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"This way!" she cried, backing her horse down the opening between the soldiers at her back The healers would co as they rode

"This way!" yelled Briar Riverdancer, her translator, and Jies There was a ripple ae of the colu soldiers to the allies cayi swordsrabbed one of their wounded as he ca him across her saddle with a care for the arrow that jutted from his back A soldier ran forward to seize the reins to the wounded rabbed the bridle of the next ht; she had a sword cut that bled into her eye

Healers ran forward to take Rosethorn’s wounded soldier froot an arrow in his back" They nodded and carried the soldier facedown to a wagon

Rosethorn looked for Briar He had turned his an to exahter injuries as they ca sword cuts Riverdancer’s translator stood beside hies in her hand

One by one everyone on the opening in their lines caught one of the wounded and guided thees, they returned for yi archers were raining crossbow bolts into their ranks

Rosethorn glanced at the returning warriors who rode to Parahan One was a dusty Soudamini She held a bloody sword, but showed no injuries herself She spoke rapidly to her twin as the s enemy troops

Rosethorn turned at the sound of a cry and ran to help tounded on one horse as they ca in the lines The air around her filled with the sergeants’ yells for archers to take aim, then shoot After that she was too busy to keep track of what took place along the battle lines

As a plant , she had learned her fair share of basic surgery Riverdancer caan to remove arrows from the flesh of the wounded It was nervous work To stay calm, Rosethorn focused only on her assistants She had been known to cut while a te down around her It was a useful skill to have that day They had no sooner cared for Souda’s wounded when those hurt in the an to come in

Finally Rosethorn stopped to catch her breath She hadn’t realized that it was already dark So of tea, heavily buttered and sweetened, into her hand She gulped it thirstily

"How are you h" Her voice caed "The enee Parahan split his warriors Half of the archers are up there" She pointed to the top of the hill "They have them pinned down, I think, but it’s too dark to tell… What’s that?"

Over the hill a greenish light blooh to show the archers Souda hadherself to stay cales in their small army was capable of that kind of spell and neither she nor Briar did o look," she heard Briar say "If they haveor oak or gingko on them, I’ll put a stop to that"

"Briar!" she cried, but he’d taken a saddleless horse and ridden off around the side of the hill The hill itself was too steep for a rider

They were bringing another wounded victiash down his chest If she didn’t clean it and get it sewn, he would die of infection She could treat these people, or she could go after her boy

An open sword cut that bared ribs had to come first Briar was sixteen and a man in the view of the world She raised a prayer to Yanna Healtouch for the warrior before her and to the Green Man for Briar’s safety Then she got to work

Riverdancer sent her off much later; she didn’t knohat time No one had seen Briar They promised to look for him if she would only rest Rosethorn hesitated, but her hands were shaking; she needed food and a break The tents were up, including one for the healers She lay on a mattress there and told herself to wake in two hours, noher awake It was Jiled to her feet Then she followed hiht to the healers’ tent

Two assistants were caring for a warrior by laht One of the to cut his leather breeches away froh

The warrior was Briar

Ji to her, but his words could have been thunder for all she understood hio to pieces Her bones felt loose and watery Her father’s ghost shouted in her ear, "Don’t you come the pretty princess, Niva! Get your arive you so many stripes you’ll sleep on your belly for a month! There’s a chao to the privy, so do as I bid!"

Thanks, Da, she thought as she stepped over to the cot She felt for Briar’s pulse -- strong -- and his warlanced at his thigh The healer cutting the leather breeches off was carefully pulling them away from the wound It was deep and dirty