Arie swallowed, they knew. She wondered if death had given them that knowledge or if they figured it out on their own.
"How-?"
Marcy shook her head. "Go Arie, there is still much work to be done."
Arie nodded numbly and managed to make her legs obey her and walk towards the stable. The door was already open so she slipped right in. The air smelled of hay, horses, and dung, but Arie didn't mind. She moved towards the back of small makeshift barn where she could hear a male voice whispering. As she came closer, she could make out what was being said.
"She'll be alright, your rider is strong."
SandStorm put his head out of the stall his ears perked up listening. When he saw her approach, he let out was the equivalent of sigh of relief for a horse.
(*You are going to be the death of me little one.*)
(*I'm sorry,*) she replied honestly to her horse. He looked her over and noticed the ribbon tied to her wrist.
(*At least your sire is smartening up.*)
This time when Arie spoke, she spoke out loud so the person in the stall wouldn't be frighten. "You shouldn't make promises you aren't sure you can keep. Animals don't take well to it when you break them."
A head poked out beside SandStorm. Lerant had dark circles under his eyes, clearly, he hadn't slept at all through the night. His hair was tangled and from what little Arie could see of his shirt he was covered in horse hair. As if he had been grooming SandStorm to help keep both of them calm.
"You're awake." He was over the stall door and arms reaching for her before even he realized what he was doing. He paused his cheeks flushed red as he tried to hide his hands in his pockets. "I-."
Arie didn't think simply leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek.
"Thank you." She could feel color touch her own cheeks.
He opened his mouth then closed it then opened it again and asked, "For what?"
"For taking care of my family." She moved passed him and opened the stall to allow SandStorm to leave. Her horse butted his head against her chest, not with enough force to knock her over. He nuzzled and nosed her, reassuring himself that she was there and in on piece. Once that was done, he nipped her nose. Arie was braced for it but it still hurt and she growled at him.
(*I warned you,*) he told her smugly then he walked across to the other stall where NightSky was eating limp hay. She ignored SandStorm until Arie came in beside her, checking her coat, flanks, and hooves. Only once Arie was done did she turn to SandStorm.
(*Told you boy.*) The pony was all sauce and not the least bit intimidated by SandStorm.
(*Nag,*) her friend bit back. Arie put a hand on both of them. They looked at her forgetting their spat.
(*Thank you, both of you.*) She let go of them and opened the gate to let NightSky out. "Behave, both of you. Go have look around, see what your horse senses tell you that my human senses missed." Arie suddenly had a strange feeling that she couldn't shake and she didn't like it. At the very least it was unlikely any spy nearby would think much of two horses cropping grass.
Both horses looked at her curiously then they made their way out of the stable. Arie knew they would speak to the other animals and watch the humans. She had slept long enough, now it was time to work. To Lerant she asked,
"Where is everyone? It looked like most of the soldiers weren't here."
He nodded. "Kel took a group to track down those who left the town." His fists curled into a tight ball. He had been torn, worried about her and wanting to go hunt down those responsible for his fellow King's Own that had been killed. "They will report back tonight."
"Is Raoul here?"
"He's in his tent with Flyn. They are looking through documents that were still intact."
Arie hurried off towards where the King's Own had set up tents. She could see the biggest tent even from the stable. That was where they would be meeting. Striding towards it she saw the ghosts lingering by a long building that acted as the make shift hospital. Watching over family. Arie sucked in a deep breath. She would have to speak with their living relatives. Soon. Pushing those thoughts aside she wove her way through the tents until she came to the command tent, making her presence known before she entered. When she pulled back the flap Raoul looked relieved.
"Goddess bless! You're alright."
Arie nodded and looked at the others that were present. One was a ragged looking man. He wore plain clothes that were dirty, probably from traveling quickly. Exhaustion was pulling at his features and making his shoulders droop like a flower that hadn't had enough water. Flyn was pouring a glass of water to give to him. Two other men were standing beside Raoul, one dressed in King's Own uniform, the other in the leathers of the Riders Company. And lastly a crow perched on the table eyeing a shiny letter opener that lay not far from Raoul.
"I heard you were looking though the documents left over from the town."
Raoul's face darkened, subtly he tried to position himself between Arie and a part of the table that held old parchment with burnt edges. That did not bode well, she thought to herself.
"Yes," he said carefully.
Arie's gaze shifted to the crow. Without even asking the bird squawked and flapped his wings sending paper flying about the tent. Including the burnt pages. Raoul and Flynn swore, the other two soldiers didn't interfere as Arie, Flyn, and Raoul picked up the fly away pages. The pages that Arie picked up she scanned. A cold fire lit in her heart. The mayor, it seemed, not only had known about the poison, but he had allowed it to be added to the community well. She handed the pages to Raoul who looked at her guiltily.
"He allowed this." It wasn't a question. No one mistook it as one.
"He was paid in gold to allow it and was told how he could avoid be infected. We think he was also reporting to the captain of the ship. Though we can't find any proof." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
She looked up into the noble man's face. He meant it, he was sorry, even angry that this had happened.
"H-," the sound of horses and footsteps stopped her from saying anything else. Raoul ran to the tent entrance with Arie on his heels. They looked at the returning soldiers many of whom were wounded. Some of the horses limped and there were many who were sharing mounts. More Ghosts trailed silently behind them. No, Arie wanted to scream. Kel was shouting orders to those not injured to take those who were to the infirmary. Neal was already striding towards them. Raoul made his way over to Kel. The two of them spoke while Arie went to a man astride a white a black gelding. He was holding a woman in Rider's leather, blood seeped from a nasty looking head wound, and what looked like a broken arrow was sticking out of her calf. Red streams were painted down horse's side and the man's leg.
"Goddess," the man swore as the woman groaned in pain. He saw Arie moving towards them and there was relief in his eyes. "Can you save her?"
Arie saw a desperation that spoke of more than friendship. She grabbed the reigns and lead them both towards the infirmary.
"I'll know when I get a better look at her." She scanned the man, but she couldn't see an injury. He was pale with rust colored hair and a short beard. The woman he held was dark skinned and had ebony hair that reminiscent of black silk. "Do you have any open wounds; did you drink anything?"
He shook his head no. Arie halted the horse just outside the infirmary.
"As gently as you can, I want you to move her other leg to my side."
The man did as he was told. The woman hissed in pain. Her beautiful face twisted in the throes of pain.
"Good," Arie reached up and put one arm under the woman's knees. "Now lift her up and gently lower her into my arms."
The man did so, hesitating only ever so slightly. Once the woman's weight was fully in her arms, Arie did her best to move quickly without bumping the wound in her leg. She checked to woman for poison. Faint traces of it lingered in wound around the arrowhead. Bastards, Arie thought viciously at the people responsible. She found a free mat and put her patient down on it. Calling the man to stand with her.
Lerant appeared beside her with a smock, gloves, and her medical bag from SandStorm's saddle pack. She could have kissed him again. But her patient moaned, sweat dotting her forehead.
"My lady?" Arie asked, "I know it's hard, but you need to answer my questions," she slipped her hand into the woman's hand. "Squeeze my hand twice if you understand."
The woman's eyes opened and couldn't quite focus, but two light squeezes came.
"Good. Squeeze once for no, twice for yes, and crush my hand if it hurts too much. Do you understand?"
Two squeezes followed by her hand being squished.
"Do you feel dizzy?"
One squeeze.
"Do you feel sick to your stomach?"
Again, one squeeze. Arie breathed a sigh of relief. At least they hadn't gotten her head too hard then. Her head would have to wait then. She grabbed the medical bag which had been added to thanks to Duke Braid. Taking out several implements she told the woman,
"This is going to hurt, there's nothing I can do about that until the arrow is out." She looked to the man taking his hand and making him hold the hand that she had originally been holding. "Lerant, I need you to hold her leg, she's going to wanna pull away but you cannot let her, it will only cause more damage."
He nodded and moved around to the other side firmly holding the wounded leg down. She began the slow process of extracting the arrow. The thing was barbed making her curse the gods and the person who thought to invent such a horrible thing. Finally, all the pieces were removed and put into a metal bowl.
"Don't touch it," Arie warned Lerant. "It was poisoned." Then she began mending the torn and ragged flesh, knitting it back together. Next, she moved to the head wound and asked the same questions after it was healed; thankfully the answers remained the same. No brain bleeding. Lastly, the poison was purged. Mercifully, it hadn't taken a hold of her.
Arie spent the rest of the day moving from person to person, healing, mending, consoling. By the time night had fallen again, her power was dwindling down to the dregs. But she moved to the big woman who sat up in the back corner of the infirmary. Two ghosts hovering beside her. The woman saw Arie approach. There was a resigned look in her face. Angie and Ray hovered beside her.
"Tell her it wasn't her fault, and that we used what she taught us. She would have been proud of Ray, he fought like a wildcat. And that we love her."
Arie knelt beside the woman and tears sprung in her eyes.
"My babies are gone."
Arie swallowed hard and nodded. "Angie and Ray say they love you."
Lynn sobbed, "I'm so sorry, I should hav-."
"No, they say this was not your fault. And that you would be proud of how they fought back."
"Get em who did this." Her big hand shot out and grabbed Arie's wrist. "Swear it."
Arie's throat was dry. She swallowed and reached into her belt for a knife. Lynn let go of her arm, and Arie sliced the knife across her palm.
"I swear to the Dark God, the Goddess, and Mithros, I will do whatever is my power to stop this and the one responsible for this will meet the Dark God by my hand."
Three bright red drops dripped on the ground and were soaked up in the soil. Lynn nodded satisfied. The ribbon warmed against her skin. Her father knew. Arie stood up an instantly felt dizzy, a hand under her elbow kept her steady. Lerant. He led her away and told her in all seriousness,
"Neal has informed me that I need to keep you out of here. He can handle the rest of the minor injuries, he also said if you refused to leave, I was within my rights to throw you over my shoulder and escort you out that way."
Arie laughed weakly. "That sounds like a threat, sir."
He shrugged completely unrepentant.
After a moment she said, "The charm you wear was originally made to protect women from men, and it would affect a man's manhood."
"Now that; my lady, is threat. I know you wouldn't threaten someone sent do to what a healer asked."
Arie growled at him. Of course, he would hide behind that, not that she really would magik his manhood off. There were far better things to-, she stopped that thought in its tracks and shoved it into a small box at the back of her mind. Her face suddenly flushed with color. Thankfully, Lerant seemed to think it was due to her exhaustion. They turned around a corner and Lerant nearly walked her into Kel.
"Sorry about that. My lord is looking for you."
She looked between them and though as usual her face was expressionless, Arie could feel the female knight's amusement. She bit her tongue against the denial. They hadn't done anything. Yet. She swatted that thought away. But they changed directions and started for the command tent. There were even more people there than there was when she had left. Now there were three of her own people, including Twitchy, the two soldiers that had been with her previously, Raoul, Flynn, the messenger, the crow, and now Kel, Lerant, and herself. Raoul saw her and nodded in greeting.
"Clearly this one," he gestured to the crow, "Has been around Daine, but he refuses to give the message to anyone but you."
Arie turned to the crow. He was big for his kind, on his leg was a small pouch that he protected. She reached out and offered her hand to the bird. He eyed it and Arie quickly told him,
(*Bite me and I bite you.*)
The crow made a squawking sound that unmistakably laughter and extended his legs onto her hand moving swiftly to stand on her open palm. Arie undid the small pouch and put the crow on her shoulder. It then proceeded to shit down the back of her cloak. Everyone stifled laughter while Arie gave the crow a nasty look. The creature simply ignored her and preened his feathers until he noticed the ends of her hair. Like Sun, he ran his sharp beak through her hair. Arie did her best not to wince as she passed the pouch to Raoul, who took it and read the paper inside.
"Looks like we are right, they are moving towards Port Legann."
Arie's blood went cold. Raoul scanned the map oblivious to her discomfort. He traced his fingers over where the marks of locations Kel and her group had engaged in fighting. It also gave a rough count of enemies, well more than the town's population even if no one had died. The attacks were in line with the much larger port. Arie's old home.
"We'll move out in the morning and help Lord Imrah."
Anger and fear twisted in Arie's gut creating a foul feeling like she would vomit.
"Something wrong?" Lerant's voice whispered close to her ear. Looking down at herself she saw what he had seen. Her body trembled like a leaf. Raoul noticed out of the corner of his eye and directed Lerant to help her sit. While he did that, Raoul directed everyone about their tasks to prepare to move to Port Legann, only a small group would stay behind to help protect the people. But Arie was too numb to realize what he was saying. Once that was done and everyone but Lerant, Raoul, and Flynn had left Arie found her voice.
"There's something you should know."
Raoul sighed and pulled up a chair and sent Lerant away. Flynn remained, he glowered at Arie from behind Raoul. She sucked in a deep breath collecting her thoughts and trying to think where to begin, but the words spilled out before she could think too much on them.
"I was born in Port Legann. My mother was also. Her family is still there. You already know my mother was a healer, I followed her wherever she went and watched her work." She sucked in another deep breath trying to calm herself.
"It was clear very early on that I knew when people were going to die. Always, I was never wrong, not once. My mother and I would sit with the dying and comfort them. We would both wait with the soul for the Dark God to come take them to the Peaceful Realm. But I was different. The connection I formed with souls gave me strength and peace. My mother fell ill a several years ago, I'm not even sure how many exactly. I went to her family and pleaded for help, she was dying and I didn't know enough, all I wanted was another healer to be brought to see her. They refused. Said they had given her the choice of her old life back and me and she choose me so she was stuck her choice."
Raoul's hands fisted beside him, but Arie was too distracted by the flood of memoires to notice.
"She died not long afterwards. Without my mother there to shield me, people began to be openly hostile towards me rather than just distrust that had been normal. A wretched thing that could see death and grew stronger from it. I was accused of necromancy."
Raoul took a sharp breath.
"My mother's family allowed me to be chased from my burning home with a mob screaming for my blood. Saying I killed their loved ones and enslaved," she paused swallowing the bile that rose in her mouth. "Their souls."
Raoul put his head in his hands.
"It has been a long time since then, but some people don't forget. I don't know how welcoming the people will be if you bring me. And I would rather my mother's family thought I was dead."
Raoul looked at her for a long time. Flynn stood quietly behind him, no longer glowering at her. After what seemed like an eternity Raoul said,
"I have it on good authority that you are no necromancer. Nor have I now or ever before have believed you to be one. You have saved and protected my men at great personal cost to yourself. You have my protection and the protection of the king. No harm shall come to if I have any say in it."
Arie choked a little and looked at the ground. He really was a strange noble, she thought to herself