Kattrin came awake to the sound of a woman humming. It broke through the fog of her sleep because her mother didn't hum. She sang. Well, she used to. She sat up, blinking at the bright light. When her eyes finally adjusted, she saw a small elven woman with dark hair sitting in the chair by the desk, humming while she stitched the new holes in Kattrin's armor closed.

Kattrin smiled. This must be the same friend that Anders had taken her armor to before. Not wanting to startle the woman, Kattrin cleared her throat.

The woman looked up briefly from her stitching and gave Kattrin a smile before returning to her work. "Good morning, messere. I hope I didn't wake you."

"You didn't. Thank you for fixing my armor again. I'm Hawke."

"I'm Lysa. And don't worry about it, dear. I owe Anders a great debt. I like to help him when I can."

"Anders is a good man."

The woman smiled at her again, her large, brilliant green eyes dancing. "That he is." She continued with her sewing and humming her hauntingly beautiful tune.

Kattrin looked around. Anders was nowhere to be seen. Well, she might as well find something to keep herself busy until either her armor was fixed or Anders returned. Patting her hair she found it to be sticking out in several directions. Kattrin reached down, gritting her teeth against the pain, to her belt pouch and found her comb. She busied herself with pulling down her hair, combing it, and putting it back up in her usual chignon.

Just as she finished putting the last of the pins in her hair, the elven woman exclaimed that she was done. Standing, she brought the repaired garment over to Kattrin. Kattrin passed her Anders' blanket and replaced it with her padded shirt. The elven woman walked around her, inspecting her work before nodding her head.

She patted Kattrin on the arm. "I need to return to my children, dear. It was lovely to meet you. Tell Anders I said goodbye."

"I will."

"And, dear?"

"Yes?"

"Be good to the Healer. And take care of him." And with that, she left.

Kattrin was sure that her jaw was on the floor. Apparently, she was now Anders caretaker. Or his lover. Heat flashed through her. No, best not to go there.

Ignoring her own advice, she sat there, idly playing with her comb while thoughts of Anders danced in her head. Was he recovering from the loss of someone he had left behind? Maybe Karl had been his lover? That was an interesting thought. Surely he liked girls, judging from the way he reacted to her. Maybe it was his joining with Justice. Fade spirits didn't truly understand mortals. Yes, they embodied mortal virtues but they didn't seem to have much understanding of the full spectrum of virtues and emotions.

She heard panting at the door, pulling her from her thoughts. Anders struggled to get through the door while carrying two very laden baskets.

His look pinned her to her cot. He said sternly, "You stay right there."

Kattrin watched as he struggled through the door and across the clinic to place both baskets on the rickety desk. She wondered if the ancient piece of furniture would bear the weight. Anders produced wooden bowls and utensils and began pulling a feast out of the baskets. Once all the food was laid out precariously on the desk and the baskets were discarded on the floor, Kattrin realized where Anders had gone.

"I see my mother was true to her word about keeping you fed." She couldn't help the broad grin from splitting her face.

Anders gave her his small smile in return while passing her a filled bowl. He had given her an assortment of fruit, some ham, some cheese, a biscuit with jam, and a muffin. She pulled out the muffin first, smelling it. Mmm, mother's apple spice muffins. She gave a blissful sigh.

Anders was watching her. He had probably seen her sniff the muffin before making what she was sure was a silly face. She blushed. He arched a brow at her but only asked, "Would you like water or cider?"

"Water, please."

"Glad I asked," he said, filling a mug with cider. He filled another with water and handed it to her.

Once all both of them were seated with their bowls of food, Kattrin bit into her muffin. She watched Anders follow her lead, biting into his muffin first, also. His eyes widened and he ate the rest of the muffin in one bite. His then stretched his hand to the desk to retrieve two more muffins. She started to laugh but it ended in a groan.

Anders swallowed his mouthful of muffin, giving her a clinical look. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Sore. It hurts to laugh."

Stuffing one muffin in his mouth, he balanced the other muffin atop the rest of his food while setting his bowl on the corner of the desk.

As he stood, reaching for his stool, she said, "No, please don't get up. I'm fine. I'm just a little sore."

He stood there looking at her and chewing his mouthful of muffin. Finally he sat back down on his cot and reached for his bowl.

He finished swallowing his muffin before speaking. "Alright. But, don't try healing yourself just yet. I want to learn more about your methods first. Let me know if your pain gets worse and I'll help. We can make it a learning opportunity." His voice softened, his golden-brown eyes imploring her, "Just, please, be extra careful today." He then pointed to her bowl and his tone became more authoritative. "And eat. You were healed three times and lost a lot of blood yesterday."

She tried to force herself not to watch him as he ate. She ate the fruit in the bowl without really tasting it. Everything he did called to her, pulling her closer to him. She didn't know what to do about her attraction to him. She had never felt like this before. Sure, Rylan had caught her eye but she had to work to get his attention. She had been a girl on the outlying farms and he had lived in town. Once she had his attention, though, he wasn't able keep his hands off her. But, she didn't feel the same pull to Rylan that she felt with Anders. She had Anders attention without really trying, although he was resisting her. Was it because he was a mage? The only two mages in her life prior to Anders had been her father and her sister, so she had no basis for comparison. She drank him in with her eyes; the broadness of his shoulders, his muscular arms, the angle of his jaw, the way his slight frame narrowed at his hips. The way his long tapered fingers brought food to his sensual lips. He met her eyes and she looked away, her face hot. She gave herself a mental shake. She needed to work at being his friend not watching him like a piece of meat.

Thinking of meat, she looked into her bowl only to discover that while she was thinking she had devoured all the food Anders had given her. And she was still hungry. She looked up at Anders but before she could say anything, he wordlessly took her bowl. He looked like a chipmunk with how much food he stuffed into his mouth. She smiled broadly but remembered not to laugh.

After inhaling her second bowl of food, she just sat and watched Anders consume the rest of the huge spread.

Swallowing another mouthful, Anders took a drink of cider and asked her, "Since I need to know more about how you cast spells, we'll be doing some exercises."

"How I cast spells?"

Anders had taken another bite, so she waited for him to finish. "Yes. I'm going to observe you while you cast a few spells. Your battle magic is impressive but I've only watched from afar. And I've never seen you heal."

Kattrin felt her face get hot at his praise. Anders was watching her, sporting his crooked smile.

"In fact, I would like to learn that fancy firestorm you concocted yesterday."

He didn't know how to summon a firestorm? "I've seen you cast ice and lightning. How much elemental and primal magic do you know?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I can also throw a mean fireball." He pointed his finger at her.

She grinned at him. "Okay, I'll grant you that. I did see you throw some mean fireballs." She tilted her head. "Anything else?"

He chuckled. "Very little, I'm afraid."

Kattrin suddenly felt like she had something to repay him with for helping her to learn more about spirit healing. He might be Circle trained, but her father had been, too. Her father had taught both her and Bethany every spell he learned from the Circle and but he had also taught them others spells he had picked up as both an apostate and a mercenary.

"How about we trade? You teach me spirit healing and I teach you everything else I know." She couldn't help her superior smile or arched brow.

"Alright, sweetheart. That sounds like a fair deal. But, if I don't learn anything new we'll have to revisit this bargain." He was looking at her playfully. The same way she was probably looking at him. This was to be a battle of wills then.

"Very well, I accept. Where would you like to start?"

"Well, being as that it looks bad for a healer to be casting firestorms in his own clinic, and I don't want you to be up and about just yet, we'll stick to the planned healing lesson."

And then she went and spoiled the mood. She couldn't stop from laughing which hurt more this time than last time, causing her to double over in pain. She watched Anders go from animated and teasing to serious in a flash. He placed his empty bowl on the desk before jumping up. He didn't even bother grabbing his stool, just simply knelt before her. He started to lift her shirt but she removed the rolled fabric from his hands and drew it up as far as her breasts. She felt him pull from the Fade as his hands started glowing. She felt the itchy tingling she associated with healing as well as relief as the pain receded before he removed his hands.

He looked at her accusingly, brows drawn and frowning. "What did you do this morning?"

She stared at him, wide-eyed. "I didn't do anything this morning."

"I doubt that. You re-opened part of your injury."

"I sat up. I watched Lysa sew my armor back together. I put my tunic back on. I fixed my hair…" Her voice trailed off. "I bent over to reach the comb in my pouch. I bet that was it. That was the only thing I did that hurt besides laughing."

His brow furrowed as he helped her to re-cover herself. He remained kneeling before her but he wouldn't look at her. "I'm sorry." He sounded so heartbroken.

"Hey," she said softly, reaching for him.

He started to stand but she caught his hands and pulled gently, keeping him from standing. He could have easily released himself from her light hold but he didn't. He was always running away from her. What was he so afraid of?

"Look at me." She kept her voice soft and reassuring.

He sat back on his heels with his head down.

"Anders, you can't beat yourself up for making me laugh," she said gently.

"No, but I can be upset you got hurt walking me home. This never would have happened if I had taken you home instead."

Kattrin was at a loss. She mentally flailed, trying to find something comforting and reassuring to say but everything that came to mind sounded half-hearted and uncaring.

"Every time I'm around you, you get hurt. I don't want to hurt you." His whisper was almost inaudible.

She drew in a deep breath. If only he knew how many times she'd gotten hurt before she had ever met him. In her year as a mercenary, she and Carver had gotten hurt almost more times than she could count. She didn't have many scars, which she felt was a testament to her skill, but the deepest scars she carried didn't leave any marks on her skin. She was only a little broken, due to the loss of her home, her father, and her sister, but she was picking up the pieces. She sensed that Anders was far more broken than she was. Her impulse was to pull him to her and hold him but she knew that would only push him away. She could help him, if he would only let her. Lysa's words suddenly echoed in her head. Be good to the Healer.And take care of him. She felt Fate's hand yet again.

"Then teach me to heal," she said, maintaining her soft tone.

"Magic can't heal everything," Anders countered, his voice breaking.

"You're right." Surprised, he looked up, his honey colored eyes meeting hers. "Magic can't bring back my father or my sister. Magic can't feed my family and it certainly can't always keep me safe from the Templars. But while I live and breathe, it can fix this." She pointed to her stomach. "Help me learn to fix the things I can fix with magic."

Keeping hold of one of his hands, she released the other and placed her free hand on the side of his face. Encouraged that he didn't pull away, she continued. "And for all the things that magic can't fix, that's what friends are for."

He removed her hand from his face but held it in his own. Looking down at their hands, he said, "You make it sound like friends never hurt each other."

"All people hurt each other, and friends are no different. The exception is that a true friend would never hurt you intentionally."

He remained silent, looking down and kneeling before her while she held one of his hands and he held one of hers.

Feeling an emptiness inside her, she continued. "I could really use a friend. A friend who understands the burdens of magic and the true consequences to being caught by the Templars. And, while I can't promise that we won't hurt each other at some point, I can promise that I will try my best to be a good friend."

He looked up and met her gaze. Then she smiled at him and said, "And I'll try to keep the comments about your sexy, tortured look to myself."

He gave a shaky laugh and removed his hands from hers to reach for his stool. Sitting, he stretched his legs out in front of him, under her cot. She wondered if he realized he was still just as close to her as he had been kneeling.

"Are you sure you're not the Warden-Commander?"

She just looked at him, puzzled. Where did that come from? She collected herself enough to ask, "The Hero of Fereldan?"

He nodded.

"Why would you ask me that?"

He smiled and his eyes twinkled. "Because you sounded just like her with your motivational speech."

She returned his smile. "I take it she found you difficult, too?"

His eyes got a faraway look but he kept smiling. "Yes, she did. But for entirely different reasons."

She gave a slight shake of her head. The Witch of the Wilds had hinted that not all of the Grey Wardens in Fereldan were lost. And stories of the Blight told that there were no Grey Warden reinforcements. The Blight was won with only two Grey Wardens, who were now King and Queen of Fereldan. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she added up all the facts.

"You were recruited into the Grey Wardens by the Queen of Fereldan?" Her voice conveyed the awe she felt.

Anders still had that faraway look when he sighed. "Yes."

"What is she like?"

"She's brave and selfless. But, she's a very private person. And besides, I don't really want to talk about my time with the Wardens."

Kattrin smiled and nudged one of Anders' legs with her foot, getting his attention. "Don't ever let Varric get wind of what you just told me."

She watched as Anders eyes widened in horror. "Andraste's flaming knickers, no! I would never have any peace!"

She gave a small laugh. It hurt but it only made her wince. "Well, he already knows you're a Warden from Fereldan. And he's heard the stories about the Hero of Fereldan. It's only a matter of time before he figures it out."

Anders groaned and hunched over, elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. Then he lifted his head while dragging his hands across his face, distorting his handsome features. Something crossed his mind because he narrowed his eyes and he pierced her with a look.

"When we go into the Deep Roads, I want your promise that you won't leave me alone with him."

She wanted to go back to light hearted joking and teasing, so she said, "Who said I was taking you with me into the Deep Roads?"

He blinked at her. "Maker knows I certainly don't want to go back into the Deep Roads, but you need me. I've been to the blighted Deep Roads, I know the dangers. And as a Warden, I have the ability to sense if darkspawn are near, which no one else in your expedition can do."

Kattrin acted as if she were weighing his side of the argument. "Hmm. I don't know. Need is such a strong word for just the one skill. What else makes Grey Wardens so special?"

Anders watched her, his confusion giving way to understanding as he realized she was teasing him. He narrowed his eyes at her but couldn't stop his small, crooked smile from appearing. "Well, that depends."

"Depends on what?"

"That depends on who you ask."

He tapped the end of her nose with the first finger on his hand before standing up and moving toward the desk. She was relieved to see him cheerful again.

She watched as he put one basket inside of the other, his movements calm and careful. He reached for his bowl and placed it in the double basket before turning back to her. She picked up her bowl where it sat beside her and he gently took it from her. He exuded this kind and gentle demeanor, always careful of what he was doing. It was very befitting of a healer.

After he finished cleaning up breakfast, he turned to her. Was he blushing?

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to wash up."

Now she was blushing too. She stared intently at the elfroot growing below the window. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Please, don't mind me. I promise I'll stay right here. Do you… um… have something I can do while you…?" Maker help her, she couldn't finish.

"Yes, um…" He looked around, one hand in his hair, the other on his hip. He quickly grabbed some parchment off his desk and handed it to her. His eyebrows drew down and he went back to the desk for quill and ink. Passing her those, he straightened, crossing one arm over his chest while the other tapped his lips. His eyes widened and he quickly strode to a crate in the back. Bent over, he rummaged around inside. She tried not to stare at the fine curvature of his backside.

"Here we go!" he exclaimed, and made his way back to her with an enormous and very old tome.

He softly laid the large book in her lap and she read the cover aloud. "The Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs."

"That should keep you busy."

Kattrin pasted a smile on her face and nodded. Anders smiled back and left her to gather his bath items before retreating to the rear of the clinic where a large span of cloth was hung. Thankfully, the cloth was long enough to cover floor to ceiling and almost wide enough to stretch from wall to wall. There was a gap from where the cloth ended before reaching the far wall, about the size of most doors, creating an artificial wall. She wouldn't be able to see him but it would be a poor barrier against sound.

She looked down at the large, leather-bound book in her lap in despair. Her father had taught her how to find ingredients and make potions from this very book. She had nothing to distract her from the tortures of listening to Anders bathe. Just the idea of him being naked on the other side of the room made her shiver with desire. She closed her eyes and prayed as she heard water being pumped into a vessel, then being poured into a larger basin. The sound repeated, growing less hollow with each repetition until the basin was filled. But the torture was only beginning.

She felt the pull of mana from the Fade as he warmed his bath water. She heard the soft thud of a boot hitting the ground followed by the other. Then the muted clank of his belt and pouch. After that came the whispered rustling of him shedding his clothing. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her teeth and balling her fists in a futile attempt to fight against mental images of a nude Anders.

With her eyes closed she became more aware of her body. Her mouth was dry but her hands and skin tingled with sensation. She felt heat pooling between her legs. She could smell the elfroot and other healing herbs that permeated the clinic but she could also smell the musky scent of the man who lived within. She heard her own shallow breathing and the creaking of her body as she clenched and unclenched her hands. For a moment the clinic was totally silent. Then she heard the soft lap of water as he entered the bath, followed by an almost inaudible sigh.

If she could have gotten up off her cot without hurting herself, she would have fled the clinic and Darktown upon hearing that pleasurable exhalation. As much as she wanted to be away from the clinic, she wanted to be there in the bath with him even more. Kattrin didn't understand her physical reaction to him. Yes, she had wanted to do more with Rylan than just kiss him but she had never gotten that chance. The night that Rylan had started to undress her in the twilight of the barn, Carver had crashed against the outside of the barn, pushed there by a passion crazed Peaches. That had been the end of her sexual exploration since Rylan's family had fled before the encroaching Blight. She felt the same fire in her blood without even touching Anders that she had experienced after hours of kissing and touching Rylan. Maybe it was a good thing that Anders just wanted to be friends. If they ever achieved the desperate need that she and Rylan had reached before Carver ruined it, they would burn down a building.

Every one of her thoughts was punctuated by a splash of water, the sound of scrubbing, or another sigh or groan from Anders' lips. She felt hot all over, her heart was hammering in her chest, and there was an ache at the apex of her thighs the likes of which she had never felt before. If she had been alone, she might explore that ache with her fingers, her desperation was so great. What would Anders think if he found her in this state? She was probably flushed and she trembled ever so slightly, even without clenching her fists.

She needed to get a hold of herself, to calm down before he finished his bathing. She opened her eyes and unclenched her fists to open the herbal encyclopedia as quietly as she could. She was shaking enough to have trouble turning the pages. She tried to pay attention to the herbs drawn so beautifully on the pages but the splashing and scrubbing noises made it hard to concentrate.

Eventually, the Maker showed her mercy. There was a sonorous pouring of water followed by another and a loud sputtering noise. Then there was a clamorous splash and the sound of water dripping repeatedly. She heard Anders toweling off and getting re-dressed. She offered a silent prayer to the Maker for not continuing her torment. While he became presentable, Kattrin concentrated on slowing her heart rate and calming herself down. It didn't do anything for the ache between her legs but she hoped that she didn't look desperate for a tumble. An image of Peaches came to mind where her hair was in disarray, her lips red and swollen, her skin flushed, her eyes dilated, and smelling very musky. Andraste's ass, she had better not look or smell anything like that

Anders walked back into the main part of the clinic, looking like he did before he left with the exception of his hair being visibly wet in his half ponytail. He smelled of herbal soap. She half wondered if he made his own soap with his herbal expertise.

He looked at her, frowning slightly. He walked right up to her and laid his hand on her forehead. She felt him use his magic before she saw the blue glow. He withdrew his hand, still frowning. Walking to a cabinet next to his desk, he opened the door and pulled out a bottle. Walking back to her, he took the chipped mug she had been drinking water out of and poured the contents of the bottle into the mug. He handed the mug to her.

She smelled elfroot, catnip, and peppermint. She smiled as she sipped the potion. She must be flushed and warm to the touch.

Anders was still standing over her, watching her. Still smiling, she said, "Elfroot, catnip, and peppermint to help reduce fever. Thank you."

His eyes widened and he gave his small smile. "Did you just learn that or is that something your father taught you?"

She chewed her lower lip. She should be honest about her potion brewing abilities but then he would know that she just sat and listened to him bathe. Then he might come to a different conclusion about her "fever." She sighed. Her father had taught her that the base to build upon for all relationships was trust.

Looking down at her drink, she said, "My father taught me everything in that book plus some other potions and herbal remedies he picked up as a mercenary."

Anders pulled the chair out from his desk and sat on it backwards, his arms folded over the back. "That very same book?"

She continued looking into her drink. "Yes."

"Very well. Let's see what you know."

He spent the next hour grilling her. What was a good poultice to reduce pain on an open wound? Wintergreen, rosemary, deathroot, and elfroot. Why were equal parts deathroot and elfroot needed? Deathroot increases blood circulation but is poisonous; elfroot is used to counteract the poisons. What helped with cough? Eucalyptus and caraway. What helped with joint pain? White willow, deathroot and elfroot. What eased stomach pain? Red elm and peppermint. On and on it went, his grilling and her answering. Finally, he stopped asking questions and just sat there looking at her.

She smiled at him asked him a question. "How can you hide being able to sense the Fade if a Templar suspects you're a mage?"

Anders crossed his arms with his brows drawn but made no move to speak.

Kattrin answered her own question. "Ingest magebane."

His eyebrows went up at that. "I knew that a poison could be created from magebane to sap a mage of their mana, but I never considered its other uses. I can see why your father managed to stay an apostate long enough to raise a family."

Kattrin's smile faded. "He only ingested magebane twice - once before he met my mother and again the day they were married. He never told us why he did the first time, but he did tell both my sister and me that he was left unable to sense the Fade or cast a single spell for almost three days. It's not without consequences."

He watched her. She couldn't read his expression but she could guess he might be thinking about what would make a mage desperate enough to consume magebane to avoid detection by the Templars.

In the silence that stretched between them, she heard faint groaning. Anders looked up, hearing it too. He stood and swiftly cleared the distance to the door of his clinic, exiting into Darktown. He walked slowly back, half carrying a dirty and disheveled man. Anders was holding one of the man's arms around his own shoulders while his other arm was around the man's waist. Kattrin could see the man was trailing blood, leaving a single red foot print and several ruby drops with each step. She wished she could get up and help but she didn't want to take Anders' attention away from the injured man.

Anders led him to stand before her and briefly left him to bring another cot. The man teetered like a sapling in a strong wind and Kattrin began raising her arms in case she needed to catch him. Anders slid another cot between Kattrin's and his desk, gently helping the man to sit. He then left to grab a bowl of water, a clean rag, and his low stool. They made a kind of triangle with the two cots and Anders' stool.

Anders pulled the knife he kept at his belt and began to slice through one side of the man's pants, gently separating and pulling the cloth free of the blood and the wound beneath. The then took her clean hand in his bloodied one and placed it on the man's leg.

"Gently reach into the Fade and pull the merest breath of mana."

Kattrin reached to the Fade and pulled the smallest thread of mana she could manage.

Keeping his hand on hers, he said, "Good. Now, stretch your senses and feel his skin, his muscles, his bones. Feel his blood pumping through his leg."

She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, instantly feeling the man's pain. She tried to pull back but Anders kept her hand.

"It's okay," he said, soothingly in his mellifluous voice. "It's not your pain. Push past the pain to feel the body's architecture."

She reached out with her mind again, feeling the pain but moving past it. She felt the man's erratic pulse as if it were a part of her. She continued reaching and felt the blood moving in his leg, gathering at a rend in his flesh. She was reminded of a wooden puzzle her father had while she was growing up. If you put the pieces together just so, it made a cube. She could see the pieces of muscle, tendon, and skin and how they would fit back together.

Anders brought her back to herself with a gentle squeeze of her hand. "Not yet. Pull your mana back and reach out to the Fade again but this time picture the damage wrought and ask for help."

Kattrin pulled the tiny thread of mana back and reached again for the Fade. She felt Anders' spirit of Justice first but sensed that his would be the wrong kind of help. Reaching she called in her mind for help, imagining the damage she had sensed within the man's leg. She felt a calming and comforting presence reach back offering compassion for the wounded man. The spirit of compassion reached out past her to where she sat with the man. Kattrin felt the mana flow into her, travelling through her chest out to her arms and her hands. She found the torn pieces of the man's flesh again and this time Anders didn't stop her as she separated the man from his pain while helping his body to put the damaged pieces together, to knit themselves back into whole blood vessels, whole muscle, and whole skin.

She felt the approval from the spirit of compassion before she departed, taking the flow of mana with her. Kattrin suddenly felt drained in the spirit's absence and opened her eyes.

The man was smiling at her. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I thought I would lose the leg for sure. Maker bless you."

She smiled back at the man. He stood up but Anders stood with him and gently pushed him back down.

"Hold on a minute. Let me get you a potion to help your body with the recovery and a staff for you to walk with. Your leg will be sore for a couple of days and you shouldn't put too much weight on it."

Anders walked to the back of the clinic, returning with a cane. He stopped at the medicine cabinet and withdrew a bottle. He handed both to the man before helping him to stand.

The man's smile faded and he looked at his feet. "I have nothing to offer for payment."

Anders clasped the man on his shoulder causing him to look up. "The only payment I ask is that you keep our secret. Please don't bring the Templars down on us."

The man nodded. "Of course. I would never betray you to the Templars." He walked past Anders to the door where he paused, turning back. "Maker bless you both," he said and exited the clinic.

Anders sat down on the unoccupied cot across from Kattrin. He was smiling at her, light dancing in his eyes.

"You're a natural."

Her heart sped up and she felt her face get hot. "Thank you."

Their conversation was cut short by a woman coming in. She was sporting a black eye, covered in bruises and cradling her arm. The clinic became an unrelenting stream of broken and bleeding people. Anders did most of the healing but had her heal every third or fourth person. They stayed within their close triangle with the current patient sitting on the unoccupied cot across from Kattrin while Anders resided on his stool. They touched the whole day. Either she had her hand on his to watch and feel the flow of his healing or he had his hand on hers to observe her healing. He didn't instruct her again, just focused on their combined task. Even though most of the mana came from the spirits who assisted her, each patient left her more drained. It was a test of endurance to maintain her focus when the number of injured people seemed infinite.

After healing a boy with a broken arm, she looked up to Anders to tell him that she needed a rest only to find the clinic was empty. The boy had been the last of the crowd.

Anders dark honey gaze met hers briefly before he rested his already glowing hand on her cheek. She must look as drained as she felt. Now that she was familiar with his healing technique, she felt him delve into her. As she had been doing all day, she followed his thread of mana to her own recovering injury. She could sense that her internal organs were almost done healing but her muscle and skin were fully recovered. Then she felt mana flow from him into her, bringing with it a rejuvenating energy. When he removed his hand, she felt as if she had awakened from a much needed nap.

"How is it you're still able to use your magic to help me? I'm so worn out I probably couldn't even light a candle."

He gave her his crooked smile. "The Warden's renowned endurance."

Kattrin's eyebrows tried to climb into her hairline. She had to bite her tongue to stop from asking him if his stamina stretched to other activities. Her mind went to images of kissing him before she could stop herself. Thankfully, her stomach chose then to start growling, helping to distract her from his mouth.

Still smiling, he helped her up. Kattrin only felt the barest twinge from her body. She grinned back at him.

"Come on. We need to get you something to eat."

She started walking with him before saying, "I bet I'm not the only one who's hungry. Come home with me and have another wonderful meal made by my mother."

He gestured for her to lead the way. "When you put it that way, how could I possibly say no?"