Death in the Sands

JP with Bandorchu, Winteroak, and LucianNepreen

Alexis did not content herself with gesticulating. Looking around carefully, she went over to where the girl lay, at least wanting to check if she might still be alive.

The girl was clearly dead. Probably been dead for a day or two. She couldn't be more than fifteen or sixteen. Any signs of tracks nearby had long vanished under the shifting sands. Looking at the girl dressed in the typical garb of the Ozainae, Alexis could not see any signs of struggle. The only injury to the young woman was a deep gash on her throat from where she had likely bled out.

Alexis frowned.
Murdered? Why?
She took a step back and looked around.

Had she been out here all on her own? Maybe… she was like the girl that vanished in Desdem?

The merchants although hardy men looked aghast. And their confusion quite clear. They had seen no traces of any other caravans nor did any Septs lived close by. One of the man covered the girls' face as they all knelt in prayer over her small body.

For Tarmen, finding the girl wasn’t the best for his already healthy distrust. He could only understand incoherent snippets of their confused conversations and even then, they could be talking about how the body wasn’t hidden well enough for all he knew.
The only part that made him halt his growing suspicions was how she was dressed. He wouldn’t doubt they would kill their own, but it was the clothes of a commoner. Not someone who would be worth killing for their riches.
He saw Alexis in thought and wanted to hear her thoughts, stepping closer in case any of the caravan could understand them.
“You thinkin’ it’s the girl from Desdem right?”

Alexis stepped respectfully away. She didn’t want to intrude on this. In her mind she started to pray to Zinheim, stopping herself right away and unanimously requested the deity of the girl’s belief to shepherd her soul.

At Tarmen’s question she took another look at the ill-fated child, but…

“I… can’t be sure, but I believe she was even younger… but maybe this one was out here for the same reason?”

Looking back at the gaping wound, Tarmen could only imagine what had transpired. Was this the fate of one of the Called if two met?
Had the child Alexis was looking for become a killer in her desire and faith?
It didn’t really disturb him, it was something he had done himself when around their age. What did unnerve him was killing a potential ally in the middle of the desert. Why not wait till they were closer?
That was even if it was another chosen that did it.
Another thought did come to him, a more peaceful, but no less grisly explanation.
“No signs of a struggle though. Maybe it was religious suicide?”

Alexis considered it.

“No knife around. Might just be buried in the sand somewhere, though. Could just as well be she didn’t expect to be attacked.”

“Would have to have been fooled then. Don’t see how anyone could be ambushed out here, unless they came from the sand.”
His mind kept coming up with new scenarios, but he stopped the train of thought when he took in the full view.
They could think of what killed her when they were traveling, but right now… it might be better to let the caravan commit the girls spirit to rest in peace.
“We should leave them be, go back to camp and try to rest.”

Alexis nodded her consent. This was nothing for them to take part in.

Looking back at the girl she remembered her father cautioning her that a friendly smile might still carry a sharp knife behind its back.