Trail's End was a small community located north outside of Korvosa's walls on the edge of the Jeggare River. Viera recalled that Trail's End was made up of mostly Varisians with a few Shoanti and Chelixans living there as well. She knew that there were rumors of criminal gangs in Trail's End, particularly the Sczarni, but the area itself appeared more like a small town. Aside from a few men loitering the streets glaring at Grau, still in his guard uniform, there was little trouble.

Despite the rumors, Viera held off on making any judgment against the people she saw. The priestess knew that many in Korvosa didn't care for the Varisians. She saw it for herself during a ball with many nobles ignoring Griffin for being half-Varisian. It made sense that the Varisians of Trail's End didn't care for Korvosa although Viera wished that something could be done to stop the hate on both sides.

"This is it," Grau announced to the group when they came across a two-story house that looked in desperate need of repairs. "It's seen better days. Come on."

"Just a moment," Falenas reached into his bag of holding and pulled out a mask with a wide beak. "I apologize but I only own one."

"Is wearing that a good idea?" Verik questioned, watching the elf put his mask on. "I think that would scare a kid."

"Perhaps so but I need to consider my own health. Whatever sickness we're dealing with is currently a mystery and I'd rather avoid becoming infected by mistake."

"I don't think it's that contagious," Grau told Falenas. "The rest of the family isn't sick and they still live in the house."

"That likely means the disease spreads by touch," Falenas noted with a nod. "I'll still keep the mask on just in case."

"In that case, the rest of us should be fine without a mask," Griffin said. "Let's not wait outside any longer."

Grau led the way inside, opening the front door without any issue. Viera noted that the interior of the house was clean compared to the rugged look it had from the streets. She took a quick sniff, smelling the aroma of cinnamon in the air. Two boys with black hair and olive skin played with a set of blocks in the living room, where multiple cots had been set up. Viera figured that the rest of the family slept in this room to avoid falling sick.

Ragged coughing coming from the second floor was enough to show the group how severe the case was.

Viera looked through an open doorway and was surprised to see a man attending to a kettle in the kitchen. His black hair was cut short and he wore white robes with a single golden line falling across the center of his clothing. Noticing the golden key necklace the man wore, Viera realized that the stranger was a follower of Abadar. Grau crossed his arms and glared at the man.

"Who are you and what are you doing?" Grau called out with Viera noticing that he was annoyed by the priest's presence.

The priest turned to Grau and the others with a smile. "You must be Grau. Tayce told me a little about you but I wasn't expecting you to bring company. My name is Ishani Dhatri. Tayce asked for help from my temple and I was sent to do what I could."

"I see," Grau nodded and looked at the adventurers with a tense expression. "Excuse me one moment. I should talk with Tayce."

Grau made his way to the stairs, leaving his guests in the house with little instruction on what to do. A few seconds after the guard left, Viera could hear him and a woman in a tense debate upstairs. Although she couldn't make out the words, Grau was worried about getting help from the Bank of Abadar due to the payment it would require. Ishani, unaware of the fight, returned to focus on his work, adding herbs to the kettle. Viera glanced briefly at her companions, and while Alexander and Griffin didn't seem to make out the argument happening above, Verik looked up at the ceiling with a frown. Falenas remained expressionless with his mask making it impossible to know if he heard Grau and Tayce.

"Time is of the essence," Griffin said. "Viera, Falenas, we should talk with the acolyte. Alexander, maybe you and Verik can keep the boys distracted?"

"I think we'd do a better job with that than anything relating to the medicine," Alexander said, turning to the two boys. "We'll leave you three to it."

With Alexander and Verik stepping forward to join the two boys, Griffin led Viera and Falenas to the kitchen before speaking. "Excuse me, we don't mean to distract, but we were hoping to talk."

"The concoction is almost done and a conversation isn't too distracting," Ishani assured the group and turned toward the trio. "How can I help?"

"My name is Griffin Vossler, and with me is Viera Barlumi, a priestess, and Falenas Wayerden, an alchemist. Grau asked for our help regarding his niece."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Viera offered. "My magic might not be powerful enough to completely remove her sickness but I still can help heal her."

"Do you recognize what she's sick with?" Falenas asked although his gaze was focused on the kettle instead of the priest.

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure what can be done for Brienna," Ishani admitted with a frown. "She's broken out in red rashes of irregular sizes, and as you can hear, she has a terrible and violent cough. I'm afraid that this may be a new disease never before seen in Varisia."

"Then you'll need more than herbs to treat it," Falenas told Ishani. "Whatever you're making now isn't enough, especially since it doesn't seem to be magical."

"Couldn't you cast a spell to help?" Viera asked. "Wouldn't the clergy of Abadar send a follower capable of healing if told about a sick girl?

Ishani frowned in disappointment. "Even if I hadn't expended the spells Abadar granted me for the day, the doctrine of the temple forbids me from performing such miracles without payment. My concoctions may not be much but it's what I'm capable of doing without betraying the trust Abadar has placed in me."

"What about a potion?" Griffin questioned. "The temple to Abadar is one of the largest in the city so there should be potions."

"Potions are even more expensive than spells," Ishani sighed. "I'm sorry that I can't do much more."

Viera was quick to notice that although Ishani's disappointment was directed not at himself for his lack of ability but at the church he served. Although the priestess understood that Abadar's teachings of law and commerce were important for a city such as Korvosa, she couldn't agree with some of their rules. The power Iomedae granted to Viera allowed her to do good for people who needed it and she couldn't think of requiring payment in exchange. Ishani seemed like a good man and she wondered just how he truly felt about his faith.

Before their conversation could continue, Grau walked down the stairs alongside a middle-aged woman that Viera assumed was Tayce. Her clothes were disheveled and she was clearly exhausted, likely not able to get any sleep. Despite the argument she had with her brother, she put on a friendly smile to at least greet her new guests. Even though she was worn out, there was a certain beauty to her with her shoulder-length brown hair tied into a ponytail.

"Welcome," Tayce greeted quietly. "Grau told me that he brought help but I wasn't expecting so many people. Charlo, Rello, how about you play outside for now?"

"Well, uh, he did ask for all of us to come," Alexander admitted, standing up alongside Verik and Tayce's sons. We don't mean to be a bother."

"You're not a bother at all," Tayce stepped forward toward Alexander and Verik, letting her children outside. "You're Alexander, right? Grau told me a lot about you since you worked together."

"He did?" Alexander nearly gasped with his voice higher. "I'm surprised, really. It, uh, I don't feel like I did anything too special in the Korvosan Guard."

"Alex, perhaps we should let Tayce meet the healers," Verik suggested, holding back laughter. Even Viera found herself amused by Alexander's nervousness.

The two warriors stepped aside and Tayce focused on the remaining trio. "None of you look like priests."

"That's because I'm an alchemist," Falenas informed Tayce. "I've been studying medicine for over a century."

"Although I may not look like a typical priestess, Iomedae has granted me divine powers," Viera said with a smile. "Please, may we see your daughter to do what we can to help?"

"Of course," Tayce sighed in relief. "Please, follow me."

Viera and Falenas were joined by Ishani, who completed his concoction for Brienna. Tayce led the three upstairs to a bedroom. There, they found a young girl who looked incredibly small in the adult-sized bed she was tucked into. From her face alone, Viera could tell that Brienna took more after Grau's brother with a pale complexion and lighter hair than her brothers. As Ishani informed the two, the young girl's face was covered in red splotches. She coughed loudly for several seconds before settling down with a groan.

Tayce stood by the door and let the healers perform their work. Ishani stepped forward first with his concoction, helping Brienna take the medicine he crafted for her. Afterwards, he stepped back, bowing his head silently. Viera stood back and let Falenas examine Brienna, not wanting to get in his way. The young girl was quiet and was perhaps too sick to know what was happening. There was no doubt that the elf had a greater knowledge of diseases than her. She hoped that despite everyone else failing to recognize the disease, he would be able to recognize it. Yet, Falenas shook his head in disappointment and stepped back.

"This is unlike anything I've seen before," Falenas said. "This could be problematic."

"Can you help her?" Tayce asked, frowning.

"In time, I can craft some stronger concoctions to help fight against her symptoms but I won't be able to cure the disease," Falenas answered and clasped his hands behind his back. "In time, I may be able to create such a potion, but I'm not sure if we have time."

"Then allow me to help," Viera stepped forward. "I may not be able to cure her but I can help restore her strength."

Viera didn't hesitate and stepped forward, pressing her hand to Brienna's forehead. She knew that there was a risk of catching whatever disease she had but that was a chance she was going to take. The priestess muttered a quick prayer to Iomedae, asking for her blessing, before channeling her power to heal Brienna and restore her strength. Viera smiled when she saw some color return to the young girl's cheeks. Although Brienna was still sick, she wasn't at risk of dying. When she stepped away from the bed, Viera noticed that Tayce was grateful for the aid. The aasimar looked at Ishani only to see that he turned away to hide his pained regret.

"I'd advise that you not touch anyone else, Viera," Falenas told his friend sternly. "Your body may have been able to fight off catching the disease but we should avoid the chance of exposing others."

"I know but I wasn't going to stand by and do nothing," Viera shook her head. "I only wished I could do more."

Tayce smiled. "Your magic helped my daughter and I am thankful for that."

With nothing left to do, the group left the room and walked downstairs to join the others. When they were first seen by the others, Viera quickly saw that Alexander and Griffin ended a quiet conversation which was enough to spark her curiosity. She wondered if they had a plan and eyed the two expectantly waiting for them to make a move. With Griffin motioning for him to take the lead, Alexander stepped forward and clapped his hands together.

"Ishani, how much would a potion to heal Brienna cost?" Alexander asked.

"It would cost exactly seven hundred and fifty gold," Ishani answered, surprised by Alexander's question. "I know it costs a lot but it is the established price."

Alexander looked back to Griffin, who nodded and stepped up alongside his friend. "I was talking about what we could do with Alexander and we both came to an agreement. We'll pay for the potion."

"Each one of us will pay half the price," Alexander handed Griffin a heavy pouch of gold. "That's how we can help."

"That would be great," Ishani said, his surprise continuing to grow. "I can take your gold and come back with the potion before the day is over."

"You might have just saved my daughter," Tayce wiped her hand across her eyes. "I'll find a way to thank you all for the help."

Tayce rushed forward to hug both Alexander and Griffin, and while the former was caught by surprise and blushed, Griffin simply smiled. Viera was proud that her friends were stepping up to help, and if it weren't for Falenas' advice, she would have hugged them as well. After Tayce showed her thanks, Griffin stepped past the mother and walked over to Ishani, clasping his hand on his shoulder.

"I'd like to join you on the journey if you don't mind," Griffin told the priest. "I imagine that we may need your temple's services in the future and want to see if I can work out some sort of deal."

"Of course I won't mind," Ishani said. "It'd be good to have company on the walk back."

"The rest of you will say," Tayce told the group in a voice that hinted she wouldn't hear anything telling her otherwise. "Once Brienna is cured, we'll have dinner to celebrate and I must insist that you stay."

"That sounds lovely," Viera smiled. "We'd be happy to join you."

Falenas, Verik, and Alexander (who was still blushing faintly) didn't offer any objections to Viera. Grau nodded his thanks, smiling alongside Tayce. To not waste any time, Griffin and Ishani left to secure the potion. Although it wasn't like their previous tasks with the Korvosan Guard, Viera enjoyed being able to help a family in need, especially with her friends. She hoped that this, along with Zellara's message, was a sign that the group was coming together once more.

A/N: With this chapter, I'm at 25,000 words and am halfway to 50,000. Although I'm a day or two behind what I'd like to be for my total word count, I am confident in my chances to catch up.

Between wrapping up the Soldado's trek and what I have planned for next chapter, I'm excited to see where the story goes. As I've said before, character interaction is my favorite part of writing and that's going to be prominent in the next few chapters. We'll be close to starting off with the action soon.

Until next time.