A Plague Tale : Innocence

II - The Strangers

The current had finally slowed down, allowing the three orphans to swim towards the riverbed. All three of them were sweating and wet, a terrible combination. Right now they did not care that the inquisition was after them. They only wanted some dry clothes.

Amicia was the first to get up. She pointed to a village further ahead. "Someone up there could lead us to Laurentius."

"Or at the least give us some dry clothes." Charles muttered.

Hugo had squatted down and shock his head. "Mommy won't like it, that I fell into the water."

Amicia and Charles shared a look. He still didn't know what happened back there and how would were they going to tell a five-year old that he would never see his mother.

Amicia acted quickly and smiled at him. "Well.... lets not mention it when we see her alright?" she said and offered him a hand. "Come on, we have to get dry."

"Alright. We'll ask Laurentius to take us to see mummy and daddy." he said.

"Yes... of course." Amicia said, not really listening. Charles wasn't sure if lying to him was the best course of action but she had clearly made up her mind and hearing two different stories would only make it worse.

The three made their way to the village entrance. It was very quiet, aside from the animals that were running around. Not an unusual site, although it certainly was for Hugo. He stared at the ducks, pigs and chicken with fascination and asked about the horses. "They are really big." he said about them.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt you." Charles said with a smile.

"What are these noises? Are they sick?"

"They are just clearing their noses. Come on, we have to go." his sister hissed. She really wanted to get this ice with.

But Charles could tell something was wrong. No one was waiting at the village entrance, no guards at the walls. The most obvious sign was the food left to rot in the shelves. Something was very, very wrong indeed.

Hugo ran up to a food stand and tries to grab
an apple. „Hugo no! It's rotten!" Amicia reprimanded him.

„But I am hungry." he pouted.

„How can you think of food right now?" she hissed and grabbed him firmly by the hand.

The village looked completely deserted and the windows all closed. Only the black smoke in the center of it was a sight that at least some people still lived here. As they walked through the street they knocked on all the doors, asking for food, shelter or at least some clothes. One one opened them, though. Only one elderly resident stuck their head out of the window above the door and hissed at them to leave, saying that they were not welcomed here. „I am your Lords daughter!" she protested, to no avail.

„Why are they scared?" Amicia asked in confusion.

„I don't know.... maybe they heard about the attack?" Charles tried to explain. But he too could only guess.

Until they came across a couple of houses marked with a white X on the doors and windows, the remains of burned furniture lying in the street.

Hugo rushed to one of the marked doors to knock  but Amicia quickly pulled him back. „Hugo no! Stay away! See those crosses? That means sick people are in there."

„Oh.... so they are not allowed to go outside? Like me?"

„It's more serious then that, we could catch their illness. So stay with us."

„Alright..."

„So that's why they are hiding. The Plague." Charles muttered. Just what did they that God punished them with such a terrible disease? He heard the report: First a fever, then black pustules emerged in the groins, armpits and neck. Then the victims cough blood before dying a long and terrible death. The lucky ones would fall into a coma before that.