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gently pulling away the blanket still draped over Adamina. Bandages were wrapped low around Adamina's flat chest, padding thick over the wound along the right side of her rib cage and just curving to her side. "You're lucky these didn't go deeper." Grete pulled the bandages away, humming and clucking in a way that seemed the habit of every healer Adamina had ever met. "I had to do quite a bit to get you to heal up enough that you wouldn't be in bed for weeks, but these stiches will still need to stay in a couple more days. Sit up so I can change the bandages."
    "That soup smells wonderful." Adamina slowly sat up, wincing slightly, and raised her arms to let Grete work more easily. Adamina's eyes watered at the smell of the strong ointment generously slathered on the wounds. She sighed at the new set of scars she was going to have. "It's a good thing I did not go with my first childhood ambition; I would be a veritable beast in the woods."
    "What in the Great Queens are you talking about?" Grete finished smearing the ointment and picked up fresh bandages, shooting her a puzzled look before bending to her work.
    Adamina's mouth quirked. "When I was little I vowed I would become a fairy and run naked through the woods all day. My mother says it was the first time she suspected I was destined to wear red, but at the time I just hated being stuffed into dresses and breeches I wasn't allowed to get dirty. I fear if I had pursued that course, I would be less a fairy and more a terror."
    Grete laughed but didn't look up as she finished her work. "Maybe you're a changeling who managed to escape the clutches of the dark fairies. There, all set." She looped an arm around Adamina's back and helped her stand. "Steady?"
    "Yes, thank you," Adamina said, catching Grete's arm and squeezing it. "Without you I would be dead, and my family would be receiving the terrible news over the winter festivities. I'm in your debt."
    Grete smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek, lips warm and soft, the scent of sweat and smoke and herbs clinging to her. "No thanks necessary, Huntress. I'm sure the lives you've saved cannot be counted, and if those creatures had ever escaped this broken forest it would not have taken them long to come for me. I am glad I was able to summon your wolf, though, else we might both be dead right now." She drew back slightly, still close enough they shared breaths. "So I think we shall call the entire matter even?"
    "Even," Adamina agreed, and leaned in to press a fleeting kiss to the corner of Grete's mouth, heart thudding until she drew back and saw the pleased curve to her lips. "Since I doubt my lovely healer will let me do what I want right now, shall we have that soup?"
    "I think food is your real goal," Grete retorted, but was still smiling as she turned away to fill two tin mugs with the mouth-watering soup. Adamina sat down on an old, mossy log that had clearly been dragged into camp for that purpose, picking up the waterskin leaning against it. The water tasted faintly of what witches called purity flowers, because they could eradicate many of the contaminants in dubious water sources, though it unfortunately did not work on something as powerful as rapunzel.
    She took the soup as Grete held it out, making soft noises of approval as she took slow, careful sips. "This is delicious. I couldn't make soup half this good in a royal kitchen."
    "Neither could I, the royals would fuss too much about how it should taste," Grete drawled, and Adamina almost snorted her soup.
    When her laughter eased off, Adamina asked, "Why did you kill the pheasant and rabbit?"
    "To examine them. I tried a few living specimens, but they did not tell me much. I can get a better grasp of how far the rapunzel is spread by examining their bodies. It was unfortunate, but I hope two deaths now will save hundreds later. I think I will examine them now, unless you've further need of me?"
    Adamina grinned. "Only for things you won't let me do,