They stayed in the hollow for the rest of the day, if the brigands attacked in the afternoon they would have had the advantage of the sun behind them but they didn’t, they didn’t know to. Dione could contact her horse but apart from being fed and watered there were no conversations between the brigands near the horses. Charis expected a reaction by the end of the second day when the four they sent out were expected back.

During the wait Charis worked with her sisters to improve the ambush site. They dug small holes both on the path and either side and covered them with light branches, twigs and leaves, they were designed to bring down a horse or at least cause a rider to pay attention to their horse instead of fighting. They dug a trench across the path and camouflaged it and then sprung back a tree on one side of the path.

The morning of the third day eight rode up from the valley. This was a large number and included the leader, Dione’s horse could see them mount up and leave the corral. This could be too many, even though the ambush site was perfect and conditions would never be more favourable thought Charis. She explained the situation to each of the sisters and prepared them for the fight to come.

The riders were urging their horses to a trot once they made the last crest out of the valley proper. Charis looked back at her sisters, they were in position and she couldn’t see every part of them because they were as hidden as well as they could be. At the trot the traps would be more effective but the missile weapons less so, they may have to fight hand to hand to win the day.

Charis knelt between brush, hopeful that she wouldn’t be easily seen and counting on the sun blinding the riders coming towards her. That same sunshine caressed the back of her neck in a warm comfort she couldn’t explain, but welcomed. Her target was looking down at the trail avoiding the morning sunlight. He lent forward further when Charis’ arrow struck him in the chest and then fell from his horse.

Looking along the line of riders she noticed one swaying in his saddle and skipped him and released at the next rider. He turned to look towards her, she didn’t think he actually saw his attackers and when her arrow struck him in his eye, he would see no more. Then she heard the terrible scream of horses and couldn’t help but look wondering if Astera and Thyia were safe.

As the horses recovered or tried to, the two riders that were dumped by their fall into the hidden trench were trying to avoid their horse’s hooves. Astera moved in during the confusion and speared one before he knew he was dead. The leader rolled free of his horse and once on his feet charged Astera. She ran.

As Astera looked over her shoulder, she tripped and fell forward. The Brigand Leader savoured the moment and began a huge slashing swing with his two handed axe as Astera rolled over to face him. As he was completing his swing he heard a whoosh and a sprung back tree was released and took him straight across the chest. Astera quickly got to her feet and spear in hand ran him through the eye socket. None followed so she and Thyia approached the path.

Charis released another arrow and another rider fell. The twins, Otonia and Dione let loose as well. With the morning sun in their eyes the brigands couldn’t target their attackers. Those brigands that were wounded turned and spurred their mounts directly for the valley and hit the small pit traps and at least two were thrown from their mounts. The warrior sisters targeted those that stayed on their mounts, while those that got off their horse, the horse would run from the battle leaving them stranded.

By this time Astera was on the trail and taking out any fallen brigands. Thyia was following as cover in case one slipped by. They didn’t take any chances and even if not moving they were speared in the eye socket. When the battle was over, they found eight dead, one with a bandaged leg and another, the leader. They joined them to the four of yesterday and fired a smokeless pyre, all bodies turned face down and on the ground.

Charis estimated there were three left in the camp. Dione’s horse was now fairly lonely in the corral and there wasn’t much human traffic in the camp. Charis was pleased and celebrated the victory with her sisters.

Charis collected back as many arrows as possible. Then they lead a string of horses into the valley. Dione and Otonia slipped to the side of the saddle of a horse each and positioned between two horses they rode past the two hidden guards. As their horses and the string of horses behind them went past, Astera appeared and cautiously advanced into their trap gaining the guards attention.

Before it was sprung Otonia threw a knife at one guard and for good measure the other knife as well while Dione lassoed the other and then Astera was upon him.

“Be still and be quiet.” She ordered.

The rest of the sisters arrived on horseback to join them while Dione tried to round up as many of the original herd Otonia and she used.

“How many are in the camp?” Charis asked.

His reply was to spit at her, so she wiped the spit away while Astera’s spear point drew blood from his chest.

“How many are in the camp?” she asked again.

“Five, maybe six, too many for you, that’s for sure!”

Astera pushed the point of the spear further into his chest.

“Don’t, don’t, please stop, I am telling you the truth.” He begged.

Astera pushed further, he was starting to seriously bleed.

“Please spare me, there is only another. He handles the horses. Please don’t kill me.”

“Lead us to him.” demanded Charis.

They all walked amongst the horses as they were led into the camp by the last hidden guard. Dione roped him around the neck to ensure he wasn’t going anywhere and encouraged him to walk as fast as he could as he was losing a lot of blood from his chest wound.

“That’s far enough.” shouted a voice.

They all paused before the three cabins. The roped bandit dropped to his knees, his blood had drained from his face and his breathing became rapid. Dione glanced at her stallion, although she already knew he was well.

“I have a crossbow trained on one of you but I want to live for another day and not become a stuck pig like the one you have on a leash at the moment. I will trade my freedom for all the loot in this camp. I will tell you where it is so you don’t waste any more time than is necessary. Deal?” said the voice.

“Deal! I will also throw in your choice of horse to ride away on!” said Charis.

“How can I trust you?” asked the voice.

“You have my word, on my honour, if you tell us about all the treasures here I will allow you to ride away a free man.”

“The loot is in the cabin next to this one, it belonged to the leader. You will need to search under the floor boards for a chest. Now I have told you, so I am going to saddle a horse and ride away.”

“Agreed.” replied Charis.

He exited the cabin by its back door and glanced around the back corner to see if any of his female audience had moved. Satisfied that they hadn’t, he eased himself over to the corral and caught the large black stallion. This horse could carry his weight and outdistance anything he could see in the yard. They just watched as he saddled it, not even blinking when he dropped the crossbow to work faster. Who were these weaklings? His heart was racing, part from his haste and part from concern, as they just watched him. Finally he was ready and without a word he mounted and left. He couldn’t believe they kept their word! He told the horse as much. He would be back and he shared his plans with his horse as he had no one else to share with. As he talked he refined what he was going to do and when. They would regret letting him go!

They made no move towards the cabin or to stop him riding away. The sisters corralled all the horses and stayed there. They just waited wondering what their Mistress was planning.

“Dione, did he talk of revenge perhaps as he rode away on your horse?” asked Charis. There was no reply for some time.

“Yes he plans to return and dig up a hidden treasure and with that fortune raise another band and kill us all. Apparently no matter how long we search we won’t find it under the rock behind the third cabin because we will be dead from the trap in the second cabin. Then he laughed.”

The prisoner just looked surprised at them and then expired from blood loss falling face first.

“As soon as he dismounts, my horse will run back to me. If you don’t mind I will ask the twins to watch over me while I am with my horse, I need to ensure he knows I am with him, always.”

Charis nodded. Dione and the Twins went to wait in the shade of a nearby cabin.

Astera and Thyia fetched the treasure under the rock, it took some digging and they needed a couple of horses and rope to drag three good sized chests from the hole. All locked and secured and that is the way they stayed.

Charis and Otonia went to find the treasure the horse wrangler gave up. Charis was wary of the trap, so both used their spears to poke and prod as much as they could in the cabin. They resisted the temptation to pick up anything. The chair behind the desk didn’t move. They looked at each other and smiled. Instead of going near it they pushed the desk towards it and as the desk edge pushed against the back of the chair it tilted backwards and lifted up some floor boards. They glimpsed a small chest.

Then from the cavity four crossbow bolts released. They all penetrated the underneath of the table as it was over the cavity. They continued to push the table and hence the chair until it tipped over. The chest was now revealed, which was easy to take. Charis also looked at the crossbows. They were slightly smaller than the one the horse wrangler left behind and may be ideal for their purposes.

“Would one have to sit on the chair while the other disarms the trap to access it?” asked Otonia.

“It would mean, that one couldn’t run off with it, unless you did what we did I suppose.” said Charis.

By middle of the day they were saddled up and ready to go. Dione’s horse returned and she pat it down and hug it around its neck.

“Did the horse wrangler do or eventually say anything else?” asked Thyia.

“Oh how he hoped we bitches would be killed on the trapped small treasure so he could return the next day to liberate the real treasure under the rock near his cabin, on and on about that really. It seems he was also the real leader, he always used someone else to front as leader because once he retrieved his treasure he was going to start up again somewhere else and then hunt us down.” she replied.

“Well, we can’t have that. Dione?” smiled Charis.

“We won’t have that. I enjoyed using my stallion to smash his head in, he kept calling us bitches. My stallion was offended also, but I think he was feeding off my feelings. He didn’t live more than a heartbeat after he dismounted, we just need to visit him to fire his body.” she finished with grin.

Charis thought about travelling to Bircharbor to trade the goods as the horses were now encumbered but that would lose them several days. As far as she could determine they were now as close to the monastery as any other place. They headed east after visiting the body of the horse wrangler. The caravan was a string of over nineteen horses, with food, booty and treasure tied to them all in search of the monastery.

It took several days to find, although the twins knew where it was once they were close.

“Mistress we remember the marsh edged by trees, we are close.” said Alcmene.

“We need to find a hill, slightly forested and once on top; we should be able to look down into a valley and see a huge monastery.” added Clymene.

Charis nodded and they skirted the marsh.

“Mistress, are we needed?”

“Yes, you are valued without question.” replied Charis, brow knitted slightly.

“We are not going there are we sister?” sent Alcmene.

“We told the Mistress when would never step inside a Temple of Saph so how do we tell Mistress, we are under oath to serve her.”

“Are we expected to enter the Monastery with you Mistress?” The words were whispered.

“Speak up Alcmene, what are you asking?”

Alcmene blamed the horses and the carried goods and chattels rattling, ignoring her sweating palms and the slight shiver she felt.

“I am with you my brave sister, we will speak together.”

“Are we expected to enter the Monastery with you Mistress?” they both asked in unison as only twin Seers could coordinate. They were firm and strong this time.

“You are leading us there, but I know you don’t want to return to a Temple, so why would you want to now?”

“NO Mistress! We do not wish to enter, ever, we thought you were going to call on our oath to you to do so.”

Charis looked at them, one on the left and one on the right and could see their relief.

“You forget the part of the oath, where I am concerned about you as much as you serve me. Never doubt that obligation.”

“Yes Mistress. Please forgive our concern.” They closed their eyes gently.

“We are blessed sister, we are truly blessed, our fate is bound to our Mistress and I am glad. We will not stop improving ourselves to better serve our Mistress.”

Looking down from the hill, it was plain that the Monastery sat in an eye, the top and bottom consisting of two hill ranges around a closed valley. So along with Dione and Thyia the twins stood guard over the horses and booty, out of sight of the monastery and waited.

Charis, Otonia and Astera rode towards the monastery ready to receive the package required by the Magistrate of Judge. Given the twins reaction the package was most likely young seers. It was just the number that was uncertain.

The monastery walls were formidable for an out of the way place. High and thick Charis didn’t know what would be able to knock them down, yet as they rode closer a peace settled over them. They all sensed it as they gave each other questioning looks. This was very old strong magic cast a very long time ago. This was just known, like instinct. The walls weren’t military walls they were a separation of the monastery from everything else. No guards walked them and the front gate was opening as they approached.

They slowed their horses to a walk and even then that seemed too fast as they entered an open courtyard. Before them stood three women in flowing white robes, the royalty of priestesses. The middle woman, the most imposing reminded Charis of the Lady in White.

“Welcome. We know why you are here. We are the Mother Superiors and caretakers of this holy place. While we accept your assistance you cannot be permitted to dismount your horses or enter any further into the monastery. Is that understood?” She spoke with the same sureness and authority of the Lady in White, although with no kindness or understanding thought Charis. If Charis was not acquainted with this sort of intimidation she would not have been so well prepared to ignore it. She felt rather than saw the nervousness of Otonia and especially Astera.

“We are honoured to be in your presence and rejoice at the opportunity to prove our honour in this matter. We have no needs that aren’t already satisfied, so to remain as we are is no burden to us. We wait for what we were quested to deliver.” replied Charis. Her voice was firm, sure and unwavering, there was no ego, but then there was no fear either.

“Your reply emboldens me to ask a further boon of service from you. Please understand that we receive few truly trusted visitors and we would like to take advantage of this opportunity if you would permit us.”

Charis knew that this meant additional packages for sure, but decided to play the game as she really wanted to be away from this place, being totally calm didn’t sit well, it could dull the mind.

“Any further service will only increase our honour and favour with the Seers of Saph, we welcome it.”

As if on cue; multiple women walked towards them, each carrying identical travel bags.

“They will inform you of their required duty. Thank you, your service to Saph will not go unrewarded.” With that the three women turned and went back into the monastery.

Even Charis didn’t expect so many. They didn’t rush; there was no jostling they were lined up walking to the exit, very quietly, even their feet didn’t kick any stone gravel or scuff the ground in general. There was definitely no conversation between them. Charis looked at Otonia and Astera and they turned their horses to follow. Apparently no further conversation or salutations were required with the Mother Superior.

Charis knew that this needed to be organised now so they would make little travel tonight. The plan was to organise at least four horses for travel instead of load carrying as not even the twins thought we would be entrusted to escort a double twin set. Dione greeted Charis and declared they were ready to go.

“How did you know?” asked Charis.

“The twins thought the Mother Superiors may add to the numbers because this monastery in particular has few visitors and fewer trusted visitors. So we knew three or four would be children, so we lighten the load on some horses and then we cleared four others for adult riders just in case. The ten remaining horses are burdened and would probably need to be abandoned if we needed to run but as pack animals they will be alright.”

Charis gave her a tremendous hug.

“Let us be away!’

The Seers, without word or argument mounted the horse Dione led them to. They were positioned in front of the pack horses, behind Charis and Otonia. Astera, Thyia and the twins were bringing up the rear. Dione of course was way out in front scouting and marking a trail for them to follow. Charis told her that they would not use any existing trail or any previous path, new ground until she was told different.

The first destination was Bircharbor that would see a young pair and an elderly pair delivered to the Town Temple of the Seers. The elderly pair appeared greatly saddened by their quest though. They didn’t say, Charis thought of the Lady in White and felt this elderly pair was on a similar path walked by her.

It took three days to reach the outskirts of Bircharbor. The land was farmed where it could be. There were many areas of rough, wild ground mixed in with old forest in clumps where those trees couldn’t be cleared easily. There were many small streamlets which degenerated into marshland. It was a very frustrating land if you were in a hurry Charis decided, but great land if you wanted to lose anyone following you.

“Mistress the main farmer’s trail is not far away, do I lead you to it or do we stay to the back paths?”

“Look upon our motley caravan, I would think we need to be a little more discrete?” suggested Charis.

“Your will is my will Mistress, say and it will be done.”

“My will is important but your skill is my guide. What should we do and why?” asked Charis leaning forward gently to encourage.

“It will take longer Mistress, but our caravan is easily identified, the news of it would travel much faster than we can travel, especially if seen by other travellers, while farmers would note us but could take weeks to travel anywhere to tell someone.”

“We follow your judgement Dione, lead on.”

---

Dione led them down one last farmer’s track; it passed an old forest grove before joining the main trail into Bircharbor. Dione backtracked to the old forest once seeing the number of travellers on the main trail. They worked their way towards its centre using a loosely defined game trail. Near the centre it opened up into cleared area, with many tree stumps still standing, some a horse could have comfortably used as a bed. It was a beautiful mystery and a perfect place to camp to reorganise.

“Dione can you scout the main trail and see how far we are away from Bircharbor?”

“Yes Mistress.”

As they all dismounted, including the Seers, it was obvious that they were huddling together but apart from that small show of initiative, they were awaiting orders. The sisters in contrast were preparing to setup the camp.

Charis approached the elderly Seer pair and stood them apart and then positioned one of the younger Seers to stand beside each one.

“Do you have any clothes other than your Seer robes?”

“Yes, Miss Charis.” answered the elder Seers as one showing their gardening clothes from their travel bags.

“Would you be so kind as to dress in them? We are trying to disguise the fact that you are Seers and will try to disguise you to ensure your safety.”

They paused looking around.

“We will prepare an area shortly to ensure your privacy.” They nodded and breathed out in relief.

“What about our young ones?”

“No, Miss Charis.” Not quite in unison.

“That is alright we will find some.”

Once the camp was set, Charis asked the twins to setup some blankets, a gift from the bandits into a privacy area, so all the Seers could use it to change their clothes. Meanwhile Otonia found some bandit clothes for the young Seers, they were too large but were tied off, with sleeves and legs cut to a best fit.

Dione returned then.

“Mistress, a cautious journey would be half a day at most.”

“Quickly, Otonia please remove some of your armour, I will do likewise. Dione are you able to ride some more?” Dione just smiled so Charis took that as a yes.

They gathered the Seers. A Grandmother and granddaughter would travel with Otonia and Charis with Dione scouting ahead, traveling ahead and then travelling behind using the back paths to catch up.

“Astera you will be in command until we return, we shouldn’t be gone for more than a couple of days, only to ensure no one takes an interest in our arrival so they won’t take an interest in our departure.”

“Yes Mistress.”

“Otonia, can you please cut the hair of the young Seers please, it is too neat for waifs and contrasts badly with their clothes.” The young Seers weren’t happy but remained silent while their hair fell to the ground.

Dione led out first, then a short wait later Otonia and her Grandmother and Grandson and finally Charis and her pair. Charis could see Otonia way out ahead, she only disappeared when the ground rose or fell. Dione would rest by the trail and then gallop off via the farmer’s field and then veer back onto the trail and then walk her horse slowly as if it was tired. The closer they came to town the more people, carts and wagons on the trail.

Bircharbor was surrounded by a very wide and deep ditch. The amount of effort to complete that would have been enormous thought Charis. The wooden palisade was beginning to be replaced by stone and like Hillperch the gates were completed first, although there were two, one towards the east and the farmlands and one towards west and the city. They were entering by the Farmer’s Gate she learnt.

She carried only a dagger on her hip and no guard asked for it or searched her for any others. The guards seemed fairly relaxed and just observed. They only sprang into action when wagons or animals looked like they were carrying goods into the town. Taxes thought Charis. They stabled their horses near the Gate, just like Hillperch; no animals that weren’t carrying goods were allowed in the town proper. Neither of the Seers with her knew where the Temple was, but given all Temples tended to find comfort being next to each other, she just needed to find this town’s Temple Street or similar.

Fortunately she didn’t need to even do that, a Seer Pair walked towards them. She asked where the Seer Temple was as she was delivering some important packages. At first they tried to ignore her and then realised the Grandmother and waif were more than they seemed. They actually escorted Charis and her packages back to the Temple. Otonia was already there talking to the temple guard. In her previous life Otonia performed at most towns and villages in the Duchy.

They were ready to wish them all well when the Temple Guards called to them to return. Dione was watching from across the street by then and began to worry although the Guards didn’t seem excited at all. In any case Charis and Otonia went into the Temple.