She accepted the basket, their fingers brushing. The contact felt grounding. "I'll rest when they're stable. The corruption took so much from them. If I can give even a little back, it's worth the cost."
Felix studied her with quiet understanding. "You give more than a little. But you can't pour from an empty well forever. The pack needs you strong too."
She simply smiled and blushed a little that she is getting recognition from Felix. One that she actually craves.
They worked together through the afternoon, moving between cots with easy coordination.
Felix's presence brought a different kind of calm — practical, thoughtful, never pushing but always there when needed.
They spoke of small things between tasks: the way certain herbs responded better in colder months, stories from their apprenticeships, the quiet beauty of frost on the window panes at dawn.
