As it turned out, I couldn't hike yet. So no cave expedition. I had been stubborn, of course, insisting that I could hobble along with a cane. But it didn't take much to convince me that it was a pretty stupid idea.

"We could be facing diseased monsters or something," Goben had said. "You don't want to be tripping around, do you?"

I agreed to wait a few days.

Goben seemed all too relieved for the delay and eagerly dragged me out to explore Odavik. Whereas I tended to avoid people, for obvious reasons, Goben was the opposite. He chatted people up and made friends wherever he went because people just liked him right away. I envied that about him, but I would never say so. My pride could only take so much battering.

Jastin's house faced out toward the plain like a sentry. The rest of the houses faced each other in neat rows along the valley. Jastin introduced us to people, and everyone greeted us with genuine smiles. I had expected wary—maybe even paranoid—villagers, but none of them were like that. These were definitely not Plainsmen. It took me a while to get used to seeing so many people who looked like Siena with their blond hair and blue eyes. Up until this village, I'd only met two Icelings. Now, I was surrounded by them.

When he introduced us to the butcher, the large man appraised me up and down, as if evaluating an opponent. Or a side of beef. "So you're the Gifted who took down a buck without a weapon," he said.

"Um, yes," I replied, unsure if the man was going to continue talking or throw a cleaver at me.

He nodded with approval and stroked his beard. "It is an honor to meet you. A small tip, though: the more an animal is burned, the less usable its hide is."

"Thank you," I said, surprised at his positive response. "I'll keep that in mind."

He did have a point. Fireballs were messy. They exploded and inflicted collateral damage. I started thinking about possibly concentrating my fire into a smaller size, like a marble. I could flick a pellet instead of hurling it with my entire arm. It would be faster, and stealthier. I would work on it during my next practice.

Then we met their Gifted herbalist, Vina. She was about Goben's age, and kept her hair in a sensible braid like me. Her eyes were bright and alert as we spoke, seeming to record everything we said. She was not very talkative, but when she spoke, it was with insight and intelligence.

We explained our mission and our suspicions about the cave, then she suggested something we had not thought of. Since there was a chance that our mission could fail—the cave could be a dead end, or worse, we could meet our own end in it—one of us should stay behind to learn about the remedies she had. If we couldn't find a cure for the plague, we could at least buy a little time by bringing this information back to Foresthome.

It was a wise suggestion, but it meant Goben and I would need to split up. One of us would go in the cave, and the other would stay here to learn where the herbs grew and how to combine them. I already knew what I wanted to do.

"You should stay," I said to Goben. I instantly regretted it, because the look on his face told me I'd insulted his masculinity. In public.

"We'll discuss it later," he said tightly, and wandered away.

I wanted to go after him, but if he was anything like me, he'd want to be left alone for a while. So I started limping back toward Jastin's house. Jastin chose to follow me instead of Goben.

"Sometimes I'm an awful sister to him," I said, more to myself than to Jastin.

"If he was your younger brother, it would be easier for him. Big brothers are supposed to take care of their little sisters, but you've been taking care of him these past weeks. It wounds his pride. Believe me, I know the feeling."

I looked over at him. "How old was your sister?"

"She was younger by only three years, but I still couldn't protect her."

I kicked a pebble as we walked. "I can't imagine what that must feel like."

"Helpless."

I knew something about helplessness. I'd felt it every day since the plague showed its ugly face. I didn't reply, though. I wasn't sure what to say. I couldn't exactly compare my worry-filled experiences with his tragic ones. Foresthome had a healer. He didn't. My family was alive. His... wasn't.

We walked in silence for a bit. Well, he walked. I hobbled along, trying to keep weight off my foot so it could heal. I wished Siena was here. She would have loved seeing so many Icelings, and learning about the people of her ancestry. She could also heal my stupid foot, and I could resume the mission sooner. Each day I wasted was another day closer to death for so many people.

It's tough for active people to stay idle. A vote for her situation?