A low moan came from the back room and all heads turned. With worried looks, Negha, Nigha, Neighas, and Nogha all walked to the back room. Lina reluctantly followed.
When she came upon the room they had gone into, she found them all gathered around a bed, on their knees. A fevered Nagha...Naghei lay there. Her eyes were closed and she was moaning in a type of fever dream. Another pained moan erupted from here...then all way silent. "Naghei? Naghei!" Naighas was shaking her prone...sister's body while the others held their heads in their hands crying. Finally Neighas stopped shaking Naghei and broke down crying as well.
Lina didn't know what to do. She had no idea where to start. "Can I help?" she asked meekly. Death always made her a little more solemn. Negha looked up at her with teary eyes.
"Can you help us bury her?" To that, Lina nodded.
Instead of barging in on his own without Gourry or Amelia's help, Zelgadis watched fromt he nearby trees. Different way this could be a trap ran through his mind. He had been waiting for a long time and Gourry and Amelia still were no where in sight. With a sigh he started to walk up to the cabin, but stopped and hid again when the door suddenly opened.
Lina! Zel was almost overjoyed when he saw Lina come to the doorway and he almost ran straight to her. But he stopped himself. Something about Lina's expression was disturbing.
It was solemn, morose and almost...sad? he then noticed she was carrying a shovel over her right shoulder. Looking around a moment she looked back into the cabin and held the door wide open. His curiousity piqued as three tall women, dressed in black, teary eyed, carrying a body in funeral shrowd, walked out. What was strange was that all three women were identical, not including different hair styles and clothing. Following silently behind the women, Lina carried the shovel in both hands and all four walked around the back. Zel moved positions so he could see better.
Lina carefully dug a hole and helped the women place the body into it. As the women held each other crying Lina started shoveling dirt back in. Only after the hole had been filled, and small flowers placed on top, did he see the four other mounds/graves next to this one. Flowers, slightly wilted, adorned them as well. He looked back tot he women and Lina and found the women kneeling on the ground, clasping onto Lina and crying. Lina soon knelt and comforted them like a mother would.
Zel had never seen Lina so compassionate before. He had only seen glimses, but nothing this intense. He felt closer to her now then he had ever been. It was awkward looking though....considering the women were a bit taller then Lina, they practically smothered her, but she didn't seem to mind. It was then he decided to make his presence known.
"Hi Zel." she answered lamely. The women were crying less then before. After a moment, Lina helped them to their feet and they all walked back into the cabin.
Sitting down, Zel was about to asked what was going on when a piercing laugh reverberated outside. He quickly covered his ears as Lina did as well. He just barely hear Lina groan. "Oh no...."