Iron Crow: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (The Crawling Girl Book 1) by Kim Petersen

Author:Kim Petersen [Petersen, Kim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Whispering Ink Press
Published: 2024-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

24

My legs felt like pudding as I wandered down the village street and headed to the healer’s hut. People swarmed around the filthy canvas held up with old hemp rope and twisted tree branches. They chatted quietly near the closed flap, their faces white as Asher’s moans filled the air. As I drew closer, I clutched at the end of my braid, as if holding my hair would stabilize my shaky legs. It didn’t help.

When I approached, they all stopped talking, and one man held up his right hand and put it in my face. “The boy is undergoing emergency treatment. Stay back.”

I didn’t recognize the man, but several others looked at me, and it became clear that everyone had been both horrified by what they thought had been Asher’s foolish behavior and, at the same time, disgusted by Sandor’s inability to protect us from the Crow leader’s punishments. If a Chief couldn’t protect his people, what was the point?

Another one of Asher’s muted groans floated into my ears, and I gasped, my eyes darting desperately to the canvas flap.

“He’s my friend. I want to see Asher.”

“The healer is tending to his… wound. Come back tomorrow.”

My cheeks burned, which I knew would not look unusual—or guilty—given the circumstances. “I just want to see if he’s okay.”

“Well, Aren took his hand while our Chief watched!” the man snapped while the others all nodded and murmured in agreement. “Do you think Asher is ‘okay?’”

I took a step back and almost stumbled on the gravel. Asher let loose with another long grunt, the painful sound tearing at my heart.

“Didn’t you hear me, girl? Come back tomorrow!”

I nodded, and had already turned around when I heard my name.

“Rayna!”

Asher’s mother stumbled from the hut, racing toward me. The man huffed and shook his head, turning his back on us both to rejoin the other whispering villagers, uncertain whether the blame for this tragedy should be placed on Asher, Sandor, Aren, or Corvus. Or possibly all four.

My lips trembled as she caught me in a hug and I buried my face in her chest while trying to fight back the tears. I had always been close to Asher’s mother, Ember. She had been the only adult female I’d really had in my life, and she’d always treated me so kindly. Today was no exception.

“Oh, Ember. I’m so sorry. How is he?”

She held me at arm’s length and mustered a weak smile. Her watery, blue eyes were dim and bloodshot over sullen dark circles. She shook her grey-streaked head.

“It’s not your fault, honey. He’ll get through… he’s a fighter. I’ll make sure he knows you’re thinking of him. I have to get back inside.”

I wouldn’t have known myself, but I’d heard mothers saw their children differently than others did. Asher was sweet, sensitive, kind, and strong. But a fighter? I hadn’t really seen that side of him.

“Okay,” I said, my words barely a whisper. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

As I watched her race back to her son, it took everything I had not to collapse to the ground.

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