The Tales of Tikum Kadlum

6 BEYOND ALL FEAR

8.6 HIS LAST BARK

Amburukay made a small cut on her palm and shook Tikum's hand. "Don't die yet."

"Not part of the plan."

"Wait, give me your other hand first," she said, grabbing and checking his wounded.

"I think there's nothing you can do about it." Tikum grimaced, breathing a little heavier as the pain crossed his arm. "Because nothing's left."

A half-hearted smile blossomed on his face but quickly faded away as Amburukay blankly stared back at him.
She shook her head slowly.

"This is a nasty mess."

Tikum grunted as Amburukay continued to inspect the injury. "Thank you, for reassuring me. I really thought it was worse than that."

She shrugged. "I'm gonna try something.

"Go on... It's not as if I could hold you back."

She sighed. "I think it can maximize our chances. Or not. Are you willing to still risk it?" She waited for him, half-expecting a rejection. They were working together but Tikum may still not trust her that much. Completely understandable, after all, they did try to kill each other a few weeks ago. And they may still do that after this.

Tikum stared at his missing hand and then to Amburukay. "Sure, it already sounds better than what I'm going to try." He sighed, trying his best to convince himself that nothing worse could happen to him now. "Do it. Give me hand."

She rolled her eyes and gestured a magical pattern around the wound, whispering an enchantment that sent a cold chill on Tikum's neck. She had tried to use a much stronger spell like it earlier to herself, but it rebounded back. This time with her last reserves of energy she gave a lesser variant to Tikum, hoping it would help him a bit.

"It'll numb the wound for a short time, but don't think it'll heal it fully." She bound it with a new bandage from her own sash, tightening it around his wound to stop it from bleeding again. "Sorry, this is all I could do."

"You've done so much. For so many times already." Tikum Kadlum's face twisted in agony before he stood up. "I wouldn't last this long without you."

"All for Ukok," she said.

"Everything for our daughter."

Other than his missing limb, the rest of his body ached like hell. He checked the new dressing, tightening it. She was right about the wound. It was not as painful, but he was also sure it wasn't fully-healed. He breathed out heavily. It would do, for now. It would do for what he was about to carry out.

"You look shittier. Really shittier, my dear husband."

"You should really work with how you give compliments."

"What do we do next? I'm all out of ideas here."

"Run and don't ever stop. I have a plan to take you out of here." He paused. "But just in case I fail..." He paused to think. "Thanks, a lot."

"For what?"

"Everything. I should have been better."

"Sure. Me too... How about that... we finally agreed on something."

"I–" He shook his head. "You know what I mean, right?"

For a moment, he halted to look her in the eye. She nodded back, betraying no emotion. That was enough for him. That was more than enough. He bit his lip.

"I'll make it up to both of you, Ambu. Just you watch."

As Tikum said the final word of his crude plan, he quickly made a bee-line to where Si-an Usong fell earlier. Adjacent to him was Amburukay, running stealthily straight for the only exit, making expert use of the shadows for cover.