Trail of blood

JP with Lucian and Bandorchu

Alexis kneeled next to the young woman with a dark expression, examining her fatal wounds.

She looked up to Tarmen.

“Guess that cancels out ritual suicide.”
she said gravely.

“Think we got a good idea who might be responsible for this. If so, question remains why and ordered by whom.”

Standing up again she mutely requested whatever deity the girl had believed in to guide her soul, like she had for the previous victim.

To see another corpse dampened his good mood, but it didn’t remove the feeling. Just like home.
“Can also see why they took such an interest in you. Maybe seein’ if you were the same as them.”
He gestured to the body, meaning what they represented more than the women themselves.
“Definitely smart that you haven’t shown your package to many or else they might have made a move.”
After everything they had been through, he knew they would see the assassins again. It always seemed to work that way.

“I don’t get it.”

Alexis quietly said.

“Assuming these poor girls all happen to follow this ‘Call’ - and I struggle to imagine what yet another girl is doing out here all alone otherwise - isn’t that, like, central in their religion?”

She shook her head.

“Who’d dare to interfere with that? These guys certainly don’t appear to feel this is business as usual, thank the gods.”

She personally didn’t think she herself fit the bill for being affected by the Call - so far, those seemed a lot younger. But what did she know? Well, she DID know better than to parade around the hammer head. Given what little she had learned about history, Fosia might not be held in high regard out here…

Tarmen snorted at her comment, stepping closer to her.
“Just like any religion, everyone has an idea of what is true. Maybe someone’s lookin’ for a certain person and doesn’t want the ‘unworthy’ to interfere.”
Looking to the caravan, he did agree that they were very off put with the frequency of finding the dead. This was not normal. With a weary sigh he crouched to rest his legs.
“Just have to hope this gets answers in their holy city. Gettin’ tired of everythin’ changin’ right when we appear with only scattered clues for why.”

Alexis sighed.

“True that.”

She looked at the caravaner with them somberly, and tried to convey between gestures and a few known Ozainae words that they would give them space if they wanted to do the rites for this one.