Shadymont #3

Shadymont #3

Heno and Scout had made short work of the two deer which were now both skinned, gutted and the stag had been decapitated. Tosha walked back into the room, nodding to the two of them and she collected the head of the stag and set to work removing the antlers which could be made into a weapon. Sitting with the head between her feet she used two flints to remove the horns from the base of the skull. She threw one of the antlers to Bux who was stood in the doorway.
“Still numbed up?” He asked her. She responded with a rude gesture which he laughed off. Grasping the antler firmly Tosha set to work sharpening the many points; Bux sat opposite her to watch his prodigy at work. He noted the familiar way she held the flint and how she thumbed the edges of the points to make sure they were smooth and sharp. When she was finished she stood, slid into a defensive position and swirled and thrust the weapon forwards before a jab sharply back.
“Are you game?” she asked Bux, stepping back into a defensive pose again. He rose holding his antler loosely by his side, with a sudden twist he jabbed forwards aiming for Tosha’s chest, only to find she had danced away and was to his right. With a thrust to his right he followed through to where Tosha had been moments before, to find himself face to face with the wall as Tosha caught his arm, disarming him and using his forward propulsion to pin him to the wall.
“Caught.” She smiled at him before stepping away.

“When you two have finished...” Malet’s voice sounded from the doorway. “Finora’s says you can see the boy.” With a short jump, Tosha switched in mid air emitting a loud caw, the magpie torpedoed out the door narrowly missing Malet before flying up the stairs. Landing as a human, Tosha entered the upper room slowly. Finora didn’t look up instead continuing to mutter the ancient healing words under her breath as she her hands pressed gently on his chest and upper leg. The young man had a bare chest with a bandage wrapped firmly around his lower abdomen to hold the pain killing herbs in place. Tosha’s gaze slid to his left wrist which was splinted with the supple willow splint restricting his movement. Malet slid into the room behind Tosha and knelt beside the man; she gently picked up the small bowl and used the rag to dab his forehead.
Shooting a glance outside Tosha noted the large bald eagle perched on the same branch she had sat on earlier.
“All clear?” she asked the eagle with her mind.
“For now,” responded Bux. Turning back to Malet she asked if the man had woken yet.
“Not yet,” replied Finora. “But soon.” She stood, moving away from him and facing the window. “How goes the deer?”
“Heno and Scout are cutting it. I don’t think they’ve started cooking.” Tosha paused as she sent a tendril of her mind down to Scout. “No, I was right they haven’t. But they will soon, they’re hungry.”
“Malet, go and help them with the deer and take the spices with you please.” Malet morphed into a beautiful song bird and flitted down the stairs to assist.