Esther

  People gasped when they saw Natalia coming out of the side yard of Luke's house. Agatha became stunned and wide-eyed, as did her friends. All her bravado puffed in an instant, as if someone had dropped a bucket of cold water on her. The villagers began to murmur as they looked between Natalia and Agatha. There were giggles and cries of pity for the old woman's imminent death.

  Natalia looked different from when Esther last saw her. She wore a shirt, trousers, and a wide-brimmed hat that obscured her eyes from the hard sun and polychromatic lights of the floating sphere. She had a sheathed sword hanging on her waist, and two wooden ones in her hands, the same ones the family used for training. It was strange that she carried her weapons in the open. She usually hid them when going to the village.

  “She’s dead,” Helena said, excited. “Natalia must have heard what she said about her. I hope she beats her up in front of everyone. That damn old woman only knows how to ruin other people’s lives.”

  Esther didn’t listen to what Helena was saying, for her attention was on the brown, fur felt hat Natalia was wearing. She recognised it. It belonged to her cousin, Michael. She recalled that he asked his dear friend, Ernest Williams, to get him one after he saw a drawing of it in a magazine. She knew how much he loved that hat and took good care of it. She wondered how Natalie got hold of it.

  He's going to get mad when he finds out she has it, Esther thought. Although I bet that’s what she wants… Wait a minute. Why is she here, and what was she doing inside the house? What’s going on?

  Natalia walked slowly toward Agatha, baring her white teeth in a devilish grin. She now held the two wooden swords in one hand, and with the other, she went for the old woman's neck. Agatha became tiny and wrinkled in her elegant silk dress. She looked at the huge woman and the hand that would strangle her, paralysed with fear. Her friends abandoned her without hesitation, running like hares across the field at the arrival of a wolf.

  But fortunately for the old woman, there was someone there who was not afraid of wolves.

  Emma lunged between the women, blocking Natalia. “Stop!” Emma said, raising her right hand.

  “Stay back, Emma. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Emma laughed. “I can say the same, my child. But let me tell you, I’m not moving from here.”

  “You think I’m afraid of your cheap trick?” Natalia said, pointing at the floating sphere. “I’m faster than that thing.”

  “I know, but can you handle what comes next?”

  “Are you going to defend that wretch after what she said about me?”

  “Yes, I will, but not as Emma Green, your friend, but as the priestess of Rodford. It is my duty to watch over my flock. And I am sure you only want to scare her. Come on, look at her. You have already scared her to death.”

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  Natalia glanced at the old woman and smiled. “Looks like she wet herself.”

  “Happy?”

  “Bah,” Natalia said, shrugging her shoulders. She looked at Emma's raised hand and then at the sky. “Where’s Clover? I’m looking for him.”

  “Isn't he in there?” Elsa asked.

  “We thought he was in bed with Elisa,” Agnes said, sounding disappointed. “This is why we all came here.”

  Natalia frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? Has the sun fried your brains? Clover ain’t here. I don’t know where that brat is hiding.”

  The villagers went wild when they heard Natalia and began to bombard her with hundreds of questions in a desperate attempt to find out what was going on. They asked so fast and one after another that Natalia did not have time to answer or even understand what they were saying. Emma raised her hands, and the floating sphere descended a few metres. The villagers instinctively crouched down and fell silent as they looked up in fear.

  “Did you hear that?’ Helena said. “Michael is not here.”

  “Yes, I heard. What’s going on?’ Esther said.

  “I let my guard down for a moment and you lot turn into a henhouse!” the priestess shouted. “Tell me, Natalia, first of all, what were you doing at Luke’s house?”

  “Let’s leave that for later,” Natalia replied. “Right now, we need your help urgently. We have some injured people in there.”

  “What are you talking about, my child?”

  “There was a big fight in there. Elisa’s man and Luke’s nephew got hurt.”

  Emma raised her hand before the villagers could freak out again. “Were you involved in that?”

  “Bah, none at all. Luke’s nephew was beaten up by Elisa’s man and his brother, while he was beaten up by the soldiers.”

  “Are David’s men here?”

  “Yes, they’ve got everything under control in there. Brody asked me to go out and look for you and send someone to fetch the police. They might want to take a look at what happened.”

  Emma nodded. She turned to address the crowd. “Did y’all hear that? We need two volunteers to go and find the police in town.”

  Several men volunteered. Two were chosen in the end.

  “Celeste, I need you to go to the clinic and bring my medical bag. Make sure nothing is missing. Come on, hurry!”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Celeste said and ran off.

  “Richard, take several men and create a perimeter where we’re standing. No one enters the house.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Richard replied.

  “Emma, you can’t do that!” Agnes cried. “We have the right to know what’s going on in there. We may even help you out.”

  “Oh, please, spare me your help,” Emma said. “And forget about going inside. No one is allowed to enter the house. That is my order. Richard! Keep your eyes peeled with this lot. They’re all devious creatures.”

  “You, you.” Agnes went red. Elsa had to grab her so she wouldn’t go after Emma.

  This is so embarrassing, Esther thought, hiding her face. She heard the people laughing at her mother.

  “Esther, where are you, my child? I need you to come here.”

  “She’s calling for you, Esthy,” Helena said. “Go, go.”

  Esther hurried, slipping through the crowd to where Emma was. “Yes, Emma.”

  “You’re coming with me. I need extra hands to treat the injured. Are you ready?”

  Esther nodded excitedly. It was her second time attending a real medical emergency; however, she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous about what she might face.

  Emma smiled and then looked at Natalia. “Lead the way.”