The Innkeeper celebrated the arrival of the warrior-sisters, grateful for the business and the supplies. She apologised for the state of the Inn, the hard times lasted for over a season, and with no income, it has been difficult finding food for her, let alone for any customers. Astera noted the Innkeepers thinned appearance and accepted her tale.

Astera commanded the warrior-sisters to make the Inn more inhabitable before dusk. They utilised their trail bedding where the beds weren’t in a usable condition, fixed up others, and kept the few in sound condition. Some quick repairs prepared the stable for use, mainly re-nailing some dropped or loose boards. The roof needed more skill to repair than the warrior-sisters could provide, at least the horses were relatively safe and stabled. The wagons were unloaded and the stores placed in a room in the Inn as Astera envisioned starving peasants stealing everything they could. It was late in the afternoon and Thyia left to lookout for the return of Dione and Otonia and direct them to the Inn instead of the Keep.

Upon Dione’s return, her stallion acted as the unofficial guard within the stables, the huge horse dominating the herd. When Charis returned, she would set alerts, which would ensure nothing went missing Astera assumed.

Astera called in Dione and Otonia and they dressed in full armour, weapons, and Daughter’s pin as they prepared to visit the Keep. Dione and Otonia were missing their cloaks so they left them behind. They needed to fetch Charis and Helice back to the Inn, and remove any goods and chattels, which belonged to them without incident. They hitched a wagon and headed to the Keep, leaving Thyia to defend the Inn.

The guard allowed them through the Gate; it was late afternoon, still ample light and time to collect what they were here for and return to the Inn. Astera glanced at the stables and spied the sullen stableboys, skulking between the horses or appearing from behind some stable doors. Called by their others most likely thought Astera glad the Daughter’s horses were well away.

Astera strode through the Main Hall with her warrior-sisters on either side of her. The middle of the day meal still progressing, half-eaten food, meal leftovers on the main table and food discarded on the floor, disgusting. Astera held her tongue; she was here for one purpose and an argument with the disrespectful knights would serve no purpose. Their behaviour probably the reason the new Baroness didn’t sit with her Baron at the table.

“Hold there ladies, why don’t you come and join us, I am sure for some favours we could provide you with some food!”

Astera stopped and faced down the knights. The knights greeted her with snickering and boisterous laughter. Others whispered words to the knight beside them, encouraging them to leer and jest at Astera’s expense.

“Who ever made that comment has no honour and no right to be called a knight. We are Daughters of the Duchess, we answer to the Duchess, and no one in the Duchy can impede our way or actions without first appealing to her. A high honour we respect and would not dishonour her name with any actions less than noble or worthy. Priests of Judge, I call on you to hold your Knights to account! From what I see they have no respect for the people they are meant to protect.”

She turned and head held level, strode out of the Hall and up the stairs to Helice’s room.

The Main Hall silenced as the knights gawked at the tall noble female stepping away. More than one licked their lips savouring her athletic body and imagining the possible delights under her leather armour. When Astera and her sisters withdrew up the stairs, the knights broke out into boisterous laughter and lustful chatter.

They arrived at Helice’s room and after three knocks on the door, Helice unbarred it. Their first task, pack their goods and chattels. The heavy trunk presented the first challenge, Astera wanted a graceful and dignified exit, the trunk would be awkward and require too many to carry it so she decided to leave it. They settled on using saddlebags, filled them to a comfortable level, and managed to fit the important items. They also used the extra backpack they found in the trunk, which assisted. In the meanwhile, Astera and Helice prepared Charis. Her armour cleaned as best they could, full cloth and felt underneath, Cloak and Daughter’s pin clearly on display, her bow across her back, and her daggers on her hips.

They practiced with Charis walking beside Astera with them occasionally bumping hands and Dione and Otonia escorting behind coaching direction and pace. It wasn’t smooth, still they sensed most of them in the Main Hall were slightly, if not more, drunk and wouldn’t notice. Helice sent words of encouragement and corrections using their one-way Seer link. When they reached the Main Hall Astera and Helice would be on either side of Charis with Dione and Otonia behind, so they could guide her out of the hall with dignity. They took one last look around the room and left it, with the door securely locked.

The sisters entered the Hall from the stairs well enough and proceeded directly to the doors of the Great Hall.

“Well they arrive as three and now they scurry away as five! With so many and them of such importance we should all bow to them.”

“She is the bitch that attacked me in the kitchen! I will have her to account for her cowardice!”

He advanced on them. Dione reacted swiftly and roped him about his feet. He tripped forward and fell face first, slowly rising with a bloody nose, face red with anger too shocked to react.

“You are a disgrace to be called a Judge Knight Aspirant, much less an Initiate. I call your honour and faith into question. You are fallen and must confess your actions to The Judge Knight of the Duchy and be Judged by him and held to account for your actions to your God!” Charis uttered solemnly.

Charis whispered to them, encouraging the sisters to exit the Hall. A number of Judge Knights pushed back their chairs with their legs as they rose from the table; the scrapping sound encouraged, intending to block their way.

“This is still my Hall sirs! Be seated and allow the Daughters of the Duchess to take their leave with my permission.”

The Judge Knights and their High Priest exchanged glances and with silent agreement ignored the Baron’s order.

“Halt!” Balius screamed.

Balius snapped around to stare, eyes bludging at the High Priest. He as well as the High Priest caught their obvious disrespect.

“The Daughters of the Duchess have my leave to retire unimpeded. If your Knights prevent them, you have no honour and your assistance within the Barony is not required and you will leave.” Balius whispered, maintaining a false smile for the benefit of those in his Hall.

The High Priest considered the Baron’s words. He and the Judge Knights needed to occupy the Keep for at least two more days and they would rather do so well fed and cared for. They also required docile and obedient villagers and the Baron could deliver them as their landed Lord.

“My Sirs, return to our feast, they are not worth our while or efforts.”

The Judge Knights glanced at each other and then obeyed. Two consoled the Judge Knight with the bloody nose and supported him to the Baron’s table.

Charis felt sorry for Balius, nevertheless this was a tactical retreat, and wasn’t over by any means.

Helice assisted Charis into the wagon sending advice and instruction so the sisters didn’t realise how inept a blind person to new surrounds could be. Charis appreciated Helice’s Seer contact, although at the same time, realising a blind person would not be a suitable Mistress, sadness and worthlessness gripped her. The wagon with Helice and Charis loaded travelled slowly back to the Inn arriving safely.

Charis felt the fading warmth of the sun on her face and enjoyed being outside again. Helice’s company was pleasurable still she always enjoyed the sun when it shone upon her. When they arrived at the Inn, the militia warriors who accompanied them the previous night waited, standing, shields slung on their backs and spears to hand, as the wagon rolled to a stop. As Charis climbed down from the wagon, her sisters intercepted them. Astera and Dione positioned themselves to defend Charis just in case, while Helice and Otonia guided her.

“We wish to return two cloaks lent to us and request to join the Daughters of the Duchess.” They then knelt and bowed their heads.

Helice described and sent the scene before her, adding to the information Astera whispered to Charis. Dione ran ahead to organise a room for Charis, planning to meet Thyia in the Inn.

“If you can impress Astera then you will be considered,” Charis said.

Otonia and Helice led Charis into the Inn and as both the militia raised their heads, they found Astera standing before them.

“Stand while I inspect you,” she growled.

Both stood, shields already on their backs they straightened the long spears they held and stood to attention as if they were on parade and still members of the militia.

“Where did you acquire your armour and arms and do you own a horse?”

They glanced at each other sheepishly.

“We ‘found’ our armour around the Keep after we left ours in the field, although our shields were still in the barracks when we returned. The Sargent seemed please when we said we were resigning and presented our spears to us, but couldn’t gift our horses. The Militia hired both horses from the Gate Stable so they needed to be returned, Mistress.” They both nodded when finished.

Astera appraised the candidates, strolling around them while doing so.

“Let me see some basic drills and when I call, spar with each other.”

They performed several drills initially two-handed spear, and then spear and shield. From Astera’s assessment, their technique appeared similar to her, so being part of the militia they must have been one of the first trained by the Gate Captains. The drills looked solid and there was no tiring of either of them.

“Spar!” Astera called.

Both proved competent, although cautious not to hurt each other.

“Halt! Both of you, and you,” pointing to Dirce, not knowing her name, “stand down. You,” pointing to Drosis although not knowing her name, “prepare, and on guard.” Then Astera lunged forward.

Astera challenged both, in turn and neither tired, defence solid and their attacks skilled catching Astera a number of times.

“Hold.”

Dirce took a step back, breathing heavily although not out of breath, still sweat ran down her temples. She placed her shield on her back in one easy movement and held her spear beside her as straight as a flagpole. Instinctively Drosis stood likewise beside her. Two peas in a pod thought Astera.

“I appreciate your skill in arms, but it is your loyalty that I would question, what say you both?” Astera walked around them as they spoke, trying to sense any body movement that would betray them.

“We decided when we saw the Ladies Three fight that we wanted to be like you and when we saw you train with the Gate Captain, we joined the militia so we could also train. We thought you only accepted Threes so we tried to force my younger sister into the warrior’s life to make three and then we found out that you weren’t, so we continued with the Militia,” Dirce said.

“Then when we heard the call for volunteers to go to the Lonely Keep as an escort to help the Daughters of the Duchess and the Keep of course, we jumped at the chance and you know the rest pretty much,” Drosis finished.

“We will accept you as Initiates if you …” They both grabbed Astera in a huge hug forcing her to brace herself or end up on the ground. Astera snapped at them, they released her and backed away a couple of steps.

“Sorry Mistress, you don’t know how happy this makes us.”

“Well firstly you need to swear your oath and for the time being I am Acting Mistress of the Daughters of the Duchess so you will be mine to command. Understood?”

After a slight nod from each, they knelt and then spoke their oath.

“I swear to serve the Daughters of the Duchess, loyally, faithfully and honourably, even if it leads to my death and obey the orders and commands of my Mistress.”

“I Mistress of the Daughters of the Duchess accept your fealty to me and I promise in return to value your life and protect it as much as possible to the limits of my power and ability. Further, I will never ask you to do anything that would dishonour you or me. Now rise as Initiates.”

They rose with smiles as wide as their faces, gawked at each other, and hugged each other silly, dancing in a circle. They became aware of Astera waiting and examining them and stood to attention again.

“It is good to be happy, so I do not mind you celebrating. As your first duty, please unhitch the wagon and stable the horses. Your sisters have unloaded the food, goods and chattels. Report to the Inn Common Room once you are finished.”

“Yes Mistress.”

They watched as Astera walked away and entered the Inn by the kitchen door. They turned to face each other, smiled, and laughed, finishing with a hug and then placed their Spear and Shields side by side at the Kitchen door and returned to the wagon.

“Do you think there is something wrong with Mistress Charis?” Dirce asked, whispering, while unhitching the horse pair from the wagon.

“I am not sure. We haven’t really seen much of her. Mistress Astera seems to be in charge, at least for now,” Drosis replied, her voice low as well, as she unhitched the second horse from the wagon.

“I am glad we met,” Dirce said, the joy clear in her voice.

“Yes, by chance, the last two running around the arena when all others finished.”

“Running until exhausted neither of us wishing to give in.” Dirce paused in thought.

“Well I won, if I recall!” Drosis said, triumphantly.

“Stop laughing, I tripped is all and you stopped soon after!”

“I stopped out of concern for you of course!”

“I think we know that was an excuse, we were both done.”

Drosis paused and glanced at Dirce making sure to catch her eye.

“Well our competition has seen us both succeed at last,” Drosis said.

They walked the horses from the wagon and into the stalls.

“Sorry we needed to press gang your sister for no reason,” Drosis said as they both started brushing down their respective horse and both needed to step on low stools to reach their backs.

“We never really talked about our pasts, since we are Initiates, should we? We would be true sisters then I guess,” Dirce suggested. They continued to brush down their horses for a time.

“I ran away from my step father, who cherished only his new children with my mother.” Drosis swallowed and kept brushing, each sweep, her trying to forget the pain of losing her mother.

“When I heard about the Ladies Three I at first wanted to just meet them and then as I travelled to Hillperch I realised I was alone and didn’t know how to meet them and then what. I then joined the militia training for company and found you. Our competition and plan saved me,” Drosis offered.

“That wasn’t my sister,” Dirce confessed.

Drosis laughed and lent over the horse to steady herself before continuing with the brushing.

“I sort of knew, apart from the hair colour, you didn’t look much alike and she wasn’t really into the training, so it was good to find out sooner that the Ladies Three weren’t training any Threes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew,” Dirce replied.

“I was trying to be nice of course and if they did train Threes then we would have just joined in.”

Drosis paused in her brushing, rested her arms on the back of the horse, and for the first time in a while wondered about her mother.

“If we didn’t, or I didn’t get accepted as an Initiate I would probably starve in Death Season and would rather do that than return to my mother in the city. Maybe the Lord of the Keep would keep a warrior in exchange for food, which would have been my last chance.”

“I want to be known! I don’t know what at yet, although I have tried a few things, seamstress, ladies maid, and beekeeper, well helped the beekeeper and sort of helped a fletcher,” Dirce said.

“What do you mean sort of helped a fletcher?”

“I would find the feathers or have to plug the feathers,” she giggled.

Drosis appraised the strong, athletic woman opposite her, long light brown hair, small eyes sitting well in a small face and wondered.

“How many Death Seasons have you survived?”

“Well I didn’t think a woman needed to answer such a question, but I don’t mind telling you, twenty-six and soon to be twenty seven if I am blessed to survive the next.”

“That is so old!” Drosis placed her hand across her mouth shocked at her response.

“You have not offended me, I accept that I am probably the oldest of us all and this opportunity will probably be my last to reach any greatness I may have in me.” Dirce sighed.

“Well, being mature didn’t seem to influence Astera against you,” Drosis said diplomatically.

Dirce chuckled and tilted her head.

“Nice, mature, I like that. I am grateful she did accept us or me, as my next interview was with a Master Leatherworker or Mistress Leatherworker, it is so confusing when woman rise in their craft like a man.”

“So would you be able to keep bees if we found some?” Dirce noticed Drosis’ eyes lit up as she asked; the sweetness of honey an irresistible lure.

“Yes, although you don’t just find bees of course. But I know the basics well enough as each day is much the same as the previous one with bee keeping until something goes wrong and that is where those with real skill show their worth.” The horses were dressed down so they inspected the wagon to make sure it was empty before venturing into the Inn for some food and possibly some drink. Perhaps some more orders from the Mistress.

---

Otonia and Helice led Charis to her room following Thyia and Dione.

“The elder said wait and give it time. She also told me not to use the Borrow Gem under any circumstances, so I will be blind in the night from now on as well as in the day. I would like to rest now while I think of our future as I am not sure I can be a part of it any longer in my current state.”

The sisters with her protested and explained how they would manage. She waved them away.

They left Charis and busied themselves with readying the accommodation and fortifying the Inn against attack. They met back in the Common Room.

“How is Charis?” Astera asked to no one in particular.

“We are not sure Mistress but I think we need to see her and hopefully between us all we can convince her that she is still important, to us all,” Helice replied.

“We will. I have invited the militia women into the Daughters of the Duchess as Initiates. I didn’t think it was my place to do anything more. Now, wipe any tears, it is time to talk to Charis, and we must show her strength and resolve.”

Charis wasn’t asleep, she couldn’t be Astera thought; she would be mind-busy trying to find a way forward for them all.

“I appreciate all your words and wishes. You all must acknowledge that Astera is well suited to the role of Mistress. How she organised the relocation of the company to the Inn, which was my first thought as well. How she spoke to the Judge Knights, exactly right given their dishonourable actions. The company wouldn’t lose anything if Astera was Mistress.”

“I am humbled Mistress, I was but a farm girl when you found me and I am over awed by the level of trust you place in me. I thank you and I am honoured.”

All others in the room murmured agreement and support.

“We were all something else before we joined together, it is what you are now that counts,” Charis replied.

“We have our roles and it would be best that Astera is the new Mistress if that is Charis’ decision.” Otonia agreed.

Helice contacted her sisters and they agreed. Astera was rocklike, dependable and always considering the facts before acting, the best qualities for a leader, being the common consensus.

They left Charis’ room, allowing Astera to be the last to leave. She knelt next to Charis and kissed her.

“I am sworn to you Mistress; I would gladly give you my eyes if I could.”

“I know. That is the single most important quality of a leader, sacrifice, either self, like me now, at least in a small way or the most difficult of all, others for the good of all.”

Charis paused and Astera looking on could detect the tiredness around her eyes.

“Let me sleep, Helice’s sexual appetite has truly exhausted me. Remind me never to be left in the same room with her for more than half a day.”

Astera chuckled, she tried not to make it sound forced as she felt Charis was making light of her circumstance and was certainly suffering for many reasons, the main one probably being she felt she was letting everyone down and being blind made her useless.

Even so, Astera agreed, the Seers enthusiasm about lovemaking seemed inexhaustible. As hoped, although unknown to Astera her laughter bolstered Charis’ mood, it was a moment of decision. Up or down, left, right, or life or death where influence and opinion is important, where silence and aloneness is typically unhelpful to say the least.

The warrior-sisters placed a couple of watches on the Inn entrances with planned shift changes. The entrances barricaded as Astera thought the Judge Knights might indulge in retribution. Dione warned her horse to be aware and report any disturbance or strange humans as night closed in, Charis unable to set any alerts. In the end, the Judge Knights made such a racket at their approach Otonia and Dione were ready for them. They seemed drunk.

From the upstairs of the Inn with Borrowed Gem sight, they targeted the Judge Knights ferociously, Otonia being most effective with her throwing balls, hitting them in their helmets to make them ring. After a couple of thrown balls the knight would be concussed if not bleeding as well, as an ear was squashed against the helm or a nose broken from being hit full force on the nose guard. Dione would drop a rope on any below her trying to creep around the Inn. She would enlist help to try to haul them up enough so their feet dangled, arms held to the sides of their bodies by the rope and then drop them.

They eventually clanked away into the night. Their clumsy, drunken attack unable to reach a door to test its strength, which was fortunate as Astera wasn’t sure they would hold.