Free Healer's Touch by Deb E Howell Page A

damp air. It mingled with the musky smell of her companion and an unfamiliar sensation radiated through her.
    She looked at him out the corner of her eye, only to have her eyes settle on the knives filling his vest, then trailing down to the knife in its sheath by his thigh.
    Feeling the muscles in her legs tiring, Llew stood up and her head swirled. She took a step to balance herself, slapping a foot into the shallow water’s edge. She would have fallen in if Jonas hadn’t grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She collapsed into him, laughing. He swayed a little, too, and his arms wrapped about her in a casual embrace.
    “What was that stuff?”
    Jonas didn’t reply. He inhaled deeply, sampling the scent of her hair. His closeness sent shivers down her spine. He let his head rest on her shoulder, then his arms clasped her tightly – one hand at the back of her neck. He shook once, twice, and she thought she heard a muffled sob.
    A year ago . . .  A year since what?
    She let her own head lean against his and closed her eyes. She’d never been so intimate with anyone before. The men she knew, who knew she was a girl, only wanted to touch her in one way. Maybe two. Including Kynas.
    “What’s going on?”
    Jonas pushed away from her and turned to the creek.
    Llew faced Alvaro. “We were just doing the dishes.”
    “Ah-huh.”
    “Just go back to camp,” said Jonas, his voice betraying only the slightest tremor. “We’ll be there soon.”
    “What are you two doing?” Alvaro kept coming on.
    “Go back, Al.” If Jonas had used that tone on her, Llew would have turned on the spot, run back to camp and not looked back.
    Alvaro stopped.
    “I just came to let you know we’re makin’ ready for bed. Aris wants Llew on first watch.”
    “We’ll be there soon.”
    Alvaro stood a moment longer, glancing from one to the other; then he nodded and turned back to camp.
    Jonas studied the small bottle.
    “Hot damn, what is this stuff?”
    “Not whisky, then?”
    “Thought it was. Picked it up in Cheer.”
    “Well, we’re a backwards people, all isolated-like up this way.” Llew smiled. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
    He looked at her.
    “I’m just not ready,” she said. She didn’t know how they would take her having lied to them, but if she could prove herself first then maybe they would be more understanding, more forgiving. And she didn’t want them all looking at her the way men looked at girls. So far, Jonas seemed to have more on his mind than ogling her. But would Cassidy and Alvaro feel the same way?
    Jonas stooped to collect the pot and cutlery and handed it to her, then gathered up the plates and started walking back to camp.
    Llew shrugged and followed.
    * * *
    Llew’s fear that she might fall asleep while on watch soon disappeared. Scuffles from unknown forest wildlife and the deceptively distant, chilling call of lapwings kept her nerves on edge and her wits sharp. Just before she was due to wake Alvaro, a cramp began in her belly. Oh, hell, no . She peered up at what she could see of the moon and, sure enough, it was at about the same phase as last time. Typical that her body should decide to begin a regular cycle just when she needed it to continue with its usual haphazard ways. How was she going to deal with feminine issues while travelling as a boy, sharing close quarters with men? Her first requirement was to prevent her clothing getting stained.
    As soon as she’d woken Alvaro and he’d disappeared amongst the trees, Llew fished around in a communal pack, her hand emerging with a small, tightly woven sack of apples. Well, it wasn’t perfect, but it would do. She began taking apples from the sack and shoving them into the pack, loose. It may not have been rational, but she always felt dirty when her body did this to her so, instead of climbing into the spare bedding provided for her, she made her way through the trees, to the creek, the now empty sack at her side.
    A few strides in,