Her wrist was and upper arms were blue and gray. She was fairly sure her shoulder had been dislocated too. Bloom pushed another small bucket of room temperature water towards her. Red flakes shifted along the surface. The smell burned her nose. She frowned and submerged her hand again. The numbness receded again but caused tingling and electric shocks for the first minute.

"Any better? I'm sorry, again." Yue's sweaty face was still ashen and he had to hold on to the bar to keep upright. Despite his state this was the fourth time he'd checked on her. He'd been walking back and forth between everyone since they'd stumbled back into the tavern, much to Bloom's terror.

"It's getting better and stop apologizing, again. I'd take some nasty frost bite over splatting on the ground anytime."

He frowned at her description. "I'm not sure you had that far to fall. I panicked when I saw you airborne."

"I agree with her, if you don't mind me saying, Prince. She might not have died from that height but she would have broken at least her legs if you hadn't created that liquid cord. Probably more. Given the state of your healer I think this is a faster treatment." Gabbro was allowing his own arm to be tended to by his brother. He was still dipping the bandages in salve to cover the blisters and open skin. He kept swirling his own fingers in the medicine and watching it drip off. He barely winced as she began rolling another layer.

Opal followed his gaze to where Kait lay on the ground in the back. Proga was holding her bag now, frowning as he searched inside. Spark and Rengu were beside her, equally unconscious although Opal could tell Kait was in worse shape than either of them. It reminded her of when they'd run from the prison after she'd tended to Proga and tried to save Ermine. Her lips were so pale.

"Big brother, I'm hungry." Obsidian swung his legs back and forth as he rung out another strip of fabric.

"Barkeep, do you have anything for my brother to eat? You don't want to have hungry patrons, do you?"

Bloom's mouth twitched like he had plenty to say to Gabbro about this.

"I'm happy to pay whatever favors or goods you need to account for... whatever it is my friends have put you through. I'm grateful for you assisting them."

The beak-nosed demon gave Yue a similar angry but resigned stare. He made a show out of trying to use his hand with the missing digits to turn the key and head into the back room.

"Don't tell me that was our doing."

"No. It was that shifter." Proga dropped onto the stool next to Opal. It seemed to her he was using 'shifter' as a curse word again. "Kait's in bad shape. We might to need to take her to a real infirmary this time."

Yue put his fist to his temple. "She shouldn't have done that."

"She thought you were going to die." Proga sighed. "It's a bad habit she hasn't grown out of. That's why your father liked her for a healer anyway you know. She'd do anything for you."

"I never asked her to nearly die to heal me." Yue didn't quite manage to get annoyance behind his words.

"She must love you."

They turned to face Obsidian who was now making the end of the bandage on Gabbro's arm into a sticky bow. "You'll do anything for them when you love another demon, right big brother?"

Gabbro took both his hands away from the bandage. "Time to wash before you eat, ok?"

He nodded, hopped down and started to clean his hands with the basin when Bloom reentered carrying a heavy looking crate.

"I hope you all eat meat, that's all I have to spare. Probably not good enough for a Prince." He dumped the contents on the bar. The chunks of meat landed with thuds and rolled in different directions. He looked towards Gabbro who gave the smallest incline of his head to dismiss him. Bloom immediately returned to the back room. Opal thought she heard the sound of a lock click.

The food appeared to be legs, of multiple kinds of animals, dried with the feet still attached. Opal watched in fascination as Obsidian sniffed a few different legs and then picked up one that had a split hoof and sank his teeth in. He was surprisingly ferocious for his first few bites, then seemed to notice Yue watching him. He grimaced and shut his eyes, shaking his head as though trying to remove something from his ear three times. Obsidian walked to the other side of the table and picked up one of the largest legs. The meat looked nearly black.

"I think you'd enjoy this one. Short-tailed frost bears are native to your home area, correct Prince?"

Yue nodded slowly and took it from him. "That's astute of you."

Obsidian smirked and shook his head. "I wish I could say the same about you. Falling for a damsel in distress trick is unimaginative, don't you think?"

Yue gave a short laugh and leaned back. "That's not what happened."

Obsidian raised his eyebrows. Opal was reminded of when Kait had tried to give him medicine earlier. His eyes were shrewd, focused. "Yes it was. I'm glad that since I was going to be forced to be bait you came to my aide. It's flattering that I caught a Prince, at least."

Proga laughed and Opal felt relieved to hear it even if his expression grayed right after. Obsidian's smirk faded into a far-away smile and his eyes floated to the ceiling. He took a nibble of his meat again and tapped a finger against a loose pallet of wood.

"Is he ok?" Opal stared as Obsidian started sniffing empty cups.

Gabbro examined the leg closest to him. "As I mentioned, he was cursed. Sometimes he can break through a bit. I've yet to figure out how though which makes it difficult to help him."

"If Kait was better she might be able to at least find out what kind." Opal frowned.

Gabbro finished chewing. "For your healer, I don't think an infirmary is a good option."

Proga eyed him. "Its not about being an option. She needs medical attention- actually all three of them do. Your brother might benefit as well."

"I cannot take her to an infirmary and keep him safe. The healer-"

"Our first priority is getting everyone well- especially Kait. That's her name, by the way not the healer."

"I think our first priority should be getting out of this territory."

"Our? I thought after our shared victory meal we would be parting ways. The pact is done."

"Pact?" Yue looked at Proga who avoided his eyes.

Gabbro stretched his right hand under the bandage. "True. I'm sure they will forgive you for burning down a very lucrative business of theirs."

"You keep saying 'they' like you weren't involved." Proga's shoulders were tensing.

"But it was just for your brother- right?"

Gabbro's green eyes seemed amused to Opal when he looked at her. "Now that I know they lied to me about Obsidian I think they are well aware I'm no longer their go-to."

"And what did they go-to you for?" Yue asked evenly.

"As I told your friends I can be persuasive."

Yue rolled the leg side to side in his hand. Proga started to say something but he interrupted. "I agree with Gabbro. We need to leave. Lets gather as much as we can from Corax an-"

"You can't be serious." Proga shook his head. "He's working with your kidnappers- you just met him after being unconscious-"

"That very fact is reason enough for us to run. Even if," Yue glanced back to Obsidian. "I happened to let my guard down for a moment, do you think I am an easy demon to capture?"

Proga held Yue's gaze. "No."

"Then you understand why we can't stay here with-" Yue paused, looking towards the back. "Two in our company this weak. We'll find help outside the territory. There are small parcels where we can rest and get them fixed up at the local infirmaries. If they find us again I don't think we are winning another fight. That's my decision."

Despite Yue's exhaustion Opal was impressed by the steel in his back.

"If that's your decision, my prince, then we will go, but why would we include the rest of them? He's likely to turn you in if it suits his needs."

"I agree. I just don't think it will happen until he has rested. And I have more questions for him."

"You think I'm that exhausted, Prince? Looks to me you are the one have trouble standing."

"I'll admit you hide it well but if Proga tells me correctly you were hit directly by Spark's flames before you managed to control them."

Gabbro looked at his burned arm and shrugged. "You'll gamble on a small burn, Prince?"
"Not at all. I've also felt his burns, even when he was bound by iron four times over. I don't think you are as healthy as you pretend. I am betting Opal was right, you want Kait to examine your brother and that is why you haven't left us. You have no one to protect your brother until you and your friend heal. For the moment it seems we are both mutually beneficial to each other."

"I want to come!" Obsidian waved his hand. "Let me come too!"

"I suppose I have no choice if this is what my brother wants."

He grinned from ear to ear. "We gotta get a ride though, little sister is too tired for a walk."

Opal felt relieved that Gabbro and Obsidian wouldn't be leaving just yet. During the whole conversation she was trying not to figure out what she would do if they did decide to split right now. She had her friends and she desperately wanted to stay with them but almost as badly she wanted to know why Gabbro knew her and why she felt she knew him. She could put aside the guilt for being selfish for now- she didn't have to choose.

-----

Proga and Yue were the only ones who entered Corax's house this time. Yue admitted he'd promise a return visit some time in the near future and blamed the short notice leaving on his friends misbehaving. It was only a matter of time before the gossip of the hotel fire reached them. Yue had also left a bead, similar but smaller than they one he gave to Gray for Bloom. The barkeep still looked wary but seemed impressed by the token from a Prince he'd barely met. They were stuck with the ridiculous painted wagon to pull behind them although Opal and Obsidian did their best to scratch it up. It looked like originally it was supposed to be pulled by one or two large beasts but some kind of small motor was placed in each wheel. It didn't move on its own but the large wheels rotated with ease once it was tugged in a direction, you only had to guide it instead of pull. This was especially lucky considering the terrible shape the group was in. Other than Obsidian, that was, who seemed to have boundless energy. The second the pallet hit the ground, the real ground, he was off running, climbing and jumping. This made everyone but Gabbro anxious at first but he always returned to check in before scampering off.

On Yue's assessment they followed the broken city under the territory south, not going back into the forest but along side it as long as they could to avoid being blindsided. They built up camp as soon as the sun started to set in the orange-red sky. Opal wasn't sure if it was by choice or necessity. Everyone seemed exhausted.

Rengu was awake now. He was shivering even wrapped in an extra layer of blankets and barely spoke during dinner.

Opal decided it was better to ask Proga than the sick demon why he wasn't healing so fast.

"For one thing if you remember I'm a trained healer too. Maybe not as good as Kait, but still. Also Yue wasn't exaggerating about those burns." She shuddered and he put the blanket he had over his shoulders around her as well. "I'd forgotten after he'd worn irons for so long how insanely nasty they were at full force."

"Wait- at full force? Are you saying that even in irons he could make flames?"

"Well, yeah. He helped jump start the incinerator and he burned Yue on accident, remember?"

"How come- how come when I was in the tunnel?" Her tongue felt thick.

"We've been wondering about that too. My only guess is he wasn't aiming for you at all and focused for once in his life. Plus, he only had one iron removed. Still, its pretty impressive considering how out of control he usually is. He really must have wanted out of there."

Opal watched Rengu wince as he sipped from a stone cup.

"Didn't you say her burned Kait? Wha-"

"Hello big sister."

Opal and Proga turned as Obsidian sat down with them. He offered Proga a mug which he took politely. To Opal he gave a small handful of stones.

"O-oh! Thank- I mean you shouldn't have, but uh, you did."

"Yes. I did." Obsidian smiled.

Proga watched this and sniffed his cup suspiciously. He took a sip and passed it to Opal. Some kind of juice Corax sent along for them. Something bumped against her mouth when she took a second sip. She fished out another stone.

"Obsidian, have you met me before?" Opal started to toss the stone aside but the other demon reached for it. He gave it to her and Obsidan popped it in his mouth and sucked on it. Proga raised his eyebrows but didn't comment.

He rotated the rock to the other side of his mouth. "Yeth. You're my big thister. Of courth I met you."

"Where? Do you remember?"

"Underground. And before that under the waterfall. And before that-" Obsidian peered past them and then up at the sky.

Proga dropped his voice low. "Opal, I know he called you sister but clearly he has no idea what's happening around him. He doesn't actually know you."

"It's... it's not just that." Opal pulled her knees to her chest.

"What then?" Proga cocked his head.

"Gabbro- he said, he said that um..."

"Big brother?" Obsidian was now very close to her face. It made her jump.

"Yes- I'm talking about your big brother."

He nodded and then spat out the rock, holding it in his hand in confusion as if he couldn't remember how it got in his mouth in the first place. "Yue's a big brother too- right?"

"Uh, yeah, that's right." Proga examined the juice for more rocks before sipping. "Did he tell you that after he was captured?"

"No."

"Oh- when did he tell you then?"

"He didn't. I already knew."

"Oh." Proga looked past her towards the wagon. "I think I'm going to check on Kait."

"Ren told me."

Proga froze. "Who?"

Obsidian picked up a rock from the pile he'd given Opal and dropped it in the cup of juice. "Ren. Yue's little brother, don't you know him? If you don't, I can introduce you. He's very nice but I don't think he talks much anymore."

"Obsidian." Proga's voice was quiet. "Do you know where Ren is right now?"

He pulled out the stone from the cup and put it back in the side of his cheek. "Yeth- do you want to go thee him?"