Kali crouched beside him and examined the trapped leg. The shaft had pinned it badly enough that he would not be walking anywhere soon.
"Can you lift it?"
She almost laughed in contempt. Instead, she placed both hands beneath the wood and pulled.
The shaft scarcely moved. Pain shot through her injured shin as she tried again. Her grip slipped, and she sat back with a sharp breath. The man watched her without speaking.
Kali looked around, found a broken length of timber, and dragged it over. After several attempts, she wedged one end beneath the shaft and braced it against a stone.
"Pull your leg out when I tell you."
She pushed down. The wood creaked, and her arms shook, but the shaft rose by a small margin.
"Now."
He dragged himself backward with a strangled cry, and Kali released the timber before her strength as the strength left her weak body. They lay beside the ruined cart, breathing heavily.
Then he began reaching for her flask, but she caught his wrist.
"Slowly."
