Page 101 of Moonless

“It needs breaking.”

“Then I’ll break it.”

“Your shoulder.” One ear goes back.

“Isn’t involved in picking up a stick.”

He looks at my bad arm, tucked in against my side where it’s been for weeks. I hold up the other hand and wiggle my fingers at him.

“I’ve got a spare. Very useful.”

He heads for the passage anyway, so I go with him. He makes it as far as the opening before he has to stop, with his palm on the wall and his head down.

Shit.

I stand there and let him breathe. “Rauk.”

“I can bring wood.”

“Yes. You can also sit on your ass while I bring wood. I’d like you to try that one.”

His ear turns toward me, but he keeps looking down the passage.

“There’s washing too.”

“Good. Something to do between sticks.”

“Riesa.” He’s still talking to the passage.

There’s that word again. “Swear at me all you like. Anything else?”

That gets him to look at me. I shove my loose cuff back up my wrist and wait.

“You can’t carry what I carry.”

“Then I’ll go twice. The wood’s right outside, I know where the water is, and we’ve got food.”

He opens his mouth, and I point at the hearth.

“You can tell me what I’ve forgotten from over there.”

His ears pull back, and he lets out a long breath.

I put my hand on his forearm, up above where the wolf got him. The fur’s clean now, and I feel the muscle move under it when he presses harder on the wall. “Go on. I’ll be unbearable until you do.”

“Until?”

One ear comes forward. “I wasn’t aware it ever stopped.”

I snort. He’s getting funny. That’s going to be a problem. “That’s the offer. Take it while it’s good.”

He looks past me at the fire, and then he actually turns around.

Finally.

I let go and follow him back before he can change his mind.

He gets himself down onto his bedding with one hand on the hearthstone and his bad arm in his lap, and he grunts when he stretches his legs out.