Strange Land (The Young Ancients Book 15)

by P. S. Power

  Shrugging, she focused, and made her magical clothing shift. Oddly enough, most of the people didn't seem to really notice her doing it. They were busy, true, but even the few that looked at her directly didn't really get it. She went from a simple tunic and trousers to a rough burlap bag. One that looked like there was a hole in the top for her head to stick through. Her arms through similar holes in the sides, leaving them bare. It was probably scandalous, but no one seemed to care about that either.

  No one reacted to her in any way, even as she borrowed a silver metal cup that was made of tin and grabbed some sea water, then used some ash from the wood fire to make a dark paste.

  Not knowing the method used by these people, Sara improvised and simply smeared a single handful across her brow. She could do the whole face later, if Roget did. Otherwise she was just as happy not doing that, if it was all the same. There was sand in the ash mix, and it wasn't smooth against the flesh. It would also be irritating as it dried. Which given the itchy clothing she had on was probably the point. It was a way for her to show that she wasn't important. That only what she was doing was? Hopefully that was the case.

  Her feet and lower legs were bare, shaved smooth, since that was the custom at home. Women, and some men of a certain station, made sure that they didn't have offensive body hair that could show if they were nude in public. The younger woman looked at her legs closely.

  It was enough that one of the other women scolded her for it.

  "Addie! It's rude to watch a person too closely like that. You know better. Especially after what happened earlier." This came from a woman that looked to be about thirty through the face, but had heavy eyebrows, and a bit of hair on her upper lip. Back home women would have taken care of that kind of thing. At least the ones in the big cities. The country folk were a little less particular that way, which could be what was going on here.

  This place wasn't huge. It never had been, at a guess.

  Now it was pretty clear that the nearly twenty people on the beach were about half the little village's population. The rest were children, at a guess. Not that anyone told her this, but a few of the women were worried that Elise might have problems with all the little ones alone.

  It was telling.

  So were the horrified stares that she was being given.

  Roget took a very deep breath, taking in the sea air, which was fresh, if a bit ripe, even after all the storms.

  "Yes. I shall do the same, Captain Debri."

  His version took less time, and his clothing was nicer in the end. Not that it wasn't magic too, but he had a much softer looking outfit on, if torn in places. It was all a smudged white tunic, and trousers. Then he decorated his forehead with a bit of ash. It was clearly a half measure, compared to what she'd done.

  To her surprise Mara, the saint, was the one that went next, wearing the same outfit, but decorating her face too.

  "We will go now and see that everyone is blessed by this bounty from above."

  That got the head man, the Day Leader, to shake his head. His voice was a bit sorrow filled, but his words still managed to be pompous at the same time. At least to Sara. No one else seemed to notice it.

  "Nay, girl. You are to stay here, and do your duty as a... saint." There was a direct and somewhat angry glance toward Mara. No one else could hope to run the device that had appeared, after all.

  The woman looked down, then back at the food device, which still had water flowing to it. Without waiting she started to make food, creating flour, sugar and a variety of fresh fruits and meats. Mainly mutton.

  They didn't have a lot to put it in, and no one else moved to help much at all. Addie, the girl, broke the silence that had come upon them all, as they carefully stood there not paying attention to Sara or Roget.

  "Es! Ya'lala empry set deh. Naho, simalula!"

  If it was a language, it wasn't one of the four that Sara recognized. She glanced at her crew and then Roget, but it was one of the other women that translated.

  After a fashion.

  "The All High speaks! We must go from village to city, across the land, delivering his bounty!"

  That was news to Sara, but she nodded anyway, getting that these two were using some kind of trick to get the others to go along with common sense. It was nearly brilliant of them, if that was the case. After all, her job was to do almost exactly that. It would be quicker if they could fly in, but the whole point of her being there was to get them help. Not make herself comfortable while doing it.

  "Praised be the All High?" She spoke the words plainly, not certain if it was the right thing to say, but Laroque threw his hands in the air, high over his head.

  "Praised be! All glory to Him!"

  Then he stripped his clothing off, except for a pair of rather stained looking undershorts, and smeared his face with sand and bits of coal.

  That got the rest of the crew to do the same, except for Sam from Vagus. He changed to match her, wearing a coarse sack. Suddenly they seemed well dressed. Roget practically seemed fussy compared to the rest of them too.

  The Day Leader did the same as her men did, and actually led them away, walking. On foot. Which was going to take a while. Especially going without shoes like they all were.

  Roget, getting that she wouldn't understand what was happening, or why, told her what the situation was. His voice was somber, as if it were all to be taken seriously.

  "The young lady, she spoke in tongues. The One using her as His vessel. The other woman, touched by His spirit, translated the words so all would know them. Given this, we must all go to the next village and start a walking campaign." There was emphasis on must. The clear idea being that they didn't have a real choice. Because that was fair? Sara nodded however, not letting her real thoughts show. She was good at that, wasn't she?

  Hiding what was going on inside her mind. She had to be, to work with all those wizards. Tor was the worst that way, too. Always trying to read her mind.

  To see if she really loved him, probably.

  Sara did, of course, which he knew. The sad thing there was that she didn't think he felt the same way. Not really. Oh, he was her friend, and would give up his life for her. There was that, without any doubt. The thing there was that he'd once gone to his nearly certain death... to protect a woman that was perhaps his worst enemy in the world. She'd been there, and had seen it happen. Her friend, so little and pale then for all that he was perfect, ripping himself apart, almost to his death, to fight the seven Larval Assassins that came at him.

  To save fucking Maria Ward.

  If the woman hadn't been a Countess, Sara would have had her killed. As it was, she'd been tempted to have it done anyway. The bitch had hurt her friend after all. Damaged a good man, for her own petty reasons. Only begging from the King himself had stopped her.

  Except that wasn't really what had happened, was it? King Richard had looked at her, as if sad, and shook his head. Then asked her to reconsider. It had been a big thing, at the time, all those years before. King's didn't ask. Not people like her. What had she been back then? Some merchant's daughter? A spy in training? Still, instead of having her put to death for daring to speak against a member of the peerage, King Richard had treated her as if she were someone important. Like she could have actually managed to remove Maria from the world, even if he chose to struggle against her in the action.

  So she hadn't gone after the Countess Ward. It had nearly led to Tor dying, and then later going mad. No one else made the connection, but she did. It wasn't all Maria's fault, but the woman certainly hadn't helped her friend grow stronger over time, had she?

  Sara looked at the others there, and had to wait, since it was clear that the Day Leader was the one they needed to follow. After all, none of the others really knew where the closest town was. That turned out to be nearly ten miles away.

  Her feet had blisters after only the first half of the trip, and she wasn't the only one to be limping along when they got to the little hamlet. No
one there met them however. Roget didn't wait, setting up one of the magical devices, taking water from the river that flowed there. Then he made food. Enough for hundreds of people.

  Except only a few came out to see what was happening. Three at first. All women.

  They wore dresses that were barely held together in places. They also looked so thin that Sara thought she could make out their ribs under the heavy clothing.

  It was the Day Leader that sank to his knees first, and informed them of what was happening.

  "Rejoice! We bring a miracle from the All High! It is manna, from his own kingdom above the clouds! Come, see this wonder, and eat. We shall pray so that you may nourish yourself on his larder."

  This time there was no questioning their intent. No one suggested that the devil was behind it all. Others came out once the first woman called for them to. Most of the people were too sick to do it though. That meant they had to be taken food, one by one. Their strength having fled already.

  That took time, but food, plus the use of a healing amulet, helped most of them immediately. No one died while they were in that little town. Several of the stronger people stripped to their under things and rubbed dirt or ash on their heads, then set off to go with them.

  They didn't stop to sleep, even when the night came. They just hobbled on, sore feet bleeding in places. Going to town after town.

  At each point Sara expected to be met with real resistance. For there to be fighting, or at least name calling. This method seemed to be working though. The people of Tellerand weren't going to turn down free food. Not if they could accept it at all. All the praying and kneeling was making it so that they could.

  The problem that arose was a bit of a surprising one. Most places didn't actually have a saint to work the device for them. She couldn't spare anyone to do it either.

  Not from their little pilgrimage group, or whatever they were going to call it.

  Those places that didn't have anyone to make the food for them, simply took what was offered, and then seemed to accept that it would be all that would come. They were pleased enough by it, but that wasn't the plan, was it?

  Sara looked over at Roget finally, when they got to rest by a small fire in the center of a tiny town. Waving she got him to walk to her. He hobbled barely making it. They were all like that now though. Her feet were killing her, but she didn't heal herself, since the obvious pain was part of why everyone was listening to them, she thought. It was a sacrifice, and people here responded well to that kind of thing.

  "We need to get more saints in. Do you think that Harmony has enough to get things started?" She meant people from Tellerand, who were actual saints, but he smiled slowly, and gave a nod.

  Then he spoke, his voice nearly cheery.

  "Yes! The people of the Moon shall come and make sure that all eat! I can..." Then he stopped and shook his head a little. "I was going to say that I could call on the Queen there, but she's much too far above my own station. I wouldn't be heard, would I? Perhaps if I summon up the post mistress, she could talk to those who could start something into motion?"

  It was a plan, but Sara could see it going wrong in a half dozen ways. The simple thing to do though was to get in touch with Terry first. It was his land after all. Then Tiera. Pulling out her communications device, she tapped out the boy's name first, wondering what time it was up there. It didn't take long for her to find out. It was school time.

  "Terrance Baker. I'm in class at the moment, can I speak with you later?"

  There was a murmur that sounded like an adult woman was about to come and paddle him for being disruptive. Sara grinned, since that wouldn't be happening. Still, he could be scolded for it.

  "Sorry for the interruption Terry. This is Sara Debri, in Tellerand? We need several thousand people that can work food devices to come and help out here. Not enough of the people can do it. Oh... That begging and humbling myself thing worked pretty well. The people of Tellerand have accepted that this is a miracle from the All High. Which it is, of course. I'll let you get back to class. You can set that up after you get out? I'll get with Tiera and... Um, Tim, probably, and see if we can't get that going earlier than that." The voice of the teacher, if that's who it was, had gone silent.

  After a moment, Terry cleared his throat. He was young, and sounded it, but clever enough.

  "That's a good plan. I'll get right on that, as soon as I can. I'm sure that everyone will be willing to help." He didn't really sound that way. Probably because the people of his new land were well known for making a pain out of themselves.

  "Debri out." She disconnected, so that Terry wouldn't try and go into a ten minute easing of the conversation, and be in even more trouble than he was going to be. It was a rude, and slightly military, way of ending a conversation on one of the communication devices, but it was effective, so she used it.

  Then, as if she had a right to do that kind of thing, she tapped the sigil code that would get her in touch with Queen Tiera directly. If the woman hadn't taken to having a secretary handle that kind of thing for her yet.

  "Tiera here. Go." She sounded a bit worn and tired.

  Enough so that Sara forgave the curtness of the words. Given that the young woman hardly needed to sleep, and was a lot stronger than most people would have imagined, that was telling as to how hard her life was at the moment.

  "Sara Debri here. Calling from Tellerand? We need people that can work the... miracle food devices sent by the All High. They'll need to be willing to pray as they make food for people." It wasn't exactly subtle of her, but people were listening, and Roget at least could speak some Noram Standard. It wasn't impossible that some of the others in their new, but growing, parade of ashes could as well. They had schools, after all.

  There was silence for a few moments, then Tiera made a sound that seemed a bit grumpy.

  "Eh. Right. I'll get the word out. We should be able to have people ready as soon as you or Gerent can come and get them. I'm happy that we've worked that out. The part where this is coming from the One God. We failed to let that be known earlier. All of those people starving are doing so due to my failure to make that clear. Please ask them all to forgive me?" She sounded sincere enough, but there was also an edge to the words. As if she weren't happy to be saying them, even if it was incredibly gracious of her.

  "No one here thinks that, Tiera. The All High works to his own schedule, after all. I can probably get away in a few hours. Call it ten? We can't let this current movement falter, but people will need some sleep eventually."

  Roget nodded, his eyes going wide as the women spoke.

  Tiera made a sound that was a bit unpleasant then.

  "Good. Well, I'll have that set up. When you get a chance, after that's done, get with me here? I have some things for you to do. If you will, I mean. If it were me, I'd say no right off the top, but I hear that you're a better person that way?" Now there was a bit of teasing to the words. The real kind that meant whatever it was wouldn't be all that bad.

  "That sounds fun. I'll be...Well, this could take a while, to be honest. We're making our way on foot. Maybe we can split things up soon? Get people moving in more than one direction? That will be faster."

  Tiera grunted, then closed the line on her. It wasn't exactly polite, but who could tell her she was messing up? Sara grinned and let her head droop to the side a bit, feeling tired enough that she was nearly about to fall over. Not that she had time for that sort of thing now.

  Roget blinked at her and finally looked away, seeming shy.

  "You... can just call up the Queen? And she speaks to you?"

  "Oh, well, friend of the family, I guess. You could probably do it too. As long as you're working for Terry like you are. I need..." She couldn't remember what it was she had to do for a moment. That was exhaustion, no doubt. It was making her mind hazy and so unclear that she needed to sleep soon, if she wasn't going to fall down and not get back up.

  After a moment it occurred to her that she
needed to call Timon.

  Because that wasn't going to be hard for her or anything. Was it?

  Tapping the right sigil, she waited, hoping that Trice would pick up instead. They were married now, Tim and Trice.

  The voice that came across was deep and mellow, not her old school roommate.

  "Tim Baker, how may I help you today... Sara?"

  Rolling her eyes, she almost hung up. Tim was always at least a few steps beyond where everyone else was, wasn't he?

  "We need more food units for Tellerand. It's a bit rough so far, but people here are accepting that as one of his saints you were able to commune with the All High and he brought them into being. So, if you could do that again?" She smiled, and it carried into her voice she thought.

  Without missing a beat, words came back sounding... humble. Speaking in Tellerand too, which was a thing that she didn't know Tim had learned yet.

  "All Praise to Him. I will seek to repeat the communion now. We can have a full shipment ready to go out of the stores here in... Four hours? You'll need bodies on the ground too..."

  Sighing she nodded, which he could see, since she had one of the new style devices. Tiera and Terry did too, but their faces hadn't been seen. Tim's was. He looked good. Honestly, he was just about perfect.

  Too bad she loved his brother, and not him. Timon would have loved her back, she knew.

  "Tiera has that part. Thanks. I should go now, we need to get moving to the next village."

  Then, not wanting to at all, she ended the communication and stood, her feet feeling like they would have been better off if they were on fire. Everyone else did it too though, and slowly, they hobbled to the next place that needed them. To beg them to take the things they need to survive.

  It didn't make sense, perhaps, but Sara couldn't help but notice that so far it was working. Better than anything else they'd ever tried.

  Praise the All High.

  Chapter two

  Walking across the width and breadth of Tellerand turned out not to be needed. The Parade of the All High, as it had come to be called, split into about a hundred parts over a few days time, as soon as the new saints got there. Sara however, wasn't allowed to sneak away and get back to her own life. Or even surreptitiously use a healing amulet for her feet and sore legs.