The pain from where he had got far to imitate with his saddle horn was now a hot ache, though like the nausea that was fading.
The bullet graze on his shoulder and the magical burns across his face and chest had faded to a dull throb, long as he didn’t move too much. He looked over to Ava and Emelia and hobbled over to their horse, taking a handkerchief from his coat and held it out to Emelia.
"Here you are Miss."
He looked to Ava and smiled, his teeth showing white in the bloody mask that was his face, he repressed a winice.
"Silk, you doin’ alright?"
As he stood by their exhausted mount he bent and whispered soft words into the horses ear and stroked it's cheek. He limped back to his own horse and did the same before taking a waterskin from his saddle, cupping his hand he gave first one then the other some water.
That done he handed Ava the skin before limping back the way they had come.
"I reckon the horses are about done, we should lead um for a while. Else they'll go lame. I'm gonna see if'n I can hide our trail a bit."
He snapped a leafy branch from a tree and grinned back at the two women and said.
"Ain't the first time I've been chased on horseback, ye chen?"
With a nod and a slight grin he moved from sight. Only then did he exhaled sagged and spat bile into the grass and muttered vehemently.
"Vrunta! But this has been a clockin' day."