One More Step

Anna could see Kyra's face turning dark as she took a piece of cloth they prepared beforehand and stuffed it over their mouth. With them walking around with this veil, it didn't seem strange as many had similar things on their faces.

Plague.

Kyra remembered her time before and tried to pass the people as soon as possible. They rushed towards the medicine hall and saw a huge amount of people standing there and waiting for their medicine while doctor Ling was trying yo explain that they had not enough herbs.

Father of medic Ling was an old man with white hair that actually worked in the palace. But do to epidemic he and other doctors and medicals were sent out to help people.

He knew that his daughter had a deal with girls so when he saw them arriving his heart became lighter.

"The medicine is here. Let her pass. Mei Ling, your young friends are here!" Actually she was worried about them. But hoped they would come. The city really needed medicine.

''Kyra, Anna you two foolish girls. As usual, you came to save lives. Nobles have their treasuries filled with strong herb and won't help but these two came." Her loud words could be heard by many.

Kyra and Anna felt strangely uncomfortable. "Bring the herbs inside. Sorry, but we will leave right away." With every passing moment in the silent crowd staring at them, Kyra started having more trouble concentrating.

Medical Ling saw her white face behind the mask and called a few more helpers to get the stuff from the carriage.

The girls actually would take off and just give to the helpers not even going down from the carriage. Not long after that, they finished.

They just nodded to medical Ling as they explained. "We have one more time to bring you. Do you need them tomorrow? Our carriage is small, so we can't put many things onto it."

Doctor Ling came out and patted Mei Ling's hand. ''Go take our carriage and accompany them home. They should not be here." He turned his eyes towards the girls and smiled. "Go home. If you can do not come here for a while. If you can, try to avoid as many contacts with anyone. We have no idea how this sickness will react."

Kyra nodded. She could see people puking everywhere. Her face became even whiter. Actually, even tho she disliked talking to people, she still cared about them.

Anna was worried about her so she took her hand. But Kyra's face showed a shock. She recognized it.

People actually mostly get sick by drinking dirty water. When they were coming, she could see the color of the nearby river being strange. If people have drunk the dirty water...

She turned to say something but stopped herself. Mei Ling was already on the next carriage and nodded to her.

Their carriages left the town straight away. This time there was no time to leisurely stroll. Mei Ling was alone on another carriage as not many should know where the girls are. But, how many little orphans lived in this village?

Just them...

Somehow she found it hard to digest that fact. If bad people choose to harm them, it would be so easy to find out their house.

Their carriages came to end of the village and Mei Ling had to admit that air and the view were amazing up here. Kyra quickly opened the big gates so they could park their carriages in the front part of their yard.

As soon they opened the second gate she was truly stunned and gasped in her amazement. The road to the house was followed by the line of fruit trees. In corners stood bushes of different kinds of berries, flowers... No, they were herbs! Everywhere rare herbs.

These two planted herbs inside their garden and it looked amazing. The small pavilion had shade from a small forest of bamboos.

Anna took her to the pavilion and smiled looking at her expression. " This is our home and sanctuary. Do you understand why we don't want to visit town much if we don't have to?"

Mei Ling speechlessly nodded. She sat down on the comfortable recliner and saw the city far away, like a picture on the wall.

The small wind blew between bamboo leaves and next to the comfortable sound she could hear as a well strange thing. Like a musical instrument that constantly changed its music.

She turned her head and saw tiny porcelain animals moving by the wind and making noises. As they lightly hit each other, the sound would come out and would give her a comfortable feeling.

The girls started opening the path to their cellar and taking one glass pot filled with precious herbs after another. Over one hundred pots were taken out and on end, two small pots were stuffed into her hands.

"This is for you and your father. Its wild bee honey. Please eat one spoon every day to make your body stronger. Next days will become harder." Kyra knew that she couldn't do anything to help.

But Anna was anxious. She wanted to help out, but leaving Kyra alone? Kyra, of course, knew her wish and just smiled.

''Anna, go down to help. Your knowledge can be wasted. That is one thing, the other is you need experience. From my side, I need to tend garden, animals and I'll go gather as many herbs as I can. In your case, you will need many even if they are fresh. Mecial Ling...'' she turned her head towards Mei Ling ''... come here once a week for herbs. I think this amount will let you for a while but still come here once a week and get a fresh batch. There is one more thing yo two should know.''

They looked at her serious face. ''The river water is muddy. Most people have no connection to clean water. Two things could be done. To give them the water from wells in the city, or to clean the water. My grandmother once showed me away.''

She took a bucket and started explaining. ''U need a hole on the side and put the pipe in the hole and isolate it so no water pass next to it. The pipe should have piece of cloth or silk as the last filter. Now inside. Fist put large clean gravel, then sand on top, layer with pieces of charcoal between, then more sand and on top cloth that will stop bigger pieces as well. But, before that, get big barrels and gather water inside, many barrels with water. Let the dirt stagnate down and use the top of the water before purifying it. On the end, you should have clean water that you have to cook. Please, it has to be cooked before use. I know its huge amount of work, but please you absolutely can't skip one bit of this. If you do that, at least fewer people will die from the sickness. Those that are already sick... try feeding them sweet water. Or something like that. But the water need to be clean. Please let everyone know about this.''

Her urgent words made them understand the seriousness of the situation. Actually Mei Ling had already so much to do with all the sick people but realized that no one thought about the cause of it.

They needed to stop others to get as sick. When they were about to go Kyra rushed out one more time. ''Anna, go to Jiang store and let them make clothes for you and doctors. I made a sketch of the clothes. It will protect you for direct contact. How will you help others if you get sick as well? Medical Ling, I mean it well. You really have to consider to cover your face as many sicknesses are spread through the air as well. The books you sold said that. Make face filters I made in sketch and you might have less chance to get infected as well.''

Of course, she knew everything that Anna did, but she was not very willing to go and help out as well. The garden can't wait, the animal's as well, and she really just wanted to tend nature and support Anna. On the other hand, Anna knew her ability.

Kyra was extremely smart and if she wanted she could become one of the best healers in the country. But she hid her talents. Before winter they bought so many books and Kyra learned them well, explaining Anna things she didn't understand. That is the reason why she felt she need to go and learn more.

With Kyra, the superwoman, she felt lacking. Even tho she knew that Kyra never wanted to go and become someone to her recognition meant so much.

With this chance, she could make her own name. Maybe in the future, they could work as doctors and earn their share of the money. But looking at Kyra rejecting to be a doctor she had a tiny bit hope to become famous.

On their way to the city, the two women didn't talk as each of them had their own thoughts.

Anna knew that her childish jealousy towards Kyra's wisdom is not helping at all, buts he couldn't do anything about it. Yes, she loved Kyra as she was her own sibling, but still, even siblings would be jealous of each other in certain moments, right?

While Anna reconsidered her feelings to Kyra, Mei Ling was thinking about the safety of that child. She is all alone. Should she send someone to keep her safe? But when she saw people in shadows from other house watching at her in caution, she let a sigh of relief in her heart. The foreign village is not as defenseless as before. Now they can openly protect themselves.

After the new law passed they found that some people stole small children from villages and one of the children was from a foreign village as well. So the family of the child rung the protest bells in front of palace making the Emperor aware of this situation.

After hearing that so many children were gone and no one found one, he almost decapitated his right hand Lor Jong and made him take the whole Imperial army to search the county. They found that large organization with murky background was connected to some nobbles and the dirty things they found were enough for Emperor to faint.

After waking up he let new law that foreign villages can have their own guards and weapons and protect the people inside. That was enough to scare some people, but not all. So after a few tries and many assains dying, the foreign village became a safe place now.

She contently smiled thinking about it and snapped with her whip to make horses walk faster, there is the plague in town. They need to rush.