Following Joe’s instructions, Mildred removed two of the packets and emptied half their contents into her left hand. They looked like chopped-up herbs, diced so fine they were almost a powder.
“Yarrow plant,” Krysty said after a glance. “And something else.”
“Buffalo tallow,” Joe told her. “Dried and ground up.”
“Okay,” Mildred said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Rub the herb and the tallow in your hand,” Joe directed. “Mix them up.”
With both hands Mildred rubbed the material between them. “Done. Now what?”
“Put the mixture in your mouth. When your saliva has softened it, pull out the arrow and spit the stuff into the puncture, then smooth it out with your fingers, making sure the hole is plugged.”
Mildred’s eyes flicked at the crushed-up substance in her hand and then back to Krysty. “Mother Sonja ever hear of a remedy like this?”
With a wan smile Krysty shook her head.
Impatiently Joe said, “Are you going to do it or not? I thought you were a healer.”
“I’ll do it,” Mildred muttered. “But it’s not my field. If you wanted me to freeze some part of you like your tongueI’d feel more at home.”
Jak and Doc knelt in front of Joe and took grips on both of his arms. Mildred popped the mixture in her mouth, then she sat behind Joe, planted a foot at the small of his back, grasped the broken shaft and yanked. The arrowhead came free, blood trailing from the sharp iron point.
Joe didn’t cry out, but he bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. Blood began to flow heavily from the wound, down his back, the top of his breechclout soaking it up. Leaning forward, Mildred spit the semi-liquid gob of yarrow plant and tallow at the puncture. She scored a direct hit, and quickly her fingers kneaded the substance, pressing it into the wound, spreading it evenly around the edges. Almost immediately the bleeding stopped.
“I’ll be damned,” she said in a pleased voice. “A natural coagulating agent.” Then she frowned and rushed to the edge of the river, where she dipped handful after handful of water into her mouth, rinsing and spitting repeatedly.
Joe slowly stood, careful not to place too much strain on his back. “Under the circumstances,” he said, “I think we’d better find a suitable campsite for the night.”
Chapter Fourteen
After Mildred rigged a makeshift bandage and arm sling for Joe, they pressed on for another hour. By the time they reached an animal-forged trail in the high grass, the sun was setting. Following a barely defined path, they walked through a thicket and into a small clearing.
They set up camp there, unsaddling the horses and mules, picketing them so they could graze nearby. J.B. dug a foot-deep hole and encircled the edge with piled stones. He kindled a blaze in the hole, and no firelight was visible from the “owlhoot’s oven.”
Doc made a stew from chunks of the jerky, seasoning it with carrots and slices of some unidentifiable root vegetables he had raided from the larder of the hostel in Amicus.
All of them ate slowly, since the meat was tough and had to be chewed carefully. Later they sipped cups of coffee sub. It wasn’t particularly delectable, but it was a definite improvement over the bark tea favored by the Amicans.
By the time they’d finished eating, stars burned in the blue-black sky. Jak and Krysty volunteered to stand the first watch, patrolling the perimeter. Though the firelight was poor illumination, Ryan field-stripped the Steyr and meticulously cleaned and oiled all its moving parts. After reassembling it, he did the same to Joe’s weapon. The man watched him silently but intently.
“How are you feeling?” Ryan asked him.
“Much better. By tomorrow I’ll be much better still.”
“Good. Then mebbe you feel good enough to explain about the Wolf Soldiers, and why they’re so anxious to keep you from reaching Ti-Ra’-Wa.”
Joe shook his head. “I doubt you would believe everything I told you.”
“Try us,” Mildred suggested.
Joe tried to shrug, winced, then sighed. “Though we are of the same tribe, there are two factions in the valley, the Wolf Soldiers and the Cavern Keepers, of which I am a chief. We believe in keeping the high laws, strengthening our spirit bodies and strengthening the energies of Ah-badt-dadt-deah.”