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Reya couldn't speak. It was like something out of a nightmare. She had seen grievous injuries before - Gither brought her to more of his healing work than she ever really wanted to attend - however, nothing ever prepared her for the first image of an animal in horrible pain. She could see the small tear droplets at the corners of Sylvia's eyes despite the rabbit's attempts to blink them away. Reya felt a horrible pity. A harrowing pity. She couldn't help but to look away.

"Take rabbit to basement now with hand. Hurry! NOW!" The mole was shouting commands. He rarely got frantic, but Reya could clearly hear the distress in his voice. "Arty you go outside. You're getting in way. Spotty finish dressing Reya, she can tell you what to do. I said move, you slow raccoon! Hurry!"

She heard scampering as the mole fervently orchestrated the movement of everyone in the lodge. Artaaga was pushed outside by the host of townsfolk. Torren scampered over and tripped over himself trying to gather the dressings and wrappings that Talip had been applying to her. The small otter, however, kept her face pressed into the soft pillow, trying not to look at the rabbit's wound. Her face did hurt for her actions - running headfirst into a burning bush hadn't done any good for her complexion - but it was the best way for her to drown out everything around her. And that's what she wanted most.

Sylvia was a friend of hers. To be honest, most of the animals in the village were friends of hers - the village was, in fact, quite small. But Sylvia was a closer friend than most.

Well, she wasn't the closest friend to the rabbit either. Gither had been smothering and overly protective of Reya when she was a child. She went out and played with other young animals, but Gither had limited her interactions with the other children, especially when she started to pick up on his medical skills. Reya had played with Sylvia when she was young, but she hadn't interacted with the rabbit in a meaningful way in a long time.

The commotion died down almost as quickly as it built up. Reya could hear everyone rush down the creaking wooden steps into the basement. Things got kind of quiet for a minute before, as Reya expected, the small group of animals were jostled out of the basement. Talip didn't tolerate visitors when he had to perform surgery.

She heard the door creak open, and some shuffling as the worried villagers left. As much as everyone was worried about Sylvia, no one really wanted to upset Talip. They'd probably check back in every hour or so until they were allowed to see the patient.

Reya felt a thump on the bed as something jumped up next to her. A paw settled on her shoulder. It was only then that she realized that she'd been shaking. The paw rubbed small circles between her shoulder blades, slow and soothing. She peeked out of the pillow at the otter lying next to her.

"I'm fine, Torren," she lied. She could tell that Torren wasn't fooled. The wetness around her eyes gave her away as clearly as the quivering in her voice.

He just nodded, but didn't pull his paw back. She was still shaking.

'We're going to have to clean and bandage your face soon. Let me know when you're ready.' He signed slowly. Making the symbols understandable with just one paw to work with was a lot more difficult. Torren was good at the language though. Although his signing was slow, it came through crystal clear to Reya.

"Ok..." She muttered. She didn't know why this was all happening now. Her breath was coming short. Hell, she didn't know why she was crying. Reya turned back to the pillow. She didn't want Torren to see. She also didn't want to see him. He couldn't talk to her that way.

It took her a few minutes to calm down. She lay there quivering and silently sobbing as his paw slowly traced circles on her back. However, she slowly stopped. Her shaking gave way to the rhythm of her chest rising and falling under breaths that were still more ragged than the small otter wished. Reya then turned to Torren.

"I... are you ready to finish with the burns?"

'You sure you haven't used enough salt water already?'

"You'd have lost an ear for that if my paw weren't bandaged." Reya gently batted at the larger otter's head.

'Alright now,' Torren said with a smile, 'lets take care of this.'

Torren first tried to emulate what he saw Talip do. He took the jar of saline solution and poured some into a smaller cup. He then tilted the cup above the left side of Reya's head and tried to let loose a small trickle. Suddenly Reya's whole face felt like it was on fire again.

"Ow! Ow! Owwww!" she cried out, the bitter taste of the solution dripping into her mouth. "Cow dung! Tick infested chipmunk that hurt! Ow!" She grit her teeth together. "Be more careful with those giant oaf paws of yours - you're almost as dexterous as that fish I had for lunch!" She spat the words out along with a sizeable amount of the solution that ended up in her mouth. Luckily the otter's eyes were spared the cleansing burn of the salt water. Her eyes were as suited to water as Talip's claws were to digging.

Torren just stared helplessly, eyes wide.

"Don't just lay there! Get that stuff into my skin and the corners of my fur! I do NOT want to have to do this again."

"Uhh... do you need some help?"

Both Reya and Torren turned and stared at the small beagle sitting in the corner. His ears sat flat against his head and his tail wagged nervously between his legs. Reya shot Torren a look that neither of them needed to articulate through speech or sign language. Why the heck is he still here and how in the world did neither of us notice him?

Reya and Torren both felt heat rising to their cheeks as they realized that the beagle had been watching them this entire time.

"Wh... Who are you again?" Reya asked cautiously.

"Uh, I'm Aris."

"So, um... Aris, I've lived here a long time... how don't I know you?"

"I'm new."

"Ah."

"So, I'm pretty good with claws..." He paused a moment at the incredulous expression on Reya's face, "I - I mean I've trained, you know? So my paws are pretty steady, I think."

"I see."

"So d-do you want some help?"

Reya nodded. Torren looked a bit annoyed, but he wasn't the one with the burns to treat.

'Just stuff it and show him what needs to be done, ok?' Reya signed.

'As you command my queen.' He pulled himself into a deep bow.

'Oh shut up, will you?'

The beagle was standing next to the bed looking confused.

"It's sign language. Spotty here can't speak."

"Ah, I see. Should I - er"

"Yeah, go ahead. Hop right up." The beagle complied and Reya felt a thump as he landed near the base of the bed. Torren turned to leave, but Reya stopped him.

'Oh stop it! We haven't had beds like this in months. Lie down and get some rest.'

'You sure? Won't it be kind of hard for Aris to treat you?' Torren asked.

"Whatever. Hey, beagle, get over here. My feet are already taken care of. So, you have an idea what you need to do?"

"To be honest, not really."

"Well, I'm missing a few bits of fur due to burns. They need to be cleaned with that salt water and then wrapped up with gauze. My feet and tail are already taken care of. I just need you to do my head and the small bits around my back."

"O-Ok I think I can handle it."

"Alright, Torren, please give him the stuff he needs. And do my face first, Aris. Torren already dumped a bucket of that solution on, so I shouldn't need much more. You just need to make sure that you get it between my fur. It's harder than it sounds, we otters have pretty buoyant fur. It repels water very nicely.

"I think I've got it."

The beagle dipped a paw into the saline solution and slowly brushed it around the edges of the burns. He had been right; his paws were, in fact, very steady. Reya winced once or twice, but the salt water had already been seeping into the charred skin where it hurt the most and the bit extra that he was applying barely registered. It was the touching that hurt and even that wasn't too bad thanks to the dexterity of the beagle.

"Alright, I think it's ready for some gauze," Aris muttered. His paws were still brushing fur aside on Reya's face trying to find unwashed spots. Torren passed over the roll of gauze.

"It looks like the worst is on your left forehead here." He was smart enough not to actually poke the spot. Instead he brushed against some fur on the outer edges of the burn to give Reya an idea of where he was pointing. "You're lucky, it seems like the edges of that burn barely missed your eye. There are some smaller spots closer to your muzzle though."

She winced reflexively. Having her paws wrapped up made her feel disabled enough. She was glad not to need her eye covered as well.

He slowly wrapped the long strip of fabric around the otter's head. The initial contact wasn't pleasant, but it was almost nice having something pressing against the spot. It was like scratching an itch she didn't know she had.

She counted the passes of the gauze. One, two, three, four, she watched it spin around her forehead and under her ears. Only when she got to thirteen did the beagle wrap the fabric down underneath her muzzle and up to cover a smaller patch. He only made one extra pass though. Thirteen passes, Reya thought, It must be pretty bad.

Her back wasn't as bad as anywhere else. There were a few patches of missing fur, but nothing that came close to matching the ugly patches on her limbs. Torren, in typical fashion, stayed quiet and contemplative next to her as she felt the gauze wrap around her body again and again.

And again and again.

"Don't you think that's a bit overkill?" She grimaced as Aris continued wrapping the bandage around her torso.

"Well, Its not a bad as your face..." Aris muttered. Reya shot him a glare and Aris's face blanched. "I-I didn't mean that! No offense! What I meant was, there are quite a few little spots that aren't as hurt and I figure that this will help all of them heal a bit better!"

The small otter just groaned in response. He was right. She knew his answer before he had even said it, she just wanted to hear it out loud. She felt pressure from the bandages on all sides, around all of her limbs and joints. It was like being trapped in a snake's grip.

"I guess that's it." The beagle said.

"Thanks." Reya managed a smile for him. It had been tough to get through, but Aris had, without a doubt, done a good job. "That would have been a lot more painful if I had this oaf here doing it." Reya grinned at Torren, who faked a scowl.

"I guess I should be going then."

"No! Stay! You really helped me out here. Besides, Torren and I could use some company."

'You know, you could ask my opinion sometimes.' Torren signed, rolling his eyes.

"You would have just said yes, though!"

Torren poorly pretended to pout. 'I guess.' Reya smirked. She knew she was right.

Aris watched with a bewildered look on his face.

"Oh don't mind him," Reya explained, "he was just complaining about stuff."

"Oh. Well, um - Pardon me for asking, but how did you learn to speak in hand symbols like that? I know some deaf folks back at the city and they normally just write to people in chalk."

Torren nodded understandingly as Reya thought for a moment. Both she and Torren had communicated in written form for a good month or two while her sign language had yet to get up to snuff. Admittedly she had been very slow at reading - she was just learning that skill as well - but even now after a season's practice she would have a hard time talking that way.

"I can't imagine having to do that your whole life," Reya said, dodging his question, "It's like having a barrier put up between you and everyone else. I can't imagine it would be easy to make friends."

Aris looked a bit sheepish. "I guess you're right. I feel like it would be really get to know anyone like that. Although... I guess you're kind of like his barrier, aren't you? I mean, not like you stop him or anything! I don't mean it like that! I... I just mean that he kind of has to get through you first." He nervously gestured to Torren. "So, um, what's his name again?"

Reya paused. She hadn't really thought about her interaction with Torren that way.

"His name's Torren. And I don't know. I think talking through me is a bit easier than writing. You know, I haven't been able to speak sign language for long."

'You learned very very fast,' Torren interjected.

"Thanks! Anyway, I still get a bit lost sometimes when he speaks too fast. His paws just get a bit too quick for me to follow. I'm getting better though!"

"I think it's incredible!" the beagle said, "you know, back when I was training for the rangers -"

"Wait! You're a ranger?" Reya asked incredulously.

"Um, yeah. Anyway, we used to use code-words for hangouts that we didn't want the instructors to find us at. I can only imagine what we'd have been able to get away with if we could speak like you two." The beagle laughed. It almost sounded nervous, like he was afraid that even the two otters would give him up for his mischievousness. Given his skittish demeanor, however, Reya wondered if that was just how it always sounded.

'Rangers?' Torren asked.

"What are the rangers?" Reya echoed. "You want to explain, Aris? I guess the rangers don't have as much influence as I thought."

"Well, we don't usually come out this far. No offense, but you kinda live on the edge of nowhere."

"None taken."

"I guess that you could describe the rangers as a sort of royal police force. Most communities have their own lawmaking, punishment, and systems of order, but often there are situations that are out of their hands. I mean, not to discredit them, most times towns do a great job with law enforcement. But we deal with some fucked up shit." Reya was a bit surprised to hear that kind of language coming from the small nervous beagle. His eyes were a bit cloudy as he spoke. Reya did not doubt his words.

'So why are you here?' Reya echoed Torren's words.

"I - I'm sorry, I can't talk about that! Its sensitive information! If someone lets someone else know, they could tell some other person and then before you know it the whole town knows that something's wrong! Even the guy I'm looking for! I - I've already said way too much, I don't think I should be talking about this..." He trailed off, eyes downcast. Reya just laughed.

"Its fine! It's no secret what you guys do; we've had rangers around here occasionally. It was mostly for Torren's benefit."

Aris breathed a sigh of relief like she had somehow absolved him of a crime. "Yup. Yeah. You're right."

They sat in silence for a second. Aris broke it after a few seconds.

"So - uh - you haven't seen anything unusual around, have you?"

Torren signed almost in line with Reya's speech, "like what?"

"Um, I don't think I can say..."

"Well, you know, the fire that did this to me was a bit odd," Reya mentioned sheepishly.

"Oh?"

'It was probably nothing, Reya, just a family's fire gone wrong or something,' Torren interjected.

"I should probably be dead," The small otter's voice was a bit quieter now, "the fire raged like nothing I'd ever seen before. Yet it never reached me just a little bit down the river."

'Maybe the wood wasn't as dry. It is the rainy season,' Torren commented.

Reya translated for him and then added, "but I don't know. I just think it was kind of weird."

The beagle grimly nodded, quite a funny look on the perpetually nervous dog. "I'll take that into consideration, but I don't think there's a connection to what I'm here for." He looked around nervously, probably wondering if he said too much again. "I think I should go now. You know - uh - investigate and things."

Reya chuckled. "See ya."

He raced out of the room like a frightened mouse. The two watched him go.

'Torren, what was that?' Reya signed emphatically to the larger otter.

'What?'

'I've seen Artaaga dodge a topic more gracefully than that.'

'Oh.'

'Seriously. Tell me.'

Torren turned his head away as he signed back, 'I-I caused it. We... we can't let him find out...'

Reya stared at him in shock. "What are you talking about?" She said out loud.

'It was an accident. I'm so sorry Reya... Oh god I'm sorry.'

His paws were muttering apologies faster than Reya could follow.

"Oh." She wanted to console him, but she felt a lump in her throat. She couldn't say anything. She placed a paw on his shoulder, though. A bandaged paw. She wanted him to know at least that she didn't blame him. It looked like he blamed himself enough for the both of them.

He stopped his frantic signing after a minute. Reya wasn't even watching his apology anymore. She was just staring at the ceiling.

Time ticked by. Neither of them spoke. It seemed like forever before the silence was broken.

The door to the basement creaked open slowly. A disheveled figure dragged itself up the steps. It was Talip. His paws were unwashed, still bloody and dripping. His unseeing eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. All across his body, his fur was standing on end.

And he was shaking. Reya had never seen Talip without a steady paw.

"Sylvia is dead."

Reya felt like she was going to throw up. Everything was going wrong. Everything.

"B-but I thought it was just her paw!" The mole didn't respond to her.

Reya got out of the bed. Torren followed, nervous. He halted in front of Talip though. He was clearly worried. The smaller otter just shoved past the mole. He didn't put up a fight. She moved down the stairs, her paws slipping slightly as the soft gauze ran against the polished wood.

The basement was a single open room. In the back stood several cabinets which stored medical supplies. To the right was a small desk with a candle slowly burning. To the left was a collection of carts, stretchers, and similar items. However, the center of the room held Reya's attention. On a bed-like table, covered with cloths and blankets, lay the rabbit.

Reya approached cautiously, as if afraid that the rabbit would jump up and startle her, pretending that everything had been a trick. It didn't. She pulled herself to her hind paws. She hated walking like that, but she needed to see Sylvia.

Sylvia. She was calm. Quiet. Her face showed the peace of one who was dreaming. Talip must have given her an opium tincture. Her wounded arm had been pressed against the paw. There were countless salves and ointments covering it, trying to keep it in place. This wasn't right. Paws don't just grow back into an arm if the two parts are pushed together.

Something was seriously wrong. She had to have died of blood loss, but there wasn't enough blood outside her body for it to make sense.

And her paw. Reya could tell it was wrong the second she saw it. It smelled odd, even through the salves and solutions. The two parts fit together well, but not with precision. And the color of the fur was slightly off. She had no doubt. It wasn't Sylvia's paw that Talip had been trying to attach.