Over the next several days, I put healing salve on my sister’s yoni hoping it might relieve the soreness she still felt from the stretching during her labor. Her leg, still swollen, did not respond to any salve or poultice I had. It worried me, but even more of a concern was that we would be out of food soon - I would need to hunt. Perhaps while I was in the village I would find something that might help heal Mahi-A’s leg.

Burning the old bed and boiling the birth-bloodied blankets outs...