Ansel sat on Griffa’s left at the Ring of Nine table. They were waiting for Clara Vin from the Valley to show up, so they could start the meeting. Ansel glanced at Griffa. He could see she was looking at Malchom Delis. He wondered what she was thinking. Ansel wasn’t sure why Griffa wanted to give Malchom a try on the Ring of Nine. He had nothing against the man. he just wondered at Griffa’s reasoning.

The Delis family was the only one getting a second chance on the Ring. Griffa had not made the offer to the other families who had been forced to leave. When Ansel pointed this out, Griffa had said no one had served as long as the Delis family except the Keene’s. Ansel asked why that mattered. She said she had a feeling it did. Ansel would have to trust her.

“I wonder what is keeping Clara,” said Talon looking at the clock on the wall. “She is usually early to everything.”

“I hope she is alright,” said Griffa. “Why don’t we start the meeting. If she gets here soon, she won’t miss much. If she doesn’t show up, you can check on her after the meeting.”

Talon nodded.

“Everyone, let’s begin. May the gods guide us in our discussions, and may we always remember the responsibility we owe to one another. I would like to start by recognizing our guest today, Malchom Delis. He is here at my invitation. I believe you met most of us last night. I trust you know Madam Sidora.”

“Yes,” said Malchom. “It is good to see you again Madam.”

“Likewise, Malchom. I am glad you agreed to come. I think your presence here could be useful.”

“We will see,” said Malchom giving Sidora a small smile.

“Our main focus of this meeting is trying to figure out what is going on in the kingdom. We all know the forces in Aurumist have been executing their plan in the city for months now. We know they have completed the first ring. I am sure they are working on the fourth and third rings now, or are very close.

“I’m not sure we can do much for the city at the moment, but we can’t assume they are stopping there. They will turn their eyes to the other lands. I expect they will look either to the Great Surrounding or the area by the Valley. They will want to affect us. We will need to come up with a way to get news from around Regventus.”

“We have contacts in the forest,” said Ansel. “We should check in with them regularly.”

Griffa nodded. “We need contact with the villages in the Great Surrounding as well. We might need to see if we can get folk in the in the forest to check in with the villages they are close to.”

“Issa’s father lives in the West Village. We could tell him to let us know if something happens,” said Max.

Griffa looked at Talon who was writing furiously. “Are you getting all this down?”

“I am, “said Talon not looking up.

“What about the area around the Valley” Do you have contacts in the mountain pass and beyond?” asked Griffa.

“I do have a few. I will write to them this evening,” replied Talon. He made another note.

“The magical folk of the Lakelands can be counted on to let you know of anything amiss there,” said Malchom. “They will want to help the kingdom.”

“Thank you, Malchom. If you join the Ring, I trust you can handle that contact. If you don’t, I hope you don’t mind if I write to you.”

“Either will work depending on what happens,” replied Malchom.

“I wish we had eyes and ears in the city,” said Ansel. “If we knew more of their plans, we wouldn’t always be a step behind.”

“I could write to my mother,” said Kedan softly. “I don’t know how she will receive the letter, but I could write to her. I could travel to a village in the Great Surrounding and send her a letter. I can ask her to write back to me in that village at a message house.”

“Do you feel comfortable sending her a message?” asked Griffa.

“It can’t hurt. She could ignore it or respond. It won’t track back to Abscon so no danger there. I don’t think she has any love for Golnar.”

“No, but she loves your son. She will do anything to keep him safe,” said Griffa looking at Kedan. “One of us can take you to a village soon. You can write if you like.”

The door to the meeting hall opened and Clara Vin walked in quickly. She moved to an empty seat next to Max and sat down.

“Clara, where have you been?” asked Talon. “It’s not like you to be late.”

“I’ve had some news from a friend near the East Village of the Great Surrounding. I wanted to check in to see if it was true. I’m afraid to say it is.”

Griffa looked at Ansel startled. “What was the news, Clara?”

“There is a sickness spreading in the kingdom. It seems to only affect non-gifted users. It is centered around the Great Surrounding. Most of it is in the East Village, but there are reports of it spreading to Clarton and the West Village.”

Ansel turned to Griffa. He could feel the frantic feeling inside of her. He could feel the nausea rising up in her. He quickly grabbed her hand, sending a protective wave of magic to her. Ansel watched as Griffa closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She nodded at Ansel slightly and he removed his hand.

“Do we know how widespread the sickness is in the villages?” asked Griffa still breathing fast.

“From what I could see, there was enough sick for a makeshift healing center to be set up in the second ring by the forest. I could also see graves being dug in the field outside the village. I’m not sure of Clarton or the West Village.”

“We have a priority as of now,” said Griffa. Ansel could see she was gripping the table. “This sickness must be stopped before it spreads further. We must see what this sickness is and snuff it out. I will go out into the kingdom and visit the villages. Once I see what this is, I should be able to come back and figure out a cure. Is there anything else before we dismiss?”

“I don’t think you going out on a scouting trip in the kingdom right now is a good idea, Griffa,” stated Talon.

“My folk are suffering. I will go to them and find a way to ease their pain,” said Griffa strongly. “My only duty as queen is to see to the safety of my folk.”

“We can send scouts. Ansel has plenty of guards who can observe and report back. Griffa, you have to remain safe in Abscon. We don’t know where this sickness came from. We don’t know if this is a way to draw you out. If you go out and get yourself killed, where will we be then?” asked Talon.

“You don’t understand, Talon,” said Max standing up. “She can’t just let this be. The kingdom won’t let her sit and wait. She will have to take action.”

“I have to see for myself. I have to visit the folk and see what is happening,” said Griffa.

“Ansel, this is madness. You cannot let her do this,” shouted Talon.

Griffa turned and looked at Ansel. She had a wild look in her eyes. “I will go out to my folk tomorrow. You will not stop me. You will accompany me, protector.”

Ansel felt her pull. He could not disobey his queen. He didn’t want Griffa out in the open in danger, but what could he do? He heard himself whisper, “Yes, my queen.”

“Ansel!” yelled Talon as Griffa stood up.

“I’m sorry to cut this meeting short, but I must prepare. Malchom, I know this didn’t go as planned. I do hope you will still think about joining the Ring. Maybe you can come back soon and sit with us in another meeting. Until then I wish you a safe journey.” Griffa turned and walked out of the room.

Ansel stood up and follow her. Talon swiftly followed Ansel. Outside the room, Talon caught up with Ansel in the hall.

“What are you doing? You can’t let her go out there tomorrow.”

“I can’t disobey an order from my queen. If she declares she is going and orders me to come, I must go,” said Ansel. “It does not matter how much I do not like it.”

“I will have to talk some sense into her then. We can do this another way.”

The walked out of the meeting to hall to find Griffa sitting by the statue of the Gods. She had her hands on the sister foot. Her eyes were closed, and she was crying. Talon and Ansel stood close by and watched her.

“What can we do?” asked Talon quietly.

“You can let her do what she needs to do,” said Max as he came up to join them. “She has a duty to the kingdom. She cannot watch the folk suffer and do nothing.”

“If something happens to her, what chance do we have?” asked Talon irritably.

“None,” said Max. “We will have to make sure she stays safe. She will go. You can’t stop her. Ansel knows this. If you want to really help her, Talon, go with her.”

“Fine, but we will only go to the East Village. We will get in and get out as quick as we can. If there is any sign of trouble, we will leave immediately,” said Talon. He walked away from them, and sat next to Griffa. She took her hand of the statue and turned to Talon. He held his arms open, and she collapsed into them.

“Is this sickness what has been plaguing her dreams and yours?” asked Ansel as he watched Talon hold Griffa.

“I believe so. I think this is the start of the real war. I think this is Aurumist’s opening battle. We will have to be careful.”

“You think they caused this sickness?” implored Ansel.

“I can’t prove it, but I have a feeling they have,” answered Max. “I also think they know I am not the real king by now.”

Ansel sighed. “We need to go prepare for tomorrow. I will see Griffa home and then go talk to some of my guards. We will not need a large party. We won’t want to draw attention. You will stay in Abscon, Max.”

“Ansel, I would like to go. I don’t want to leave her,” said Max angrily. “I promised I would never leave her.”

“You can serve her best by staying here and protecting those left behind. Issa’s father is in the West Village. She will be worried about him. You need to stay and support her.”

Max opened his mouth to argue.

“Please, Max, do as I ask. I know you aren’t happy with me right now, but I am begging you. Stay in Abscon and take care of Issa and the others. You can serve Griffa in this way.”

“Fine,” said Max harshly, “but if you let anything happen to her, you will face me.”

“If anything happens to her, I don’t think I will make it back,” said Ansel.

He left Max and walked towards Griffa and Talon. As he approached them both, Talon and Griffa stood up. She dried her tears with her hands and looked up at Ansel.

“Please don’t be angry with me. I need to go do this, Ansel. I’m sorry I commanded you. I don’t know what came over me,” said Griffa sniffling.

“You are the queen. You may command me at any time. We will go tomorrow morning. I will go with you, and we will take two guards. I assume you will want to come, Talon?”

“Yes, I will come. I imagine Kedan will want to as well. I don’t think he will be a liability this time. He can fight if needed.”

"If the disease is affecting non-gifted folk, should Kedan be around it?" asked Ansel.

"He has a talisman he wears that should help protect him," answered Griffa. "His sword should give him some protection as well."

Ansel nodded. “Let’s go home and prepare. We will all need to retire early tonight.” He gently pulled Griffa close to his side, and walked home with her leaning on him.

The next morning, they were up and dressed, ready to go at first light. Ansel tried to get Griffa to eat something, but she refused. She drank a little tea as she waited for Ansel, Talon, and Kedan to finish a quick breakfast. Ansel saw Talon continually looking at Griffa. As they left, Max came down the stairs and saw them off.

“We won’t be gone long,” said Ansel. “We will be back before lunch. Have everyone stay in the house just in case. I don’t think there will be any trouble.”

“What if you don’t come back by lunch?” asked Max.

“Give us some time. If we don’t come back by mid-afternoon, go talk to my guards in the town center. Take some with you to the East Village,” replied Ansel. He opened the door.

Max walked over and stood in front of Griffa. “Be careful, Griffa, and don’t get far from Ansel. When you get back, I will help you figure out a cure.”

Griffa nodded and hugged Max. She took her staff that rested by the door and walked out. Talon patted Max on the shoulder and followed her. Kedan walked out with his sword in a sheath strapped to his back. Ansel put on his hat and nodded at Max. He walked out closing the door behind him. Ansel caught up with Griffa and walked by her side.

“Clara’s friend should meet us outside of town,” said Griffa as they walked. “We will have a hard time not sticking out, but I don’t think that’s really an issue anymore. I want the folk to know who we are.”

“Word could get back to Aurumist that you visited,” said Ansel.

“Let it,” said Griffa. “We cannot avoid them forever. I will have my folk know I care for them.”

They walked to the gates of Abscon and met two of Ansel’s guards. They arranged themselves to travel.

“Griffa will need to stay close to me the whole time we are out,” said Ansel. He turned to his guards. “I expect you to be at the queens back at all times. If you see anything out of place, you will let me know immediately.”

His guards nodded. He turned to Kedan and Talon. “If something happens and I cannot get to her, your only move will be to cover and protect the queen.”

“Kedan, you should stay close to me at all times,” said Griffa. “I know you have a way to protect yourself, but you will still be vulnerable. I would feel better if you are in range of Ansel’s shield.”

“I will do as you wish,” said Kedan.

“Hopefully, none of this will be an issue. If there is any sign of a problem, we need to leave. Griffa, I will grab you myself and travel with you if there is any trouble,” said Talon.

“We need to go,” said Griffa. “Talon, take Kedan. You told him what to look for, I assume?”

“Yes,” said Talon putting his hand on Kedan’s shoulder.

Ansel grabbed Griffa’s hand, and she nodded to him. Ansel closed his eyes and felt himself travel. He opened his eyes as he hit the ground. Griffa let go of his hand to catch herself. Ansel looked around and could see the second ring of the village through the trees in the distance. His guards appeared, followed by Kedan and Talon.

Griffa looked around and then started walking towards the village. Ansel walked quickly to catch up to her, his guards following in their wake. Talon and Kedan jogged slightly to walk besides Ansel and Griffa. Kedan walked next to Griffa. Talon walked next to Ansel.

“Wait,” said Kedan suddenly. He stopped, causing them all to pause. “Did any of you see that?”

“See what?” asked Talon looking around.

“I just saw something dark fly by us. It was like a very large shadow, but it moved on its own.”

“It was probably just the sun shining through the tree branches. It was just a trick of the light,” said Talon looking around.

“I don’t know,” said Kedan. “It felt strange.”

Ansel looked around. He wondered if Kedan had actually seen something.

“You’re just on edge. We all are. Come on, we need to go meet Clara’s friend,” said Griffa.

Kedan didn’t look convinced. He looked at Ansel with a worried look in his eyes. They walked on to just outside the second ring of the East Village. They met an older woman wearing a dark green dress. He dark hair was lose down her back and had streaks of gray throughout.

“Are you Emer?” asked Griffa as she approached the woman.

“I am. You must be the queen. I am glad to serve as I can.”

“Can you tell us what has been going on?” asked Griffa.

“The sickness started two weeks ago. It has spread fast. No one is sure where it came from. It causes a horrible fever, vomiting, and intense coughing. Many with the disease cannot eat or drink. Those who die have done so in usually four days. They have tried to move the sick out of the village and into a healing center on other side of the second ring. It has not helped the spread lessen.”

“You have heard of it spreading to other villages?” asked Griffa. Ansel noticed she was breathing heavily and leaning on her staff. He moved closer to her and took her hand. Griffa squeezed it and seem to steady herself before letting it go.

“Yes, there are reports in Clarton and the West Village. I’m not sure what steps have been taken there.”

“Thank you for the information. We will travel around the second ring and visit the sick. You are welcome to join us if you like, or you can go home,” said Griffa.

“I will go home if you don’t mind, my queen. I have been up half the night trying to ease suffering where I could.”

“Go rest, Emer. Thank you for your service. If you are needed again, Clara will contact you,” said Griffa as she nodded and then walked on.

They all followed Griffa around the outer ring of the village in silence. Soon a large canopy was seen in the distance. As they got closer the smell of sick started to overwhelm them. Griffa stopped for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“So many are sick,” she said quietly. “There is so much suffering.”

“If this is too much, we can turn back. You know of the sickness now. A few of us can go on and look, but you could go back to Abscon,” said Ansel looking at Griffa.

“No,” said Griffa opening her eyes and straightening up. “I will see my folk. I will see for myself what is happening.”

She walked on with a seemingly new strength and purpose. Ansel and the others walked quickly to catch up with her. As they approached the tent, Talon stopped them.

“What do you think, Ansel. Do you think it’s safe?” asked Talon looking ahead.

“I don’t sense anything unusual. We should all stay close to Griffa. If anyone feels anything off, we will go immediately.”

They walked into the large canopy to see hundreds of people lying on makeshift pallets on the ground. There were healers and apothecaries running around, but there wasn’t near enough to help all those who were suffering. Many were all alone, sitting in their own sick. A few had family members with them to take care of them.

Ansel watched Griffa as she took it all in, seeing tears form in her eyes. She looked all around, and her gaze settled on a little girl a few feet over. Griffa walked to the girl and sat down next to her. Ansel walked close by, but gave her room. Talon and Kedan kept watch all around as Ansel watched Griffa. Ansel’s guards stayed back. Griffa put her hand on the little girl’s forehead. The little girl opened her bleary eyes and looked up at Griffa.

“Who are you?” asked the little girl.

“I am a friend who has come to help you.”

“You look like a princess from my story books,” said the little girl. She reached up and touched Griffa’s hair.

“I am a queen, actually. I have come to make things better,” said Griffa.

Griffa laid down her staff. She kept her hand on the little girl’s forehead and put her other hand on the little girl’s chest. Griffa closed her eyes. Ansel watched as the little girl looked at Griffa and smiled.

“You need to drink some water, little one,” said Griffa.

Griffa turned to Ansel. He found a pitcher and some cups on a nearby table that was set up. He quickly poured a cup of water and handed it to Griffa. Griffa helped the little girl drink the full cup.

“Where are your parents?” asked Griffa after the girl had finished drinking.

“Mama came here with me, but I haven’t seen her since yesterday. She was sleeping when I last saw her. Papa couldn’t come. He had to stay home with my brother.”

“You need to rest now,” said Griffa putting her hand back on the girl’s forehead. “Close your eyes, and I will make sure you have good dreams.”

The girl closed her eyes as Griffa closed hers, and soon the girl was fast asleep. Griffa removed her hand and kissed the girl on her forehead. She stood up, and moved on to an older woman who was obviously suffering. Ansel watched as Griffa put her hand on the woman’s forehead and chest, and shook her head. Griffa closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Ansel watched as the woman passed peacefully.

Griffa went around to many different sick people. Some she talked with. A few more she helped ease their passing. After she had helped a little boy eat some cold stew that was being passed around, Talon came up to Ansel.

“We need to get back. We have stayed too long.”

Ansel nodded. As Griffa stood up after helping the boy sleep, Ansel grabbed her arm. “We need to go, we will be late getting back to Abscon. Max will worry.”

“We can leave. I know what I need to know now. I can help these people, but it will take some time. I will need to start today.”

“Let’s get back to Abscon then,” said Ansel.

Griffa grabbed Ansel’s arm as he walked her towards the exit of the canopy. They were stopped by a middle age woman who looked exhausted.

“Who are you?” she asked incredulously. “I have watched you as you worked your way amongst the sick. Are you a healer?”

“No,” said Griffa. She took the woman’s hand. “I am the queen of this kingdom. I will make this right. You need to rest. I know this is overwhelming, but you won’t be able to help folk unless you rest.”

The woman nodded. She bowed slightly and walked on. Griffa, Ansel, and the rest of their group walked to the edge of the forest.

As they prepared to travel to the gates of Abscon, Ansel turned to Griffa.

“Are you feeling alright, Griffa?”

Griffa smiled. “I am. I feel better than I have in a long time.”