52. Seven in One Blow.

Maria lay awake cuddling Annie in her arms. Tonight had been their night off and they had spent it having a quiet, intimate dinner together. They didn’t get many chances having this much alone time together, when they weren’t tired from working all day.

So they had taken advantage of the fact that most of the lord’s household was out on a goodwill trip to the neighbouring villages, and would be gone for at least a fortnight, so the household duties were cut, seeing as how there were less people to worry about.

Some of the house staff took the time to return home, if they lived close by. But Annie was not really in a mood to see her family, since she had taken a job at the mansion, and not married a young man close to home and stayed there to help work the land. Her getting together with Maria, was not much better in their eyes either. So they avoided contact as little as possible with Annie’s family. Not that it bothered Annie that much anyway, since she had never really felt close to any of her family.

Annie sighed contentedly.

"It has been a while since we have had time like this," she said. "And you have not been called away in a very long time."

She was right. It had been nearly three months and no calls from the room of souls. This had been the longest stretch of time between calls. Her Mother had said that there could be very long times between. But so far Maria had been kept running after others quite a lot, and she was glad for the respite.

So tonight they lay in each others arms, spent from a night of dinner alone and more intimate contact as well.

A movement near the door caught her eye. She saw a flash of white then heard a soft low voice.

"Can I come in now?" asked Theodore in his little pity me voice.

The white ferret had been banished from the room, so that they could have a little privacy, and the rest of the house was kept cool since it was not being used. He complained that he did not like the cold, but they had been adamant that he should go and he could return later.

Annie giggled.

"Yes," she said. "You can come in now."

A flash of white streaked across the room and under the blankets of the bed. At the bottom of the bed a lump could be seen shivering.

"It is cold out tonight and they have no fires anywhere in the house," he complained. "All the others went to bed early and closed their doors. I sat in the kitchen near the dying embers but that wasn’t enough. I like warmer climates, thank you. Why you had to pick here to stay, I don’t understand."

Maria and Annie looked at each other and laughed.

Theodore poked his head out from under the covers and looked at them.

"You could have taken her home with you," he said to Maria. "Instead of staying here. Your homeland is always warm."

"Because I needed to show my independence," said Maria. "I couldn’t do that staying at home. They treat me like a precious, fragile object still today. It would have been worse if I had stayed there."

Theodore considered what she had said and finally nodded in agreement.

Suddenly the room blurred in Maria’s vision.

She felt Annie’s arms tighten around her.

"What’s wrong?" she was asking, "Are you sick? shall I fetch a doctor?"

Her vision steadied and she could see Annie looking at her concernedly and Theodore looking around confused.

"It’s never been that bad before," he said.

"What hasn’t?" asked Annie.

"The call," said Maria. "When I get the feeling that a hunt is about to start. It is normally just a wave across my mind, letting me know I should return home and find who is hiding. This time it was stronger than usual."

"What does that mean?" asked Annie with a concerned look on her face.

"I don’t know," answered Maria. "I better go and see what is happening back home."

She got out of bed and slipped on some clothes.

She kissed Annie.

"I will come back and let you know first," she said.

"I’ll stay here," said Theodore.

"Alright," she said, and turned around, made a portal and entered her childhood home.

She went straight downstairs to the room of souls.

There she found her mother and Aunt, looking perplexed and a little angry.

"You aren’t going to like this," said her mother, when she saw her walk in.

They stepped aside and Maria could see several candles that had burnt down to nothing but the flames were still burning.

There were seven of them.

Maria looked at them with her mouth hanging open.

"Seven?" was all she could say.

"Yes," said her aunt. "There has not been a multiple number in centuries. I don’t envy you this job. The last one took us years to fix."

She saw her niece’s look of despair.

"But you are different," she said quickly. "This may not be as hard for you as it was for us. Remember, this is your speciality."

Maria took a deep breath to banish the rising panic. She reached out to the flames. She caught a glimpse of a place she knew. It was her lord’s city. They were all somewhere in the vicinity of the lands.

She turned to her mother and aunt.

"How could so many happen at the same time?" she asked.

"A large accident that did not happen as it should have. Or a group using magic to prevent their deaths from old age. Almost anything," her mother said. "Just one person saving themselves could accidentally save others who would have died along with them."

"I will return home and search," she told them. "I hope it doesn’t take years."

"So do we," said her mother.

Maria stepped through the portal to let Annie and Theodore know what was happening.