"Abba, I have a request if you aren't too busy."
The older woman didn't say anything, merely raised her eyebrows.
"Can you take me down to see everyone? I wanna check to see how they are all doing."
A smile tugged at the corner of the older woman's lips.
"Don't trust me to look after them?"
Arie blushed a deep scarlet. "That's not it at all! I don't-."
Abba laughed and patted her on the shoulder.
"I'm sure everyone would appreciate a visit."
Arie noticed the other woman glanced around subtly checking for anyone who might be listening in or following too closely.
"Speaking of people who would like to see you, that squire lad seemed quite taken with you."
The blush that had only just disappeared came back full force. Abba chuckled to herself.
"I wondered if you had noticed."
"Of course I noticed." She didn't like the amused look on the older woman's face. It was too much like Twitchy's expression when he had asked is she had her mother's charm.
"I have known you for many years now child. Never once have you showed any interest in any boy or men," she gave Arie a wink, "who came to call. Not even the sweet boy who first brought you to our village."
Arie snorted, "Avery is just teasing. He doesn't-."
"But he does. To you he is a friend, but to him you are something much more." Abba patted her head affectionately. "But you don't have to worry too much. I just wanted to make sure you knew. Being fore warned is being fore armed. And those two boys will butt heads."
Arie didn't want to think of Avery like that. Couldn't think of him like that, not after he had saved her all those years ago. But she knew she would have to make her own wishes plain to both boys.
It didn't take long for Arie and Abba to reach the tenets that were being used as temporary housing for the inhabitants of Sea King. The buildings were a little run down, but certainly in better shape than the huts that had been hobbled together in the forest. Arie went first to the families. She talked with each family, making sure they had everything they needed. Several children came racing over and tugged on the skirt of her dress. They jumped up and down asking when she would play with them again. She promised she would when she had time. Once they scattered back to their families Jess came over and clung to the fabric of her skirt.
"You are going to be staying with me and another lady. Is that alright with you?"
Jess's eyes lit up with such hope and fear.
"I'll keep my word Jess, as long as you want to stay close you can."
The young girl nodded wordlessly. Arie half smiled and moved off to speak with the perspective leaders of her little band. Abba had gathered them while she had been speaking to the families. Arie lead the group away from the rest of the families and proceeded to tell them about the mayor's treachery. The group rumbled ominously. She could see the anger and betrayal etched into their bodies. Clenched fists and jaws, shocked distant expressions, and a trembling hand. Arie's own anger rose in response. The mayor would face justice.
"Not much that can be done now. Let the King's Own hunt the mayor and find the others. In the mean time we have a duty to take care of the rest of the town folks." Abba was ever the voice of clam reason, though Arie knew she was by far the angriest. She looked to Arie, "I've got things worked out here, but you should go check on those in the clinic."
Arie knew a dismissal when she heard one and quickly bowed her head and moved off. Once she was far enough away Jess tugged on her skirt.
"Why did the mayor do it? He wasn't infected."
Arie looked down into big eyes that had seen far too much already. She briefly wondered if she should keep the truth hidden. Arie discarded that thought quickly. Jess was trusting her to be honest.
"Money was a big part, but I don't think that's the only reason."
Jess looked down and nodded. "He doesn't like you. He says you're a monster."
The words were razor sharp to Arie's heart.
"I think he knew you before he became mayor."
Arie shrugged, but as she thought about it she realized it was entirely possible that the mayor had been part of the mob that had driven her out of Port Legann after her mother's death. It had been only recently that the mayor had moved to Sea King and gained the position of mayor. She was forced to set those thoughts aside when she stepped into the clinic.
The smell of blood and antiseptics was heavy in the air to the point it was almost cloying. A few doctors moved up and down the lines of cots checking the patients. From the way things looked, no one was in serious danger. Though there were a few people that doctors seemed to linger close to. Most of the patients themselves were asleep and the few that were awake were whispering quietly to a neighbor. As Arie scanned the lines Jess tugged on her skirt again and pointed to two men near the back corner.
"He's the one who can see the ghosts too." Jess was pointing to the young soldier who belonged to the King's Own that had nearly died at the hands of the Stormwings. Arie reached down and took the young girl's hand.
"Do you want to come with when I speak to him or would you rather stay here?" Arie noted the small hand that was still fisted in the fabric of her dress tightened. Well, that answers that, she thought to herself and moved over to the two brothers. The older brother looked up when they were almost to them. He whispered something to his brother who turned over to look at them. His gaze moved over Arie's face without recognition at first. Then his gaze shot back to her eyes and moved toward her hair. His eyes widened in surprise.
"My lady!" The young soldier sat up and did his best to bow as deeply as his bandages would allow. Something that pained him. Arie put a hand on his shoulder and helped ease him back to a more comfortable position. The older brother whispered something in a language that Arie didn't know. The younger brother shot back in the same language. Whatever he said the older brother clearly thought it was amusing. Arie notice blush was creeping across the younger man's face as he grit his teeth. A slight smile pulled at Arie's lips as she remembered something similar happening between her and her mother.
"I'm glad to see you are both doing well."
Both men looked at her then quickly averted their eyes. She glanced down at her dress wondering if it had been ripped. The dress was undamaged and there were no stains left over from dinner. She pushed that thought aside reminding herself that she had much more important things to worry about.
"I appreciate the belief of me being a lady, but I am a common born woman so there is no need to be formal with me. I came to check on how you were all doing. Is there any excessive pain or strange feelings around any of your injuries. Anything we should know?"
The elder brother patted his chest with a grin.
"Healthy as a horse. Zev says I'll be able to leave tomorrow."
Arie did her best to hide her surprise. Zev was not the type to give her name casually to other people, even patients. But then again this young man seemed nice enough and handsome. Arie just hoped her friend didn't get too distracted. That thought died in her mind when she noticed the look on the younger man's face. He was pale and looked almost frightened. Arie knelt down beside him and felt his forehead.
"You feeling alright?"
He bit his lip and nodded. Arie adjusted her skirt so she could kneel on the ground and began checking the young man for infection. The man balked when she began removing his bandages.
"Your dress-"
"Can be replaced. You however, cannot be."
The elder brother watched his younger brother with fear in his eyes and was already starting to stand. Arie saw Zev come up beside the older brother,
"I think you and I need to get fresh air." She told the older brother. He was about to protest. "No worries, he is in good hands." Zev's tone was soft and reassuring as she lead the older brother away. Several men whistled and made comments as the two passed by. Arie's sharp gaze shot over the patients silencing many of the comments mid way.
"I take it everyone is feeling much better and can be moved to from the clinic to the regular housing. I hear work starts early there." That chased away most of the grins in all but the two or three who knew it was an empty threat. "Rest now."
Zev shot Arie an appreciative look as she walked out. Arie glanced at the other men making sure most were following her advice to rest. Then just to be safe she reached out with her Gift and helped them into a deep sleep. Once that was done she turned back to the younger brother.
"I'm sorry, there was no time to learn your name when we first met. I'd like to know it now."
The blush that colored his face now swooped down his neck.
"Obi," he muttered.
Arie nodded laid her hands over Obi's chest. Her Gift entered his body and began the slow process of healing and easing the pain.
"Well Obi, you're body is healing well all things considering. So what is it that is weighing on your mind so much that you'd risk making yourself sicker?" She didn't want to come out and ask him, he needed to trust her if she was going to be able to help him.
"Is it true," he whispered.
"Is what true?"
"Everyone from our unit is dead?" At his question Arie had to resist the urge to sigh in relief. He wasn't talking about her magic, however she had the feeling she would need the whole truth here, and Obi's next words confirmed it. "Because that can't be. I saw Ben the first night I woke up. We enlisted together," he added. "We talked while I was alone and the nurses were sleeping."
Arie glanced around and sure enough there was a young soldier's ghost hovering in the corner. She pointed to the ghost and asked,
"Is that him?"
Obi nodded and Arie bent her head. She hated this kind of thing. Telling people that their loved was dead or going to die was never an easy task. She toke a moment to steal herself before whispering,
"Ben would you come here?" Arie didn't use magic to compel him; she didn't have to. The ghost walked to them like he would have in life, moving around the cots and sleeping people to stand on the opposite side. Ben looked at Arie regretfully, she suspected that he knew what she was going to do and he didn't want Obi knowing that he was gone forever. "Everyone in your unit with the exception of you and your brother are dead."
Obi blinked like he didn't understand the words that came out of her mouth. Ben clamped a hand over his mouth and chuckled at the look on his friend's face.
"You do see him standing there, you hear him laughing."
Arie nodded and scrubbed at her eyes with her hand. "Try touching him."
"What does that have to do with," his words dropped off as Ben's hand passed seamlessly through his friend's stomach. Both men stared at each other for a long time. Ben was clearly trying to make Obi believe, while Obi was trying to make Ben real. Finally Obi's expression cracked, realization dawning that his friend was truly dead. Greif and pain threatened to push the young soldier to the brink of tears. "How? How can I see him? Why hasn't the Dark God," he swallowed not willing to finish the last sentence.
"I don't know for sure about how you can see him and the others, but I have a theory if you'll humor me and answer some questions."
Obi nodded wordlessly.
"What do you remember from your rescue?" Arie was grateful that Obi actually took his time to think about his answer before responding.
"I was in a lot of pain. I could hear my brother whispering to me. He was too tired to carry me any further. Then there was rumbling, and I think something was about to attack us, but no attack came. Then everything became distant, like I was moving away. You told me to stay," he bit his lip in concentration. "I was slipping away. I was dying." His eyes widened and he looked sharply at Arie. "I died."
"Actually you didn't. Not that it wasn't a close thing. Your soul was starting to slip to the Dark God's realm, but he said you could be saved. So I followed you and brought back the part of you that was slipping away. Had you gone any further I wouldn't have been able to do anything without becoming a necromancer." She would not lie to him. "And I would not have brought you back if you had reached that point." She made sure she let him see the truth of her words in her eyes. That was a line she would not cross, because people's souls deserved respect and dignity.
For what could have been seconds or minutes Obi watched her, trying to decide whether he believed her or not. It was Ben who made a grunt and Obi nodded in agreement.
"We believe you."
Arie was shocked by the almost instantaneous relief she felt. This kind of trust and faith had been almost nonexistent growing up and now she was getting it from the least likely of places.
"Alright then, have you been told much about what our mission is?"
Obi nodded at Ben.
"He filled in a lot blanks for me."
"Well that means this will be easy for once. Basically those infected by this madness that are killed or killed by someone infected can't move on. I think, you can see the ghosts because you nearly died at the hands of someone who was infected. You got very close to death and some of the Dark God's realm might have lingered with you. Unless you saw ghosts before the incident?"
Obi smiled wryly, "Can't say that I did."
"Then that's my best guess as to why you can see them."
"Is that why you can see them?"
He was sharp, Arie noted to herself. Her instinct reaction was to let him believe that, but the ribbon on her arm warmed encouragingly, making her shudder. The Grave Yard Hag had warned the gift would do odd things. She just prayed it was right.
"No, I see ghosts because my magic is akin to them. I can walk back death or forward and I can do so to anything that decays or breaks." She watched his face as he absorbed what she had told him. At first his expression was just blank, then something subtly changed that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"That's one hell of a Gift." It wasn't negative, actually almost reverent. He laughed lightly, "I'm alive thanks to your Gift and I think if you were a necromancer the Dark God would have punished you when you were leading me back."
"Well, that's," she struggled to find words for what this was. "Generous of you."
Obi laughed again then started to cough, his face became drawn and pale. Arie reached out with her Gift and helped easy the stress on his lungs allowing him to breathe easy again. She noted the sweat that had broken out on his forehead.
"I'm going to help you to sleep. I think you could use a bit more."
Obi looked like he might argue, but thought better of it. He laid back and let Arie's magic sink into him. In moments, he was fast asleep. Arie sighed and rose. Ben had vanished while she had been helping Obi, but she suspected that he wouldn't go far from his friend. Then Arie looked to Jess who stood quietly watching.
"Most people your age would have trouble keeping quiet after listening to all of that."
Jess shrugged and looked at the floor guiltily.
"It's alright to have questions and to ask them. I just wanted you to know I was very impressed. Many adults struggle to do that."
Jess looked up at Arie meekly, but nodded.
"Shall we head back? I don't know about you, but I'm tired."