“It is worth it,” Ying whispered. “You will see. Now I need you to find me a snake.”
Hok shook her head. “I know you want to mix the dragon bone with fresh snake blood. I won't do it.”
“You … have to,” Ying said.
“I don't have to do anything. I didn't even have to get this. In fact, I probably shouldn't have. It took me so long to find, I ran out of time to get you proper herbs.”
“Dragon bone is all I need,” Ying whispered. “It is a rejuvenator. It helps the body repair itself at a rapid rate. They say it even helps the old stay young.”
“People say lots of things,” Hok said. “This dragon bone will do nothing for you. And when it doesn't, I don't want to hear you complain that it didn't work because I didn't mix it with snake blood.”
“I won't,” Ying said. “Just mix it with water. It won't be as effective, but the results will be noticeable, even to you.”
Hok sighed and shook her head again. “What ratio should I use?”
“The crucible lid doubles as a measuring device. Mix one scoop of the powder with one scoop of water.”
Ying watched as Hok scanned the ground around them. She leaned out of the skiff and picked up a small section of dried tree bark that contained a curved hollow, and rinsed it in the river. Then she poured one scoop of powdered dragon bone and one scoop of water into the hollow and swirled it around. Hok held the bark to Ying's mouth, and he drank greedily.
Ying smacked his lips. “Ahhhhhhh. You have no idea how good that makes me feel.”
“If you say so,” Hok said. “We should be moving on.”
“Tonight?” Ying asked.
“We have no choice. If you are afraid of the dark, go back to sleep.”
Ying frowned weakly. “Very funny. I thought you might be tired, that's all. It just so happens dragon bone works best while you're sleeping. Perhaps I will go back to sleep.”
“You do that, Ying,” Hok said. “Good night.”
Ying woke a few hours later, but he felt as if he'd slept for days. He sat up in the skiff and winced at the pain in his shoulder. He was sore, but he no longer felt dizzy.
Ying looked over at Hok. She was at the stern, rowing them steadily upstream in the moonlight, pushing the skiff's oar from side to side with a strong, steady rhythm.
Hok blinked. “I can't believe what I'm seeing.”
“What?” Ying asked. He quickly scanned the shoreline.
“You,” Hok said. “You shouldn't be able to sit up like that already.”
“Oh,” Ying said, looking back at her. “I told you, it's the dragon bone.”
Hok nodded. “It might be. Have you ever heard any other stories about dragon-bone cures?”
“Such as?”
“I don't know, anything.”
Ying thought for a moment. “They say it has done some strange things in certain cases, like helped the deaf to hear again. They also say it has brought sight back to people blinded in certain kinds of accidents. You're thinking about Seh, aren't you?”
“Perhaps.”
“Well, this dragon bone is mine.”
“Of course, but perhaps I will look for more.”
“Where?” Ying asked.
“Along the river, I suppose.”
“You don't know your way around.”
“I'll figure it out.”
Ying thought about the map he'd memorized. The same map that he'd burned. It led far south down the Grand Canal. Perhaps he could convince Hok to travel that route while she looked for more dragon bone. He could get more dragon bone for himself, too.
“Why don't I join you?” Ying proposed. “I've traveled throughout this region while participating in the fight clubs. In fact, just a bit upstream from here is the Grand Canal. We could follow that south, traveling with the canal's current. There are a thousand villages of all sizes along the canal. We are sure to find some dragon bone there, and I doubt Tonglong will ever suspect we've gone that way.”
“I don't know—”
“I need you,” Ying said, half speaking the truth. “We need each other. I can't show my face anywhere. A scarf doesn't seem to help much. You can take care of things I might need and help me heal, and I will navigate and keep an eye on the skiff while you're out shopping for dragon bone. We can work as a team. I will make it worth your while.”
“I don't want anything from you,” Hok said. Then she sighed. “But I do want to help Seh. All right, I will allow you to join me as long as you make yourself useful. You can start by watching the shore for anything that looks suspicious.”