The Five [EDITING]

Chapter Six: Goodbyes

GEACOB

   "Here, hold still." I said and poured the whiskey over her wrists. She let out a cry and I shushed her again. "It need's to be cleaned."

   "But it hurts."

   "Of course it does, but it still needs to be done. You're lucky these didn't get infected on your way from Florn." Actually, they looked bad enough that I feared they may already be infected, but I didn't dare say that or she'd be whining about it for days I'd bet. "Last time. Then the ointment Trinna sent with us."

   "Who's Trinna?"

   "Nevermind." I gripped her fingers so she wouldn't pull away. She whimpered and started crying again. "It hurts."

   "How old are you? Eight? Nine?"

   "I'm nearly fourteen!" She said, insulted.

   "Then act like it!" I snapped. "All you do is cry." 

   I found the ointment in the bag and twisted the jar open. When I looked at her next, she was biting her lip hard as if physically stopping herself from crying. I felt a little guilty, thinking about all she'd been through and sighed. "Sorry." I told her, putting the ointment over both her wrists, then I reached for the cloth. "I know it couldn't have been easy taveling with Fat Biddy. If it makes you feel any better, I'll have you know he's dead."

   She tensed a moment, then relaxed. "Actually, it does." She admitted quietly. Then, "I'm sorry I keep crying. I'm not used to... I've never seen anyone die before."

   Definitely had a sheltered life then. "You get used to it." I said. "Not that it's any comfort." I added and started wrapping her other wrist. "I never killed anyone before tonight."

   "Really?" She sounded shocked.

   "Really. Hurt some people, but never killed anyone."

   "Is that why you're an Outsider? Because you hurt people?"

   "Ranger." I corrected. "We're not outsiders."

   She huffed as if irritated at hearing it repeated. "Outsider. Ranger. What does it matter? It's only a name."

   "Outsider implies that we're outside of everything. That we are nowhere of importance. But we're everywhere. We're Rangers. We range across places that others cannot reach. We belong to no kingdom, but range them all. The world is our own personal kingdom." 

   Finished wrapping, I picked up the whiskey again and went to lift her shift. I realized my mistake when she flinched away from me. "Just your knees." I promised. "I know they were bleeding at The T."

   Her face flushed in embarrassment at the memory but she lifted her skirt herself. They weren't as terrible as I had assumed, but still needed cleaning and there was a splinter or two that needed digging out. I leaned closer and tried to pinch it with my fingers.

   "You didn't answer my question." She said quickly, as if to distract herself from the pain.

   "What question?"

   "Why are you an Out... a Ranger?"

   I got one splinter out and worked on another. "I don't remember you asking that." I said, but answered. "I was raised as a Ranger."

   "Raised? Your mother was a Ranger?"

   I got the remaining splinter out then washed both knees with whiskey, making her jerk and hiss. "Anywhere else?"