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Apo watched with wide eyes as Cherri's crossbow bolt cleaved through the spider. It skittered to a halt and crumbled into dust on the sandy earth. Her cloak swished against her pants as she strode back to where Apo was faltering and grabbed their hand.
"Which uh… house did you say was yours?" Cherri asked, looking down over the shells and half structures littering the riverside.
Wordlessly, Apo pointed to her house. It had no back, making it look more like a facade than a home. She winced, shoulder twinging, as Cherri tugged her along. "You seriously don't think I'm going to run now, do you?" they said.
Cherri's mouth twisted, mild contemplation written across her features. "I mean, probably not. We're supposed to be getting along, aren't we?" Her grip tightened in warning.
Reaching the edge of the floor remnants, Cherri shoved Apo into a seated postition.
Apo squawked, "Wha—"
Cherri released their grip on Apo's shoulders once she'd stilled. They jerked Apo's sleeve up, ripping it around the arrow and revealing the wound. Hands fiddling with her belt, Cherri pulled something out with a snick. Apo cringed into the dusty floorboards. Not even looking as she moved closer, Cherri brought the knife over to Apo with the sharp edge forward. It was too bright to just be an eating knife. Blade glinting in the moonlight, Cherri held it up to Apo's shoulder. It was still bleeding sluggishly around the crossbow bolt. Apo closed her eyes. Her throat bobbed as she turned away.
Quick as you please, Cherri grabbed a section of Apo's skirt and pulled it taught. Bringing the knife down, it slid through the fabric. When blade didn't kiss skin, Apo pried her eyes open to see Cherri inspecting the stolen chunk of skirt.
"You really do fall often, don't you," Cherri scoffed. "This is filthy. Whatever, it'll do."
They replaced the knife in its sheath and moved to examine the arrow wound. Relentlessly, she pressed around the puncture, making Apo hiss at each touch.
"Hold still," she commanded.
"Yes, because everyone knows that you should move while someone else is dealing with your injuries," said Apo.
Cherri grumbled incomprehensibly but continued, leaning over the arrow. Her breath ghosted over Apo's shoulder. Fingers dug in and around the arrow tip. They pulled, slow and delicate to free one edge.
Apo yelped. She glared at Cherri as well as she could around tears.
Rolling her eyes, Cherri continued, working the other edge out. She spared a glance to make sure no blood started gushing out before examining the bolt. The fletching was intact if a little crumpled, but that could have been from where it was stored against the other arrows. The shaft was straight and the metal was sharp underneath the gore. "Good thing you didn't damage my arrow. Otherwise you'd have owed me even more," they said, wiping the tip on the dirty carpet to clean off most of the blood. Since she was in a town, it would be a good time to service all of her weapons, not just spot check what had been used.
Apo spluttered, "You shot it at me!"
"Hmmf," Cherri scoffed. They pulled out the water skin and unscrewed the top. She pocketed the cap; she didn't need to ingest more dust from resting it on the ground— she was already stuck in Pity until she got her gold and the head she was after. Water trickled down Apo's arm, leaving pink streaks in the caked on dirt. Luckily for Apo, Cherri knew exactly where her arrows had been: cleaned and safe and not transmitting any kinds of infections. Still, Cherri washed the wound clear of dust that had probably been pushed into it by the puncture or Apo's sleeve brushing against her arm.
Satisfied with the glistening gash, Cherri wet the long scrap from Apo's skirt and squeezed it out. The water that dripped from it was dark with grime. She repeated the action several times until the droplets were as clear as she could make out in the moonlight.
Apo moved her arm easily as Cherri lifted it. Cherri's touch was gentle even as the callouses and scars on them betrayed a more violent habit.
"It's a good thing you're so clumsy. Otherwise who would believe a trap hit your shoulder with a crossbow bolt," said Cherri.
"Good thing," Apo echoed quietly.
Cherri leaned in close to make sure no strand was wasted in covering the wound. Curious, Apo turned to watch the bounty hunter's process. Their breath mingled over the fabric cooled by water. Cherri could feel Apo's fringe brush against her hair. Apo's pulse thrummed under her fingers. She started to tie the fabric ends together, but—
"Can you get out of my face? I can't see what I'm doing," Cherri said.
Apo muffled a squeak as she jerked back.
"Thank you," said Cherri, keeping their grip on Apo's arm so their progress wasn't ruined by the movement. "There."
"Thanks," Apo mumbled. She picked a little at the bandage but Cherri smacked her hand away.
"Do you want to get an infection?" she chided.
Silenced washed over the shell of a house. Cherri worked her arrow against the carpet, disregarding any memories Apo may have associated with it; it was ruined anyway, what more would a little blood do to ruin in. Apo just stared into the river, cogs turning in her head. She opened her mouth a few times, trying to put her thoughts into something Cherri wouldn't gut her for. "Why?" Apo managed.
Cherri shrugged. "It wouldn't do me any good to have you go and die on me. And it makes me look better in front of the townsfolk if you're not walking around with an arrow sticking out of you. Now turn around."
Too stunned to protest, Apo did so.
Fingers light, Cherri brushed their hair forward so she could get to their neck. The red mark was smaller than she feared. Blood congealed over the now hours old pinprick at the nape of Apo's neck. Really, Cherri thought she'd pressed the arrow into their skin harder, but now she's glad she didn't. Taking a rag from her other pocket, Cherri wet it with her water skin again and took it to the blood. She scrubbed at it quick and soft, holding Apo steady by her collarbone. Underneath was an already closed wound, so Cherri just let Apo's hair fall back into place.
"Is it too much to ask that you don't get into any more scrapes?" Cherri asked, tapping Apo's shoulder to get her to turn back around to face them.
"Probably not," they said. "You're the thing that wants me dead the most, so I should be safe."
Cherri harrumphed. "Okay, sleep time now. If I hear you again before I see the sun, you're dressing the cut I give you."
"Good night, Cherri," Apo said cheekily. Cherri's glare only made her smirk grow.
And if Apo's smile didn't move when everyone was rounded up to sleep in the haven of beds in the safe house, Cherri didn't say anything. The only reason she chose the bed next to Apo was to keep an eye on the girl, that was all.