"A deal?" Ryan asked, staring at her. "I thought you said we were all going to die. That it was only a matter of time before the bear got up and killed us all. So what's the point of a deal under those conditions?"
She let out a soft laugh. "Every possible point." She looked deep into his eyes. "We're in the same boat, two wounded beasts with wide-open injuries. Wouldn't it only be right for us to lick each other's wounds?"
"What the hell do you mean by that?" he asked again, prompting an amused laugh from her before she replied:
"One hand washes the other. I'll teach you how to take care of your wounds, and in return you'll treat mine. Then I'll give you a small glimmer of hope to get out of here alive." She smiled. "Doesn't sound like a bad deal, if anything, it sounds excellent and fair. Look at that, they call us demons, but I seem much more like a sweet angel right now."
The slave growled, and her expression immediately soured. "You just forgot to mention the part where, as soon as you're back on your feet, you'll kill us in the most horrible way you can think of. And then offer us up to the Demon himself. Quite different from what an angel would do, isn't it?" She then nodded vigorously.
"I really might end up doing that! Well spotted!" she continued laughing as the slave's mood darkened. "But I also don't recall saying I wouldn't. How peculiar… it almost seems like I'm following the agreement to the letter, exactly as it was said and made. So if you die in some brutal and terrible way like you mentioned, I suppose you'll only have yourself to blame for your own stupidity." She laughed loudly, and the slave grunted even louder.
Hostile glances crossed the cave constantly as Ryan brought a hand to his chin, thinking.
Things were already so bad they couldn't possibly get worse. Metaphorically, they were at the bottom of the pit, and because of that, they could only go up, never down. Or at least, that's what he thought.
"I'll help you if you help me," he said succinctly, drawing everyone's attention. "However, even if it's just words, I want a non-aggression pact until we part ways. Sworn in the name of your gods." She shrugged almost immediately.
"I swear in the name of my gods not to act with hostility as long as I'm not harmed," she said with a neutral expression. "That makes us allies. Now hand me that bag over there." She looked toward an object in the darkness, waiting for them to act. "Come on, don't just sit there staring."
Ryan sighed, then stood up and walked over, grabbing the bag and opening it with a curious expression. Inside were several small tools, as well as various monster parts: Claws, carapaces, antennae. Herbs were abundant too.
"An apothecary, I assume," he said, approaching her and kneeling.
"My work goes a bit beyond that," she replied briefly. "But I'm used to dealing with the wounded. Now take that red herb and mix it with the purple one, then crush them with that mortar. "He did as she instructed.
"Yes, very good! Now add a bit of that brown oil, and don't ask what it is if you know what's good for you." Ryan froze for a moment. "Just do it. Don't ask." He took a deep breath and kept going.
"That's it, like that, keep going… now add a bit of that powder, and careful, just a little. Otherwise, you'll meet the gods in a very bizarre way. I still remember the time I got the dose wrong… the patient kept saying he saw a rabbit lay a chocolate egg, then said he watched it hide them all over the forest. He got desperate trying to run after them."
Ryan frowned but kept following instructions as a thick, viscous paste slowly formed. "Put it on a leaf and stick it to your wound." He nodded and swallowed hard, about to apply the mixture to his own injuries.
"Why does he go first?" the slave asked. "You seem more urgent, don't you think?" He looked at the woman's many wounds.
Surely, if not for her tenacity, she would have died long ago. People were fragile and died from far less than that. And even so, she didn't ask for priority treatment, which would have been entirely understandable, raising suspicion among the group.
"Still worried about betrayal?" she shot back. "I'm in tatters, incapable of doing anything for myself, and I've already sworn to the gods I won't do anything. What more do you expect from me?"
They stared at each other in silence, sparks flying in the air, while Ryan simply shrugged and carried on.
"Partner? Aren't you worried about her?" the slave asked. Ryan didn't turn, continuing to treat his wounds.
"She doesn't want to die and depends on us," he said, feeling the ointment give off a cooling, almost pleasant sensation. "It wouldn't make sense for her to kill me when she still needs help." He said, ignoring a new warning from the system. Meanwhile, she nodded vigorously.
"See? That's exactly what I'm saying!" She pointed at the slave. "Children of summer are always so fearful, they're afraid even of their own shadows! But the children of winter…" She looked at Ryan. "…and even their bastards… those are real men."
Ryan returned her deep gaze in silence. Then he stood, stretching his injured arm. "Not perfect, but at least it doesn't hurt anymore." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "More importantly, we don't have enough to treat anyone else." The woman nodded without concern.
"That was expected," she said. "That's why I wanted you to treat yourself first. I need you to fetch fresh ingredients to treat me. At the same time, we need to think about our sleepy companion." She turned toward the bear.
"What's the plan?" he asked, resting the axe on his shoulder.
"For safety, I won't tell you," she said with a gentle smile, making Ryan frown and the tense atmosphere return. The slave raised his sword again, ready. "Oh, come on, don't look at me like that. You're not the only ones who fear betrayal, and unlike me, you're quite capable of it. With me so fragile and defenseless… it wouldn't be hard for you to pierce my soft, moist flesh with your big, hard blade." She giggled
Ryan suddenly took a step back, blushing. "What the hell was that?!"
She simply stuck out her small tongue.
"Demon! That was the demon's tongue!" the slave stepped forward. "We need to kill her now!"
She just laughed before returning to the topic. "Inside the bag there's an encyclopedia. Bring me the following items…" She listed about a dozen different names, then coughed before continuing. "The bear is hiding an entrance to a vast tunnel network. There are hundreds of different species down there, perfect for our purposes. Gather what's needed and return. You have until sunrise… and please don't abandon me, or my maiden's heart will be very, very sad."
"We have a deal," Ryan nodded. "I'll be back soon."
"I certainly hope so," she said, beaming.