Trooping though the marsh was no hard task. All were quiet until Ulrich saw a wooden wall. The men led the way in, Ozmund, having found unlikely friends with Jess and Laryssa, stuck in the middle with them, Laryssa pressing her hand onto his wound, her other leading him, the rest behind them.

They gathered in the center of the village. As they had passed through, villagers had hidden in their homes, or pulled their children away. One man appeared brave enough to approach them. "What brings you to our village?"

Ulrich, who was closest, spoke for the group. "We seek refuge. a place to rest, nothing more."

"Then you are welcome," the man said , smiling, walking closer and extending his hand. "My name is Hob."

"I am Ulrich," he said shaking it.

"You were attacked?"

"In the forest," Scott said from next to Ulrich.

"Then you did well to reach us. That forest can be dangerous. May I ask what you were doing?"

"Bringing relief to the suffering," Laryssa said from behind the men, still holding Ozmund.

"Relief? From what?" Hob looked as though he truly did not know.

"Word of the pestilence has not reached you?" Ulrich sounded dubious.

"Word is all that has reached us," Hob said still smiling. "Come." He began to walk away. Scott, Jeanette and Jess followed, leaving the others to listen to the short conversation Ulrich had with Wolfstan.

XXXXX

Hob led them toward a river. "Tonight we will feed you and give you a bed. Then, in the morning, we'll escort you to a safer part of the forest"

"We are not welcome?" Ulrich had caught up quickly.

"Of course. But why would you stay?" Comming upon the dock he continued. "There is a bucket. You need to wash. I will find the ladies another." Hob left for a moment and returned with one.

Laryssa sat Ozmund down on a bench and took the bucket with her clean hand and a smile. Turning to drag the bucket through the water she saw Ozmund already kneeling at the waters edge. He started when she gently touched his shoulder. "It will get better."

"How do you know?" Ozmund's voice cracked with grief.

She handed the bucket to Leah and sat next to him on the dock, using a fresh rag to clean the blood off her hands. "I'm 20 years old. Where we come from, that's a young age to be widowed, but then I was married at 19. My husband, Sam, he died in an accident in his work place. It burned to the ground. We'd known each other since we were children. We were married a month before it happened. After he died, I moved back in with my parents. After I turned 20 I found myself working with the others. Some of them know, but don't go telling everyone. They don't need to know."

Ozmund looked to his new friend astonished. 'How can one so young live through such heartbreak?' Behind them, Ulrich looked to the strange woman with new eyes, remembering how his own family had been claimed by fire.

A woman with blond hair approached the group. "I'll tend to your wounds."

"I'll tent to your wound," Dallywag said perversely.

The woman looked to Laryssa as she helped Ozmund stand. "Come on, we both should get seen to."

The woman held her hand out to them and helped them up. She led them to her home and began mixing a paste. "Where are you from," she asked Ozmund.

"The monastery at Stabelie," he answered almost stiffly.

She looked closer at him. "You're in mourning?"

"Is it so obvious?"

"Was it a woman?" Ozmund almost glared at her. "It's no sin to love a woman."

"I'm sworn to God."

"A man needs more than Devine love to sustain him," Laryssa said pushing his hair away like a mother would her child.

"And he shouldn't be punished for wanting it," the woman agreed, turning away from them.

"Do you have a husband?" Ozmund was nervously curious.

"My husband is dead."

"I'm sorry."

The woman turned around, whipping her hands. "Take off your clothes" Ozmund was shocked. "I need to dress your wound."

"I'll be just outside the door," Laryssa said standing. The woman called her back in a few moments later and tended to the wound in the back of her head.

"You must have been in some trouble."

"The initial wound was some time ago. I recently cracked it open again, though. That's what I get for taking up the sword instead of raising up children," Laryssa said with a small laugh.

"You are a strong woman. A survivor."

Laryssa smiled sadly. "So I'm told."