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Tobi knows these medicines. Salix is for fever and sofi makes you dream sweet painless dreams.

Tobi leans over the bed. “Irgorye,” he whispers. “Ereyek. It’s me. Suskara.” He thinks that is the first time he’s used Harok’s name for him to describe himself.

“Suskara,” Harok says again dreamily. Then in a different tone, “Diazuul,” he sounds almost fearful.

“Diazuul?” Tobi frowns.

Harok looks past Tobi and looks to Mereli and the healer. “Leave us,” he says groggily.

“Irgo, I think I should stay,” Mereli says.

“You heard him,” Tobi snaps out in Ambolk. “He is still your Irgo. He gave you order.”

Mereli looks unsure for a moment. Then he says, “Very well, my Irgo.”

The healer follows, and as she does she hands Tobi the bowl containing the green-coloured paste and some strips of linen, “Apply this to his wound,” she says, as if she is giving a command.

As the healer and Mereli leave, Tobi walks around the bed. He can see where the healer has been applying the green paste to Harok’s broken skin. He lifts the wooden paddle in the bowl and dabs some of the paste onto a red, torn place gingerly.

Harok hisses in pain.

“Oliki,” Tobi says.

Harok grunts.

“Kushir can say sorry,” Tobi says sweetly in Ambolk.

“Sorry?” Harok growls slowly. “Is kushir sorry for leaving Urynwud?”

“Yes,” says Tobi. “Thank you for rescue me.”

“You are my kushir.”

“You are my Irgorye,” Tobi says. “But Irgo come alone. Why come alone?”

“No time for warriors.” Harok snorts. “I am Unkillable Irgo.”

Tobi makes a scoffing sound. “Unkillable? You only win fight with Baby. Alone without Baby, Exceli kill Irgo Harok.”

Harok snorts more loudly. “Your beast is a fine warrior. You should train her to fight.”

“Baby fight because I in danger,” Tobi says, dabbing more paste over Harok’s wound. Harok hisses again.

“Baby obey you. You train her. She good warrior.”

“No,” says Tobi. “Fighting danger. Baby get hurt. No.”

“Baby will not fight if her Irgorye kushir says no,” Harok says.

“I say no,” Tobi says. He dabs a little more of the paste onto Harok’s skin, more gently this time.“You tell Mereli speak to me?”

“Mereli? I did not send Mereli to Suskara.” Harok frowns. “What did Mereli say to you?”

“He tell me of your father Irgo Lal. Your uncle Irgo Vahul. Your uncle cruel. Hurt you.”

“Irgo Vahul made me a strong Irgo,” Harok says.

“You kill Irgo Vahul.”