by Pirateaba
“Oh my god. I’d never have the courage to do that myself.”
Erin watched with admiration and horror as Lyonette began to slice into the hive, many times over as large as she was. It filled the huge cave, and Erin wondered how many bees were inside. She prayed they were all sleeping.
Then Erin remembered she had a job to do as well! She hurriedly fished around in the rucksack she’d brought and pulled out a pair of tongs. She began picking up bees and dropping them in the jars, counting as she did.
“One bee, two bee, three bees…this one’s twitching. Ew. Four bees, five bees, ooh, big bee! Seven bees…”
They worked in sweaty, quick silence until Erin had two jars of bees and Lyonette two jars of honey, honeycomb, and other parts of the hive. Then they hurried out into the snow.
“We made it! Are we okay?”
“I think so.”
Lyonette was pale, but triumphant. She was a mess, covered all over by the hive. She jerked her head back towards the inn.
“We should get away as fast as we can. The bees get really, really angry when they wake up. We don’t want to be anywhere near them.”
“Got it. Let’s go!”
Erin had to heft both jars as she struggled through the snow. They’d brought a small sled to carry the jars on, but the jars kept falling off no matter how the girls tried to lash them onto the sled—and they didn’t feel like trying to tie a good knot so close to the cave.
They made tracks, huffing and puffing as they tried to force their unwilling legs to move faster. When they were a good distance from the cave, Erin relaxed slightly.
“I think we might be okay. Lyonette, do you do that every day?”
“Yeah, but having someone else helps.”
Lyonette gasped as she panted for air. She looked at Erin with a smile of triumph and then turned pale.
“Erin. The jar…”
Erin looked down at the two massive jars she was holding and nearly screamed. The bees she’d put in the jar had woken up. And they were alive.
She’d only seen them after they’d suffocated or died of the cold. But these bees, freshly put to sleep, were still able to move. And they did. They wriggled and tried to flap their wings obscenely in the crowded confines of the jar. The pulsating mass made Erin want to drop the jar, but she hung on for dear life, checking the lid to make sure it was secure.
“It’s okay. They’ll die quick. Let’s just put it on the sled and—I need to have a bath after this.”
“Okay.”
Gingerly, Erin lashed the two jars securely to the sled. The bees wriggled angrily and tried to sting her hands through the glass, but they could do nothing. Erin continued onwards, pulling the sled as Lyonette followed her.
“So you did this three times before I got here? That’s amazing!”
Erin was trying to be as congratulatory as possible, and she meant it. Lyonette really had turned over a new leaf, and this one was massive. The girl beamed with pride as they passed by a huge mound of snow sitting in the middle of a flat part of the snowy plains.
“I had to. Honey’s the only thing everyone really likes. It was so scary—I nearly peed myself the first time! But your flowers really are incredible.”
“I know. I’m wondering what else they might be able to do! I’ll do some experiments—hopefully I can grow enough so that—”
Danger. It wasn’t a word, just a thought, a bell rung at maximum volume in Erin’s head. She broke off and turned her head around immediately.
“Lyonette. Stop.”
The girl halted at once as Erin let go of the sledge and reached for the knife she always carried when she left the inn. Something was around them. She looked at Lyonette and the girl got the vibe at once. She drew closer to Erin as the [Innkeeper] eyed the ground.
“What is it?”
“[Dangersense]. But I can’t tell from where. Is it Shield Spiders? Are we at their nest or—”
A spark lit up Erin’s mind. They had just passed something. She hadn’t noticed, but it stood out to her suddenly. Why was a mound of snow in a flat plain—
She turned, just as the Rock Crab, camouflaged by the snow, stood up and sidled closer to her. It scuttled a few feet towards the girls, and then dropped down into the snow, looking like just another white part of the landscape. But Erin and Lyonette had seen.
It was less than fifteen feet away. Lyonette froze up and Erin felt her heart stop in her chest.
“Erin—what is—”
“Rock Crab. I told you—it’s too close.”
“W-what do we do? Run?”
“It’ll catch us.”
Erin knew that for a certainty. She clenched her teeth tightly, feeling the useless knife in her left hand.
“Seed cores would scare it away. But we don’t have any except at the inn!”
“In that case…”
“Just don’t move. I think it’s waiting for us to move. Let. Me. Think.”
Erin held very still as Lyonette shivered next to her. She knew the Rock Crab would strike sooner or later. When it did—
What could kill it? Adventurers. They were far away. Seed cores. Erin didn’t have any. Goblins? None around here since Rags was gone. Magic? No. Toren—
No. Erin closed her eyes. Fight while Lyonette ran for help? She’d be dead in a second. But if that was her option—
No. Wait. Something else struck Erin. She opened her eyes and stared at the sled she’d stopped pulling. At the things wriggling in the glass jars.
“Lyonette. Get ready to dive into the snow.”
“What? Wh—”
Lyonette’s eyes widened as Erin slowly, very slowly, waded over to the glass jars. Erin carefully lifted both jars of angry bees out of the sled, keeping her eyes on the mound of snow the entire time. Was it lifting up a bit?
She raised the first jar over her head and braced herself. Yes, the Rock Crab was moving. She saw it lift up, and then two long, flexible…
Were they eyes? Either that, or antennae. They stared at Erin and she stared at it. The Rock Crab hesitated, and then it lifted itself up, exposing a dark, red-brown body under its snowy shell and huge pincers that—
“Duck!”
Erin screamed and threw the first jar right into the Rock Crab’s shell. Inside of it, in fact. The glass broke and Erin heard a roar of buzzing as the bees were freed. She didn’t hesitate. She threw the second jar and then dove into the snow, digging herself deep as the bees buzzed in fury and the rock Crab clicked.
That was the sound. A deep, echoing click of a sea creature. It was a counterpoint to the thunderous buzzing.
Clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick—
Erin didn’t know if Lyonette was alive. She could only hear the bees, the crab—and then silence. The buzzing faded, growing more muted, but never completely ceasing, but the crab…
After a while, Erin chanced raising her head out of the snow. She looked around and saw the crab’s shell, lowered to the ground. For a second she thought the crab was alive and her heart pounded wildly—but then she realized the truth.
“Lyonette.”
The girl screamed when Erin found her in the snow. But Lyonette realized it was just Erin and came up to see what had happened.
“It’s dead.”
Erin pointed shakily to the Rock Crab’s shell. She could see a few dead bees, smashed or in pieces around the shell, but only a few. The rest must have flown off. Lyonette stared at the shell and touched her ears.
“I can still hear buzzing though—”
“Yeah. The bees are inside the shell.”
Erin pointed to the shell where she could hear the dim thunder of wings as well. Lyonette grew pale as she realized what had happened.
The Ashfire Bees had stung the Rock Crab to death—from the inside. But they were trapped in its shell as well. Both groups were dead or soon to be dead if no one disturbed them.
Erin laughed, shakily. Lyonette looked at her as
if she were crazy, but then uttered a strained laugh herself. Both girls laughed and laughed and then Lyonette sat down and cried while Erin went to find their sled.
It was smashed on one end, but one of the jars of honey was intact. That would do. Erin brought it back and she and Lyonette made their way back to the inn.
Neither one said much. Lyonette was sticky with honey and other fluids from the hive. Erin held the jar of honey as Lyonette struggled onwards, wiping at her mouth and spitting occasionally. She said not a word of complaint, but Erin saw her shiver more than once as the cold air froze her wet clothing.
When they got back, Erin let Mrsha leap on Lyonette as Lyonette hugged her and cried in relief. Erin pointed upstairs as Lyonette tried to stop Mrsha from rubbing her furry body all over her honeyed one.
“Bath!”
Both Gnoll and girl looked at her. Erin smiled.
“Go take a bath, Lyonette. Don’t worry about cleaning or anything else. Just have a nice time—and bring Mrsha with you too! She’s all sticky.”
“I can make it quick—”
“No, no!”
Erin mock-scowled at Lyonette.
“Bath time is a special time. It’s the most special time. You take a long hot soak, or I’ll fire you. I’m going back into the city—after I talk with Octavia. Go on! Shoo!”
She waved at Lyonette and then remembered what else she wanted to say.
“Lyonette?”
“Yes?”
“Good work. I mean it.”
“But we lost the bees and most of the honey—”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
Erin looked sternly at Lyonette.
“You did amazing, getting us the honey. The Rock Crab…from now on, neither you and I are leaving the inn without seed cores, okay? And we’ll be twice as careful—I’m going with you each time. But we survived.”
“Yeah. We did.”
They left it at that. Erin went to the kitchen with the jar of honey before she remembered what she had to do with it. She put the honey on a table and sat down for a second.
Only then did Erin let herself shake uncontrollably. She trembled so badly she couldn’t stand or hold the glass of water she’d poured herself; it slopped everywhere.
Just for a few minutes. One. Five. Then Erin stopped. She stopped shaking, stood up, drank the rest of the water in the glass, and sighed.
“I’m alive. I’m alive. I’m alive and—I need to get back to work.”
Erin stumbled towards the door. She had to come back and grab the jar of honey.
—-
When she opened Krshia’s door this time, Brunkr was awake. Sort of. He was staring at his hand on the couch, not doing anything really. He didn’t look up as Erin came in.
“Go away, Human.”
“I have something that will help, Brunkr. I know how to help heal your hand.”
He looked up, full of hope and scorn. He frowned when he saw the huge glass jar of honey. Bits of honeycomb were stuck to the insides.
“What is that? Do want to fatten me up before I lose my arm? Or is that for my aunt to sell?”
“It’s for you.”
Erin put the jar on the table, and turned to face Brunkr, hands on hips. She felt a bit better, although the smell of Brunkr’s infection didn’t help her stomach any.
“This honey is something Ryoka—do you know Ryoka? Well, it’s something that will help.”
“How?”
“What you’re going to do is—well, first, let me tend to your hand.”
Erin walked over to Brunkr. She’d brought a towel and a bag of salt. She put both down and he watched, confused and irritated as she found a basin for her. When Erin mixed some water she’d boiled in the kitchen with the salt he reacted poorly.
“You’re not splashing that on my hand.”
“I am.”
“No.”
He yanked his hand away as she reached for it. Erin glared at him.
“You need to get your infection clean. For god’s sake, why haven’t you cleaned it yourself? It’s disgusting!”
“It always comes back.”
He growled with gritted teeth as he backed away from Erin. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
“I’m washing your arm. With that water.”
“No. I’m not having you pour that on my arm. I’ve suffered enough without your crazy Human remedies!”
“I’m not giving you a choice. Come on—”
Erin reached for Brunkr and he hit her. It was a fast punch that caught Erin on the side of the face. It wasn’t too strong—for Brunkr. Erin stumbled back and shook her head. Then she threw up.
Brunkr eyed Erin as she panted and stared at the mess on Krshia’s floor. He saw the Human girl look at the vomit puddle, and then at him. He snarled, full of hurt and anger. But Erin just turned away and went into the kitchen.
She came back with more water and a cloth. It took a bit of time for Erin to get the vomit out of the rug, but she had a skill. She tossed the dirty water out, cleaned her hands. Then she stopped in the living room and stared at Brunkr. He stared back.
Erin sighed. She took two steps over to Brunkr and he raised his hand threateningly. This time Erin drew back when he clenched his fist. She eyed him—
And then hit him in the stomach.
“[Minotaur Punch]!”
Brunkr doubled over as Erin belted him. He swung at her, but she ducked. Erin stomped on Brunkr’s toe and punched him in the chest. He didn’t fall from that, so she kneed him in the groin and then hit him in the face.
He hit her back. Erin stared up at the ceiling and then got up fast. She kicked the charging Brunkr in the groin again and shoved him on the couch as he doubled over, howling in pain.
“Sit!”
She shouted it so loudly the house rang. Brunkr tried to stand up—Erin raised a fist. He halted. His ears flattened, and the fight went out of him. He lay back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Erin breathed in and out heavily, and then reached for the basin of salt water.
—-
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry. I need to get the wound clean, though.”
Brunkr hissed through his teeth as Erin carefully dabbed at his red wound. She pressed at it and she saw his claws sink into Krshia’s already threadbare couch—but he didn’t say a word.
“You’re doing great. I know it hurts, and I’m sorry. I really am. But you need to keep it clean. All this pus and nasty stuff? It can’t stay in the wound.”
Brunkr growled, vexation clear in his voice.
“I know that. But it keeps—agh! Keeps coming back.”
“So keep getting rid of it! Who’s tougher, you or pus?”
Erin scowled as she took away the dirtied rag and dipped it in another bucket. She sighed, and stared at his arm.
The red, gaping injury did look awful, but it was better than the oozing mess of before. She had—against Brunkr’s wishes—also snipped off a lot of the hair around the injury to keep it from getting in. Now Erin fetched the jar of honey.
“Why honey? It won’t work.”
“Have you ever tried using honey on your injuries?”
“Of course not. Who would—argh!”
Brunkr yelped as Erin began spooning honey over his infected arm. She coated his open flesh liberally, making sure it was all covered by a layer of glistening liquid.
“There. That looks right.”
“And this is supposed to do what? Heal me?”
“It’s a salve. It’ll help keep germs away. Um—keep the infection from getting worse, and make it better.”
Erin pointed to the jar as she got the bandages she’d bought out and began wrapping them around Brunkr’s arm.
“Don’t eat the honey, obviously. It’s going to get really nasty over time I bet. Lots of hair, dirt…actually, wash your arm before you put the honey on it. But just keep putting it on, okay?”
He eyed
her.
“When?”
“All the time! When you’re awake, when you’re asleep—all the time! If you can, keep honey on the injury every second. After you clean, again. Clean at least three times a day, and then reapply the honey salve. It’ll help get rid of the infection. Here, I’ll show you how to wrap a bandage over it…”
She finished tying the bandage over Brunkr’s arm. He stared at it and shook his head.
“Don’t you think I’ve done all this before? I’ve put the poultice the [Healer] gave me over my arm—it did nothing. I ate all the different meat my tribe mates gave me, I drank as many foul stews as my aunt made. Nothing worked. I burnt my wound with fire—”
“What? No wonder it’s so bad!”
Erin glared at Brunkr. He glared back. He tried to put anger in his tone, but there was more defeat than anything else.
“Your cure isn’t going to work. What makes a Human trick better than my people’s knowledge? All you’re using is honey.”
“It may just be honey, but I know this honey works. Ryoka knows it works. It’s not some quack medicine, okay? Cleaning your wound regularly, using honey and salt water—it’s all part of the healing. You have to do it all or it won’t work. Have faith.”
He glared at her. Brunkr grabbed Erin’s arm as she rolled up the rest of the bandage. It was a firm grip, but not meant to hurt.
“Faith? In what? This—this is just a fool’s cure. Why should I believe honey will cure…”
His voice broke.
“I will lose my hand. After this, it must be cut off. Not just my hand—my arm as well. I will lose it, and I will be a cripple. Not a warrior of my tribe—a half thing. Useless. Good only for the easiest chores.”
Erin stared at Brunkr. She didn’t know him. She’d only met him once or twice, and it always ended up in a fight, or so it seemed. But she could understand his fear, understand what he was going through.
“I know it’s scary. I know it’s hard to believe. But believe.”
“In what? In Humans?”
“No. In me.”