Arie quickly introduced Raoul and Flyn to the leaders of her band. Then she went to changed into the special gear that her and Zev had been working on. They were essentially winter clothes. Thick over coats with long sleeves, gloves, think riding pants, and sturdy boots. This would protect them from being contaminated by blood when they were working on an injured person.
When her and Zev got back from changing, she found Raoul's group of the King's Own was already dressed similarly. One the men explained that they had been told to bring winter clothes with. Arie shrugged and thought to herself, it did mean more people to help the search. The Rider's group, she found out would stay behind and help protect the villagers in case of attack while the rest were looking for survivors.
Zev and Arie lead the way down. The smell of smoke filled the air and burned their eyes. Arie griped Zev's shoulder as she felt the wash of death. There would be few survivors, if any. Soon they came upon the gate. It was smashed to pieces, but not from the outside like you would expect with an attack, the great doors were battered on the inside. Several people lay on the ground with arrows in them. They had tried to prevent those who were infected from leaving. Arie could feel the life in some while others were already long gone. Arie directed Zev to the three living people. One was a thickly built woman with powerful arms and an arrow punched through her collar bone. The blacksmith. Lynn, she remembered. Next to her lay her eldest son, Lark. He had been named after the bird because even as a child he could sing the birds out of the trees. Neither of them were infected. She had tried to get them to come with, but old woman had stubbornly refused to leave the home she had built for herself, and the few people there not infected could count on her to protect them. Arie swallowed her grief as she saw the blacksmith's daughter, Angie, and youngest son, Ray, were dead. They must have been hiding in the guard house and had been dragged out. She could see marks where the girl had fought back. The girl's dress had been pulled up around her waist. Anger burned the grief away and she pulled the girl's skirts down.
"Lynn and Lark are clean, get them help."
How was she going to tell Lynn of Angie and Ray's death, Arie wondered. She viciously shoved that thought down. They could mourn for the dead after the living were taken care of. A hand on her shoulder made her turn. It was Kel and there was a fire in her eyes.
"What do you want us to do?"
Arie took a deep breath to calm her anger then she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Fan out and search for survivors. Don't touch any blood or open wounds. Drink nothing, and eat nothing here. Leave the livestock if there are any. Move in groups of three or more. Be cautious even when dealing with survivors. Have a mage check them if they are walking around."
There were nods from everyone.
"Once we have checked everything then we will collect the dead. Not before." She looked at the few people who were from her band. They knew the rules, but seeing a loved one dead could make them forget their caution. "If a building is unsafe call me or Neal to check it out."
Arie turned her back on the group and went to the first building. Most of the outside was scorched, but the inside was relatively untouched by the flames. A storm must have kicked up and put the fire out before it completely engulfed everything. Inside Arie found everything had been tipped over and anything of value was stripped and taken. Not even food had been left behind. Mercifully there was no one here; living or dead. Arie checked the next level and found it much the same state as the lower half. There were a few musty blankets that had survived. Arie grabbed those and brought them outside.
Slowly they worked their way in. Every house had been ransacked, but the burning seemed to have been an accident for the most part. It looked like the fire was started at the Miller's house. Arie's blood went cold as she approached the building. The top floor and the roof was completely gone. Then she noticed the windows had been barred. She broke into a run for the scorched door, slamming her shoulder against it and almost bringing down the entire rest of the building in the process. She could feel the death here.
When the door shuddered and gave way she saw them. The Miller and his family huddled together. Their bodies charred and crumbling. This time she couldn't stop the tears that flowed over her cheeks as she dropped to her knees. A sound tore up her throat that was reminiscent of a wild animal. She wasn't sure how long she sat there before Neal came and put a hand on her.
"Tim, Marcy, Noel, Jay," Arie shuddered over the youngest girl's name and sobbed even harder. She had only been three years old. Little Jay had been the first child she had helped to deliver and she had promised she'd come back and play with her. Arie looked to Marcy, who was clinging to her two daughters, she was supposed to have helped deliver the baby that was to come in a month's time. "Tim was the one feeding us information about the spread of the poison and everyone's movements. He said it would look suspicious if he sent his family away." Arie clenched her fists and banged them against the charred floor. "Jay was three!" She took a deep shuddering breath. "Her sister was five. Marcy was pregnant with their third child. She was so happy."
"It could have been an accident."
Arie snarled at him and a distant part of her mind knew it was a feral sounding noise, but she couldn't help it. Kindness had been in short supply for a good part of her life, but this family had given it freely and without reserve. They did not deserve this.
"The windows were barred. They burned them alive."
Neal helped her up.
"Maybe, but right now there are people who need you Arie. You can do nothing for them now."
Arie glanced back at the bodies.
"I can't leave them here."
"I will take care of them once the living are cared for," he gently reminded her of her own words. "For now, go help Zev."
Arie might have refused, but she saw a look in Neal's eyes she had never seen, pure seething rage. He was just as upset by this as she was, and he didn't even know them. Numbly Arie went back towards the main gate, she was about halfway there when something snagged her attention. A voice. Looking around she caught sight of Lerant and a young girl. She was about ten or twelve and dressed in breaches and a soot covered tunic that was too big for her. The girl had Lerant's hand and was asking him to come help her little brother. Arie felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up on end. The little girl; Jess, didn't have a little brother and there was blood dripping down her hand.
"Lerant," Arie shouted the warning.
The young man and the girl turned to look at her at the same time. In his eyes was surprise, in the young girl's was hatred that was far older than her. Swiftly the girl turned to Lerant and tried to rake her fingernails across his face. The charm Arie gave him flared to life. A blinding flash of blue green light pulsed between them and snaked down the girl's arm. She screamed in pain and Arie rushed forward. Her Gift wrapped around Jess's tiny little body holding her still. Arie pulled her Gift to her eyes even knowing what she would find. Blackness completely enveloped Jess. No, Arie screamed at herself, she would not lose another child to this. Not now, not ever again. Arie placed both hands on the girl's forehead and began to draw out the poison. Jess's screams reverberated through her entire being, yet she shut them out. She just needed something, anything of the little girl she used to be.
Memories rushed past, she had scratched a few people of the King's Own using the same trick she had pulled on Lerant. Arie moved past that. She saw the young girl torture a dying bird, and stealing food from the blind widow; Tara, who lived a few streets down. On and on the memories went until she found something alien, something evil rooted in Jess's mind. Arie lashed at it with her Gift. A voice screeched,
"I see you Arie Annasri, and I have had enough of your meddling."
A sickly gray Gift reached out to her. Arie snarled and raised a barrier of blue green fire to block his spell.
"As I see you Ark."
Surprise echoed from the essences. So it really was him.
"And if it is the last thing I do, I will wipe your stain and this plague from existence."
The alien presence cackled in way that sent shivers down her spine.
"Figures you wouldn't understand."
Arie continued to chip away at the blackness that had swallowed Jess.
"The girl is a puppet. Long gone."
"No!"Arie snarled. Just then she found it. A spark. A memory of Jess playing with her father on his fishing boat. Then Arie heard crying. She followed it until she found the huddled child amidst the blackness. Jess turned and when she saw Arie she sobbed,
"I'm sorry! I didn't- I don't wanna-. Help me Arie!"
Arie wrapped her Gift around the girl's presence then burned away the rest of the blackness. Ark screamed a denial, but soon he was nothing more than memory in the girl's mind. A nightmare. Arie pulled her mind and Gift from Jess's mind and body. For a long time Arie just sat there holding the little girl as she clung to her and sobbed. Arie sucked in a deep breath and patted the girl's hair soothing her until she cried herself to sleep. Dizziness washed over Arie and she struggled to stay sitting upright, but warm hands caught her before she could slump sideways.
"I gottcha," Lerant said. Arie took a deep breath, but her head ached something fierce.
"Good. Get the others. She infected a few of the King's Own."
Now it was Neal who spoke.
"We know. We've already checked over everyone and gotten them cleaned of any poison."
Arie was about to ask when he had done this when she realized night had fallen. Lerant had one hand under her elbow, helped her up, and steered her towards a chair someone had brought out of one of the houses.
"Jess kept babbling about the people she infected while you were working on her. Another voice was fighting you. He was throwing insults at you and spells. His Gift kept everyone else back until you were able to break through it. What happened in there?"
Arie took a deep shuddering breath.
"I think I tapped into my father's power to free Jess from being a puppet." She had never been able to cleanse a puppet before. They either killed themselves or she killed them in process of trying to save them. But it was possible that children mended better than adults. Either way, she could think about it another time. Right then her hands started to shake uncontrollably and Neal offered her a glass of water. She looked at it suspiciously. He smiled at her.
"Don't worry. It came from your people, and I did double check it."
Lerant took the cup from Neal and glared at him. Then he held it to her lips so she could drink without spilling. Arie gave him a grateful look. It wasn't until the cool liquid poured down her throat she realized how parched she was. She drank the whole thing quickly. Then Neal came over and put his hands on her forehead.
"Your burning up."
Arie laughed weakly. "Not surprising."
"I'm going to send you to sleep."
Arie nodded. His Gift was already settling around her, but groggily she fought it.
"Jess first."
"Arie." Both men said, but she shook her head no and repeated,
"Jess first."
Neal growled, "Fine, now rest." His Gift practically smothered her now, but she fell willingly into blissful sleep; one that was mercifully without dreams.