawing their hearts closer together.