"Save lives for our part also," Landynn's voice echoed.
In her arms, she held a girl. Her body was bruised and her body emaciated. She remembered what had happened to Della, how those things shred down her clothes and had their way with her. How those didn't care for her pain or humility. Those things only cared for pleasure – and fear.
"To such a small girl?" Valora couldn't hold in her rage.
"Save her," Valora felt Landynn whispering to her ears.
She took the girl out of the water and laid her on the ground.
"Bran, the God of medicine. To you I plead, a life lies here in need of care. Take my body and grant her health." She prayed, placing her hands over Sophia.
A white light glowed. Sophia coughed spitting out water. Valora felt her Zest being drained.
Sophia was shivering. She needed to cover herself up. She only had her torn robe piece, but that will have to do for now.
"You can do more," a voice came from her inside.
Valora wanted to do more. She wanted to cover the girl in proper clothes, but that meant going back to that place.
The place where her friends died.
Valora looked at the girl. She didn't know what the girl had gone through. But from her, she learned one thing.
She can't stay weak forever. She can't mourn forever.
She stood up, resolved.
"Don't die on me now," she said to Sophia although Sophia will not hear it.
She didn't want to leave her alone in that place, but she had no choice. When the girl wakes up, she is going to need food and warmth, and if she catches a fever, her spell won't be enough. She walked, hoping the god that led the girl will keep her safe for some more time.
She walked faster than when she came. She had a goal now. She readied her heart to see what remained there.
She felt the dirt on her bare feet. She felt the sun taking her sweat away. Yet she did not care. A voice kept chanting in her mind,
"Do more."
She reached the first town, drained. The ground was soaked in blood and the air smelled of death. She saw weapons and rotting bodies scattered around. She looked around and saw wrecked stores. She hoped that she will not see her friends.
She walked and her feet struck something. It turned out something she knew.
It was a dagger, Della's dagger. Its handle was tied in horse leather. Its hilt had a sparrow carved into it. In the blade, she saw a name carved into it; "Della"
She took the blade in her hands and wept. She glanced around looking for a place to scavenge and met with tailors, an armour shop, and at the corner of the street, an apothecary.
The tailor's sign was hanging on one side. She opened the door slowly and entered. The sign fell behind her in a thud. The inside of the shop was in a state of severe ramshackle. She searched around and found something fitting for Sophia.
After exiting the tailors, Valora entered the armour shop. They will be treading towards danger and they needed protection. She took some leather armour, a pair of gloves and boots. Looking around the shop, she found a rucksack and filled it in with everything in her hands.
She then went to the apothecary and filled the bag with anything she could carry. There was some honey and eucalyptus, black pepper, crushed salt.
Outside, there was a pile of dead horses rotting. She felt her stomach churning, remembering. Near it, there was a staff.
Her staff.
With the rucksack and the staff, she felt encumbered. Yet the words ringed in her mind,
"Do more."
Valora walked back huffing and heaving. Her thighs felt splitting. Her shoulders felt drowning. Yet she carried on.
----------------------------
Sophia woke up to the feeling of the soft ground under her. Her eyes met with a pair of legs. There was someone nearby and that scared her.
The owner of the legs was sitting on a rock. She got up and came towards Sophia. Sophia tried crawling away, startled.
The woman came kneeling. Sophia tried kicking, she tried screaming. Her voice failed her. The woman came in and hugged her.
"You are safe now," she said.
Sophia tried crying, but her tears had already dried.
---------------------------
The stars were sprinkled on the night sky like sugar on a cake. The moon looked down and smiled upon them.
Sophia couldn't speak or cry. She sat staring at the fish served to her.
"Can you tell me your name," Valora asked softly.
Sophia nodded left and right while looking down.
"Can you write?"
Sophia stared down and Valora waited. After some time, Sophia nodded yes.
Valora took a stick from the ground and placed it on Sophia's hand.
"Try writing on the ground," Valora said placing her hand on Sophia's shoulder. Valora felt Sophia's body shivering.
She grabbed the stick, trembling. With great effort, she wrote her name on the dirt.
"Soph...ia, Sophia?."
Sophia nodded saying yes.
"It is a good name," Valora smiled.
"My name is Valora. I don't know what they did to you child, but I have seen what they did to my friends." Valora's voice trembled.
Sophia grabbed her chest, gasping for air.
"Sophia, I know this is hard for you but I need to ask this. Were there others?" Valora placed both her hands on Sophia.
Sophia slowly nodded and huddled into a ball. Valora's eyes widened. She pursed her lips. She needed to do something. She sat near Sophia and looked at the stars.
"I had lost all faith in life, and you came along."
Sophia looked at Valora's legs.
"You might be tired now, but those girls have no hope beside us. I cannot do this alone, will you help me?" Valora pleaded.
Helping them meant going back. Going back to pain. It was worse than death. She trembled like a leaf.
Valora felt awful for asking her to come. She stood up, resolved.
"Wait for me, Sophia. I will come back soon." Valora smiled.
She had healed her, hugged her, fed her and now she is going away. Going to that awful place. Sophia wanted to help, but her body didn't listen. A scene came into her mind. That child called for her mother, never to come back again.
Sophia tried screaming, telling her not to go. She mustered all her strength and stood up.
"Are you coming with me, Sophia? You don't have to force yourself."
Sophia hesitantly nodded saying yes.
"We are going to give them what they gave you, Sophia. We are going to give them pain."