Tainted

Chapter Twenty-Six

A spot behind my left wrist itches. I reach a finger between the two wooden splints and scratch. Everything on my left arm aches, from fingertip to shoulder. I know it's supposedly healing, but I just wish it would heal faster. I feel naked with the sling. While I have trained with one hand tied behind my back, I always had the comfort of knowing that I could break the bindings and have the use of both. Now, if I move too quickly too soon, my bones might not set properly.

I let out a frustrated sigh and lean back on the mattress. I'm still wearing Alani's cloak. It's hard with dried sweat and smells worse than the dungeons. Maybe after today's stint with the sentry I can ask for another outfit. No one will want to speak with if they can smell me a span away.

James snores softly in his sleep. His teeth are still around the half-chewed bone in his paws. He's curled up on the bed mat in the corner, a pool of drool near his snout.

Sailor came to bed shortly after I fell asleep, but I never heard Rogue come back. Nor do I see any evidence that he's been here. Sailor also left. I heard him walk through the tent flaps earlier this morning.

Mid-morning light creeps through the seams of the tent. Footsteps come closer to the tent. It sounds like Sailor's gait. I've begin to recognize his shuffle-step and can pick it out of the crowd. James wakes and looks up at the sound.

The tent flap snaps as Sailor pushes it open. He stands breathless just inside, as if he doesn't want to intrude any further than he needs to.

"Goo' mornin'," Sailor says. He rubs his hand between James's ears. James's tail thumps against the tent's canvas wall, shaking the entire structure.

"I though' yae migh' want a new set o' clothes for sentry duty. Th' robe can get kind o' hot durin' th' day," Sailor says.

I finger the hem of the robe's sleeve. "Thank you, but...I'm afraid I can't afford it." The words hurt more when saying them to Sailor. I know he won't bite back or say something snarky, but he'll try to help, and I have the feeling he's already done so much. He's a kind with fancy clothes in the middle of the desert, he's definitely lived a life far harder than his good mood would suggest.

Sailor waves his hand. "Don' worry, i's a gift."

"Sailor, I don't need you to—"

But he's already opening the tent flap and ushering James outside, effectively cutting off any sort of response I can make.

I sigh and bring myself to my feet. My arm throbs a bit as I hold it gently against my chest, but it's nothing I can't handle. I've had worse pain with far less medicine before.

"Where are we going?" I ask Sailor once I've stepped outside.

Sailor's face turns pink. "Well, I was thinkin' maybe the...maybe the...showers?" he says, digging a toe deep into the sand.

I smile at him. "I stink, don't I?"

"No, no, no' at all. Yae don' have tae shower if yae don' wan' to!" Sailor says quickly.

I want to laugh, but he looks so earnestly upset at the thought he might've offended me, so I swallow it down and give him a serious expression. "I do want to shower. I know I smell awful and I feel gross, too. Lead on." I swing my hand wide over the path, indicating to Sailor that he should keep going.

Sailor looks at me, chewing his lip, before seemingly deciding not to apologize again. He turns and I follow, my stomach rumbling louder and louder with each step.

James trots behind. He hasn't let go of the bone, and I can hear his hot breath against it.

"Can we get breakfast?" I ask, unable to wait a moment longer.