hink she's up to it?" Erick asked when the two were safely back in their room, sorting their clothing.
"Mam said she was doing almost all of the village healing now. I'd say yes."
"Not our little Jade!"
"That's what I said. Mam pointed out that's she's twenty soon."
Marc pulled on a pair of black leather pants and vest, and set to combing out his hair.
"I'm surprised Darryl waited so long."
"I get the impression the waiting was enforced."
Erick chuckled and drew on a pair of tan linen trousers and white linen shirt, then attacked his hair with a curry comb.
"Did you notice the wounds?" Marc continued.
"Kinda hard to miss weren't they?"
"How do you suppose a woman got an arrow in the shoulder and a sword across the thigh? Not to mention the slash in the side."
"I suppose we'll have to wait until she wakes up and tells us."
Erick drew his sword and set to polishing it while Marc finished removing the snarls from his hair, then tied it back in a warrior's tail. Marc was putting his clothes away when there was a tap on the door. Both turned as Jade opened it, and she looked at them for a long moment, seeing them for the first time in 3 years clean and properly dressed.

They were both taller and more muscular than she remembered - Erick was the taller, Marc the more muscular. Erick's hair was cropped short and brown, with curls threatening to spring up, Marc's was long and black and straight, and hung down his back. Both were deeply tanned, and had the same dancing blue eyes. They both had white lines of scars showing owing to their 10 years soldiering, and both had a smile for the little sister they had grown up teasing, who was now grown up herself. Erick was 28. Marc was 26.
"Your hair is longer than mine now," Jade said softly, looking at Marc.
"How is she?" Erick asked, and Jade focused on him.
"I've treated her wounds and bandaged them. She needs to be kept warm and fed once she wakes up. Will you sit with her while I make dinner?"
The boys nodded, and moved into the patient's room. They sat in silence, polishing their weapons and watching over the strange girl the ocean had deposited at their feet. Her hair was the most distinguishing feature, being a light red and blonde colour - completely unlike anything the boys had seen before. Jade had bound the hair back into a plait, but it was still noticeable in the few strands around her face. The skin tone also marked her as a stranger, the pale white skin was strange and almost ghostly to the eyes used to the dark browns and golds brought on by generations working in the sun. The girl was of medium height, and muscular in a feminine way. And both Marc and Erick had noticed that she was a woman when Erick removed her bodice.
"Did we bring her clothes home?" Marc asked, and Erick nodded.
"They're still damp from the soaking we have them in the river."
"May be saveable then," Marc commented. "I'll get my polish and give them a going over."
Marc collected the leather outfit and carefully inspected it for stiffness and salt build up, then set to polishing it, keeping it soft and supple. Erick finished polishing his sword, and started on Marc's half-polished sword.
"Hey, you don't have to do that," Marc said, when he noticed.
"You're looking after her clothes. I'll finish your sword while you're doing that."
Some time later, when Marc had finished the clothing, and Erick had long since finished the sword, Sarah entered the room. She quickly examined the patient, then sent the boys to have dinner while she kept watch.

Marc and Erick spend the next several days fixing up things around the house - mending fences, fixing shelves, moving heavy furniture, and then, because they didn't want Sarah doing it, cleaning the house, clearing out the larder, and doing washing. Then, on the third day after her rescue, the girl woke up, took food, and slept. After this Jade left her side, and took over the cooking and cleaning. Over the next few days the girl grew in strength, and on the seventh day, she spoke to Jade.
"You are a healer?"
"Oh, so you can speak. I was beginning to wonder if your brain was damaged, all those strange sounds you were making."
The girl spoke again, and though Jade recognised the pattern as speech, none of the words were words she knew. The girl saw she didn't understand, and tried again.
"Your language is not my native tongue. I wish to get up."
"You will eat first."
The girl agreed, and Jade went to get soup and bread. When she returned, the girl had raised herself to sitting position, but was breathing in short shallow gasps.
"I hope you haven't re-injured yourself with that bit of silliness," Jade scolded, and quickly checked her bandages. Jade allowed the girl to feed herself while she talked about nothing in particular.
"Where am I?" the girl eventually asked, and Jade told the girl of how they had found her on the beach, and brought her here to heal her.
"Erick and Marc and Darryl are your brothers?" the girl asked.
"Erick and Marc are my brothers. Darryl is my... well, we have an understanding. Actually, Erick is really my cousin, but he's always been a brother to me."
"Who are you?"
"Me? My name is Jade."
"I am Kat. I think I need to sleep again now, Jade."
Jade nodded and took the bowl. By the time she turned around again, the girl was asleep.
"Kat," Jade said the name, feeling it strange in her tongue. Then she shrugged. "I suppose a stranger needs a strange name."

After another couple of days, the girl could feed herself without exhausting herself, and Jade allowed her to get up and take short walks around the room. After another 2 days, Jade decided the girl was strong enough to leave the room.
"Where are my clothes?"
Jade produced a light cotton shift and dress.
"Those are not my clothes."
"They are what you will be wearing, or you will not be leaving this room."
The girl acquiesced, and slipped the two items over her head.
"Can you manage stairs?"
"Shall not know until I try," the girl said gamely.
Jade at least admired her pluck.
"We'll take them slowly."
They paused for breath at the bottom of the stairs, then walked out onto the porch where Sarah had set up a well cushioned seat. The girl sank into it gratefully, and looked in disgust at her legs.
"I am so..... weak."
The girl said the final word in disgust.
"You will gain your strength again. You were very badly hurt."
"I suppose so."
"Do you remember how you got hurt?"
"I think I need to go back to bed."
Jade accepted the change of subject, and the two made their way carefully back to the bed.

Another week later, Jade met the girl at the bottom of the stairs.
"Going somewhere?"
"I heard fighting."
Jade looked perplexed. Then she realised, and smiled.
"Erick and Marc are playing," she explained.
"Playing?"
"Fighting each other. For fun."
"Oh," said the girl. "May we watch?"
To Jade, this seemed a strange sort of entertainment, but she agreed. The girl had dressed herself in a pair of cotton trousers and blouse. She seemed to have given up on getting her original clothing back. Jade set up a chair on the back porch, and turned to help the girl to the seat, but found her standing behind her. Jade was pleased - her healing was working better than she had hoped. The girl sat down, and Jade got them both some soup and bread, and then sat beside her. Marc and Erick were shirtless and sweating in the sun, the dancing of light on their blades at times dazzling. Jade yawned surreptitiously, and the girl turned to look at her.
"I don't see the interest?" Jade queried.
"Imagine then, then it was your Darryl."
Jade began to see the interest level, but then laughed.
"Darryl is not a fighter."
"He is not? And he gains your attention?"
The girl sounded astonished.
"He is a peaceful man," Jade defended her love. "He gathers food for the village."
"Ah. He is a hunter." The girl seemed satisfied with that, and returned her gaze to Erick and Marc.
Jade watched the girl watching the boys, but could not fathom her.
"I used to do that," the girl said eventually.
"What? Hunt?" Jade asked, still thinking on the girl's comment about Darryl.
"Yes, that too. But I meant to fight."
"You fought? But you're a woman!"
"So?"
Jade looked at her in astonishment.
"Where I come from, women are often warriors. How else would we defend ourselves against the Trolls? Are you telling me your women are not?"
"What are trolls?"
It was the girl's turn to look on in astonishment.
"I see I have come very far from home," the girl said eventually.
Jade waited for more, but it didn't come, and when the boys finished practicing, the girl got up and went inside, leaving Jade sitting on the porch alone.

Two days later, Marc knocked on the door of the "patient's room". A few minutes later, the door opened, and the girl stood there, dressed in cotton pants and blouse. Marc offered her the clothes she had been wearing when she was washed up 3 weeks previously. The girl looked astonished at the sudden reappearance of her clothes, and being confronted with Marc, rather than Jade as she had expected.
"I have treated them, but they're never going to be the same again, I'm afraid," Marc told her. "I patched the sword and arrow holes, but you can still see them. I thought you would want them back anyway."
"Thank you. My... sword?"
"There was no sword. I'm sorry."
"Bow?"
Marc silently shook his head.
"Thank you for saving what you could."
"You're welcome."
"I watched you fighting. You are very good."
"Thank you."
There was a moment's silence.
"When you're feeling up to it, you could practice with us." Marc offered.
The girl looked surprised.
"Could I... borrow a sword?"
Marc looked just as surprised, then nodded, bowed, and strode down the hall. The girl watched him go, then closed the door.

A week later, Jade opened the door to see Kat wielding a sword in the confined space of the bedroom. She had obviously been exerting herself, as she was sweating and one of the bandages was showing a slight seepage of blood.
"Stop!"
The girl stopped, and lowered the sword, panting.
"What are you doing?"
"I am out of shape."
"House rules. No sword play in the house. You want to wave that thing around, you do it outside. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that you're feeling up to it. But don't over exert yourself. Take things gradually. Now let me see that cut on your shoulder."
Jade unwound the bandages and carefully prodded the wound.
"I think you'll live. May as well look at the others."
The girl undressed obediently, and Jade unwound the other bandages. The shoulder wound had pulled apart slightly and bleeding, but appeared to be mainly healed. The side wound was stiff, but scabbed over and starting to scar, and the thigh wound had left a wide swathe of new pink skin, which would whiten to a scar as it completed healing. The other cuts and bumps had healed and faded already. Jade was very pleased.
"I'll stick a plaster on that shoulder one, the others will be fine without bandages now. You've healed quite well."
"Thank you, Jade."
"You're welcome..." Jade struggled to remember the name the girl had given her.
"Kat."
"Kat. I'll remember."
Kat nodded, and Jade left her to dress.

Kat washed carefully in the basin, and dressed in fresh cotton pants and blouse. The clothes weren't really her style, they were a little restrictive and didn't fit properly across her chest, but she had tried on her leathers, and whilst they fit better, the heat made her sweat uncomfortably in them, and the month of healing had left her less muscular than she used to be, so they didn't fit perfectly either. Kat walked to the window, and looked out across the fields. This land where she had awoken was very different to her own land. Gone were the ice and snow of Kat's homeland, the warmth of the ocean did not allow snow to fall. The hill that they called a mountain looked only to be 2 or 3 days walk high, not like the 2-week walk high mountains Kat had lived in. Still, the warmth was pleasant, once one got used to it, and there were no trolls to menace the village, so there were no walls or defences that Kat could see. Kat's instincts told her this was a bad idea, but she didn't voice these thoughts. The women didn't fight here, and clearly thought she shouldn't. Kat closed her eyes, and remembered home. She realised she would have to tell Jade, and the three boys who had saved her life, her story. When they were alone, Kat resolved. Then she returned to strengthening exercises, minus the sword.

The following day, Jade discovered Marc and Kat standing out the back of the house, with blunt wooden swords. Kat's strength was returning in leaps and bounds, thanks to Jade's tonics. The two were fighting with seeming ferocity, but Erick did not look concerned as he leaned against the back of the house watching. Jade joined him, and they watched together.
"She is good," Erick commented. "I haven't seen anyone work Marc that hard in years."
"What are they doing?"
"Dueling with wooden swords. To the death."
"What?!"
"They're not going to kill each other, Jade. When they get a killing stroke, the other yields."
"How long have they been doing that?"
"About three hours."
"And who is winning?"
"They have won once each. This is the final battle."
"I told her not to over exert herself," Jade muttered, and Erick smiled.
"She wants us to go back to where we found her tomorrow. Can you come?"
"Yes."
"And Darryl."
"Why?"
"I get the feeling she wants to tell us all something, and that won't happen unless we're all there."
"Well, we'll make a picnic of it then. The five of us will go and have a picnic there and see what she has to say."
Erick nodded, then stood up straight. There was a whirl of movement, too fast for Jade to follow, and then Marc was on the ground, with Kat on top of him. Kat's sword was across his throat, and his was against hers. They were both breathing hard, gasping for breath, and staring at each other.
"Draw!" declared Erick, and Marc grinned, then started chuckling. After a moment, Kat joined in, and rolled herself off him. They lay in the dirt, side by side, laughing until Erick tossed a cup of water over them.
"Get up, you two. Our healer wants to examine your brains."
Jade laughed then too, and helped Kat to her feet as Erick helped Marc to his.
"Come on," Erick told Marc. "Walk to cool down. You too," he added to Kat.
She nodded and raised an eyebrow at Jade. Kat and Jade walked off towards Darryl's house, while Erick and Marc walked the other way.
"Did you enjoy that?" Jade asked curiously.
"More than words. It is wonderful to be alive again."
"You were never dead."
"A warrior without self is dead. I was not alive this past month."
Jade thought on that for a moment.
"What does your country think of healers?"
"Healers are the healer of hurts, the giver of life, the aider of those in need. They are revered."
"Interesting."
"We are going to your Darryl's home?"
"Yes. Why did you fight Marc?"
"He is a good warrior. It was an honour to train with him. If I were not injured, I would take him to bed."
"What?"
"Ask him to my bed in the night. I do not know your word for it."
"You can't do that!"
"I am injured, I know."
"No! You're not married!"
"Married?"
"Joined by a priest."
"Handfasted? You must be such to have relations with a man here?"
"It is only proper," Jade replied stiffly.
"It is different in my country, clearly. Live while one is alive, and take life as it comes. One should handfast when one wishes to have children, but amongst the warriors there is no shame in asking another to your bed when no child will result. It gives pleasure to both and strengthens one for the battles ahead."
Jade's cheeks were flaming, and she didn't answer immediately.
"Here a woman who joins with a man without marrying him is a harlot."
Kat didn't understand the word.
"A scarlet woman. A shamed woman."
"It brings shame to a woman?"
"And her family."
"You have not lain with your Darryl?"
"I have not!"
"Do you not want to?"
"I- It's not- I just- It would not be proper!"
"I will think on this."
"You do that."
And, cheeks flaming, Jade marched the rest of the way to Darryl's house in silence.

Marc knelt and dunked his head in the barrel of rain water, then stood, flicking water everywhere.
"I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Fastest way to cool down. Did you see her? She is amazing!"
"I saw her pressing you."
"Yes, exactly! And she is injured!"
"You weren't holding back just a little?"
"Well... yes, a little, but she is injured."
Erick laughed and they resumed their walk, Erick listening and Marc talking.
"I think you are smitten, old man."
"I wouldn't kick her out of bed, that's for sure."
"Remember that if you treat her wrong, you'll likely end up with a knife in your side."
Marc laughed.
"I would, at that. And we're at home, and it's not the done thing. But if things were different..."
Erick laughed, and the two walked back to the house.

The following morning, Jade examined Kat's wounds again, and declared that they wouldn't need a plaster that day, as they would likely be swimming, but could have one afterwards. Kat looked puzzled at the term, but Jade swept out to finish packing the food basket. Kat dressed in her leathers, and carefully dressed her hair in her many warrior's braids. The metal beads Jade had removed when tending her were safely within a drawer, and Kat added them to her hair, noticing that she was about 8 short, but deciding it wouldn't matter for the purpose of today, and she would get some more made when she earned enough to get a new sword. Into the bag Jade had provided, Kat packed the cotton trousers and blouse Jade had told her to bring, along with the breast band and sarong. Kat was unsure why she'd need those, but when she'd asked, Jade had cheerfully said "swimming" as if that explained everything and breezed out again. Kat belted on the sword Marc had lent her, and went downstairs. Sarah had given her blessing to the expedition, and Jade had raided the larder to provide the five of them with a huge lunch and dinner, as they planned to be gone all day. Erick and Marc took possession of the two food baskets, and the four of them left the house. They collected Darryl, and walked slowly to the cliffs, Jade being wary that Kat was still healing. Marc and Erick were both being very attentive to Kat, and Jade thought with an inner smile that it may have something to do with the form-fitting leather and dramatic cleavage the outfit exposed. She mentally told herself not to be snide, and spent her attention talking to Darryl, who had eyes only for her. At one point in the journey, Jade heard Kat explaining to Marc that she had been told that it was not proper for her to bed him without them being handfasted even if she was not injured, and Jade turned an interesting shade of pink at the frank nature of the conversation, and later, Jade heard Marc and Erick explaining to Kat what swimming was! They reached the nutmeg trees in mid-morning, and left the baskets in the shade while they walked down to the beach where Jade had found Kat. The month since her discovery had left little trace of the wreckage, though there was still some driftwood washed up on the beach. Kat wandered through the wreckage, but evidently didn't find anything she was looking for as she returned empty handed. They returned to the baskets and sat down in preparation for Kat's story.