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they'd ever tried.
    Praise the All High.
     
     

Chapter two
     
    Walking across the width and breadth of Tellerand turned out not to be needed. The Parade of the All High, as it had come to be called, split into about a hundred parts over a few days time, as soon as the new saints got there. Sara however, wasn't allowed to sneak away and get back to her own life. Or even surreptitiously use a healing amulet for her feet and sore legs.
    Apparently her personal suffering was a big part of why everything was working. It didn't make sense to her, given that she wasn't even from their land, and the word had gone out that she wasn't a very good follower of their faith. That had to do with Laroque having said that she and her people didn't pray enough, on the first day. That part had spread. As well as her apparently being of dubious virtue, having offered herself to all comers, at least in Tellerand terms.
    Sara did notice that no one took her up on the idea. That was probably because she was starting to smell more than a little. All of the marchers were. Bathing wasn't unheard of in this strange land or anything like that, but those moving from place to place didn't get a lot of chance to do that sort of thing.
    So, three full months later, reeking and with infected sores all over her legs, Roget announced that it was time for them to all go home, and see to the safety and feeding of their people. As the All High demanded of them.
    "We must needs go to our own places and do what duty is demanded of us by Him. Everyone here has food to eat, the cleanest of water, and what protection can be afforded to guard against the coming storms. One is coming now, and we should all be inside, since to do otherwise will be courting death, and flouting the gift of life that has been provided us all."
    Everyone got that one, thankfully.
    The new storms were just that bad. Even being inside a building would be a risk. Sara was planning to hide in her Jump Ship. Possibly in orbit. Sleeping for the next six days, after healing for as long as her body could take. That and soaking in a tub for long enough to really take off the layers of dirt, grime, and for some reason oil that had collected over her entire body.
    First though, she knelt, and prayed. It was what you did at every step here, it turned out.
    "Praise the All High for His good works. We thank Him, and ask Him to bless those that need his aid."
    That got everyone else to do it, but thankfully it didn't take twenty minutes this time. She had to credit the wear and tear on everyone there, as well as the promise of death by storm winds if they didn't get under cover soon.
    Barely able to walk, she headed off into the woods alone. Roget came too, but was several hundred feet behind her, looking suspicious the whole time. Like they were sneaking off to break some religious rules and test her virtue. As if she had any of that? Not by the standards that these people held.
    Still, Roget wasn't getting any off of her. He was fine enough looking, but he was so... conflicted all the time that it was kind of a turn off. If he wanted to be with her, all he had to do was ask, of course. That, or suggest they go for a meal. Maybe he could tell her she had pretty eyes? It wasn't like she made it hard to get close to her.
    The small pale man had watched her closely for the entire time they'd been together, and she didn't blame him for not wanting her at the moment, since she was pretty gross, but he could have said a few kind words. None of the men here had though. Not even the ones that were obviously interested in her. It was down to their religion no doubt, but it made her wonder how anyone ever got together.
    Brushing her matted blonde hair from her face, she waited as everyone that was going with her worked, slowly into the depth of the woods.
    "I suppose we should all pray again?" She smiled, and set up her ship. No one jumped back, even though the men that had come with her hadn't seen it happen