Rae's stomach tied itself in knots as they made their way down the mountain. He didn't know what he was scared of more: Zott diving out of the bushes and jumping on him again, or if tonight were the last time he would ever see him.

  The camp was quiet when they arrived, and as they neared the Ashems' house, they saw why. The people of the camp had gathered in the meeting place that Zott had pointed out to Rae when they arrived. Beside the Ashem's residence was a deep depression in the cliff, which formed a vast cavern. Fire pits were smouldering, and people were gathered around them, passing around food and drinks.

  The Shali and several other children of the camp were playing together, and the adults watched over them with strained smiles. Word must have gotten out that the duchal heir was bedridden, and the situation was grave.

  When they approached, Duke Ashem separated from the group to greet them. He looked over the three of them, and a frown appeared on his face. Rae felt sick.

  "Your Excellency," Sebi was the first to speak, "Have you seen or heard from young master Zott?"

  The furrows on Ashem's forehead were deeper and darker than the path cut by the river that Rae had last seen Zott near.

  "No."

  A deafening silence passed between them, and Rae felt his insides were about to claw their way up his throat and scurry away.

  Rae cleared his throat, "I'd like to talk to you both in private," he said, before facing Iova with a smile, "You've done well today, please take a rest."

  Iova happily joined the people at the camp, and the gathering became a little less sombre with his addition. Rae could still hear his animated voice as he ducked into the Ashem residence, followed by Sebi and the Duke.

  "What is the meaning of this?" Duke Ashem asked.

  On the way down the mountain, Rae had rerun his encounter with Zott over and over, trying to pry out what was essential and bury what was humiliating.

  "This afternoon, we became separated from Zott. We each went to search for him alone. And when I found him, he was acting strangely. He wasn't willing to return to the camp with me."

  As Rae recounted this, he shot an apologetic look at Sebi, whose face was as stone-like as ever.

  "Zott wouldn't do that."

  "I fear he has fallen under some curse of the wilds. His eyes were strange, and he wasn't thinking as he normally would. He told me he met someone out there."

  Ashem’s scowl deepened, “witches? We seem to have a lot of trouble with them whenever you’re nearby,”

  Rae shook his head, the memory of Nana on the edge of that cliff threatening to overtake him.

  “Please understand, I wouldn't speak of it if I weren't sure.”

  It was a pathetic plea, and Duke Ashem was about to give it all the respect it deserved, when Sebi said something unbelievable.

  “If it’s as you say, then we have some reason to hope,”

  Rae and Duke Ashem watched Sebi in stunned silence. He was tapping his forehead, as if doing so would knock his thoughts into place.

  “A witch. A curse… That would explain… But what about—no. If that’s the answer, we must act fast,”

  “If what’s the answer?” Rae asked.

  “Your excellency, when I asked your healers where the best area to source herbs was, they told me to ascend the east side of the valley. That’s where we went today, and certainly we found plenty of useful plants. Do you know if there are any other places near to the camp that would provide a similar yield?”

  The Duke shook his head. Sebi continued.

  “The healers told me that was the only area for miles where the holy spring water from the mountains, the balance of moon and sunlight, and the condition of the earth was just right to produce such effective specimens. And it seems a witch has placed some curse on the ground there, to enchant and manipulate away those who go to gather herbs,”

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  “That ground has been used by my people for generations, there’s never been any—“

  “If the ground has been given over to humans for so long, it is odd that such actions would provoke a witch. Unless she specifically wanted to punish and hinder the healers of Camp Ashem…

  “I was ashamed to admit it but master Ven’s illness is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It didn’t seem like a natural disease. But I dared not suggest a witches involvement until now,”

  “Isn’t that much worse, though,” Rae asked, “A witch is much scarier than an illness,”

  “Not at all. Curses can be broken, and they don’t leave scars like illness and injury do. Recovery from such things can be long and painful. But, if we can find the witch, appease her or break her curse by force, then Master Ven and the other victims will quickly return to normal,”

  It was late when Duke Ashem and Sebi finally agreed to retire their discussion. Rae was obligated to sit with them, answering a question about the condition he’d found Zott in, or about the state of the forest, until the rest of the camp had long gone silent.

  The Shana passed them, carrying the two younger shali— with the rest following blearily behind her— and shot them a worried look when she heard the topic of conversation.

  By the time the Duke granted him reprieve, Rae was falling asleep on his feet. He’d thought Sebi must have been feeling the same, but the healer had no intention of going to bed yet. As they reentered the courtyard where their rooms were, Sebi took Rae by the elbow and stopped him in his path to bed.

  “What now?” Rae whined, long too tired to care how pathetic he sounded.

  “Not yet, you can’t go to bed yet,” Sebi said.

  “Why?”

  Sebi called for a servant and ordered them to bring heated water.

  “What? Sebi, I’ll bathe in the morning. Won’t you let me rest?”

  “Think!” Sebi said, while tugging at Rae’s clothing, “You’ve wandered into a witch’s den! Or at least close to it… who knows what toxins or evil is lingering on your clothing,”

  Rae frowned, “Then what should I do?”

  “Cleanse yourself thoroughly,” Sebi said, “and these clothes will have to be burned.”

  Rae felt no loss at that. He didn’t feel much affection for any of his clothing and had simply thrown on whatever was practical for a day in the forest.

  He was so tired, he couldn’t muster embarrassment when Sebi stripped him of his tunic. But when it came to his pants, and the servants brought in a basin of water, he recovered himself.

  “Enough, enough. I can do the rest myself.”

  Sebi fetched some screens to position around the bath. And Rae used a rag and soap to cleanse himself. Even discounting any curse that might have been lingering on his skin, there was a lot of grime to wipe off. Sebi, with no regard for privacy, came to check on him, and upon seeing the colour of the water, called for more.

  “Why don’t you strip off too?” Rae asked, trying to hide his embarrassment, “I’m not the only one in need of a wash.”

  To Rae’s satisfaction, Sebi’s usually dispassionate face flushed scarlet. Instead of replying, he pointed to Rae’s head.

  “Your hair needs washing too, and that ribbon will have to go,”

  Suddenly, the air in the courtyard and the water that dripped down Rae’s back felt cold.

  “This… This, too?” Rae took the red silk ribbon in his hands. Since Ven had bought it for him on the day he had admitted his feelings, Rae had worn it in nearly every waking moment. When he woke, the first thing he would do was tidy his hair and attempt to tie it as neatly as he could. Later, when Ven or Zott would see him, they would fix his handiwork.

  “Yes, give it to me,” Sebi said.

  When the healer reached out his hand, Rae instinctively stepped back.

  “If you’re saying I can’t wear it anymore… That’s fine. But you mustn’t destroy this. Is there any way I can keep it?”

  Sebi sighed, “Whatever it is, it can be replaced. Better to be safe and burn it.”

  “And what if this is something that can’t be replaced?” Rae’s mind did a lurch when his implication dawned on him. What if this is the last gift I’ll ever receive from Ven?

  At last, Sebi’s tiredness was starting to show, “It’s just a strip of silk,”

  “Well, it belongs to me. I’m not going to give it to you, and you’re not going to take it from me. If you’re worried, you should hurry up and find a way to break the witch’s curse.”

  Rae was the Shak. And while he was usually good-natured and cooperative, what he said was the closest thing his people had to law. Sebi scowled, but they didn’t speak of it anymore. In fact, they didn’t speak of anything. The fresh water arrived, and Rae washed his hair, rubbing the soap into the ribbon too for good measure. When he emerged from behind the screens, he found Sebi had already gone to bed.

  Still feeling a little bitter, Rae went to his own bed. For a while, he lay in the dark, twirling the ribbon around his fingers. But, as the night stretched on, thoughts of Nana’s old stories —and thoughts of Nana— kept him from sleep. Just to be safe, he slipped the ribbon into the drawer beside his bed and tried not to think about witches and curses anymore.