Free Boundary by Heather Terrell Page B

to me. “Yes.”
    “Then let me look at that leg.”
    There is no choice. I sit down and roll up my pant leg for him. No matter how many
siniks
I serve as an Archon, I will always feel like a Maiden when a man looks at my bare skin.
    Panting from the exertion, he lowers himself to the ground to examine it more closely. “By the Gods, how did this happen?”
    I shrug, then motion toward the metallic piece of the hull sticking out from a snow mound, because I can’t actually speak, or I’ll risk throwing up. Now that the blood has stopped dripping from the wound, I glimpse my leg bone once more. I feel nauseated again.
    “Hmm,” he says, glancing at it and then back at my leg. “No matter. You’ve staunched the bleeding quite well with that tourniquet; now we’ve got to sew you up. I just pray to the Gods that your muscles aren’t severed.” He reaches into a pack around his waist, pulling out a needle and a piece of thread that looks like hair, along with several rare glass jars.
    “Before I stitch it, I’m going to put some remedies on it,” he murmurs. “These will help clean the wound and speed the healing, but they might sting a little.”
    My eyes widen at the word, and for a tick I almost forget the pain. Remedies? Did he just say
remedies
? I glance down and see him rub some
pujualuk
into the wound. How in the Gods does Theo know about
pujualuk
?
    Almost instantly the sting subsides, replaced by numbness. I only know of this Boundary remedy, derived from a little plant that grows in damp mossy areas, because Lukas had instructed me in its healing properties before the Testing. I wonder if Theo had a Companion long ago who showed him Lex-forbidden Boundary ways as well.
    “I’m going to sew the wound up now, so it’s best if you look away.”
    I do, trying to keep my mind fixed on the fact that Theo might actually be more of an ally that I thought. What with violating The Lex in my presence, and with my acceptance, he’s managed to turn us into secret accomplices. It’s both frightening and thrilling, even more so than the stitchery he’s about to perform on my leg. But having sewn up Jasper’s wound on the Testing using these medicines and Lex-banned techniques shown to me by Lukas, I know how painful this will be.
    Suppressing a scream, I hold my breath. Theo pierces my skin and sews quickly. The numbness fades. I don’t think I’ve ever known such pain. I exhale only when he finishes and then watch as he places upon the wound a thin sheet of bearded seal blubber with the oil removed. Lukas had explained to me how this would act as a bandage.
    But how does Theo know?
    “This should do it. Let’s get you standing so we can see whether the muscle was injured.” He struggles to his feet, then pulls me up. At his prodding, I walk a little. The wound hurts, but my leg seems fine.
    “Easy,” he breathes. “Remember what I’ve tried to teach you: slow and steady wins the race.”
    “How can I thank you?” I whisper.
    “By keeping secret my use of medicines.”
    “Of course, Archon Theo. I am in your debt.”
    “I’m glad that you can be trusted.” He glances at me, a knowing smile on his lips. “We all have our secrets, don’t we?”

XVII .
Julius 11
Year 242, A.H .
    The sun sets over the Frozen Seas, and still the ice does not yield the
Genesis
door. We have no choice but to return to the campsite for the evening. That means that forty-one Archons and Boundary will be trailing in my wake, no doubt snickering at my fruitless efforts. I try my hardest not to limp back to the campsite; I don’t want to provide further reason for ridicule.
    I am frustrated and embarrassed after all my boasts about the Gods granting me the knowledge of how to unlock the
Genesis
’s secrets. Not to mention weak and hurting. All I want is to burrow into my
iglu
for the night. But protocol requires that I attend the evening meal and nightly meeting; Laurence can even punish me if I don’t. After taking my