Otter Creek Blood Stains on the Collar Means Just Don’t Ask

Cameo!

The news from Herod's servant stirred a storm of emotions within Eira—hope, anger, revulsion, and a tangle of feelings she could hardly name. Yet, one thing was certain: she had resisted the fierce urge to kill the beast while it lay helpless.

Against every fiber of her being, she had healed the creature as asked, though the thought of laying her paws on it again made her skin crawl. Indeed, she would have no problem passing her skills onto someone else and never touching that vile thing again.

A sudden commotion from the camp jolted her from her brooding. The beast, trying to escape! Without hesitation, she stormed to Herod, her fury evident in every bristle of her puffed-up coat.

Did I not tell you it should be bound, Herod? she snapped, her normal drawl replaced with fierce authority. If you expect me to keep healing it, you best have it tied down from now on, do you hear?

If Herod was startled by her ferocity, she would not give him a chance to voice it, only leaving him with an ultimatum before storming off again: I’ll do what is asked of me, but only if I know it’s not going anywhere until this is over. You may say it needs healing, but I say it only needs to be alive. If you want my help, you’ll do it my way from here on out.