76, The source

“Are you ready for some more walking?” Ayya asked the riders as they set off back the way they came. 

“Ready if you are, your grace,” they said. Ayya laughed. It had been a long time since she walked like this. They found Jason on his cot. He had arranged the pears on top of the cot and was rolling an apple to try to knock them down. Ayya smiled, she had already told Sister Agatha they were moving him. 

“Hi Jason,” Tenac said. 

“Tenac, Ayya, you’re back already?” he asked. 

“We are, and we have some news.” Ayya said and sat down next to him. “Jason, this isn’t a good place for you to live. I have asked some friends of mine that has an orphanage, the one by the marketplace, if you could stay there. There are really nice nuns and children your own age there. Would that be okay?” she asked Jason. 

“What about my parents and sister?” he asked. 

“They will have to stay here, where they can get taken care of. But I promise you I will let you know how they are,” Ayya said. 

“Okay. Do they have better food there?” he asked, and Ayya smiled. 

“The nuns cook the food themselves. The times I have eaten there, it has been good food,” she said. 

“Well, it is kind of boring here, and I would like some better food. Can I take my fruit?” 

“Yes, you can. I was thinking we should go back to your house and collect some of your things. Would that be okay?” she asked.

“Sure,” Jason said. 

“Do you have a cloak?” Ayya asked and looked around. 

“No, they didn’t bring it when they collected me,” Jason said. For the first time, Ayya wished they had brought the carriage. 

“Is it okay if I carry you again?” Tenac asked. Jason nodded. Ayya smiled at Tenac. They packed up the fruit and Tenac lifted Jason, and Ayya made sure Tenac’s cloak covered them both. 

“You will have to tell me where you live,” she said as they set off. 

“Sure,” Jason said. “Why are there two men dressed like Tenac following us?” he asked. 

“They are here to make sure we are okay. Tenac is their boss. That’s why they are dressed like him,” Ayya said with a giggle. 

“That’s not true. We belong to the same order, the grey riders. That is why we dress alike,” Tenac corrected her. 

“No fun,” Ayya joked, and Jason giggled. Jason showed them the way to where he lived. The neighbourhood was silent and looked abandoned. Ayya knew that most of the people living there were either sick or had passed on. Jason’s father was a trader and seemed to be a successful one, as they lived in the better part of the city.

“That’s it,” Jason said and pointed out a white house with wood details. “We can go in from the back.”

“How about you and me wait outside and let Tenac and Rubin check everything out first?” Ayya asked. 

“Um, okay,” Jason agreed. They walked in through the back gate, into a small garden. Tenac let Jason down and Ayya opened up her cloak so he could stand in front of her and then she closed it, only letting his head poke out. They watched as Tenac and Rubin walked inside the house while Jehusa stayed with them in the garden. It didn’t take them long to return. 

“Everything looks okay. You can come in,” Tenac said. Ayya let go of Jason and he ran into the house. Ayya followed him and helped him collect his cloak, some spare clothes and his favourite toy, a wooden sword. 

“Jason, do you know where your father keeps the valuable things? If the house is left empty, someone can come in and steal it. I think it’s better you take it with you,” Ayya told him. He nodded. Ayya made sure Tenac went with Jason while she took a look around. It felt intrusive to walk around someone else’s home like this. She collected some things she thought looked important. A homemade blanket with the family’s names and some dates embroidered on it, some legal documents to prove ownership of the house and a crude made wooden figure, which was engraved with Jason’s name in the bottom. She met the others in the kitchen. “Anything else you want to take or do before we leave, Jason?” she asked him. 

“No, it’s okay,” he said. 

“Okay, let’s go then,” Tenac said. He was holding a parcel in one hand and the other he reached towards Jason. Jason took his hand and reached for Ayya’s as well. Ayya smiled and took his hand in hers, and they walked out. The walk to the orphanage was slower than before as they adapted the pace to Jason. Jason seemed content walking between them, talking about the different things they saw on their way. When they came to the orphanage, Sister Loise was waiting for them. Ayya introduced her to Jason, and they handed over his things. 

“We need to go now, Jason. But we will be back to visit you, maybe not every day, but as often as we can. Okay?” Ayya asked.

“Okay. Thank you for bringing me here,” he said.

“You are more than welcome. Next time we come, I want to hear all about your new friends and that you have listened to the sisters,” she told him. He nodded and said goodbye to Tenac and the two riders. 

As Tenac and Ayya walked into the common room in the tower, Hinat and Firlea waved them over to the table they were sitting at. The table was full of scrolls and the map of the city was laid out in the middle. 

“Where have you two been?” Hinat asked.

“Sorry, we got sidetracked by a mission,” Ayya told her. 

“What is all of this?” Tenac asked.

“Father Link had lots and lots of historic records. Seems the church has been keeping a close eye on the sickness,” Hinat explained.

“Hinat and myself have been mapping out the different waves all afternoon. The first one was just like the present one, but with fewer clusters. Only eight clusters and only in the lower half of the city,” Firlea told them.

“The poorer parts,” Ayya said. Her friends nodded. 

“This is the second wave. It looks just like the other two we have mapped, except for this,” Hinat said, pointing at a single, isolated piece of paper.

“What is that?” Tenac asked. 

“It’s my family,” Ayya said as she recognised the location on the map.

“I’m sorry, Ayya,” Hinat said and gave her a hug. 

“It’s okay. Is it the only deviation you can find?”

“From the three waves we mapped so far, yes,” Firlea told them. Ayya let her eyes sweep over the map in front of her. “The timber ward,” she said and pointed at a white cluster. 

“Does that mean something?” Firlea asked. Ayya looked at Tenac.

“Ayya’s father was apparently a firm believer that the water in the local well wasn’t good enough for his silver work. He would get their water from the timber ward,” Tenac explained as he put an arm around Ayya’s back. 

“The water?” Hinat asked.

“Let’s be certain before we tell anyone. Let’s check locations of wells in the clusters,” Ayya said. They got to work and discovered that almost in the dead centre of each cluster there was a well. 

“This is bad,” Tenac said.

“It is, but it’s also a step forward. We need to talk to the king,” Ayya said. They sent a message to the king, asking to speak to him as soon as he had the time. As they waited for his reply, they moved everything into Ayya’s room. They had been expecting a note and, hopefully, the chance to see the king first thing in the morning. Instead, he and Zerden showed up and were shown into Ayya’s room. “Thank you for coming,” Ayya said as they all sat down.

“Your note said it was urgent,” the king told her. 

“We think we have found the source of the sickness,” Ayya said. The king and Zerden looked at her. Neither of them moved a muscle or said a word.

“You what? It’s been two days,” the king said. 

“Yes. We think we have found the source, we still don’t know what is causing it or why. But we are relatively certain we know how people are getting sick,” Ayya said.

“How?” Zerden asked, forgetting his place. No one cared, as they all were focused on the revelation that had fallen into their laps.