Otonia helped from the wagon, while Charis waited to receive her with Helice.

Their guest stood with Otonia’s assistance, whether healed well enough or covering her pain, she shuffled to the edge of the wagon easily enough, lightly leaning on Otonia. Otonia glanced at Charis wondering, the feeling of unease around their guest now all but gone allowing Otonia to maintain contact with their guest comfortably.

Their guest lowered herself with Otonia’s aid onto the edge of wagon tray and with Charis and Helice, each holding an arm slid to the ground. Her wounded arm fully healed.

“We will escort you to the Inn as you are still weak and we wouldn’t want you to fall this close to recovery,” said Charis.

Their guest kept her eyes down while listening, raising them briefly to glance at the Inn, hiding her concern and doubt from her three new friends. She appreciated their care and comfort, although she couldn’t comprehend why. She knew they knew she was one of their enemies. Was one of their enemies? When you wake up every morning and still breathe regardless of your determination to resist, you start to befriend those around you caring for you. She considered the last gifts protecting her; they always ensured others would comfort her, while protecting her from their influence. It seemed in spite of those gifts a certain friendship grew with the two who cared for her.

Then there was the Magistrate and his determination to burn her. She needed to hope this determination didn’t extend to her present carers, although what could she do if they did decide to kill her. Being in a state of uncertainty wasn’t unfamiliar to her; she travelled with twenty fallen Judge Knights and a frightening fallen High Priest until recently.

Charis, Helice, and Otonia let their wagon roll on with the rest and escorted their new friend to the Inn at the bottom of the Spur. They claimed a table and served ale upon hailing the Innkeeper.

“Kyra, we were wondering what you would like to do from here?” Charis asked. She needed to break the awkward silence, after each of them settled around one of the Inn’s modest wooden tables.

Kyra lent forward, her large green eyes focusing on Charis, not trying to intimidate, trying to emphasis her certainty, determined to play out this weird game to try to survive.

“I am well enough to travel by myself, but I thought as friends we would travel and do things together like we chatted about?”

“We can, although Death Season is upon us, so we are going to stay in Hillperch until Birth Season. We could eat, drink and train together and then when Death Season is over, travel,” Otonia offered.

“I appreciate all you have done, your care of me and our friendship. If you could lend me some coin, that would be good, but I intend to go to Parium. I can try to find service with someone there.” Kyra paused considering her next words.

“It is true I received my wounds in battle and I can wield a sword, although not as well as the warrior who defeated me, even so it is all I know,” Kyra said, then flashed her teeth in a forced smile.

“Are you sure? We would welcome your company and as we said we would travel in the new season,” Charis replied.

“No, my mind is made up. I will drink this ale and then I will catch the first merchant caravan to the city.”

“Well, I offer you our friendship and also some coin, good luck and you know where you can find us.”

Charis placed a number of coins on the table.

Kyra’s eyes brightened. “Oh that many is way too generous, even for a friend.”

“You have nothing except the clothes on your back, I am sure a future employer would at least need you to equip a sword and shield.”

“Oh thank you, I was wondering how I could offer my skills without a weapon.” Kyra’s eyes focused on her mug of ale briefly before raising them again, realising some of her own stupidity and nervousness. The Magistrate requested her death. Why didn’t this friendly woman in front of her carry out his order she asked herself.

“Since I have some coin I will stay under roof tonight, rest and then enquire after a merchant caravan in the morning. Thank you.” Kyra scooped up the coins in one swift motion and left the table. She then went to talk to the Innkeeper. Once satisfied she waved from the bar and disappeared upstairs.

---

“Well that went better than I thought it would, although I expected her to be begging to stay with us as her friends,” Otonia said.

“Yes, my thoughts exactly, under the influence of the bronze loops for days and a normal, although nervous conversation, somewhat strange and convenient. She may return to us, hopefully as a friend, perhaps not,” Charis said, pausing occasionally, stringing words together as she spoke them, and evaluating possibilities.

“Where did her stink go? There was no unease around her,” Helice questioned.

“Perhaps enough days have passed since she was last in the High Priest’s company or perhaps our items or presence has applied an influence?” Otonia offered.

“It could be an acceptance by her, after all she believed we would kill her and yet, when the wagon halted, we helped her to an Inn. We may never know the truth about the items and their workings. They are a frustrating mystery,” Charis responded, finally collecting her thoughts to make sense.

The warrior-sisters stayed to finish their drinks, catching each other staring at the lonely half empty mug on the table before them. Sharing the same question without realising, would Kyra run back to them begging to stay with her new friends, which given the influence of the bronze loops, highly expected. When she didn’t it was confirmation she was either immune or at least resistant to the loop’s power, scary although also a relief.

Charis led Otonia and Helice out of the Inn to join the throng of farmers and merchants trudging up the Spur; three of many trying to make it to the Gate House before the Gates closed for the night. Charis stopped and both sisters, keeping the previous pace stepped past her before halting, instantly glancing back at her with knowing smirks. A change of plans for sure!

“I believe we will stay overnight at the farmer’s barn so we can start early tomorrow morning. Helice please let the House know.”

“Yes Mistress.”

When they reached the farm, the farmer welcomed them, offering the Barn to bunk down in, and he provided them with some food for the evening meal. Once finished, Otonia and Helice waited expectantly for Charis to explain.

“We need to have another conversation with Kyra. I assume when we searched for items on her we didn’t search everywhere and I mean everywhere for girls?” Charis asked.

“No Mistress, well I know I didn’t and I am sure Clymene didn’t either, we were worried about waking her up and well having your hand there is difficult to explain.”

Charis and Otonia giggled at Helice’s embarrassment, which given a Seer’s enthusiasm for lovemaking, unexpected. Charis embraced the humour, a relief from many days of caution and concern, not only for herself, for her warrior-sisters also.

“Here I am thinking you are a Seer, with no place forbidden?” Otonia commented.

“Well, it is not the place to be looking, when the person is recovering,” she stammered in response to Otonia’s smirking. Otonia reached for Helice and embraced her, releasing her as quickly.

“I suspect she may have at least one more item on her, one which resists the influence of the bronze loops, so we will leave here just before dawn and perhaps accidently meet Kyra again. Therefore early to sleep for an early start,” Charis ordered.

“Yes Mistress.”

Before Otonia and Helice reached their beds, Charis embraced them both.

---

Charis, Otonia, and Helice woke; pre-dawn announced by the farm’s bronzed rooster. Charis pushed open the barn door early enough to greet the sunrise, its round orb breaking the horizon to declare the dawn. They hurried from the farm without breaking their fast. The small number of buildings, which formed the hamlet at the foot of Hillperch didn’t provide enough cover to sneak in and surveil the Inn unnoticed. They settled for a large tree within sight of the Inn trying to stay in its shadow. Despite their efforts, many noticed them as they woke and started their day, throwing the warrior-sisters questioning appraisals and the occasional smirk. Strangers out of place easily spotted.

“So I guess you wish to talk to me again?” Kyra whispered, her voice drifting down from above them.

Charis’ surprise complete, Kyra managed to second-guess them and wait for them in an ideal hiding place allowing a complete ambush if she wanted. Charis’ annoyance broken though after Kyra leapt from one of the lower limbs of the tree they stood under. Kyra trying and failing to cover the slight twinge of pain as she landed by gritting her teeth and remaining silent.

Otonia and Helice spun around to face Kyra, daggers ready. Kyra snorted and stood her ground with a display of open hands. The warrior-sisters, embarrassed, quickly sheathed their daggers, while Charis recovered and re-evaluated.

“So you concluded that our discussion wasn’t as sincere as perhaps it should have been?” Kyra declared.

“This honesty is a turnaround from our conversation last evening, why?” Charis asked.

“I thought you may want to tie up a loose end, you may consider me a threat of some sort and I didn’t want to be looking over my shoulder until you died or forgot about me, both of which I consider unlikely.”

Helice placed her hand over her mouth, Otonia stepped back to lean against the trunk of the tree and Charis placed her hands on her hips, each stunned in their own way by Kyra’s brutal openness. Kyra grinned at their discomfort, glancing at each in turn.

“I am being honest, because I need to know if I am going to die by your hand tomorrow or another’s a long time from now. I retain no particular loyalty to those you defeated; I was never a fallen Judge Knight. I was their damsel in distress, a lure. They considered me their mascot, the dirt between their toes so I trained and sweated to learn to fight to hold my own amongst them.”

Kyra blinked away the memory of bruises, cuts, and pain.

“So I know hard work and I know I want to be more and I have figured out you win because most underestimate you, particularly men, as they did me.”

“So what are you offering to convince us letting you walk away is not the worst option for us?” Charis asked.

“I offer the magic trinkets you missed when you searched and removed the other two,” she raised her eyes to catch and hold Charis’ clear blue eyes as she spoke.

Kyra held both out for anyone to accept them. Charis held her open hand under Kyra’s who voluntarily allowed the two circles to drop from her hand.

“That is a start, but how can we trust you?”

“I don’t expect you to. I want you to give me a chance to and not just burn me,” she continued to look at Charis eye to eye.

“So you overheard the Judge Priest?” Charis replied.

“No, but I expect nothing less, especially if he considered me a Judge Knight traitor. I am hopeful he didn’t look at my face, because if he did, I guess this option is closed if I can’t stroll around Hillperch without waiting for him to burn me.”

“No, he smelt your evil and that was enough confirmation for him given his experience with the other Death Knights. Therefore you would be free to walk around Hillperch if no one else objected of course.”

Charis thought and couldn’t find any guarantee to confirm her loyalty and trust, although Kyra’s skill as a warrior, a welcome boon if she could be trusted. Was the risk worth the possible reward?

“I will need to think on this. Would you be able to stay in the Inn for at least a couple of days?”

“Will I have any warning when you come to kill me?” Kyra asked without flinching.

Charis appreciated the directness.

“Probably not, as I rate you too dangerous an adversary in combat, especially if you could defend your honour amongst fallen Judge Knights. I am sorry, I don’t wish to lose someone I truly call my sister and trust.”

“It is good to hear honesty, although I will need to be findable but also ensure my own safety while I wait, that could be tricky, although I managed not to be raped when constantly surrounded by more than twenty men, so I know the impossible can be done. You will find me at the Inn.”

Finished saying everything she wanted to, Kyra returned to the Inn without any goodbyes.

Charis, Otonia, and Helice stunned for a moment, recovered with a collective shrug, strode to the Spur, and entered Hillperch by the now open Gate, as dawn came and broke well before the sounding of the second bell of the day.

“Can we trust her Mistress?” Otonia asked

“I don’t know. We will see if it is possible to make sure she doesn’t hurt us if she does betray us and if all of us agree to accept that,” Charis replied.

“It would not be an easy task to kill her, not being raped while with so many men seems almost impossible,” Helice said.

“Maybe she consented with a few to keep the others away?” Otonia suggested.

They were through the Gate by this time and Charis hastened to inspect the new stable, pleasantly surprised to find it perfectly functional, although easily admitting her understanding of stables limited to one who used them. She called into the Master Carpenter’s office, found it empty, and quickly left. Summoned by the hammering and sawing of a building still under construction Charis visited the Leatherworker’s Shop next.

She spied the Master Carpenter and her helpers crawling over an unfinished section. The Master Leatherworker more than happy with the new shop as it allowed her to expand the number of apprentices and journeymen she could employ for her booming business.

That done Charis, Otonia, and Helice headed directly for the Warrior-sisters House, reaching it mid-morning eager to break their fast, at the Inn or devour any leftovers from their sisters.

The three entered the House via the elder’s door, which swung open easily before them and no one or anything stopped them. A dread washed over Charis, and then a voice spoke.

“You are Mistress so enter.”

Glancing at each other, they confirmed the voice unknown and no one present to say the words. Charis assumed one possibility, the elder, who for the past few weeks Charis left to herself to pursue whatever research she felt appropriate.

Charis and her sisters followed the noises, these led to the former shop front of the Master Leatherworker. Charis took more than a moment to appreciate the scene. Before her the warrior-sisters toiled naked, absolutely naked, they either held a hammer or a paint brush and were transforming a shop front set up to sell items into an open area, newly painted and boarded up, in particular the former double door entrance.

Ones and twos noticed their Mistress observing, struck a cheeky pose, giggled, and returned to task. Astera then approach her, the magnificent, athletic looking warrior-sister in her naked glory, her recognised second.

“Morning Mistress, as you can see we are making this room fit for use. I am not sure for what, although it couldn’t remain as it was. I planned to move the bunks into here as paint smell is a little better than the urine smell, still lingering from the hide curing in the workroom.”

“Where did you get this from? I have never seen it before,” asked Charis pointing to the white liquid the sisters were brushing onto the walls.

“A merchant from the city sold it to us, he called it paint. We purchased white,” Astera replied.

“How long will it last?”

“He said for a few years at least and he will be back here from time to time. If he lies he will pay for it as furious customers will be chasing him from town.”

“So I guess we will call this the White Room then?” Charis said, showing a smile to finish.

Charis started to leave, to chat to the elder when Astera handed her a paintbrush and pointed her to a corner where armour, clothes, and weapons rested. Otonia and Helice took the hint and joined their sisters naked, painting the White Room. Eventually Astera sent the warrior-sisters and initiates to the Bath Room in turns as the room painting progressed, close to finishing. Charis, Otonia, and Helice the last to finish up and before Charis left the room, Astera called her over.

“Mistress I was going to move the bunk beds into the White Room, but didn’t want to waste any effort if perhaps we were to consider any Initiate promotions in a day or so.”

“No, I know they are devoted but I don’t know them and I need to know them before they are promoted from Initiates.”

“Yes Mistress.”

Time now for a bath, into clothes and then demolish a meal, her hunger confirmed when her stomach rumbled in protest. Amazingly, she enjoyed the Bath House in solitude!

When she stepped out of the bath, finished, the initiates attended to her until she was in fresh under cloth, felt, polished armour, cloak, and pin. They then invited her back to the White Room. As they entered, a full table of bread, meats, and fruits presented before her, with everyone waiting for her to fill the first bowl. Their heads bowed in respect. She thanked them and invited her company to eat. She noted the barrel of ale available as an additional reward and silently approved.

After a couple of bells, Charis bid the Initiates tidy up, carry in a bunkbed and then sleep. Charis summoned the warrior-sisters to the Training Room on the floor above.

“We have a decision to make,” she announced. Charis described the situation and risk with Kyra and asked the company to vote on whether to invite her to become an Initiate or not, with rejection inferring they would hunt her down and kill her. The warrior-sisters decided to accept her as an Initiate everyone accepting responsibility to ensure she didn’t break the trust granted.

“There will be work in the morning sisters. Please relocate the Training Room equipment into the Workshop, as the Initiates will require training. Throw some more perfume around the workshop to try and make this bearable,” Charis ended tiredly.

Charis then discussed the new recruits with Alcmene and Astera. There were a number at the Inn needing assessment in the morning and since the warrior-sisters agreed to accept Kyra as an Initiate they would approach her tomorrow by taking a sword and shield to her as a gift. Astera also advised she was going to ask the elder to assist. She thought the elder would need persuasion though; as she would need to utilise her magic-sense and it would divert her from her research.

Charis needed to discuss a certain door’s behaviour with the elder in the morning; this would be another item to include, maybe forgiving one for agreeing to the other.