Hi! It's been a while. This was supposed to be part of a longer chapter, but since it is a fighting scene I put off writing it, so it's been a month and I figured just do it in parts. Another reason I have been putting it off is that I'm changing the magic system so I'll be going back over the Previous chapters to make changes.

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“Lynnboy is gone.” The room quieted once more at these words.

“What happened Frank?” Vernon asked.

Frank took a minute to breathe. “Me and my brother were out, lookin’ into that cabin, ya know? When we came back …” Frank choked, “When we got back the town it was … was like the cabin. In shreds.”

“Was it really a cabin …” Vernon whispered. He looked up at Frank, “Your brother went to spread the word?”

“Yes … they’re gatherin’ them here as well.”

Vernon turned to his men. “Evan, you go to Kytain and inform the Heroes.” He said.

One of the young men nodded and bolted out the open door and into the twilight.

Vernon turned back to Frank sighing, “Nothin’ we can do today. See you in the morrow.” He gave the room a nod before crossing the threshold.

The townsfolk followed suit and slipped out quietly. The girl came up to Erin, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for the help … I’m Vie. Vie Brookendale,” she said.

“Erin.”

Vie looked disappointed that Erin had not said where she hailed from, but not everyone did. “Well, here’s somethin’ to eat.” She tucked a lock behind her ear before continuing, “We’ve got some room if you want it.”

Erin gave her a large before digging into the stew. Vie smiled back at her.

Erin did not notice when the girl had run off, but she did notice when she returned holding a bundle.

“Here,” Vie said passing her the bundle, “I thought you might like somethin’ to change into.”

Erin felt her cheeks flush as she realized her state of dishevel. “Thank you.” She looked at the bundle she now know was a dress. She had never worn anything but the official blue before. Healers could not after all. The brown dress would serve her well.

Erin walked into the tavern in the morning, wearing the dress that Vie had given her. Already there was a crowd of people lurking about. There was Frank talking animatedly to several men.

One of them broke off from the group and went up to where Vernon was standing by the door. He talked with Vernon for a couple of minutes before heading back shaking his head. Erin studied the other men lurking around the walls. She saw several faces she recognized from last night.

Loud voices drew Erin’s attention. Vie was in a shouting match with the blond boy from last night. The other boy, Vie had called him Carlos sat nearby peacefully eating his breakfast. Erin frowned, he was still a little pale.

“There ya are,” a voice said behind her. Erin turned to a see a woman with glistening violet hair like Vie, standing behind her. Erin knew that this woman would have made quite the stir in the capital when she was younger. “Let’s get you somethin’ to eat.”

Vie stopped arguing and ran to meet Erin. “Did you sleep well?” she asked.

Erin nodded, her eyes still on the boy. “Well enough. How about you?”

The girl looked down, “Didn’t sleep much. There was too much to do.” Vie looked back up, “Oh, I forgot!” she scampered back to where her friends sat and proceeded to drag them over.

The woman let out a chuckle, “That’s my Vie.” She handed Erin a bowl of oatmeal. “Here’s your breakfast. And we’ve got more where it came from, if ya want it.”

Erin gave the woman a smile as she received her bowl and sat down at a table.

Vie had been pulling the blond boy to her table by the ear and only let go when they arrived, ignoring his complaints.

It was when Vie said “Erin, these are my friends!” that Erin noticed that tagging along behind them was the injured boy from the previous night.

“You are Carlos, yes?” Erin said.

Carlos’s eyes widened “Eh? Ah, yes.  I am.”

Erin gave a nod at Vie, “You had called out to him last night.”

“Ah.” Carlos said, “By the way, Thank you that.” Erin noticed that in the light his hair turned out to be a dark, dark blue and not black like she had thought before.

 Vie’s ears were pink as she jerked the blond boy forward, “And this fool is Ryan. You can forget about him.”

Ryan huffed, “What do you know? One day I’m gonna be the best huntsman in the country, no, the best huntsman ever. Then you’ll brag about havein’ the honors of knowin’ me ‘fore I made it big.”

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“Who’s goin’ to be the best huntsman ever? Before talkin’ big, you better practice. When was the last time you bested me?” Vie taunted. She gave out a sigh, “Like I said, you don’t need to pay ‘im any attention.”

Erin gave the other girl a faint smile before returning to her breakfast. A couple tables from where she was, Tom was sitting his head in his hands. Surrounding him was most of Vernon’s men. This is a little obvious, Vernon.

“Ahem,” Erin started as the other girl interrupted her train of thought. Vie looked a little sheepishly, her voice just above a whisper, “Could you do another round of healing on Carlos? I mean he’s still a little …”

“Vivien, that’s enough.” Carlos said, “I’m alright.” Vie looked down, avoiding the boy’s eyes.

“So how have you been doing? Any lingering soreness or dizziness?” Erin asked.

Carlos shook his head. “No. but it’s been only a few hours.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Erin’s face. Clinton had always said that her mere presence made him nauseous. “You would be surprised,” she whispered

“Then …” Vie looked up at Erin, her lips trembling slightly.

Erin sighed, her eyes strayed to the door where more people has entered. The day was not going to be peaceful. Better now than later. She turned back to Vie, “Alright,” she said.

Vie let out her breath and a smile spring forth across her face. She pushed Carlos at Erin. “Now, that she’s agreed with it you can’t say nothin’”

“Why would I say anything?” Ryan asked, “If we’re to have a proper contest everyone needs to be at top shape.”

“I wasn’t talkin’ to you,” Vie snapped back.

Carlos chuckled as he watched them bicker. The smile slid off his face as he turned to Erin. “Thank you again,” he said.

Erin nodded. As she began to chant, something that almost resembled a glow surrounded Carlos, “[mors et sanguis sanguinem facti sumus.]” The glow faded as the last syllable left her mouth, leaving behind Carlos with more color than he had earlier.

After she finished, Erin turned back to her breakfast, ignoring the others slipping away. The oatmeal was a little cold now, not that it stopped her from finishing it.

A clamor started up at the entrance. Erin set her spoon into the empty bowl and looked over. The young man who was sent out last night had returned. He collapsed into a chair.

Vernon sat down across the man. “What news?” he asked.

The man shook his head, “no one will help.”

“What of the Heroes?” Frank pressed, “When will the Heroes come?”

The young man’s face darkened. “They’re busy on the other side of the country. The soonest they can leave is in a week.”

“Impossible!” Vernon growled, “it’s gonna take a week? In three days three villages are gone. Maybe more. Do they think any of us would still be around to save?” he slammed his fist into the table. He let out a sigh and sagged back into his seat. “Did they offer anything else?”

The man let out a bitter laugh, “Only that if we had any complaints, we should take care of it ourselves.”

The red headed boy from last night let out a bark of laughter, “So this is what a Hero is.”

“Grant quiet!” Vernon growled, and the boy started. He sighed and turned back to the messenger. 

“So we’re on our own,” he said, standing up. In a bellowing voice he called out “Who’s with us?”

Almost everyone who was still sitting stood up and let out a cheer. “Then go get ready!” Vernon shouted, and the crowd disbursed. Erin noticed however that most that seemed to have any fighting experience were already prepared, and continued to talk in hushed whispers.

When Vernon walked up her, Erin was not surprised. She just looked up at him and said, “You want me go come along.”

He gave her a slight smile, “I know it requires special training for a healers to participate in battle, but even an untrained one would make a large difference for us.”

Vernon looked down at his hands, “we need every help we can get.” He looked back at her, “I’ll offer you every copper I got.”

Erin stood up and started walking back to the room she had been staying. “We can discuss payment if we get out alive,” she called out over her shoulder.