As Emma and Rosie walk to her house, the vicar spies a young man wandering and looking about. "'Allo? Anyone about?"
Emma waves to get his attention, "Hello there, something I can help you with?"
They didn't get very many wandering visitors, so Emma stops and doesn't get too close to him, while staying within screaming distance of her home in case his intentions were less than honorable. After what happened the other night, she surmised that he could be from a neighboring village that also had the black carriage ride through it, but one could never be too careful.
"Thank, Desna," the young man mutters. "The name's Will. I'm a courier from Cedarbrook."
Rosie knows that Cedarbrook is along the main road and is a good two day trip from Rosewood.
"You've come all that way, but why?"
"A black carriage came through, middle of the night," Will answers. "Looks like it was here too. Constable Mellen asked me to check neighboring villages and see if anyone knew anything. The villages far off the road were fine...Stonebough was visited too."
Emma nods, "It came through here last night, and took most of our village with it. My name is Emma Northwood and I'm the Vicar of Rosewood. My husband, myself, Rosie here and another young man are going to follow in the direction we saw the Carriage go, we are going to find it and free everyone that it took."
Aiden finishes their preparations, packing everything else needed.
Clyde knocks on Emma and Aiden's door, straightening the pack on his shoulders.
"Could...could you tell me what it did?" Will asks. "Our priest was taken. He was also our doctor and we don't have any other healers. There were a few people who weren't like statues in Stonebough but they were headed for another village by the time I got there. Understandably, they didn't want to talk."
The young man coughs. "At least, I'd like to know what to do with all those folk. They don't deserve to be lying on the ground like they are."
Emma thinks for a moment while putting a comforting arm around Rosie, "I understand why they don't want to talk about it, but they shouldn't have just left them like that. One, they aren't really dead....just kind of in a stasis like state. Two, if I have anything to say about it, once we find where this carriage went and destroy it...everyone should go back to normal, and three, if the bodies are left lying out for too long, it will attract scavengers and then there won't be anything I can do to bring them back. It's kinda hard to explain what it did. Basically it just went through our main road, and anyone it passed through, or anyone the flames went through just kind of fell, their souls following the carriage. In order to get them back though, we have to find this carriage sooner, rather than later. We still have to pick up Rosie's things before we leave, so if you could head back to my cottage and wait for us there, we'll see if there is something we can do to help you when Rosie and I get back with her things. We might be able to send a couple folks back with you, to help put the bodies in a more secure location. Like back in their homes until we can fix this." Emma gives him directions to her home and tells him to tell her husband Aiden that she sent him, and that he should tell Aiden what he told her.
Looking at the young man she adds, "I know this all seems very scary and upsetting, but we will fix it. I promise."
Aiden opens the door, giving Clyde an approving nod as he ushers him in. "Hey Clyde, I'm really sorry about your folks. Emma is off with Rosie, getting what she needs from her house and then we'll head out when they get back."
Will shakes his head. "I'll not keep you from such an important task. I'll head back and see if I can get some their kinfolk to understand and help me."
Without another word, he turns and heads back the way he came.
"Must be a rough life being a courier," Rosie remarks as Will leaves.
Clyde lets out a deep breath. "If the vicar thinks she can fix this problem, then I'll place my hope in her and you."
Emma nods as they continue on to Rosie's house, "Yeah, I guess it would be. I've rarely ever left Rosewood for more than a day my whole life, so it's hard for me to imagine wandering all over the countryside all the time for different folks, delivering packages or messages. I wonder if they actually have like one place they stay for any length of time, or if they just travel all the time. This will be my first time leaving home, where I'm going farther than just the woods." She says, while thinking about their upcoming journey as they get to Rosie's house.
"We both appreciate the vote of confidence... as well as your bravery and your sword arm." Aiden replies. "Might as well set yourself down and have a seat. Do you want something to drink?"
"You remember when me and Pa were gone for a couple of weeks?" Rosie asks. "That's when we went to go take a look at that college. So, I've been outside of the village before...it's not so bad. It's nice to have a place to come home to, though."
She unlocks the door of her home and proceeds directly to her room without delay. Rosie pulls a pack out from under her bed and starts putting her gear in it. "Ma got me some armor and a dagger an' a sling. She wanted me to be safe rather than sorry. They're in the closet, if you'll grab them for me, Vicar."
Clyde unslings his pack and sets it on the floor. He sets his sword on the side of the couch. "Just water, please."
He hesitates for a moment, wondering if he should add 'sir' like he always had. However, he presses on, shedding childhood habits. "I can't stand back and do nothin'. If I think I can help, I want to help."
Emma nods and goes to the closet to grab her gear, "I forgot that you went on that trip. I guess I'm just a little nervous about leaving home for the first time cuz I don't know what to expect, and the circumstances of our trip are pretty grim as well as dire. I believe that we will ultimately prevail...but it doesn't help to quell the nervousness that I feel." She says, while gathering the requested items from the closet.
"I appreciate that. We'll need it." Aiden says going and getting Clyde a glass of water.
Rosie puts on the leather armor and secures the two weapons before trying to shove a lute in her backpack. "Ma said that I should maybe try something other than singing...I can sell that if we're ever in a pinch."
She looks at herself in her mirror and straightens her hair some. "I'm as ready as I'm going to get."
Rosie walks out of the room and glances over at her parents' bedroom. She says a silent prayer before walking out the door and locking it after Emma follows her out.
Clyde takes the water and sips on it slowly. "So...where are we going to start?"
As they head back to their cottage Emma looks up at Rosie, "I hope you don't give up on singing. I still think you have a wonderful voice and I really enjoy hearing you sing. I think your Ma just meant that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, and that you should explore other options. I think once you start looking, you might find that you have many wonderful hidden talents. I'm actually really glad that you're coming with us."
"Really?"
Emma nods as she looks up at Rosie and smiles, "Yeah, really."
"There's an odd stone I encountered earlier in the day that this all happened that I want to check out again, saw a strange figure there. Then we'll head in the direction the coach did, and I guess track it to the source." Aiden says after considering for a few minutes.
As they get closer to her home, Emma stops them for a moment so she can talk to Rosie without the guys around, "Listen, I know you've been struggling with some things for a while now, but you have to know that no matter what you decide to do....your folks love you and they are going to be proud of you no matter what. You have an amazing voice when you let it shine, but it doesn't define who you are. I feel lucky that I've been able to watch you grow into the wonderful young lady that you are, and I feel fortunate that I get to be there by your side as you continue to grow into the person that you are becoming, because that young woman is going to be truly amazing." Emma stops to give her a reassuring hug before looking back up at her, "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about before we get back to the house and are surrounded by guys?" She asks in a semi joking way. If there was something on Rosie's mind, Emma wanted her to feel like she could talk to her about it.
Clyde nods. "Someone has to know about this carriage."
Rosie shakes her head. "Everything is out of my mind right now, except for the journey ahead of us. Maybe that's what I need...it sounds horrible to say, but maybe I need this to stop worrying about all the other stuff. The other stuff doesn't even seem that important now."
As they reach the cottage Emma nods, "I totally understand that. We will find that carriage and what causes it to appear like that and we will do whatever we have to in order to stop it from ever happening again. I just..." Shaking off her own thoughts and worries, she reaches for the lower knob on the door to open it, "We're back." She calls out as they enter the house.
Clyde stands up as Emma enters, another ingrained sign of respect. "Hello, Vicar."
Emma gives him a smile, "Hey there Clyde, got everything you need? Oh, and you guys can just call me Emma from here on out. We'll be travelling to who knows where, so there's no need to address me by my formal title. Okay?" She looks to her beloved, "Everything ready to go honey?"
Aiden smiles.
"All set love, let's load up and head out." he says, looking at Clyde and Rosie as he moves to grab their packs.
Shadow rises, moving over to the door.
Emma holds up a hand to pause them for a momen, "Hold on for just a sec, there's one more thing I'd like to do before we head out."
Emma has everyone put their stuff down, and take each others hands until they are standing in a circle. Shutting her eyes, she says a prayer asking for the protection if their town and all within it while they are gone, as well as for others that have been affected by this grat evil. She asks for safety while they travel, and for wisdom and strength to deal with the trials ahead. Lastly, she gives thanks for those that were spared, as well as the two that volunteered to travel with them to fight back against the evil that took their loved ones.
Once she's finished praying, she gives Rosie and Clyde each a comforting hug before grabbing her own things, "Alright, let's go kick some evil butt, and get our family back." She says with a smile before heading out the door with Shadow.
"Where is this stone at, Aiden?" Clyde asks as they depart.
Emma looks back at Aiden as she heads over to the stuff her thoughtful husband had already packed, "Stone? We're going to the stone love? Are we stopping by my folks house on the way out? I have these perishables to take to Ma. She's gonna need it since...since she took in the little ones." She says, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
"Yesh. I think that the odd figure I saw in the woods leading to that stone, happening on the same day as the Black Carriage wasn't a coincidence. So it could be useful to check it out before we head after the carriage." Aiden replies. "Of course we can stop by your folks' place on the way out."
"It's probably a grave marker," Rosie muses. "No idea why it would be in the woods though. Maybe someone used to live there..."
Emma tugs on Aiden's sleeve as they head to the stone, "Tell them about what you saw out there by the stone, because it sounded pretty strange to me."
As they head out, Aiden relates the details of his encounter while hunting, detailing the strange figure, and the odd standing stone he followed it to, the same day that the Black Carriage rolled through town.
Emma looks to Rosie, "Have you ever heard of a stone that makes people disappear when they touch it? I wonder where it came from, or where the people go when they disappear."