Early morning found Charis and the elder camped around a familiar small table drinking tea and chatting in the elder’s room. Charis utilised every persuasive skill and argument to obtain this concession from the single-minded ancient.

“Too much research to do, too much research to do, you realise dear,” the elder chanted.

“Astera told me as much and I replied to her, such an important task for part of a day I am sure the elder would provide her guidance,” Charis replied earnestly.

The elder placed her cup on the table, shaking her head with a tsk, tsk.

“I am old dear not silly, and because I am old, I won’t live forever, and there is a great deal yet to discover, the items and within my family spell book.”

“Perhaps you will find an apprentice or a helper and if not, you ensure we don’t invite the wrong person who could cause problems for every Daughter, including yourself,” Charis said, scrunching up her eyebrows thoughtfully.

“Well dear, half a day to ensure peace is worthwhile. I am sorry I have been difficult,” she paused for a moment, “I’ve been trying to determine the workings of the magic you found. It is strongly bound to nature, life, and design. The magic within the items allows me to draw upon them to cast traditional spells. Certain items are set to purpose, such as the bronze loops,” she mused.

Thinking aloud, sensed Charis.

Staring directly into Charis’ blue eyes the elder continued.

“The real enigma is you dear. Without knowing the particulars, the two initiates idolise you, their eyes follow your every movement. I am not sure what you did, I am certain though you drew on the magic held in your items in some manner.”

Charis closed her mouth, stunned by the perception of her dear old friend.

“The real mystery is the source and renewal of this magic, it still eludes me. Within my family spell book, it describes magic or mana being as common as the air we breathe and magic users applied their skill to gather and transform this mana. To draw mana from your items they need to be in skin contact, although your Elven friend could sense them from afar.”

Seeing the elder’s shoulders sag and her brow furrow Charis appreciated the elder and her challenging task, guilty asking her to another. Then the elder laughed.

“Don’t waste any sympathy on me dear, I am enjoying the mystery. I would be bitter though if I died before I solved it and perhaps your task is a diversion I need.”

“What about the door?” Charis enquired, not expecting an answer.

“Well, yes, we may chat about it tomorrow dear.”

Charis smiled, flashing white teeth, the colour of them matching the white of her skin and inadvertently reminding the elder of another mystery.

The elder reached out and brushed Charis’ milk white skin then, studying it for a moment.

“Your skin is another mystery. After being in the sun an entire day, your existing tan should deepen and your fair skin tan, not both wiped white.”

“I was shocked of course, although the relief of regaining my eyesight the greater joy. Then I became too busy and although the Daughters noted the change,” Charis fidgeted with her hands, “they accepted it as a sign or blessing.” What Charis didn’t reveal to the elder, the acceptance or veneration was due more to the healing Charis performed.

On cue, Otonia’s arrival distracted them both, saving the elder and Charis from more conversation. The elder took this interruption as an opportunity to be busy elsewhere and subconsciously add Charis’ white complexion to the mystery, not entirely sure how it fit, certain it did though.

“You asked for me Mistress?”

Drosis and Dirce accompanied her, their green eyes focused on Charis, their breathing audible, while they both unknowingly played with their hair.

“Please visit the farm, select a quality sword and shield and present them to Kyra if you can find her, otherwise leave the gift with the Innkeeper and return.”

“Yes Mistress.” Otonia glanced back to Drosis and Dirce and flicked her head at them to follow.

Raising her voice, Otonia crisply said, “You two, now, I am sure the Mistress can manage without your worship until we return.”

Drosis and Dirce woke from their desire, startled, and hurried after Otonia.

Charis surveyed the elder’s room appreciating the alone time. Then the town bell tolled, second bell, time to visit the Meeting Room and interview the prospects.

---

“Morning Mistress, Alcmene fetch the first prospect from the Inn please,” asked Astera.

Alcmene bowed her head at Charis and then left the Meeting Room. Alcmene and Clymene both persisted with baldheads, fortunate their ears lay flat, and their snub noses suited the look thought Charis. The Daughters wore their Daughter’s pin clasped on underclothe for the interviews, as they didn’t wish to intimidate. The elder occupied a chair in a back corner of the room, furthest from the door.

“How many Initiates are we trying to recruit Mistress?” Astera enquired.

At the question, the elder raised her head interested in the answer.

“I am not sure on the number. I am sure a few candidates will hope to join to survive Death Season. It is essential we train whomever we recruit as we need to destroy a certain hidden log cabin and then we need to patrol as much of the Duchy as possible to intercept strangers and agents next Birth Season Summoning. With those intercepted, I hope someone important enquires and we are strong enough to defeat him, her, or it and then another comes to investigate and so on. I haven’t thought much beyond that plan though,” she finished speaking, still deep in thought.

Astera relaxed back into the chair she claimed and smiled back, satisfied.

---

Alcmene opened the door to the Meeting Room ushering in a dirty, skinny, waif of a child. She held a chunk of bread, taking a bite while surveying the room and those waiting. Charis glanced at Alcmene questioning, why the child, hardly old enough to survive alone and free from her parents, let alone applying to join a group of warriors!

The child broke the silence.

“I see your faces, I am here because I have nowhere else to go, and my family is dead. I will prove my worth if you give me a chance,” she stated bluntly, then took another bite of her coarse stale bread.

Charis admired her; the adults judging her didn’t intimidate her. She certainly controlled her emotions; her white skin not blushed, although perhaps the layer of dirt assisted.

“Your name and how many Death Seasons you’ve survived?” asked Astera.

“I am known as Jocasta and I’ve survived twelve, the last two on my own by scavenging and begging, I didn’t ever sell myself, I am whole. I realise I cannot face a third Death Season alone so I come to you as I don’t trust the Temples or any man as I begin to ripen,” answering their questioning looks she added, “becoming a woman.”

“Can you wield a spear and fight?” Astera asked.

“I am twelve, I can barely feed myself, when would I acquire such skills?” Her initial bravado weakening as she continued following her own logic.

“I don’t have any skills to offer do I and so I must leave?” Distraught, her bottom lip trembled, although some inner pride prevented her from showing any further weakness.

The elder, loitering in the far corner of the room, scratched her hair.

“A warrior-sister must always know her limitations and strive to overcome them. We accept you,” announced Charis.

Excited she leapt at Charis and gave her a hug. Charis’ nose wrinkled. Jocasta’s street perfume strong and overpowering, Charis relieved when the skinny girl retreated.

“You will earn your keep by cleaning and maintaining the warrior-sisters armour, you will fetch and carry as requested to begin with and over time we will train you in weapon use. Are those duties acceptable?”

“Yes Mistress! It is what they call you don’t they? I heard them, I know I am right!” The excitement in her child’s voice released, happiness shining through the grime.

“You must now swear your oath to me, what will be yours?” Charis asked.

“I swear to honour and obey the orders of Mistress and never betray her or the warrior-sisters,” she said enthusiastically.

“A fine oath, I accept it and will hold you to it. Alcmene, please arrange for a warrior-sister to show our newest Initiate the bath and find a bunk for her in the White Room. Then fetch another please?”

“Yes Mistress,” replied Alcmene.

There was a pause as Alcmene left the Meeting Room.

“The child is a survivor, dependable and loyal to those who treated her fairly,” announced the elder to those in the room.

---

A single Seer, named Niobe accompanied Astera next. After discussion and determining she travelled from far to the south, Bridgeward, Charis accepted her confirmed by the elder after she scratched her hair again. Twenty-two Death Seasons old she lost her twin at twenty Death Seasons and been wandering between Temples ever since. The warrior-sisters were her last hope, and she provided a Letter of Release from her Temple. For a Seer to travel so far demonstrated word was truly out about the Daughters of the Duchess.

The next two Charis rejected, they wished to kill men and held an inner anger possibly never satisfied. Charis needed to purge any sympathy she held towards these women, recalling the chance given to Dione and Thyia in particular. These women held years of pain and revenge. Charis didn’t need the elder to scratch her chin to decide, forlornly, they weren’t suitable.

The next woman shown in by Alcmene, Charis thought she recognised.

“You’ve already swore an oath before me?”

“Yes, when I swore an oath to you after you defeated the men of our families. I didn’t own a name then. Since you left, there is more balance to the families now and for the past season, I have been trapping, tracking and learning to survive in the mountains. I wish to join because I want more. You changed our way of life and I ask for this chance to go beyond my wildest dreams and leave the mountains.”

“Do you own a name now?”

“My family wanted to name me, when I earnt my name, I refused, instead I knew I was ready to follow you, wherever you may lead. If you accept me, I would ask and be honoured if you would name me as I recognise you, as do many others, as head of the mountain families. We knew if you wanted it you could have claimed it, instead you reshaped our way of life and allowed us to rise.”

“I am equally honoured you have travelled to join. I name you Zoe. In the ancient language it means life, for you a new life, so please swear your oath to me as an initiate of the Daughters of the Duchess.”

“Thank you Mistress, Matriarch of the Mountain Families.”

An old and frail woman presented next who Charis felt sorry for her and provided her with coin to return to her home in Farstay.

The next candidate intimidated Alcmene and as she strode into the Meeting Room, Charis and Astera took in a breath. Her simple shirt, tucked into plain trousers didn’t hide the muscular and martial body underneath. When she removed her leather skull cap her dark brown hair exploded out in all directions, untamed and unkempt enveloping her narrow face.

The Judge Knight Acolyte worried Charis for another reason until she showed them a Letter of Release from her Temple in Marbleknoll. They knew the progression, Acolyte, then Initiate and then possibly Judge Knight, one position available in the entire Duchy.

Charis sensed something out of place, an Acolyte at twenty-one Death Seasons and not yet an Initiate after so many years of service and training. Without rising to Initiate, she would never have the opportunity to rise further and given her release from her Temple, she never would. Was this her choice? Did she fail as an Acolyte? She could stay on with her Temple of course, perhaps become an Initiate, although if not an Initiate now, possibly never and therefore made the decision to leave.

She proudly told Charis when questioned she knew weapon skills and didn’t train in any other skills as she was singularly focused to destroy evil with her sword. The elder didn’t employ either of the prearranged signals she wrinkled her nose instead. Charis glanced at Astera, and they silently agreed to accept her. She wondered if a real person with a personality existed underneath as well as martial prowess.

A pair of boys presented next. As Alcmene led them into the room, Charis leant back in her chair intrigued. They were clever, one with hair and the other close cut, and both wore cloaks with hoods. Twins, Charis convinced herself. Charis decided to play along to test them.

“We don’t accept boys. Please remove them from my sight.”

“We are girls!” they shouted as one.

“You look like boys and you dress like boys so you must be boys.”

They peeked at each other to confirm a silent agreement and removed their shirts and then un-wrapped their breasts.

“Are they? They’re two fried eggs aren’t they, hardly breasts. Escort them away.”

As one, they cringed inwardly and clasped each other’s hand briefly for courage. Nodding to each other in agreement, they began the removal of their tattered pants. Charis told them to stop. She didn’t want to embarrass them and they possibly become resentful.

“You didn’t hesitate, so why are you so desperate to join us?”

They looked at each other as if to say how dumb is this person, can’t she see they are twins!

“We are twins and we don’t want to be lost within the Temple of Seers for the rest of our lives.”

“You are too old to be trained as Seers now. They wouldn’t show any interest in you as they start training at six years.”

“We are missing our sisters,” they whispered.

“Your sisters you say? You may need to explain.”

“We can’t, all we can say is when we were six years old a sympathetic maid took the two of us for a long walk. We’ve been running and never seen our sisters ever since. The maid who liberated us assured us our sisters were as well, still we don’t know, as we’ve not been able to contact them. Never feeling safe enough to, always wondering where our next meal is coming from and always on the run. Since the Daughters of the Duchess are under the Duchess’ protection, we are seeking refuge and protection with your order. We are done running, that is how desperate we are.”

The twins spoke in turn, one starting as the other finished. Seers they weren’t, aware twins they clearly demonstrated.

“So what you are telling me is, if we accept you, you could one day bring about our doom when whoever believes owns you, finds you with us?”

“We have been on the run for ten years now, painfully last Death Season we lost our faithful maid our one true friend in this Duchy.”

Charis noticed them reach for and grasp each other’s hand.

“We were apprentice carpenters.” They glanced at each other before continuing.

“When we started to bleed it became difficult hiding as boys and when we lost our maid the Master Carpenter liked us as boys and would be surprised and unpredictable when he didn’t find what he expected to find.”

“A difficult situation,” Astera offered.

“We had to leave, surviving since by doing odd jobs on farms for food. We always need to keep moving in case someone finds out and we are tired of it.” Their grasp tightening between them, hands now in an inseparable grip and their eyes reddening.

“We’ve changed much from when we were six years old, including our names as we were renamed by our faithful maid, I am Thais, and my sister is Alexa. They who knew us then would not recognise us now, although we attract attention when people realise we are twins. Everyone knows you welcome twins here and the Seers haven’t asked for them.”

“Well, we will see. Please both swear an oath to me and my warrior-sisters.”

They hugged each other for a long time sobbing in relief, a flood of tears released.

Alcmene warned Charis the next candidate would be different and possibly difficult.

“Mistress, after Alcmene collected our latest candidate a Noble has taken an interest, we are certain this will lead to, well, confrontation,” Clymene sent. Clymene knew Charis couldn’t respond, information held its own value.

Well-kept long golden brown hair framed blue eyes, dainty nose, and brilliant smile, itself surrounded by painted red lips. The single item competing with this feminine vison; her slim body wrapped in an exquisite, highly fashionable, and expensive dress. The woman before them, a Noble Lady, made the deliberate effort to avoid touching anything before her Maid wiped it.

“I wish to join your wonderful little band. I offer five hundred coins as my fee in lieu of unpleasant duties.”

She looked down at Charis and Astera and politely smiled before continuing.

“Girl put the coin on their table,” she commanded, waving her hand in the direction of the table, while raising her nose.

A small girl, young, in a neat functional one-piece dress, with noble house trimming and fine sandals placed a bag of coin in front of Charis and then quickly stepped back behind her Mistress.

“How could you benefit the Daughters of the Duchess?” Charis asked finally, finding some words to form a question.

“I am noble and exercise influence in high places, I could assist with a word in the right ear,” she proclaimed.

“I am told you are due to be wed and if I return you to your betrothed I will be paid more than five hundred coin. Therefore, I suspect your influence is minor compared to that of your betrothed family.”

“But I am a girl!” She stamped her foot.

“You are girls, you must accept me and I demand you do.” Raising her voice and regarding each in turn.

Behind her, the young girl’s lips turned up ever so slightly, ever so briefly. Charis noticed.

“Well since you put it that way, we will accept you if you allow your maid to enter our service if she wishes to,” announced Charis.

“You want my maid for yourself. She is my Maid and you can’t abduct her from her station. How am I to survive in your, well, quaint house without the help? I am a noble woman and require care and attention!”

“Well noble woman, I need you to prove your worth to join us first.”

“I am willing to prove myself worthy,” she announced haughtily.

“You will need to give your dress to your maid.”

“I can’t do that, it is my best dress. Maid, go and fetch my other dresses, now! Any one you chose is yours!”

Charis noticed the Lady’s blue eyes dart about the room. Alcmene prevented the Maid leaving by standing in front of the door.

“No, the dress you wear now.”

“I can’t in front of you. I need some privacy and my maid to assist me.”

“No.”

“I need some privacy!”

“No.”

“You cannot disobey me, I am noble, and I am privilege! You must treat me with respect!”

“No.”

“This is not proper, I am your better,” she sniffed as she slowly started to peel off her dress. Charis waited.

“You need to hurry this along, otherwise you will need to be naked instead if you want to join us.”

“I didn’t wear any under clothes, I will be naked,” she sobbed.

“Well, we do encourage our Initiates to go above and beyond. We are impressed already.”

The dress was around her feet and she was sobbing, one hand covering her womanhood the other across her breasts her smooth fair skin on display elsewhere.

“You need to hand the dress to your maid please.”

“What will I wear?” she yelped.

“We provide something utilitarian to our Initiates.”

“You mean plain and coarse. It will be rough on my skin. You want to make me ugly. You are jealous of my beauty,” she sniped out the words.

“We will train you until you are a real warrior sister. You will wield a spear and a shield and defeat evil.”

“I will do nothing of the thing. I am leaving!” She drew her dress up. “Maid fix my dress, we are leaving. Also collect the coin.”

“Mistress, I am sending Dione, Otonia, Dirce, and Drosis out via the loading bay so they can watch the House Front Door from the outside as the Noble is waving his arms pointing towards the House,” Clymene sent.

“No, my Lady I am staying if the warrior-sisters will accept me.”

“What!” she screamed. “Don’t be silly and do as you are told, now!”

“I am certain your maid has made her choice so you can leave without her.”

“I will not leave without her and I demand you make her leave with me!”

“We believe in providing opportunity, to leave a past life behind if desired. Therefore, your Maid can ask to stay and if you are still there in ten heartbeats I will put you over my knee and smack you as I would a misbehaving child. Something your mother should’ve done when you were a child.”

“You wouldn’t dare! I am a noble lady and I intend to marry a very important man!”

Charis rose from her seat opposite her and strode around the table towards her. To Charis’ amazement, she stood her ground, chin, and nose held high and defiant. Charis didn’t back down, grabbing her noble arm and twisting it to force her face down on the table. The Lady staring at her bag of coins while the fine material of her dress caressed her skin as it slid down to her ankles and to the floor. Then she felt a sheathed dagger slap her on her small bottom. She squeezed her eyes closed and gritted her teeth to resist displaying any weakness, determined not to cry. She relaxed when she succeeded. Unfortunately, Charis wasn’t finished and struck again.

“What value to us a spoilt selfish, entitled noble lady? Please remove yourself, your airs and graces and play dress up elsewhere, another slap or will you be going now?”

She screamed, “You bitch I will see you slain! Noble families will line up willing to earn my father’s gratitude by destroying your House. My father will send men to rape and kill you and any who survive. My husband to be will hunt you down especially, for me as my wedding present!”

“So if you are going to marry him, why did you try to join us?”

“I was wrong, I realise that now. He will be a wonderful husband. Release me this instant, you can keep my maid, she is welcome to my dress.”

“I am not sure I can, you will set your husband and others onto us.”

“No I won’t, I just want to leave.”

Helice entered the room and whispered into Charis’ ear, this was for show of course.

“Mistress two warriors approach the Front Door, Dione will rope one, while Clymene and Thyia will assist you using shields to push the other if required,” Helice sent.

Charis asked Helice to restrain their latest candidate while she headed to the elder’s room. Another knock on the front door, rapping louder than the last one called her to it.