Dirce, Drosis, Thais and Alexa loaded up an acquired two-wheeled cart with provisions, enough for seven adults, for sixteen days utilising the ground floor loading bay. They paused once, when Charis and the warrior-sisters accompanying her passed by on Gate Road, fitted out in their armour striding towards the Temple of Saph.

Making haste the four dragged and pushed the cart towards the stables and upon arriving groomed the horses, saddled them and equipped saddle bags with the required provisions. Seven prepared horses were then led to the New Gate, where they waited. Buying food on the journey, if possible, an expensive proposition with Death Season approaching.

Five warrior-sisters, the exception being Helice who waited outside, presented at the Temple of Saph to invite the young Seer to join them. After half a bell the Seer emerged wearing warrior-sister armour, including an ill-fitting boiled leather chest plate. A detail of seven Temple Guards escorted the seven warrior-sisters to the Old Gate and made a show of passing on some documents to Charis under its arches for the benefit of anyone observing their departure. The Temple Guards then formed up and returned to their Temple. As Charis and her warrior-sisters made to pass through the Old Gate a small child gave her a hug at the Gate, yelling I wish to grow up exactly like you!

Charis marched her warrior-sisters directly to the New Gate and took possession of the fully prepared horses and thanked the Initiates who wheeled their cart back to the House. At the New Gate the warrior-sisters took turns to retrieve weapons and mount their assigned horses. During this disorder and fuss Charis read the note the young girl child palmed to her.

The original plan Charis considered involved traveling North, towards the farm and then swinging around South to ride between the gap. Considering the attention Niobe attracted, unexpected to be sure, although informative Charis decided to travel along the main trail. The main trail allowed the six warrior-sisters and the one disguised as one to travel openly and encourage others to follow. If Charis received confirmation the assassin’s followed them, then they could set up an ambush, the ideal situation however unlikely.

They rode South a way to pick-up the trail North East to Maplethorn and onwards and the note confirmed the choice as the best course.

The seven accomplished riders quickly cantered down the winding road of the Spur to the crossroads hamlet and then eventually North East on the trail to Maplethorn. Charis insisted on eating from the saddle. Meanwhile Helice practiced her Seer Skill while on horseback, when contacted by Alcmene. They made decent time and found themselves in Maplethorn with a bell to spare before dusk.

Boisterous laughter and mirth issued from the Blood and Plough Inn as they rode through the main street of the village, which doubled as the main trail from Hillperch to the Lonely Keep. Better happy people than bitter or sullen thought Charis as did a few of the other sisters.

Their appreciation interrupted by a keen-eyed stable boy who started gathering their horse’s reins as each sister dismounted and offered. Charis lightly chuckled, his joy snapping her out of the seriousness of what lay before her.

The seven sisters gathered and with Charis leading, entered the Inn. Their presence silenced the Inn. Table upon table occupied by village folk and farmers stared at them.

“Don’t mind them!” yelled a shortish woman behind the bar, her dark brown hair cascading around her face.

Charis cautiously stepped in navigating around the tables and occupied chairs.

“Back to your business, I smell paying customers for a change!”

Knees were slapped, some guffaws released and then the previous level of celebration resumed. Charis reached the bar with the warrior sisters gathered around her.

“All girls? erm women? … My name is Dovara and I welcome you to the Blood and Plough Inn.” Dovara dragged her eyes away from their various weapons, swallowing nervously.

“We each require a meal and two rooms, your stableboy has taken care of our horses,” said Charis evenly.

“Yes Miss, only too pleased,” as she produced two keys from her plain rough cotton apron and placed them on the bar, “after you stow your saddle bags and return to the bar your table will be ready.”

Charis nodded accepting the hint, scanning the bar doubtfully before leading her sisters down the adjacent hallway, their rooms at the far end.

Astera held a hand out, eyebrowed raised. Charis surrendered one of the keys about to query and enquire and decided not to, determination painted Astera’s face. Astera hurried down the hallway, Thyia and Otonia following.

“It seems I left an impression on Astera,” said Elpis the Seer of Saph, in a deadpan voice.

“Probably best you accompany me this night and every night until Lonely Keep.”

“Well once out of this armour I am sure we can keep close company,” Elpis purred, although armour induced sweat and discomfort disturbed the affect.

“Let’s place our saddle bags in our room and remove some armour in case the locals disagree with our presence,” quipped Charis as she turned the key and entered the room.

---

“Are you comfortable Seer sister?” sent Alcmene, Dione settled in beside her, the low flickering flame of the small fire keeping them warm as dusk settled in. Zoe turned the rabbit over the same fire preparing their evening feast. Niobe, Ismene and Agape eager to partake, although nothing compared to the small young drooling girl beside them.

“Yes, the Blood and Plough Inn is warm and serves a fine stew, although some of the floating food shapes are a mystery,” sent Helice in reply.

“Your subtly in your contact is near perfect sister,” Charis whispered before she scooped another spoonful of the mystery food, noticing the warmth spreading to Helice’s cheeks.

“Thank you, Mistress,” replied Helice.

“I need a favour. Contact your Seer sister I will need her to relay questions and answers with Dione.”

“Certainly, Mistress.”

Dione and Charis conferred between them and realised the timing of the note, problematic. The note advised the assassins planned to ambush them between Maplethorn and Farstay, the most obvious and practical. The assassins though left at least two days ago if not three or four days before Charis accepted the mission, at the Temple. If she wasn’t assigned the mission were the assassins going to return to Hillperch after waiting and wasting several days in ambush? A possible explanation, the child who handed off the note wasn’t one of Jocasta’s friends.

Helice and Alcmene linked in Clymene to enable Charis and Dione to ask and confirm with Jocasta, the young girl child belonged to her Shrine watchers, which proved correct. The dilemma around the note revealed, who handed it off at the Shrine if the assassins left days before, when they weren’t in town to do so. Charis needed the ambush to happen, she wanted to ambush the assassins first by finding their camp, defeating them and then burning them, witnessed by the watcher. The note now a mystery she didn’t need.

Not able to resolve the contradiction Charis and Dione decided to discuss tactics.

Charis suggested to Dione her party shadow Charis’. Dione pointed out they now camped where they camped due to available cover for them and their horses, not least the view, since it overlooked the trail. With the crops harvested and not much wild growth there wasn’t much cover for them near the trail to hide in and remain unseen, except perhaps in the afternoon when the shadow of the mountain range would assist.

The advantage now lay with the assassins and Charis needed to accept it. Somehow, she needed to acquire it back and fortunately Dione suggested a plan. Mealtime finished, and the sisters retired to their respective rooms except Charis and Helice who strolled to the stable.

Charis joined Helice, Clymene and Alcmene in a makeshift commune or Seer Circle. Charis’ joining assisted, although this occupied her focus. Helice promised to warn her if any joined them. Dione’s suggestion tumbled forward.

“Zoe is a hunter, if she could hunt in the dark, she could safely and secretly lead another and herself to the outskirts of Charis’ camp at night and wait. The assassins, already proven to utilise lights, would launch a dead of night or pre-dawn attack if their ambush failed as their likely preferred plan relied on one or possibly two on guard.”

“Mistress, you delay your journey and camp halfway between Maplethorn and Farstay thereby aligning with our camp. This would allow us time to attune Zoe while you travel tomorrow and upon nightfall sneak into position and Alcmene, Niobe and the Initiates would journey on foot, keeping behind cover skirting around Farstay,” sent Alcmene on behalf of Dione, finding it odd to think her name.

“What if the assassins don’t attack?” questioned Charis.

“Then you overnight in Farstay. Zoe and I sleep during the day, then collect the horses and the bodies galloping past Farstay during the night to catch up to Alcmene, everyone would be mounted again and then travel on through the night to be one day past Farstay, during the day Zoe and I would sleep to cover your camp during the night.”

“If they don’t attack by then, we will need a new plan as there are no safe overnight places every second night once past Farstay,” finished Charis.

“Mistress, what if they attack while you sleep in an Inn?” sent Clymene, concerned.

“Probably ideal, because it is difficult to follow the events and happenings in a building, so I am sure a false defeat could be organised and then a ride to the mountains to burn them arranged!” sent Charis in reply, to assure them.

“So, I am to offer up my silver circle Mistress?” sent Alcmene, her precious loss echoing in their minds.

“Yes Alcmene, although your circle will be replaced, so tell Dione to introduce Zoe to attuning, including the pain and the borrow gem,” sent Charis.

The impromptu gathering of Seer minds dissolved, and Charis released her grip from Helice’s shoulder.

“Are you satisfied Mistress?” Helice questioned, cocking her head to one side.

“Yes, in as much as I can be, although we are stilling waiting for their move and reacting.”

“Oh, Mistress we need to return to our room quickly, Elpis is questioning Rhea and Rhea has reached out to me!”

---

Rhea, laid in her bunk, tired from fending off questions from Elpis about Charis, the warrior-sisters and personal queries about her not so extinguished twin sister Raisa.

“I am sorry Rhea and I realise now I have been a pest,” whined Elpis, “One or two more questions, I beg you!”

Rhea rolled over in her bunk, coming face to face with Elpis, her light brown hair falling away as her face peered over the side of the top bunk.

“Helice, will you and Charis return shortly?” pleaded Rhea.

“We are on our way back now.”

“Rhea! Why are you staring past me?” snapped Elpis.

“Is that your first question?” stated Rhea.

“Don’t be silly, I was concerned, nothing more.” Elpis flopped back onto her bunk with a grunt.

Rhea, relieved by the respite; stared up at the bottom of the bunk above her ticking off the moments without any movement.

“You seemed to have recovered well from your Seer loss, you understand Raisa mentored my sister and I, we were very close?” Elpis’ voice slightly high searching for an answer, a truthful answer.

“Sister, careful, I am dead to all and if I could I would pinch you to make you cry … but I can’t …”

Rhea chose attack, Helice and Charis sure to return before long therefore playing for time seemed the best plan.

“I suffered most of my life.” Rubbing her scars unconsciously, raising her voice reaching for the pain long buried. “Pain I am familiar with and I bare it in my own way and will not suffer others to judge me!”

“Sister, I apologise, our oneness now … I never knew the depths of your anguish, why didn’t you tell me, we were only ever a thought apart …”

“Raisa, not now. How could you not comprehend my pain, everyone knew how I should look after they saw you, in the Temple the worst, easier when we were assigned, except they knew and spoke behind and around me, never to me!”

“I am sorry, I meant, your sister was my mentor and I thought … if you wished to or needed to, I am a shoulder to cry on. I didn’t expect my question to upset you …”

“People can’t look at me without pity, and Seers aware of my twin loss pity me for another reason. I found myself within the Daughters of the Duchess, they are my rock, they are my new family.”

The bunk above her creaked and after an awkward climb down Elpis crouched beside Rhea, who surprised, backed away from the edge of her bunk. Elpis took advantage of the space and claimed it nestling her bottom close.

“Sister, caution she is seeking a new mentor or possibly a new intimate liaison and while we were mischievous as Temple Seers, we both sworn an oath to Charis and the Seer secret is hers …”

“Hush sister, I know … eek!”

“I warned you, she assaulted our body! Slap her sister!”

Rhea gently pushed Elpis away, one hand on her shoulder.

“You were staring and gazing, I thought you spell bound in my presence,” said Elpis, finishing with a cheeky smile, her tongue darting out, licking her lips.

“I am not my sister …” Rhea prevented from saying more as Elpis’ finger crossed her lips.

“I know …” Elpis’s finger captured a stray strand of hair and stroked it away from Rhea’s face revealing more of her scar. Rhea knew her scarred landscape well and realised Elpis appreciated beyond the obvious.

“Why aren’t you, well repulsed?” hushed Rhea.

“Don’t you accept two could see your beauty beyond your skin’s depth? There is also the fact I am drawn to you and I know your soul somehow and it is strange … I can’t resist it.” Elpis leans in, her lips quivering in anticipation.

“Sister she senses me, she doesn’t understand how, yet she does, our previous bond lingers. I apologise sister, if you give into her and are intimate, she will discover me, you must run, we must run!”

---

“I am not a Seer and I sense your disappointment Alcmene. I am sorry,” said Dione.

“The mission is important, and we swore an oath to the Mistress and are hers to command.”

Dione reached up to embrace Alcmene.

After a few moments Dione released her, although not completely, grasping Alcmene’s shoulders with her hands while capturing Alcmene’s eyes with her own.

“I am sure Mistress will replace them, although if I lost my silver ring,” her hand rested on her right breast, “I would be devastated.”

“Seer sister, don’t fret and without the circle we can discover your natural Seer strength, comparing to your twin sister, easy,” sent Helice, her love and compassion thick in their connection.

“I am jealous of my sister if her loss elicits such affection!” joined Clymene.

“I will remove the silver circle tonight Dione, I will survive, my Seer-sisters are eager to nurse me through.”

Dione nodded, permitting her hand to fall from Alcmene’s shoulder. She strode off to set the camp watch, which included an insistent stallion, her partner, the one creature she realised then and there offering her unconditional love and loyalty. No one, including Mistress Charis would separate them. A certain stallion neighed and struck the ground with its hooves in response feeding off Dione’s determination, an unbreakable agreement with his life partner.

Alcmene found a lonely spot and controlled her thoughts, closing them from Niobe and opening them up to Clymene and Helice. She then started to reverse the attuning. Painless and simple as she connected to Helice and Clymene. Once the silver circle gleamed in her fingers, the fire light faintly reaching her, she needed to draw upon her own body and will to maintain her Seer link with Clymene and Helice.

“Stay with me sisters I wish to find out my endurance without the circle.” Clymene and Helice sent reassurance.

Alcmene returned to the camp proper victorious and pain free. Finding Dione with her stallion she handed over her silver circle and borrow stone without regret or sense of loss. Maintaining her Seer link while walking and talking effortless, the drain on herself minimal.

“This discovery is wonderful sister, we trained ourselves to minimise and conserve to be ready for Mistress’ use and to reach far to establish our Seer links,” sent Clymene elated.

“This raises the next question, where can we take this?” sent Helice in reply.

---

“Elpis, can you explain yourself?” Charis strode into the Room her words spoken expecting an answer and causing Elpis to jump up and stand beside Rhea’s bunk. Elpis bowed her head slightly, fidgeting with her hands. The Mother Superior warned her not to offend the mysterious Mistress of the Daughters of the Duchess and she didn’t mean to. The draw she felt towards Rhea unexplainable and possibly unforgivable given Charis’ question and how she voiced it. Elpis panicked.

“I couldn’t stop myself, I am sorry, I didn’t mean anything, I am sorry. An urge came over me!”

“Rhea is precious to the Daughters of the Duchess, precious to me.” Charis raised her eyebrows opening her clear blue eyes, her gaze removing the sparkle from Elpis’ blue eyes with ease. Elpis wilted, instinctively bowing her head and beginning to curtsy before catching herself.

“Sister, Elpis is about to lose her water, her panic loud and clear to me, you have to do something, her shame.”

Rhea hastily climbed out of her bunk and embraced Elpis. The contact shattering Elpis’ thoughts and panic. Being this near each other an assurance exuded from Rhea, surrounding Elpis, fortifying the Seer against any fears.

“Elpis …”

“Agatha … how?” Then the link to her twin vanished. The contact impromptu, she didn’t believe Raisa and yet this was proof. Raisa extolled confidence and belief and until then, the next stage would remain out of reach. Her Seer skill on the edge of discovery and a pit of emptiness in her stomach reached up to strangle her, the loss of her mentor devastating. Her knees weakening, she returned Rhea’s embrace and welcomed Rhea’s support.

“Break her embrace sister, don’t look her in the eye, she will realise something is different and then keep digging for an answer,” sent Raisa.

Charis checked with Helice, raising a single eyebrow. It didn’t seem as if Rhea was in any way concerned about Elpis and her being, affectionate. Then they separated without warning, Elpis startled as much as Charis and Helice. The four of them now standing in their own space and searching for appropriate words to break the silence.

Charis allowed her hand to drift into contact with Helice’s.

“What happened?”

“I am not sure Mistress, perhaps it is time for sleep,” sent Helice in reply.

“We travel tomorrow, to your bunks and sleep,” said Charis.

+++

At daybreak Alcmene led Niobe, the Initiates and the young girl on foot following the plan to sneak past Farstay as far as daylight permitted and hope Dione and Zoe would catch up on horseback in time.

As the five sisters marched out of view Zoe waited for an explanation why she needed to remain behind. To keep occupied she tended to the aunty, who finally expired sometime during the night. This explained the quiet in the young child this morning, nothing more, it showed her familiarity with witnessing death, including family death.

Dione stood beside Zoe as they both contemplated and absorbed the death of another human being.

“We will wrap her for travel.” Dione handed off a cloth sheet to Zoe and helped her spread it. Together they rolled the Aunty on to it and wrapped her.

Dione waved at Zoe as a hint to recline by the now spent campfire. Dione paced for a moment and Zoe became concerned with each step.

“What!” yelped Zoe, “Have I offended, am I no longer an Initiate?”

“I am sorry for my dithering.”

“Well?” Zoe leapt to her feet and faced Dione holding back tears.

“You are being granted a right normally reserved for warrior-sisters.” Dione’s heavy words hit Zoe, the gravity of them forcing her to drop back to the fallen log near the spent camp fire.

“Yes warrior-sister, I am listening, and I am honoured.”

“Kyra and Nysa are the exceptions we know about and like them, this honour as you call it will involve pain, some experience more,” she remembered her terrible bitter pain, “some experience less and either way I will comfort you and you will survive it.”

“Survive it Warrior Sister Dione?” Zoe gulped, her hands grasping the log to steady herself.

Dione revealed the silver circle, Zoe’s gaze instantly caught by it.

“Initiate remove enough clothing and armour to expose your left breast.”

Zoe’s face questioned the instruction while her hands reached for her clothing. When Dione held a cloth wrap in her hands, Zoe’s eyes widened.

“We need to wrap the silver circle to your breast, and you don’t wrap your breasts.”

Zoe acknowledged with a nod and cautiously smiled as Dione wrapped the silver circle tightly against Zoe’s left breast.

“Dress yourself again please Zoe. After a bell or more the silver circle will burrow into your flesh and the pain will start, once it lodges and stops moving search for it with your mind, you can use the touch of your fingers to find it. You need to push it to your other breast, more pain although it proves your mind is linked to it and once linked you can draw magic from it.”

Zoe fumbled on the leather bindings of her clothing and then stopped, searching Dione’s face for an explanation.

“Yes, there is still a glimmer of magic in the world and it goes without saying, on your oath you will not speak of this to anyone and you will die before telling anyone.”

“Yes Sister, although if there is pain and I need to find it I would ask for a single piece of thin cloth to hold it if acceptable?” Dione tore off a thin strip, which left Zoe’s breasts largely uncovered.

“When the pain starts you would lie with me Sister?”

“Yes, if it will assist,” replied Dione.

Zoe glanced at Dione with a slight grin and removed her leather pants to reveal a loose loin cloth and then proceeded to lie in the morning sun, the warmth of it chasing away any cold, although Zoe being from the north enjoyed and relished a wisp of cold licking at her skin.

Light and the warmth upon her, Zoe braced herself for the pain.

A bell passed, or did two? Zoe wasn’t sure, therefore she asked.

“Dione I am not suffering pain, what has gone wrong? Does the magic reject me?”

Dione finished packing the camp away long ago and occupied herself with pacing out of Zoe’s view. Answering Zoe’s questioning she reached down to the binding strip and released it, her young breasts bouncing back from the restraint. Zoe inspected her left breast as did Dione and no silver circle rested upon it. Dione fingered Zoe’s left breast and confirmed the silver circle’s lodgement below her nipple and held Zoe’s hand to it.

“Reach for it with your mind, keep it under your touch and once you link to it shift it to your other breast.”

A few heartbeats later and Zoe caught Dione’s disbelieving face.

“It is done Sister and no pain? My body has been cradled in the light and warmth of the Sun. I, I also, well, sense something else.” She paused before continuing, “The magic in the Silver Circle is throbbing, it is excited, I imagine it is alive in some way. Does that make sense? Should I worry?” Zoe searched for Dione’s eyes pleading for guidance.

Dione’s response surprised her, no words spoken purely actions, Dione’s armour and clothes flew off her. She settled in beside Zoe and welcomed the light and the warmth of the sun upon her now naked body. Zoe now confident, reached for her loincloth to release it. She rolled over and allowed the sun to dance across her back and buttocks.

They lay in silence for at least a bell, perhaps longer as Zoe’s sense of time wasn’t as honed as a Town dweller, who noted the Bell toll regularly time and time again.

Dione felt Zoe shuffle; a possible hint Zoe wanted to speak unsure if she could.

“Zoe, I suspect you’ve discovered the magic of the magic. I agree. The light and warmth of the Sun fill the items with life somehow.” The wonder in Dione’s voice infectious, Zoe embraced and revelled in it.

Zoe jumped up and stretched her naked body in joy and wonder. The Sun bringing her skin alive, proud of her nakedness, enjoying Dione’s appraisal. She started to dress and as each piece of clothing covered her skin a melancholy touched her due to her separation from the sun. She drew on the captured rapture of the sun and warmth to improve her mood.

“Sister, I must leave, a boundless energy is within me. I am bursting to hunt!”

“Be careful and I reckon I understand. I must ride my stallion.”

Dione’s stallion stood beside the two sisters impatiently striking with his hooves and they both laughed!

Zoe finished dressing and grabbed her weapons. One glance at Dione and she jogged in the direction of foothills to commence her hunt. Dione in the meanwhile drew upon a new oneness and joining with her stallion. Then her stallion licked her across her stomach, and while still startled, Dione then felt her stallion nudge her, rolling her over on her stomach with its muzzle. His will engulfed her; he wanted to gallop, now!

Dione tried to roll back, catching his eyes with hers before she shook her head. Her stallion nudged her again. She smiled and retied her loincloth. Her stallion acted more doglike then and licked her chest and then her face. She leapt upon his back without hesitation.

At once the connection was stronger. The contact of her skin upon his coat or perhaps the magical life in her item now matching his, she didn’t know. Sharing sight through her stallion’s eyes simple, effortless. She could sense the strength in his muscles, his heart beating, the breath in his lungs and his readiness to gallop. She held onto his mane as he burst into action and they were away. Anyone observing them would witness a near naked, certainly topless girl grabbing to remain atop a huge runaway horse fearful for her life! Nothing of course further from the truth.

---

Zoe hauling multiple rabbit kills on a string line joined Dione vaulting from her horse to return to their camp simultaneously somehow, middle of the day. They couldn’t stop smiling and smiling some more. Dione though recalled the pain her and her sisters suffered when the secret shone above them the whole time and being alone, she could tell no one!

Still, the memories of the ride would live with her forever, standing on her stallions back, arms and hands free, the wind catching her everywhere, more so when she released her loin cloth!

Zoe hung up her catch and approached the naked Dione with a suggestion, which ended up delaying their middle of the day meal.

---

At dawn Charis and her party broke their fast late, trotting out of Maplethorn after the third bell. Charis stopped for a middle of the day meal at about the same time Zoe began skinning and preparing three rabbits, cooking them under a high sun over a small fire she hoped wouldn’t reveal their hidden camp. Neither she nor Dione dressed unless body finger painting in rabbit blood counted. Alcmene, Niobe, Ismene, Agape and the young girl trudged all morning, still two thirds the distance to travel to reach Farstay.

Charis continued a leisurely pace after the middle of the day meal and called a halt well before dusk to strike camp. Charis situated the camp off the trail on the mountain side, hopeful someone travelling by horse on the trail at night by lantern light for example, would ride by.

Alcmene and her party struck camp still a third of the way from Farstay, also well before dusk. With no way of contacting Dione and Zoe, Alcmene didn’t want to finish too far away from her sisters on a mission ensuring they could reach them on horseback in quick time. She doubted anyone would spot them from the trail although out of necessity it tracked towards the mountains as it approached Farstay, which nestled adjacent to the foothills and therefore best bypassed at night.

Dione instructed Zoe to draw magic from her silver circle and power the borrow gem after their late afternoon meal of fresh rabbit. With dusk approaching Zoe stared about in amazement. Still naked Dione took a liberty and searched Zoe’s breast for her silver circle and shivered as the magic within it revealed itself to her. This magic is what the Mistress must draw upon when required, like when she healed many sisters of black rot. Dione felt a warmness and affinity with Zoe she couldn’t explain beyond some simple things, they were of similar age, they both relished the outdoors, and both shared a secret they wanted to share!

Zoe kissed Dione and dressed, she wanted to test her new sight by checking her trap line at night, comparing her daytime vision with her new night vision.

Waiting for Zoe to return Dione occupied herself grooming her stallion and the other horses returning to her stallion.

“You understand what I say don’t you?” suggested Dione.

Her stallion’s hoof stuck the ground once. Dione strolled around him, one hand lingering on his coat as she circled.

“Zoe and I will leave on a mission upon her return and I need to leave a trustworthy being, in charge of the camp,” she swivelled quickly to face him, “would you my stallion be such a being?”

Her stallion’s hoof struck the ground once and he brayed, his head nodding extravagantly up and down. Dione embraced his neck.

“You are in charge then and we need to make sure our horses are here for us as well as our camp.”

The stallion neighed in agreement.

“Warrior-sister Dione, do you required any assistance getting ready?” asked an amused Zoe upon observing Dione still naked.

---

Zoe combining her hunting skills with borrow stone night vision led Dione towards the trail, hopefully picking up on Charis’ camp while avoiding any assassins. The plan relied upon trusting the loyalty of the assassins sworn to Charis. The assassins needed to support the Daughters ruse with their noble deaths to draw out the Watcher ensuring she witnessed their demise if possible.

Zoe settled Dione and herself into a concealed position, plenty of cover and an excellent line of sight to the camp. They sighted a single sentry. Zoe suspected Charis’ trap too obvious and an enemy named the Watcher too clever not to realise it.