I try to keep Ellen talking and engaged in conversation. Luan is adamant about not letting people with head injuries fall asleep and judging by what I can see of her legs, Ellen has had quiet a beating.

She tells me of a fantastical world where even mortals fly through the sky and there is so much food people fear getting fat. It must be a previous life. It is said that you can remember almost anything on the edge of death.

Shortly after I fail to keep her awake, I hear footsteps on the other side of the door. Then there is a thud instead of a jingle of keys. It takes another few thuds for Zhen to learn he can’t punch through the lock of a reinforced cell door.

I can still hear her weakening pulse from where I lay on her hip, so hopefully there is still time. After more thuds and some scraping sounds, Zhen pulls the door, with frame, completely out of the wall. If there was any possibility of finding a brute force solution, he was going to find it.

Ming and Luan rush through the opening as Zhen sets the door down the hallway a bit. Tai packs up his roll of lock picks with minimal glaring at Zhen.

Before I can finish saying, “I knew you would come.” Ming has removed all the suppression seals and Luan is checking me for additional injuries. The only casualty is my clothes.

With access to my qi, I use my space ring to change into something more suitable for enforcing justice. In a whisper, Ming says, “We have a plan. The cowardly lord won’t live to see the dawn.”

I hold up a hand to stop him and pull a blanket out of my storage ring. As gently as possible, I wrap Ellen in it.

Now that I can see her, the damage is worse than I imagined. Her clothes have been reduced to rags and don’t cover any of the bruising over her chest and arms. There are scrapes all along one side from when she dragged herself across the floor to save me. No wonder she thought she was going to die.

Luan whispers, “You can’t be serious. They are already at death’s door. There’s no way they can survive joining our assault. We will have time later to give them a proper burial.”

“Then we will have to make time to stabilize her. We can kill the Lord after.”

“She’s essentially a breathing corpse Jun.”

I look Luan in the eyes, “She saved me at my darkest hour. I must do what I can for her.”

“You are serious. This is crazy. I can’t revive the dead and she isn’t going to make it.”

I pick her up and she groans in pain. That has to be a good sign. “You’ll heal her anyway.”

Carrying her out into the hallway, I tell the squad, “There is a change of plans. First, we will take her to our place on the edge of town. Then we will deal with the Lord.”

Tai looks between her and I and raises an eyebrow. I tell him, “She’s simply more important. He can wait a few hours. She cannot. I don’t want to be lectured about priorities by you of all people.” He rolls his eyes and goes back to scouting down the hallway.

Zhen laughs, saying, “I never imagined Jun would be the one making time for a woman over killing his enemies.”

Tai throws the dead guards they killed on their way here into the cell. Zhen carefully lays the door back over the hole he made as if anyone besides a blind man couldn’t tell that the call was broken into.

As I start walking, Ellen cries uncontrollably from the pain, but somehow silences her sobs by burrowing her face into my chest. I whisper into her ear, “Don’t worry. The worst is over now. I’m getting you out of here.” She passes out again before we even reach the top of the dungeon stairs.

The sky is just starting to lighten by the time we get outside. We run as fast as possible out of the manor. Once we are in the clear, I race ahead at my top speed. Only Tai is able to keep up.

The house we rented is large and on the edge of town. Tai gets the doors, and I lay Ellen down on a bed in a nearly empty guestroom.

The rest of the squad arrives after I light a few lamps and while Tai gets clean water. By some miracle she’s still breathing.

Ming says, “We don’t have time for this. They are going to notice the jail break any minute. Zhen took point.”

As Tai brings in a few stools, I say, “Then Luan better get to work.”

He opens his med kit and grimaces as he inspects her wounds in the better light. I wet a cloth and with Luan’s nod of approval start wiping her face and hands. Whatever was on the floor of that cell couldn’t be goof for her health.

Zhen asks, “Who the hell is she? Her face is too smashed to recognize.”

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“This is Lady Ellen. I doubt you have been previously introduced and you will treat her with the utmost respect.” I look each of them in the eye hoping to reinforce the point. Luckily, they don’t push.

We all fall quiet as Luan focuses on his work. He pours an elixir down her throat, and she starts to stir. Her eyes slowly blink open, and I give her hand what I hope is a supportive squeeze. Bleary eyed, she takes in her surroundings.

We don’t look like much dressed as we are to go into battle. Zhen stands out the most in his bright red robe and short brown hair. Ming looks like a poor lord’s son, in battle leathers but his hair in a top knot. Tai is dressed like he’s going to seduce the maids, in a slightly too tight uniform opened to show off his chest. At least Luan looks like a doctor with his glasses and professional blue robes while he measures ingredients to put into his mortar and pestle.

I ask her, “How are you feeling?”

She turns to look at me. “Jun?”

I chuckle. This is the first time she’s seeing my face after all. “Yes, it’s me.”

“I’m still alive?”

Luan chimes in saying, “Yes, but I have no idea how. I’ve found three things that should have killed you before I even try to calculate how much blood you lost.” He starts waving a crystal over her to measure something.

“So, I’m dying?”

Luan calmly says, “I’m afraid so.” And I slap him in the head.

“Not if I can help it.” I pull out the longevity root I save for emergencies.

“Jun, you shouldn’t use that. That’s for you in case you’re the one on the brink of death. It’s too rare to use on some stranger.” He measures one last ingredient before mixing up the contents of his mortar and pestle.

“I owe her a life debt.”

He pounds the pestle extra hard as he asks, “Do you understand how rare longevity root is?”

“It’s mine to use as I see fit. Use it.” The other three start inching out the door.

Now Luan’s glaring at me. The contents of the mortar must be completely obliterated under his angry grinding. “She’s on borrowed time as is.”

“Even more of a reason to use it.” He looks down and checks the medicine he has made.

He turns back to her and gently warns, “This might be a bit cold.” He puts on a glove and starts scooping up the salve.

Looking at me he says, “Honestly, I don’t even know if I could make something to save her in time. Take a good look at her Jun.”

He spreads some of the salve on her ribs and she moans with relief, nearly startling him off his stool. Her muscles noticeably relax everywhere he puts the salve.

She says, “Thank you for that. Your pain killers are wonderful.”

He reminders, “Don’t move. You’ll only make things worse for yourself.”

“I know better than that. But I agree with the doc over here. Don’t waste something precious on little old me. If saving your life is the last thing I really do, it was worth it.” She closes her eyes again, but this time she’s smiling.

“For someone with no measurable qi, you are healing surprisingly fast. You’re lucky you don’t have a perforated lung. However, you have other severe abdominal damage. For now, I can set your broken bones and give you a few stitches.”

She nods in agreement. He continues, “And if we’re all still alive after we deal with Lord White Fang, we can revisit the longevity root topic.”

She says, “Sounds good to me,” and apparently falls asleep.

“Looks like the elixir is kicking in. It will let her sleep while we set her bones.”

We both take a moment to stare at all the damage she sustained. I say, “It really is a miracle she’s alive, isn’t it?”

“It’s more than a miracle. I have no idea how she’s alive. In fact, there’s some evidence that she was dead for at least a few minutes. It’s suspicious that she’s able to heal like this with neither any cultivation nor any interference from someone like my master. Before I even think about that root, are you even sure we can trust her?” He turns back to me to carefully gauge my response. I give him my most reassuring grin.

“I trust her at least as much as I trust you. I got to know her well while we were lying in that cell.” His look tells me that he thinks I’m acting crazy. But he can’t argue with my track record of reading people.

I assist him as he sets and splints each of her limbs with the practiced ease one only gets from working long hours in battle field hospitals. He’s still grumpy by the time we finish.

Despite the sun now peaking through the window, no alarm bells have sounded to warn of our escape. The lord must think we are running and have too far a head start or they’re stupid. Could really go either way with Lord Winter Fang.

A maid brings us breakfast and takes away all the waste from Ellen’s treatment. Luan and I eat our eggs in silence. Each of us sitting on our stools, watching Ellen sleep peacefully. She looks better cleaned up, though she still looks awful. Her face is basically a big bruise, but now her nose is straight and taped in place. She has one usable hand, but most of her is in a cast.

He approves her to try to keep some broth down. If she’s still alive tomorrow he might change her mind. The maid returns with the broth, and I take it from her before she can get close to Ellen.

Luan says, “I thought we were in a hurry. Let the maid do her work so we can get going. Today is already going to be long enough as is.” Since I’m watching her closely, I notice the subtle change in Ellen’s breathing. She’s awake.

The maid bows and says, “Yes master,” while reaching for the bowl. But I hold it out of her reach.

“This will only take a moment Luan. You both can go.” The maid darts out of the room. Luan harumphs, but leaves.

The door closes with a click, and she cracks an eye open. I smile and say, “I have a bit of broth for you. Your job is to keep it down and heal.”

She opens both her eyes wide to look at me. With my free hand, I lift her into a sitting position. “Still not dead yet?”

I chuckle. “You’ve done a good job of healing so far, at least considering the circumstance. I think your outlook is promising. Ready for some soup?”

She nods yes with a wince. I hold the bowl up to her lips and let her slowly sip. She manages half the bowl before grasping my wrist with her good hand and pulling it away.

“That enough?” Mortals must eat well to heal well.

“I think that’s all I have room in me for now. I feel as if I’m about to burst.” I put the bowl down on the small table beside her.

“I’m about to fight Lord White Fang. Either we will succeed, and I will seize this territory,” I pull all my mortal money out of the storage ring and set it on her end table, “or I won’t be coming back. This is for just in case. I’m sure Tai has concocted some story about you for the staff. Young wife flees her drunkard husband. Whatever happens, I want you to take care of yourself and heal. The house is paid for the next few months. Know that I plan to see you after my victory.”

She looks at the pile of money with confusion all over her face. I lay her back down tuck the blankets close around her. Sleep comes over her quickly, but she whispers, “Go get ‘em tiger,” as I head out the door.