Soul of the Fire

CHAPTER 45

Ann took a quick glance around as Sister Georgia lifted the tent flap. Satisfied that no one was paying any attention, Ann ducked inside.

A crowd of women huddled inside the dimly lit tent, some lying down, some sitting on the ground hugging their knees, some with arms around one another like frightened children. Not many even bothered to look up. Ann couldn't recall seeing such a cowed-looking bunch.

She reproved herself; these women had suffered unspeakable abuse.

"Shoo," Sister Rochelle, sitting near the tent opening, said, without meeting Ann's eyes. "Out with you, beggar."

"Good for you, child," Ann said. "Good for you, Sister Rochelle, for keeping beggars from your humble home."

Half the women looked up at the sound of Ann's voice. Wide eyes stared in the dim candlelight. Some of the women pushed at others who weren't paying attention, or swatted an arm, or pulled on a sleeve.

Some were dressed in outfits Ann could scarcely believe. The clothes covered them from neck to ankle, but were so sheer as to leave the women, for all practical purposes, naked. Others had on their own dresses, but they were in a state of wretched disrepair. A few had on little more than rags.

Ann smiled. "Fionola, you look well, considering your ordeal. Sister Kerena. Sister Aubrey. Sister Cherna, you look to be getting some gray hair. It happens to us all, but you wear it well."

Women all round blinked with disbelieving eyes.

"It's really her," Sister Georgia said. "She's really alive. She didn't die, like we thought. Prelate Annalina Aldurren lives."

"Well," Ann said, "Verna is the Prelate, now, but…"

Women were rushing to their feet. It rather reminded Ann of sheep watching a wolf coming down the hill. They all looked like they might bolt for the countryside.

Sisters of the Light were women of strength, women of fortitude, women of decisive intelligence. Ann feared to consider what it would have taken to reduce all these women to such a sorry looking state.

She ran a gentle hand down a head beside her. "Sister Lucy. You are a sight for my tired eyes." Ann smiled with genuine joy. "You all are." She felt a tear roll down her own cheek. "My dear, dear Sisters, you are all a blessed sight to my eyes. I thank the Creator He has led me to you."

And then they were all falling to knees to bow to her, to whisper their prayers to the Creator for her safety, to weep with disbelief.

"There, there. None of that," she said, wiping her fingers across the cheek of Sister Lucy, clearing away the, tears. "None of that. We have important business, and we've no time for a good cry, not that I'm saying you aren't all entitled. But later would be an excellent time for it, while right now is not."

Sisters kissed the hem of her dress. More came forward on their knees to do the same. They were the lost, who were now found. It nearly broke Ann's heart.

She smiled her best Prelate smile and indulged them, touching each head, blessing each of them by name and thanking the Creator aloud for sparing each life and guarding each soul. It was an informal, formal audience with the Prelate of the Sisters of the Light.

She didn't think it the proper time to insist on reminding them she was no longer the Prelate, that she'd given the office to Verna for safekeeping. At that moment of joy, it just wasn't important.

Ann allowed the reunion to go on for only a few minutes before forcing it to an end.

"Listen now, all of you. Hush. We will have more than enough time later to share our joy at being together. Now I must tell you why I have come.

"Something terrible has happened. But as you know more than most, there must be balance in all things. The balance is that the terrible event will, in the Creator's balance, allow you to escape."

"The Prelate says the chimes are loose," Sister Georgia put in. Everyone gasped. "She believes it."

The clear implication was that Sister Georgia didn't believe it, that it was impossible, and anyone would have to be a fool to think it was so.

"Now, listen to me, all of you." Ann let her brow draw down in a look every woman in the room knew well enough to bring sweat to their brows. "You all remember Richard?" There were nods all around. "Well, it's a long story, but Jagang loosed a plague that killed thousands of people. It was a horrifying death for countless people. Untold numbers of children perished. Untold numbers of children were left orphans.

"Sister Amelia-"

"She's sworn to the Keeper!" several Sisters in the back gasped aloud.

"I know," Ann said. "She is the one who went to the underworld. She brought back the plague for Jagang. She murdered so many innocent people….

"Richard was able to use his power to stop the plague."

There were astonished looks all around, accompanied by whispering. Ann imagined she was probably telling them too much all at once, but she had to explain enough so they would understand what was at stake.