"Remove the stitches?" he asked doubtfully. "See, now I'm feeling a little less enthusiastic about this. I suppose I'll have to find some other way to lose my pants. Thank you, though." By the slight upturn of his mouth he was obviously joking, although the fatigue in his voice leached any real mirth out of it.

The warmth of Raine's magic was pleasant, and Erskine felt himself relax a little as she poked and prodded him (at least magically). At the mention of an irregularity, though, of correcting, he felt his heart do a little flip-flop in his chest.

"It's still there?" he asked faintly. The pain hadn't come back, obviously, but if any of Darquesse's curse was still lingering... "If there's anything left of her magic, please don't touch it. For both our sakes'."