The Arrival of the Plague

[Tara]

The fur-clad woman came upon this town in search of herbs and other ingredients necessary for her apothecary shoppe in Solurius. She knew it was dangerous to go off unprotected, but in the wintry months, it was nearly impossible for her to scrounge for fresh herbs and other plant life herself.

Compared to many, Mairi looked to be a primitive woman. She was, in fact, armed, and her appearance rugged. Her features, however, were soft and womanly; a face framed by curly tendrils of reddened hair. On her person she wore a sheathed sword, two visibile daggers, and a large belt pouch. Strapped to her back were her supplies and a D-shaped bag that she handled most delicately.

Mairi was already familiar with Arn Athyn--she sometimes tended bar at the Tula Mellonamin Inne, which resided a short distance away. As a whole, Mairi disliked civilized life and kept her interactions with others brief, but since familiarizing herself with the people of Solurius, she' recently realized a huge void within her spirit. She now searched outward, at least practically hoping to gain something--herbs and trade goods to help set up her store.

Having walked for almost nine hours, it was in fact time for a rest. However, when Mairi approached the town square, she noticed all was empty. No one rode, not even on horseback. Her hand went to her belt as she found the cause of the silence--a piece of parchment being tossed about by the wind:

NOTICE: The City of Arn Athyn is plague-ridden. Enter at your own risk!

Looking about her, the healer promptly searched for another person. She knew this was one risk, one downfall, of civilization.

And yet, she had never felt so lonely.

[elosia]

Someone would break the unearthly silence of the town square. Bursting out from the door of one of the smaller houses came running a young girl. By the looks of it she looked about 17 with long dark auburn hair all a mess tossing in the wind behind her as she ran. Looking with wide frantic blue eyes for somebody, anybody who could help her. She wore a long cloak with thick gloves and a scarf around her mouth. Holding it against the wind as though even the air would plague her. Which it might even. She spotted a figure walking through the square. Sprinting to her she pulled down the scarf to speak. "Miss! please who are yeh? Say that you're a healer!" Her words were desperate as her hands clung to the scarf and the cloak around her. By the looks of it she didn't seem sick, just rather pale with dark circles under her eyes and very thin. From lack of sleep and starvation and being surrounded by people dieing.

[Tara]

The wind picked up, and Mairi immediately remembered just how long she'd been outside. She would need to find shelter from this snowy environment soon. She was at first on guard when the girl came forth, a hand going to the sword she wore at her side. She backed up a few paces from her though, unsure if she was sick or just tired. She withdrew her hand from the hilt of her sword.

"Aye, I am a healer. What has happened here? How many dead?"

Mairi had, in fact, been looking for a place to purchase herbs; she wasn't sure she had enough of the Nine for more than one patient. Yelling over the wind, Mairi hoped for shelter soon.

[elosia]

The girl was too frantic to notice the strangers hand go on her sword. When the wind blew she pulled her hood up and held the cloak tighter answering, "An illness 'as spread 'ere. I dun know what, but me family is sick. I've seen six dead includin' me pa, I dunno bout any others." She said and pointed at a shabby house a few buildings down with no light in the windows, very dim and dismal. "I live there. Please, me mother caught sick while trying to take care of me pa. She says though if anyone be comin in tah cover their mouths an' put gloves on." Which the girl had. Her mother was a smart woman, but now she was too weak to even move out her bed.

[Tara]

"Your mother spoke right, child."

Mairi suddenly coughed, covering her mouth. The sudden overpowering stench of death was too familiar and too prevalent here. It was enough to make her tear...and even for someone being used to corpses, almost enough to make her vomit.

Mairi hastily produced some ground patchouli from her herb pouch, chosen for its strong scent. Wrapping it in a small bit of white cloth, she held it over her face. She untucked riding gloves from her belt as well, preparing to follow the girl.

"Lead me to your family. I hope you are a fast learner, because of many others are sick, I am going to teach you what to do for them after we see to your kin."

The strong woman gave a reassuring nod to the girl, letting her lead.

[elosia]

The girl nodded, alittle wide eyed but prepared to do what she could. She wrapped the scarf back around her mouth tightly and went back to the building she burst out from. She opened the door, holding it open for the healer and the first room they stepped in was the kitchen. It was dark, only a few candles were lit and the cabinents were open revealing naked shelves clearly there was no food here. She would walk straight through the dark kitchen to an open door where a figure was seen lying in a bed. When they entered the one laying in the bed was an old woman with graying hair and delerious blue eyes. Sweat was beading down on her brow though she shivered as though she were standing out in the snow. And on the side of the old woman's neck was a purple and black colored lymph node...not that they knew what those were heh or well a tumor the size of a tennis ball. The woman closed her eyes and groaned from pains in her head and in her joints. Too ill to even take much notice or care for whoever came in.

The girl looked at her mother near dieing in bed with utmost despair in her eyes. Her lips tightening underneath the scarf. "I dun know what to do. Me father 'ad those...big purple bulges 'cept nearly everywhere. He died a few days ago." Her own blue eyes looked at the healer expectingly as if she could take away the pain within just a few moments. Well how ever she was going to do it the girl would be very close watching and ready to give extra help however she could.

[Tara]

Mairi followed the girl closely, going right to the woman's bedside as soon as she saw her. The room was also quite cold, Mairi noticed.

"She's got the swelling, but no buboles yet," Mairi noted, removing some rosemary from her pouch. "First I'll need you to keep that fire up and boil some water. Do you have any clean white linen, or know where some could be purchased?"

Without question, she withdrew her coin purse. The money had been more than enough for what she'd intended to purchase here, anyway. She withdrew several gold, holding out out to the girl.

"Here, get some food for us all too, while you're at it, this might take some time but don't go to the market, go to a farm."

Mairi wish she'd brought Creidne, her horse, though she had come by foot instead. She noticed a prevelance of birds and rats, though none were in here.

[elosia]

The girl looked up at the healer taking the money. "Tha tailor died a few weeks ago, but I still believe 'er store maybe open and the nearest farm bea not too far away from 'ere." She placed the coins in her apron pocket then moved to the kitchen where there was another door to the very right of the entrance to the home. This had been her fathers workshop, for he had been a carpenter and there was plenty of wood. she grabbed a few blocks of it and returned quickly to the bedroom and placed them in the small, dim fire pit. Skirts flying as she went back into the kitchen and grabbed her flint and steel. Kneeling down by the kitchen hearth to get another fire going. Once the flames burst up she grabbed one of the pots and ran outside to the back of her house to where a small stall was and a well. Not very sure how clean the water would be..but she drew some up and got the water. Returning to the house she placed the water filled pot over the hearth in this..device that would hold it up above the flames.

She stopped in the doorway of the bedroom and said to the healer. "We 'ave a 'orse so I'll take 'er to tha farms. An' tha water bae boilin'." She said then would exit the house. Pulling up the hood of her shabby wool cloak she went to the back where the one stall was. Surprisingly her small palfrey hadn't gotten ill. When it was just her father who was sick her mother took good care of everything...but caught the sickness from him. And the house was relatively clean, there was no scrape of food around so no reason for mice and rats to come wondering by. The girl saddled the horse quickly and mounted up. Backing her out of the stall and flew down the deserted cobblestone alley to where the tailor shop was and then to the farms next.

[Tara]

"Good girl," Mairi commented at her speed and efficiency, "be safe."

She then turned toward the ailing woman. As the girl left, a grim expression quickly covered the healer's face. She went to her pouch, taking a small bit of wrapped bread from it, placing it on the table. As the water boiled, Mairi left the woman's side to find a cup in the back--it was a very evenly carved wooden cup, probably something that the carpenter had made--and filled it with the boiling water.

She unwrapped the bread and dipped the cloth in the hot water. She let it cool in the air as she placed a hand over the lady's forehead.

"Don't worry, my lady, I am here to help you. You might survive alone just on your daughter's love."

She placed the warm cloth over the lady's forehead, and leaving it there, placed some pleasant-smelling herbs in the cup.

"I am one of the Tuatha, my lady, and I carry the Nine herbs to cure what you have."

She dropped more of the pleasant smelling mixture into the cup, and it dissolved into a green color, like green tea.

The woman lay unresponsive, sleeping, but alive. Mairi gently shook her arm.

"Come now, you've got to drink this to get better."

[elosia]

It was a great effort to get those heavy eye lids to open. They seemed to promise the old woman so much comfort and eternal peace if the darkness would just stay forever. But the mention of her daughter got her to draw the little strength she had, scootching up a bit on the bed to try and sit up. Pale, boney hands reached out for the mug. Looking dubiously at the tea the woman gave her then up at the woman. "W-where bea meh daughter?" She asked in a raspy voice. She heard talk of the kingdom Tuatha and took the woman to be a Healer. And..if the woman wanted to kill her and take her things, which there really wasn't much, she figured she would have done so already. She'd cool the tea then take a few ginger sips.


Meanwhile the young Half-Elven girl pulled the chestnut colored palfrey to a stop infront of what had been the Tailors Shop. Dismounting she stepped through the open doorway and peered around. Grimacing slightly the odor of death strong here. Dust was settling in the shop and no one had been around for days. But the girl in hopes fumbled around the cabinents. She found what she was looking for and took the clean white linen. Feeling rather guilty of robbing the dead....she dropped a coin in the till box and went on her way.

The linen tucked into the saddle bag she pressed the horse into a canter to the nearest farm. When she finally reached it she slipped off the saddle and went knocking on the door. She was answered by an old woman covering her mouth and her hands gloved. She eyed the girl carefully for signs of infection before she gave her entrance to her house to sell her the goods. The farmers did not have much but they sold her a hare some carrots, cabbage, and some other vegetables. The girl gave them the money, thanked them, and was on her way back home.

The palfrey wasn't the fastest horse but since she hadn't been excersied recently she flew down the streets. Saddle bag loaded with the linen and the food. She road to the back of the house and unsaddled her. Promising to come and rub her down later. Her arms full of things she pushed the door open with her back and set the things down on the small round kitchen table delcaring. "Back!"

[Tara]

She smiled, happy to see that the woman responded. She realized that there was a chance to help her...a real chance.

Taking the tea from the woman, Mairi added some ground powder to the tea.

"This will taste like sulfur, my lady, not pleasant at all, but I swear it will help you. Your daughter is bravely and carefully collecting a few more supplies that we need to get you well enough to move you from here."

The stench of death was not so bad in this home, but as time went on, Mairi knew it would overtake even the clean house.

"I have the resources to transport you to any family you might have, or to a friend's inne if you have nowhere else. She can give you Elvish medicine if you need it. I believe she approaches now--"

Mairi's keen ears picked up the sound of the palfrey clopping down the road.

"I will need your help in cleaning her entire body," Mairi spoke to the girl before she even saw her again, "then we will cover her with a poultice and wrap her in clean cloth. When she improves, we can move her. Do you have any family that lives out of the city?"

Mairi's hand went to the woman's head as she handed her the more bitter tea.

[elosia]

"O Lord and Lady." The old woman muttered as she took the tea. Taking small sips with a sour face at the taste. While her daughter came into the room, listening to Mairi. Nodding to when she said they would need to clean her mothers body. Glancing to her mother briefly before replying to the healer. "Aye we do. We sent me brother Crispin off with me aunt tah their village a weeks ride from 'ere." Then the girl would roll up her sleeves of her stained blouse ready to anything the healer asked. She and her mother putting their entire trust within her hands.

[Tara]

"Good," Mairi nodded to the girl, "You will have to escort her there while I seek out any others in need of assistance."

The healer subtly withdrew her dagger and handed it to the girl, hilt first, meeting her eyes. She might in fact need it for practical uses--or for the purpose of defending herself from a cutpurse or worse.

Mairi turned her attention back to the ailing woman. Starting with her face, she washed the woman as necessary and nodded to a second cloth for the girl to use. Indicating that she could continue, Mairi paused and went to the hearth, lighting some incense that smelled of roses.

And from her belt pouch, she withdrew the nine--a combination of herbs of the Tuatha more valuable than her own life. They could cure this. She dropped some into the water and curled some into small pellets for ingestion.

"I'm sorry to make you swallow more difficult things, but this is the key to your improvement, my lady," she said to the woman, holding the pellets in front of her mouth. "One at a time now. I'm going to send more of this with your daughter for herself and her brother, or in case her aunt has taken ill as well."

She had just enough left for a few more, she thought, herself included--and she planned to make her way to the inne as quicky as possibly after this lady was seen to.

[elosia]

The girl nodded silently. She knew her way to her aunts but she never went without her father who could handle the dangers better then she could. Slender fingers wrapping around the cold hilt she slipped into into the inside pocket of her apron. Watching as the healer clensed her she nodded again. Taking the second cloth and proceeding with the rest of her body. Her mother laying limp as this was done.

Then the elder woman wheezed and nodded faintly at the pellets. Taking each one slowly while the girl said. "I'll be makin ready tha wagon outside." Stepping out of the house quickly and to the back. Pulling the cover off the wagon her father used to transport his furniture and things to sell and deliver. Taking the small palfrey out of her stall and connecting the wagon..thing to her saddle(or what not). Placing the bridle on as well and getting a longer set of reins. Leaving them on the top seat of the wagon she hurried back inside to help with whatever else before they would be ready to depart.

[Tara]

The healer quickly finished assisting the older woman, who still wore a look of concern.

"Don't worry," she soothed, "I'll accompany you both as far as I can. You are on the path to recovery."

She thought of her apothecary and a hundred other herbs she could have brought with her that might help at least as much, but she was glad enough she had the appropriate remedies at the ready. At last, she, doused the fire with the remaining clean water after collecting some in a few canteens. She strapped them to her back and then helped the woman up, walking her out to the wagon. She would let the girl help her settle--Mairi meanwhile went in and grabbed the remaining supplies, especially the food and blankets. As she exited, snow began to fall at a quick pace.

The horse neighed in protest, and Mairi nodded.

"I know. Just our luck, isn't it?"