“And you want me to see to it the boy and his sister are returned home?”
“No, only the sister.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. The boy was seen with me, his friends tried to beat him up, and everyone’s going to figure out that he at least helped kill His Lordship, who was a pretty well-liked bastard, for an undead. What sort of life is the kid going to have around here?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that he saved my life, several times, and his only reward was being given such a shock that he has gone mad.”
“What can you do about it?”
“I can try to cure him, and keep him safe in the meantime.”
“You’re going to wander around, running from the Jhereg, and keep a child with you?”
“Yes. At least until he’s cured. After that, I don’t think he’ll be a child anymore, and he can make up his own mind.”
“What makes you think he won’t hate you?”
“He probably will.”
“What makes you think you can cure him?”
Vlad shrugged. “I have some ideas. I’ll try them. And I know people, if I get desperate.”
“So you’re going to take him away from his family—”
“That’s right. Until he’s cured. Then it’s up to him.”
Sara stared at him for a long moment, then burst out, “You’re crazy!”
“No, just in debt. And intending to discharge the debt.”
“You can take the girl back to her family, and explain what I’m doing.”
“They’ll never let you do this. They’ll hunt you down and kill you.”
“How? I’ve avoided the Jhereg for more than two years, I can certainly avoid a few peasants long enough to see the boy cured.”
Sara turned and looked at Savn, who continued to stare into the fire, and Polyi, who looked at her brother with red eyes. Sara said, “Polyi, what do you think of all this?”
“I don’t know,” she said in a small voice. “But he did this to Savn, so he ought to cure him, and then bring him back.”
“That’s my opinion,” said Vlad.
“Don’t you realize,” said Sara slowly, “that traveling with the boy is going to make you ten times—a hundred times as easy a target for the Jhereg?”
“Yes.”
“Work fast,” said Sara.
“I intend to,” said Vlad.
“Do you even have supplies for the journey?”
“I have gold, and I can teleport, and I can steal.”
Sara shook her head.
Vlad stood up and reached a hand out. “Savn, come on.”
The boy obediently stood, and Sara glanced at his eyes; they seemed empty.
“Can you really heal his mind?” she asked.
“One way or another,” said Vlad. “I will.”
Polyi stood and hugged her brother, who seemed not to notice. She stepped back, gave Vlad a look impossible to describe, went over to Sara, and nodded.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Easterner,” said Sara.
“You could wish me luck.”
“Yes. Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
He took the boy’s arm, and led him off into the woods, walking slowly as if his wounds still bothered him. Sara put her arm around the girl, who didn’t resist, and they watched the Easterner, the human, and the two jhereg until they disappeared.
“Good luck,” Sara repeated softly to their backs.
Then she turned to the girl and took her hand. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get you home. Your Harvest Festival is beginning, and the gods alone know what sort of animals live out here.”
The girl said nothing, but held onto Sara’s hand, tightly.