Winnie

Staring at the seed in her palm, Winnie sighed. It was a troublesome little thing. Although it spoke no words, it seemed to complain a great deal. It was too cold, the humidity was too low, the water tasted funny, the soil consistency was odd, the concentration of food in the soil was wrong. On and on its complaints went. She looked at the other seeds, sensing similar complaints from the lot. Teresa had brought a selection of rare, exotic seeds she used, so Winnie could see about adding them to their cultivation schedule. It would be a challenge, but not impossible.

Winnie called out to seven of her kin and waited for them to join her in the shed. Once they had assembled, she informed them of their duty. They would each be given a seed to grow. She went through each of the seeds’ complaints and offered suggestions as to how to combat them. Warming stones and glass houses for the heat issue. Turning plants into mulch to nourish the soil. Incorporating cleaned sand into the soil perhaps. They would benefit from working together for some of the issues, but the task was their own. She informed them of the space on the castle grounds that they could use for their projects and sent them on their way.

As she was leaving the shed with Delilah and Teresa, a voice drew her attention.

“Win,” Tristan called to her.

“What’s going on Tris?” Winnie asked. It was odd for Tristan to contact them when he was roaming. He would usually just show up if he needed something.

“I’ve just reached the outskirts of Steinacton,” he informed her, sending the feeling of gravity. “The town is overcome with a plague. The people are leaving in droves.”

“Damn,” she said out loud. She shook her head to her two companions and walked a few paces away. “Recall your roamers. Get them to block the roads. I’ll be sending people to meet them but get them in place for now. Knock people out if they’re unco-operative. Tell them the crown has sent cures. I’ll gather a team and be with you in a mark or so. Secure the temple, get the priest on board. Gather the sick together.”

“Thanks, Win,” he replied with relief.

“None needed. See you shortly.”

Winnie turned back to the two women and asked them to help manage cure production whilst she was away. They readily agreed, eyeing each other suspiciously. Winnie rolled her eyes and asked them to wait while she prepared to leave.

The first thing she did as she walked back to her office was to inform her team of the situation and what she required of them immediately and whilst she was gone. That included Auraya, as technically, Auraya was one of her healers. This situation was going to interfere with their plans, but there was nothing for it. They had chosen to take this path, so follow it they would.

For the initial healing, she would need two healers. Well, she would prefer to have one hundred healers, but as she only had access to three, two would have to do. One would have to remain to attend the home visits and the clinic. Luckily, they had been transitioning their patients to mostly attend the clinic. It cut time and increased revenue. They could see more patients and attend to more of the ones who couldn’t pay. There were still a few who they still attended in their homes, but they were few. Out of Lisa and Viola, Lisa was the more senior healer. Not by much, the girls were only a cycle apart in age, but Lisa had been with them for six cycles, whereas Viola had been with them for four. They had begun their training as soon as they had arrived. They had both proved to be diligent, but Viola’s past affected her confidence. Lisa had a similar story to Seelie. She had been discarded by her parents when they had not been able to afford her. They had left her on the road from Schlu to Horswolpirs with only the clothes on her back. It was only luck that Tristan and Reggie had found her the following day. They had been testing Tristan’s range and had stumbled upon her sitting at the side of the road. She had been wary at first, as any girl of nine should be of a strange man and boy. In the end, the lure of food and the excitement of being talented had drawn her in. She had committed and moved on, making the orphanage her new home and accepting those within as her new family.

Viola, on the other hand, had been born to an unreasonably young mother, who had died in childbirth, and to a bitter and spiteful father, who had wanted a son. She had been blamed for the death of her mother and for her lack of reproductive organs on the outside. Her father had always made her feel worthless. About four cycles prior, Auraya and Reggie had been in Schlu for some reason, and, as Auraya is wont to do, she had brought home a stray. Auraya had seen the two in the market. The older man had been shouting at, denigrating, and belittling the young girl in his company. She had been thin, meek, and malnourished. When he had raised his hand to her, Auraya had defended the girl and threatened the man. The man had said that if Auraya was so troubled with the girl’s welfare, then she could take her. Auraya had agreed and taken the girl away. It had taken their kin about a turn or so to make Viola feel safe and wanted. Her studies had helped her focus, and constant praise had increased her self-worth, but her previous self sometimes surfaced.

Winnie would prefer to take Lisa, as she would need less micro-management in Steinacton, but sensed that it would be better to leave her in charge of the clinic. Viola would probably need a bit more hand holding, but Winnie didn’t feel comfortable leaving her in Jude.

With that decided, she called them both in. Neither should be far, so she did not need to ask for help to bring them in quickly. Whilst she waited, she contacted Auraya and told her to prepare to leave for a few quarters. There was no use asking if she was free to leave, or if she had any commitments to attend to. Auraya would come regardless, and there was no point in arguing with her. The girl could hold a grudge. She told Auraya to organise a small company of guards to come along. They would need a little fanfare.

She then contacted Trevor and asked for a group of his team to come with her. She gave them timings and locations, then stood to go find her team. She then contacted Rafe and asked for a bit of help. By the time she had given him timings and locations, she stood before her team.

They had assembled in the courtyard and were waiting for her to address them. She told them of the situation again, who she would need to take, and the responsibilities of those who remained. Trevor would be sending members of his team to help whilst a large group of them were away. Delilah and Teresa would be present to help with the cure side, and Lisa would oversee the healing. She made sure that everyone knew what they were doing and had no questions before turning to Rafe.

He had materialised at the edge of the courtyard and was waiting for them to finish. The group due to leave collected the bundles, boxes, and bags of supplies they had gathered and went over to him. When they were ready, he took them to the castle. Everyone, including Winnie, rushed off to pack a travel bag before meeting in the training yard.

After packing her bag, Winnie made her way down to Auraya’s office. There, she walked in on an argument between Auraya and Patten. Or, more accurately, Auraya was sitting at her desk with her arms crossed, glaring at Patten, whilst he lectured her as he paced. Winnie listened for a few moments but heard nothing of worth.

“It is inappropriate for you to…” Patten was saying.

“That’s enough,” Winnie told him. He whirled around, glaring at her. “Why the hell are you still here? You need to collect the men you intend to bring and be in the training yard in a quarter mark.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard,” Winnie said harshly through her teeth. “Less noise, more getting a move on. Unless you intend to stay behind.”

“You have no right…”

Within a few breaths, Winnie was right in front of Patten, glaring at him. Granted he did not flinch, but his eyebrows did twitch.

“Now you listen here,” Winnie seethed. “We don’t have time for you to be acting like a spoilt princess. We have a Gods damned job to do. You were warned. You are either with us, or you can bloody leave. Make a choice now and stop wasting time.”

The staring contest held between the two, as they both panted through their rage, lasted for long moments. Patten conceded first, looking at Auraya.

“You intend for me to come with you?” Patten asked her. Winnie raised an eyebrow at Auraya.

“I was trying to tell you,” Auraya replied with a great deal of exasperation.

“Very well,” he told her, brushing non-existing lint off his doublet. “My men and I will meet you in a quarter mark.”

“No less than ten,” Winnie called after him as he was leaving. “Right. Are you ready?”

“I am,” Auraya told her.

They bid farewell to Gina and made their way down to the training yard where most of their kin had already assembled. Winnie began to organise them into groups. Her kin from the clinic distributed supplies amongst the groups but kept the main bulk for the group heading to the temple. Patten arrived shortly before the deadline with over a dozen of his knights. Winnie divided them into the separate groups, eyeing anyone who questioned her. She saw a touch of arrogance from a few, but most seemed to accept her orders. She hadn’t been around much since the Crowning, so she didn’t know which of the knights had taken the oath. She knew their names, but not their faces. She would need to amend that.

Winnie put those thoughts out of her mind and surveyed the assembled group. Auraya, Patten and seventeen of his guards, Rafe and six of his steppers, eighteen from Trevor’s team and twenty-six from her own team. Once she was satisfied everyone knew their roles and destinations, Winnie ordered the road blocking teams to head out. She then directed those who would search the surrounding villages of Steinacton to set out and join the roamers. Finally, she ordered her own group to leave as soon as word arrived from Tristan.

Winnie blinked and found herself in a large yard at the back of a temple. There she found Tristan and a young priest in worn robes. After giving thanks to Rafe, Winnie approached Tristan and ignored the priest’s shock.

“What do we have?”

“From what I can tell, at least one person from each household has fallen ill,” Tristan told them. “From infection, it takes half a turn before death takes them. It started perhaps a turn and a half ago. Many have been lost. About a turn ago, Lady Edwyn ordered for the gates town to be closed. Priest Johnson believes the guild has contained the sickness within, but no help has been given to those without.”

Winnie turned to Johnson with a frown. The young man flinched but Winnie didn’t bother to correct his clear assumption that she was angry at him. All her anger was reserved for the guild and affluent. The situation was appalling. They had left these people die, and potentially infect the rest of Moralis.

“Priest Johnson has assembled aid from business owners and families outside the walls. A space has been provided for the sick. They are being moved from their homes as we speak.”

“Lead on,” Winnie told him.

They followed Tristan and the priest through the temple and out the front door. Like the main temple in Jude, the structure was attached to a square of sorts. Businesses sat in a rough square around a large, cobbled area. Winnie spotted a cluster of townsfolk moving wooden structures to the side. Market stalls. In their place, rough sheets of canvas were being strung up to form large tents. As they watched, prone figures were being carried into the tents that had already been erected. Winnie was impressed. She had faith in Tristan, but little in others. She had not thought that the people would move as quickly as they had. People still had to ability to surprise her. Priest Johnson must have good standing within the community.

Winnie took a deep breath, then began relaying orders. She directed the healers to the closest tent to begin their assessment of the sick. Patten and Emerson went with them, trailing after Auraya. She divided the remaining guards and Trevor’s team to help the townsfolk. She asked Tristan and the priest to remain in contact with the roaming teams to ensure that the sickness did not spread too far. As people had been evacuating when Tristan had arrived, there was no doubt that the sickness would touch the surrounding villages, but they hoped to limit its reach. It would be disastrous if it reached another city or town. Given the distance, it was improbable, but not impossible. The roamers would have their work cut out for them. The presence of the castle guards should help though. She ordered the priest to gather maps of the surrounding areas to ensure they covered the area effectively and efficiently. He readily marched off with Tristan.

Once they went on their way, Winnie went to find Auraya. She found her sat next to an older man who looked emaciated, pale, and on the verge of death. As Winnie approached, the man’s pallor improved, he coughed and opened his eyes. His queries and confusion were ignored as Auraya moved onto the next person. One of Winnie’s kin quickly filled the empty space and soothed the man. When Auraya had finished healing a young boy, Winnie caught her attention.

“What do you know?” Winnie asked of her.

“It’s…” Auraya began, brow furrowing. “A tiny life. It multiplies inside and stops the body’s functions. It is aggressive, and we don’t have a natural way to fight it. Those who have caught it though… will probably survive, if they were to catch it again.”

“How do we contain it?”

“Heat…” Auraya murmured; her eyes distant.

“Heat?”

“Everything the sick have touched must either be burnt or cleansed. Use lavender and oregano for hands and surfaces. Mouths and noses must be covered; it dances in the air. A tincture of sage, garlic and the like should be consumed as a preventative.”

“Anything else?”

“Not yet,” she replied airily, she had already moved onto the next person.

Winnie turned and walked to one of her kin. Gloves and face coverings would be distributed amongst those who would work with the sick. A hand washing station would be set up at the entrance of the tents, regularly changed, heated, and infused with the herbs. She directed another of her kin to begin washing the sick and their clothing. She moved to a smaller tent that had been occupied by her apothecaries and relayed instructions for the blends they would need. As she left the tent, a group of townsfolk approached her. They were noisy and tense. Winnie kept walking until she had reached the tent that Auraya occupied.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The leader of the group shouted at Winnie, a burly woman with a tight scowl. Instead of replying, Winnie directed her eyes at Patten. She raised her brows to him, and he made his way out of the tent.

“I’m talking to you,” the woman shouted.

“I am aware,” Winnie replied. “My name is Winnifred. I run a clinic in Jude. When we heard there was an outbreak in Steinacton, we came to help.”

“Why should we accept help from… children,” the women cried in disbelief.

Winnie felt his presence but didn’t turn.

“My lady,” Patten greeted softly.

“You…” the woman said. “You’re from the Castle Guard in Jude.”

“Indeed,” Patten responded stepping forward and stretching out a hand. “I am John Patten, Captain of the Castle Guard in Jude. Her highness and her kin have come to aid you in your time of need.”

The shock silenced the woman for only moments. “But… they’re children.”

“That they are,” Patten replied with a wry laugh. “And yet they are quite accomplished.” He patted Winnie on the shoulder, irking her but she remained silent. “Winnifred here may be young, but she is efficient and judicious. Come look, some are already recovering.”

Patten led the group into the tent before they could make another remark. They were clearly astonished at the sight of their family members returning from the brink of illness. Many a tear was shed. Winnie waited for an appropriate amount of time for the realisation to sink in. For them to realise that they could and would help the people of the town.

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“This is merely the beginning,” she told the group. “There is much to do, and we will need your help.”

The group eyed her silently. She waited, Patten’s presence had given her some legitimacy, but it would still be a leap of faith for them to put their lives in her hands.

“What do you need of us?” The burly woman asked.

From there, Winnie sent a few of the group to gather more help. This would only work if they could get the whole town somewhat involved. She wanted word to spread throughout the outer town that they would need the aid of each and every household. She directed a few to find large containers to be cleaned and filled with water. She ordered a few out to collect wood for fires. Those who were familiar with cures and herbs were directed to the smaller tent where her kin were blending. She directed a pair to summon the town’s apothecaries. The supplies they had brought would only go so far; they would need to find a local source. Those who were familiar with healing were directed to help the ailing and aid the organisation of those arriving. With only two healers, they would need to prioritise those who were closest to death or at the greatest risk. Those in the earlier stages of illness would be cleaned, fed, and made comfortable whilst they waited to be healed. Winnie then sent several of the townsfolk to ensure that all the sick were being brought to the square. She was certain there would be households that would be reluctant to bring their sick and ailing. She needed the locals to thoroughly spread the word that they were there, and they were helping. Once people were aware that the sick were actually cured, it should help to convince the sceptical. She let them know that they would heal all ailments, but the plague they were fighting would take precedence. Winnie then directed a few to begin making a large quantity of food. They were divided into two; one group went to gather cooking implements to bring to the square, whilst the other group went to gather ingredients.

By that point, other groups had gathered, and sent to join this group or that group. Patten remained with her to assuage those who joined after his speech. Not everyone was accepting of her authority. When they saw the castle guards following her orders though, it seemed to pacify some. But others still needed to hear that they had been endorsed by the crown. No-one had realised that Auraya was one of the healers yet, and Winnie hoped to keep it that way. She was flanked by two guards and two of Trevor’s warriors at any given time, but it would be best if her presence was kept quiet. She would leave that to Patten and his men. Winnie put it to the back of her mind and made a note talk to Patten.

As yet another tent went up and began to be filled, Winnie turned her eyes to the sound of wheels on cobblestones. One of the roamers and a castle guard were hurtling into the yard. She raised an eyebrow at their speed, and the grin on Timmy’s face. The knight was hanging on for dear life, looking extremely unsettled. Timmy reined the horses in, quite forcefully, bringing the wagon to a halt several paces from Winnie. He jumped down and walked over to her.

“Found this family scurrying off to Streibe,” Timmy told her, poking a thumb over his shoulder. Winnie followed him to the open backed wagon to see a family of six unconscious. Winnie eyed him.

“They wouldn’t change their mind,” he told her with a shrug. She hadn’t actually been admonishing him.

“Good work,” she told him.

She indicated for a group to take the family into the empty tent that had been reserved for the roamers. She waited until Viola had finished attending to an older woman before leading her into the tent. After a quick assessment, the girl pronounced that they were all in the early stages of sickness. Winnie thanked her, then directed her kin to move the family to the main tents. She gave orders for her kin to monitor the tent for new arrivals on a regular basis, and for Viola to be summoned to check perform an assessment of their health.

Once that was done, she took Timmy and his guard to the cures tent.

“Is it ready?” Winnie asked one of her kin.

“The first batch is done,” she was informed. The girl looked over Winnie’s shoulder, then handed her three vials. Winnie turned after giving her thanks and headed back to the pair.

“Drink this,” she told them, thrusting the vials at each of them.

“What is it?” The guard asked, eyeing the concoction warily.

“A mix of garlic, oregano, sage, and other herbs,” she informed him. To his still bemused expression, she continued. “It should help to prevent you falling ill from the same sickness here.”

He eyed it, then drank it in one, grimacing at the taste. Both Timmy and Winnie mimicked him. After retrieving the vials and placing them in a bucket to be cleaned and reused, Winnie approached another table. She grabbed two vials and walked back to the pair.

“Before you leave, use the washing station by the entrance,” she ordered, handing over the vials. “Use this on your hands if you come into contact with any you suspect may be sick.”

“What’s in this one?” The guard asked.

“What’s your name?” Winnie asked, eyeing him.

“Ackers,” he told her, squaring his shoulders and straightening his spine. “Jeremy Ackers, Second Lieutenant of the Jude Castle Guard.”

Winnie didn’t really know what his rank meant, but she could discern that he wasn’t wet behind the ears. The guard was tall, broad of shoulder, but slightly thin of waste. His hair was somewhere between gold and brown, long-enough to be wind-swept, but still short enough not to be a nuisance. His features were soft, but the stubble made him seem slightly rugged. If Winnie was reading him correctly, he was simply curious. He did not project suspicion or distrust.

“It contains a mix of lavender and oregano and such,” Winnie told him slightly exasperated. “It should prevent the illness from lingering on your skin. External use only.”

The guard nodded, seemingly pacified. Timmy looked between the two, eyebrows raised. Winnie nodded her head, and the boy led the guard away.

Winnie turned to see two men and a woman being led towards her. One man was sneering, the other looked curious, and the woman… the woman looked high. Winnie sighed, readying herself for another confrontation.

“What is the meaning of this?” The sneering man complained.

The lead woman from the earlier confrontation, Sam, ignored the man and introduced the trio to Winnie as the three leading apothecary owners in the town.

“The herbs we brought will not last,” Winnie told the group without preamble. “The group in that tent will inform you what we are in need of, and how much.”

“What exactly do you think you’re going to do with the supplies?” The sneering man asked.

Winnie’s face dropped from impassive to contemptuous between one blink and the next.

“I’m confused. Have you not noticed that an outbreak has occurred in your town,” Winnie explained as if he were simple. “We are using the cures to reduce fevers and nourish. The rest is used for cleansing, and a preventative from catching the sickness.”

“There is no cure to this illness,” the sneering man informed her with an absurd amount of triumph when referring to the death of innocents.

“And as you might have realised, had you listened, I did not claim to be making a cure to dispel the illness itself.”

“Then your efforts are fruitless,” he spat dismissively, looking around at the hustle and bustle. “What is it you think you children can do, when the guild was not able to help us?”

Winnie took a breath and placed her hand in her pocket. She fingered her seeds whilst staring at the man. Long moments, she stood silently, imagining his neck riddled with sores. When she had calmed, she turned and indicated to a group of guards working amongst the townsfolk.

“Do you recognise the livery of those guards?”

“Purple… a tree. They’re… the Castle Guard of Jude,” he replied hesitantly, seeming slightly unnerved.

“We are backed by the crown,” she told him, calmly. “I presume you know what that means.”

“The talented are among us,” he murmured, still regarding the guards.

“Indeed. The illness is slowly being cured by those with such talents. However,” she said forcefully, regaining his attention. “They are few, so we must do what we can to keep the ailing alive and prevent others from catching it.”

“Winnifred,” the dazed looking woman said in an airy tone. Winnie looked at her, brows scrunching a little at her countenance. “Winnifred of Jude.”

“Yes…”

“It would be a pleasure to work with you,” the woman said with a small smile. The two men eyed her suspiciously. When she noticed their regard, she spoke again.

“Delilah’s apprentice.”

Winnie reeled for moments. She could not imagine Delilah spending time with a woman such as this. Her head clearly inhabited a plane far from their own. Perhaps she had misjudged the obviously stoned woman. Perhaps she was brilliant at her profession, and ingesting narcotics was her muse. Regardless, Winnie would not see her anywhere near the cures.

At the mention of Delilah, the men turned to Winnie with something close to awe.

“You all know of Delilah,” Winnie asked them. Winnie had not left Jude for some cycles; she didn’t know much of what occurred elsewhere in Moralis.

“Her family has a legacy of greatness amongst apothecaries,” the curious man told her. “She visits perhaps once a cycle. Some cycles back, she spoke of an apprentice who would likely succeed her.”

Winnie was unwittingly touched by the man’s words. A slight warmth invaded her cheeks. Delilah rarely doled out praise, so to hear it so far away from home was a surprised. Shaking her thoughts back into line, Winnie faced the trio.

“Will you aid us?”

“Payment?” The sneering man asked hesitantly. Winnie had the impression that the man’s face rested in a sneer. His tone did not reflect his expression.

“You will be re-imbursed by the crown,” Winnie told him with resignation.

After hashing out the details, Winnie left the group to their tasks. The dazed woman would assemble a group to go gathering in the forests surrounding Steinacton. The curious man would join the healers, as he only made cures to apply to his patients. The sneering man would work with those in the tent to prepare the cures and cleansers. They all left to gather their supplies from their respective shops, to gather their colleagues and acquaintances, and to commence their tasks.

As she walked over to the corner that would provide them with food, another roamer appeared and was directed to the appropriate tent. This time the family were awake, but visibly shaken. Winnie ignored them and carried on her way.

A rotund man had taken control of the cooking area, he was shouting out orders to his helpers: cut this, wash that, move this, pick up that, wash your damn hands. Winnie was satisfied that he seemed to have everything under control. She asked him if he needed anything. He claimed that he could do with more vegetables. She left after informing him that she would see to it. After enquiring with a few passers-by, Winnie called for two of her kin that she could spare and walked them over to a nearby garden. After rooting around in her satchel, she passed out true potato seeds, red and green pepper seeds, carrot seeds, and cabbage seeds. She told her kin to grow as much as they could without tiring too much.

After that, she went to the temple. It would seem far more roamers had returned than she had realised. In perhaps three marks, most of them would be able to return. They would still leave three groups out to continue cycle through the surrounding villages and three to block the roads. There were three roads that led from Steinacton. North led to Streibe, which only had the one road between the two towns. The smaller town was quite isolated, so it was unlikely that anyone travelling in that direction had gone further. It would not take long to check the town and the surrounding villages to the north. The western road led to Frohngenfeld, and Achertengen. It would take time to check along those routes, given that the earliest the infected could have left would have been about two turns ago. In the south, the road split. One route went to Jude, and the other led to the rest of Moralis. They would need to focus their efforts on that route. Jude was close and large. It would be cataphoric if the sickness were to reach the capital. Likewise, if they lost a family or two to the south, there was no telling how far the sickness could reach. Given the amount of time since the sickness had begun, they would have noticed if it had reached Jude, but Winnie sent a message to her kin regardless to keep watch for it. The road from Steinacton led straight into Whitegate, so they would be the first to see it.

At any rate, the roamers were doing well with their searches. The presence of the guards was helping – not all the time though – the people seemed more likely to trust their word when they saw a guard emblazoned with the livery of the crown. For those who were still reluctant to leave, the roamers simply incapacitated them and brought them back anyway. There was no room for selfishness. As far as Winnie knew, there were only three people in Moralis capable of combating this sickness. They did not afford to let people spread it.

Once she had left them to it, Winnie noticed a group had assembled towards the edge of the square. They had filled the square with tents and were awaiting new instructions. She directed the large group of townsfolk, her kin, and guards to follow her. She found Sam with a group along the way and led them all to food area. The rotund man, Peter, offered them bread, cheese, and ale. Whilst they ate, Winnie explained her next plan.

“As you’ve probably heard, or realised,” Winnie told them between bites. “This sickness lingers on surfaces and in the air. We can heal and help as much as we like, but if we do not remove the sickness from your homes, it will all be for naught.”

Some looked a little confused at her words.

“It lingers… in the air?” One man asked looking around. “How can you tell such a thing?”

“Our healers can sense it in the body,” she told them. “They don’t need their eyes to find it.”

She hoped the mysterious nature of the talented would silence some the questions she couldn’t or did not want to answer. There was a great deal she didn’t understand about the sickness. Auraya had called it a small life. A sickness that was alive and inside us wreaking havoc. It was disconcerting to say the least. She put the thoughts out of her mind, she needed to get these people to do as she directed.

“So,” she continued. “As we can’t see it, we need to burn or clean everything.”

She let her words sink in as she chewed slowly on her cheese. She looked around, gauging emotions. Some looked tired. Some looked disbelieving, whilst others looked determined. She wasn’t sure whether they fully understood yet.

“I mean every house, shop, shed, and pig pen in Steinacton.”

She watched as her words sunk in. This would not be an easy venture.

“The streets will need to be cleaned, litter will need to be removed, walls and windows will need to be washed.”

The group settled into silence as they thought about what she was asking.

“There are many who will not agree,” a short woman told her.

“That’s why we have guards,” Winnie replied with a shrug. “Inform them that more will be commissioned if they are unco-operative.”

Winnie sighed at the group’s scepticism. She needed to impress upon them the gravity of the situation.

“We have neither the means, nor the method to create a cure for this illness, and we only have two talented healers. The going is slow. We have people out searching for those that have left because if this spreads, it could mean the end of Moralis. It holds no prejudice, infecting the young, the old, the rich, the poor. It kills with impunity and so far, no-one has survived. As far as we can tell at least. It needs to end here, and to do that, we need to eradicate all corners that may harbour the illness.”

She took a breath, looking at her audience, seeing that she had their full attention.

“It needs to end here. And if there are people who wish to fight our efforts, then they will need to be put down.”

The gasps of shock made her backtrack.

“Rendered unconscious whilst we do our work, I mean.”

One of the guards eyed her suspiciously. She ignored him. His opinion did not matter.

They discussed how they were going to tackle the project. The group eventually made its way to the temple to look over maps of the town. There were roughly one thousand building in the outer town. A mixture of homes and businesses. The group that had gathered to aid them was but a fraction of the town’s population. They would need far more help to see the endeavour to fruition – in a timely fashion. As such, they divided the town into sections. A group would gather cleaning solutions, cures, and rags in a cart to take to each of the sections. They would go door to door and inform the residents of their activities and their need for aid. They would insist on helping the resident clean in the presence of a guard, to ensure that it was done. Winnie was not satisfied with taking anyone on their word that they would do the job appropriately. It would only take a few perfunctory efforts and the whole endeavour would be for naught. Once a row of buildings had been attended to, a water and a fire elemental would be sent to clean the streets and the outsides of the structures, whilst two or three people collected litter and detritus. She directed a small group to prepare the tubs for washing clothing and linens, and she sent another small group to prepare a fire on the on outskirts of town. The burnings would commence the following day and all would be offered a chance to wash their belongings in the cleansing tubs. Once they had ironed out a few more details, the groups set off to work.

Left alone again, Winnie exited the temple and walked towards the tents. A buzz at the back of her mind caused her to direct a trinkle of magic to her pendant.

“Winnie?” Gina called.

“What’s the matter, sweet?”

“Smythe came looking for O and Patten.”

“Evasive?”

“Yes, though I’m not sure how long that will last.”

“Keep at it. Let me know if there’s a problem.”

“Ok. Stay safe.”

“And you.”

Winnie pondered whether to tell Auraya. She would be engrossed in healing, and hearing about Smythe might annoy her to the point of distraction. She settled with informing Patten, then stopped. She wondered when she had begun to rely on him. That morning, she had shouted at him, and hadn’t apologised when she had realised it was Auraya being Auraya that had caused the situation. She had to admit to herself, that he was somewhat reliable.

She spent time over the next few marks ensuring everyone had what they needed, knew what needed to be done, and resolving issues. Their numbers thankfully rose after a mark or two. Winnie directed them where they were needed and continued to supervise.

Soon, the number of healed began to swell. They were mostly fed and sent on their way. Those who were still fragile from the illness were sent to a tent reserved for them. The old, the young and compromised would still need care and cures to regain their strength. A merchant tried to cause a fuss at having been forcibly returned to Steinacton, but when he was told he was infected, he quickly quieted.

Winnie walked whilst using her senses to find her kin. The sun was touching the horizon, telling her that the day would soon be over. She wondered if she should recall the cleaning groups but decided to wait another mark. The day had rushed past her without her taking much notice.

She walked into the entrance of a tent, washed her hands, and donned a mask. She walked past rows of the sick, heading for Auraya but then stopped. When she laid eyes on her kin, she noticed that Auraya was pale with shadows under her eyes. She looked like she had not slept or eaten properly in the last turn. Patten was stood behind her, murmuring incessantly. She had been about to rebuke him and demand he explain why Auraya looked like a stiff breeze would blow her through the veil. But it looked like the older man was arguing with her. Or at least, arguing at her. She appeared to be ignoring him, pouring her magic into a frail little girl.

Winnie let her senses roam and found that the girl was on the verge of death. Her light was fading, and Auraya was throwing everything she had into keeping the girl alive. Winnie started moving again when she realised what was happening. She wasn’t quite fast enough. All the tension suddenly left Auraya’s body and she went down. Winnie tried to reach her, but it was unnecessary. Patten caught Auraya, and lifted her into his arms. As Winnie approached, she could hear him cursing and complaining. A small smile touched her lips to see the captain’s composure slip. She interrupted his little tirade.

“She’ll be okay,” Winnie told him with a wry smile. “She does this sometimes. You just have to make sure she sleeps for at least five hours and eats heartily.”

“Five hours?” Patten exclaimed in disbelief.

“Well, eight would be ideal, but it’s unlikely she will agree to that. Five is the minimum though, if she wishes to continue tomorrow.”

Patten sighed, looking down at the girl in his arms. She looked small and young and innocent. The defiance that usually sat in her expression was gone. She looked relaxed and at ease. Winnie looked at Patten again. The fact that Auraya had let herself reach the point of exhaustion with only Patten to rely on, spoke of how much she trusted him. It was a rarity, but Winnie was beginning to feel the same. The man was loyal and honourable. He spoke his mind and seemed to want the best for her. There was nothing worse than having a simpering, spineless fool for a companion. One could never be at ease. Patten was not that in the least.

Winnie took a breath and tried to accept the older man. She was not fond of change, nor of people, but she thought she could tolerate the addition of this man.

Winnie shook her head, then followed the pair into the temple to organise their sleeping arrangements.