Chapter 9: The Cave

Calista’s body was a map of pain. Every breath stabbed through her bruised ribs, every tiny movement reminded her of the shattered bones in her left thigh and right lower leg. The desert sun had been replaced by the cooler shadows of a hidden cave, but relief was fleeting.

The healer had lifted her carefully from the slope, step by step, until they reached the shelter carved into the red sandstone. The air was cooler, carrying the faint scent of smoke and earth. Outside, the desert stretched endlessly, sun-bleached and empty. Nightwind was gone — gone back to the plains, free, leaving her entirely in the hands of the healer and his wife.

The healer’s wife moved quietly, efficiently. She helped remove Calista’s tattered clothes, covering her modesty with soft blankets. Every touch, though gentle, sent jolts of pain through her broken legs. She bit her lip, letting the woman work while tears ran down her dust-streaked face.

Then the healer began his work. He had brought boards, ropes, and small weights, assembling a crude pulley system to create a traction device for her legs.