The girl looked down at the child in her arms, rocking the baby slightly before she glanced outside. She could see in the distance the angry crowd, their distant yelling coming in through the open window. She was unsure of the cause of the argument but she turned, looking over at her sister. She set the child down when their mother returned. "What's going on down there?"
"They're angry about the disease that is spreading through the town. Nothing the doctor is saying will help those that are sick." The woman sighed, slumping in a chair. "Are you starting to get sick?"
The girl shook her head, looking up at the tired woman. "No but she is." She said, nodding at the girl on the bed.
"Let's take a walk. Your father will be home very shortly and the walk will do you good." The woman said, getting up and heading to the door. The girl glanced around to the sick girl before taking her mother's hand, following her outside.
"Where are we going?" The girl asked, walking along side the tall woman, glancing around before attempting to look in her mother's eye, though she was unable to catch it.
"We're going somewhere I thought I would never return to. While the villagers are distracted with your father, you and I are going to pray." The woman said finally, pausing to look at her. "A couple of years ago, after much arguing, they made the part of the village where the statues of the gods lived...they forbidden anyone to enter. But I remember my mother telling me of a god...The Witch. She told me that The Witch was meant to be prayed to for health. This village is sick and I'm not sure if it is because of their anger towards the gods, but I believe it is time to start praying."
The girl frowned, eyes flashing in confusion. "Are you sure mama?"
She nodded, picking up the child and hurrying her pace. "They may have forsaken the gods, but I have not." She murmured, stopping when they got to an older part. The girl looked around the ruins, eyes wide as she noted the run down buildings, the grass covered ground.
"What god are you looking for?" The girl asked, turning in a circle. Near them, she could make out a near complete circle of stone, frowning as she tried to get a closer look before her mother walked over.
"The Witch, she was said to be the healer, the one that people prayed to for life. Only in the darkest of times did those that needed help come to her. It was said that she would look after the health of everyone, until those that needed all the gods the most started to no longer believe in them." The woman said, setting the girl down before kneeling before the cleanest statue.
The girl looked up at it, listening to her mother pray. She felt something stir within the statue, a wind picking up though there was nothing around. The girl watched her mother, wondering if there was something out there, willing to listen before shaking her head. She glanced at The Witch, silently adding in her own prays for the sickness to leave, unsure if it was because she believed that someone was listening or if it was just to help her mother's beliefs.
When they returned home, her father was sitting with her sister, who was talking happily, no sign of a fever. The woman looked at the man, nodding slightly before looking away. She set the girl down, smiling at her. "The power of believe is strong when you know the gods are watching out for you." She whispered softly, kissing the girl's forehead before going to check on the other, the baby having fallen silent.
The girl looked out the window, wondering about the child she thought she saw, before she turned away, feeling cold but happy that her sister was better.
