“You made it particularly difficult to meet you again didn’t you Charis the Young?”

She recognised his musical voice immediately and momentarily closed her eyes, taking a deep steady breath to calm herself. In one smooth motion Charis crunched her abdominal muscles to sit upright, her bedsheet clutched to her chest, silently wishing his presence meant he remained her friend or at least friendly. He knew things she needed to know. A selfish motivation for sure.

“Well I can’t have just anyone ‘dropping in’ now can I?” Charis shamelessly fluttered her eye lashes, instead of turning up the very low flame in the lantern hanging by her bed.

He rewarded her with a thin smile, the feeble light cast by her lamp failing to illuminate his lips, Charis enjoyed the bounty, nevertheless.

Charis demurely smiled in reply. “What repairs will I have to do after this visit?”

“Oh none, I have been very careful with your property, as I hope you have been with ours?”

“Sad to say yes and no, but please let me explain before you question me.”

The Elven Lord settled into a conveniently placed plain wooden chair, shifting it from a dark corner of Charis’ room, subtly placing pack, bow and quiver of arrows in its former position. His activity providing Charis with the opportunity to discretely clothe herself. Charis swung her legs out of bed, fetching her robe from the adjacent bed stand. She paused a moment while standing to appraise the seated Lord and released her garment, allowing the soft cloth to slide off her shoulder and pool at her feet.

His mouth fell open and slowly closed as he recovered. The surprised look on his face worth her daring. Whatever his thoughts were, now momentarily flown, which is where Charis wanted him.

She wasn’t sure if he knew she could see in the dark, possibly as well as he could. She perched herself on the edge of her storage trunk at the end of her bed, bare bottom on cold wood and metal, worth the discomfort because her sitting like this caused him to squirm in his chair. She purposely placed her feet away from him, recalling his last visit.

“I have used some of the items, which is to say I have gifted them to my followers.”

“Continue, I sense a because, or a but, or any number of different excuses.” The young never surprised with their words at least, he mused.

Charis for her part, trembled, tapping her foot to disguise one tell only to reveal another.

“We acquired many more than what you found with me when you were last here. There are evil beings that are using them to mask their evil and their plans, so they can work their way into important positions to influence what is done and what isn’t done.”

Her words struck at his heart, more items, how many more?

“That you found more saddens me tremendously and confirms for me the decision of others of my kind. We are leaving the Items in your trust, if we took them, they would sadden us as we wouldn’t want to destroy them, and we wouldn’t know what to do with them.”

“I am honoured, they are important to our purpose and I can’t deny my relief.” Charis released air from her lungs, although certain he didn’t notice, engrossed in his own reply.

“Know Charis the Young the faerie magic stolen within the Items were to be the fey creatures, not only elves of the Faerie Forest, so the bronze loops, which influence others would have been perhaps a Dryad, the gems, probably Sprites or Brownies depending upon the enhancement they provide. So, know now the full price and terrible curse upon us.”

Despite a slightly bowed head he couldn’t hide his tear-filled eyes, not to overflowing though as he trapped the hurt within his heart. Charis lent forward to embrace him, hesitated uncertain, not due to her nakedness, instead the thought of the required contact and his reaction. His head snapped up.

“You can see in the dark, elven like, Mistress Charis?”

Charis mentally kicked herself. Why though? Why did she wish to keep this secret from him? The secret would have been revealed at some time in the future, secrets always were. Perhaps he would consider her more elvish because of it.

“All the better to see your face, I assure you!” she quipped.

Her wide-eyed cheeky smile rescuing him from his mood, not quite a sunny day, good enough.

“I say these next words because I want trust between us and while I know I am trustworthy … and secretive, I want to make sure you know my true self by my deeds and actions.”

The Elf Lord leant forward, chin on hands, elbows on knees. “Please continue. I see you more clearly now and await your redemption.”

Charis accepted her mis-stepped and needed her next words to count. Her voice broke slightly and then she coughed and recovered.

“You need to visit the Lonely Keep. There is a pyre site on the forest side of the Keep where we burnt the bodies of some men under an evil influence, to send their souls to Judge … to be judged. Before we placed them on the pyre, we thought we removed all the items they carried with them. We have since discovered fruit trees and flowers growing there now, as in right now, Death Season, it seems to have its own protected Season. I can only imagine elvish magic has somehow been liberated from the items those men still possessed and it has been returned to the ground.”

“If this proves true then I may want the return of the elvish items you have so they can be liberated as the ones you have mentioned seemed to be?”

“It is a chance I am willing to take, although most see the pyre as nothing more than desolation.”

Charis climbed off the chest she was sitting on, so her naked bottom faced him while she opened the lid and lent in to select and retrieve a blue gem and a silver ring. She then walked over to him and dropped them into his outstretched hand and sauntered back to the chest, her makeshift chair.

Charis continued. “The men belonged to Judge, they were Judge Knight Aspirants that were turned from their true path by evil influence. I suspect the evil influence may be on these, but I am prepared for it to be a plainer explanation.”

“I wonder if any still truly believe in Judge and his Gods, they have been gone for so long and with their leaving the world suffers, so you may be right he and his Gods could be returning in subtle, little ways.” His and his kindred’s petitions to the Goddess Mara remain unanswered also.

Charis didn’t want their conversation to end, she required another answer.

“We encountered an evil that I hope you know of. It needed to use seven elvish items to mask its evil and I don’t know what that means exactly, but I have six items and I am tremendously powerful and need no more. The evil was human in appearance and we captured it with difficulty and I typically kill my foes with an arrow through the eye. This one just said it would be gone, used the word gone instead of dead if I did that. Then I targeted its heart and when I did, it disappeared, all that remained was a fog or gas that quickly dispersed or seemed to.”

His face expressed no emotion as he recognised the evil and knew others like it existed.

“It is an ancient evil and the reason they dislike elves is we use a bow and arrow and for these creatures a sun grown wooden arrow to the heart is usually a true death to them that is why the creature transformed.”

The Elven Lord rested back into his chair, his mouth paused open for a moment before speaking.

“Know it still lives Charis the Young and therefore is still a direct threat to you and can still do evil to others. Losing the elvish items means it can no longer walk among you if what you say is true, so it must do evil from afar or perhaps acquire more items.”

Charis nodded, her face sombre.

“A word of caution, if after you have struck such a creature through the heart and it is still whole, chop off its head and burn the body and head separately, that may work. All evil isn’t created in the same way, so it isn’t destroyed in the same way. I would also advise you to carry the Holy Symbol of Judge with you or at least paint it on your shields as this can be a bane to them if presented with belief and trust.”

Charis repositioned her cold numb bottom, her daring idea now claiming its cost. Did he smirk?

“I take heed of your warning and the methods you have suggested for its death. The Holy Symbol of Judge, does it really have that power? I know of Priests and Knights that don’t display it, they may have a token on them, but nothing more.”

The Elven Lord stretched out comfortably in his chair.

“You need to believe in Judge as the King of Gods, The Sun, The Ruler of us all. Some have lost their faith although to be fair the Gods have faded, their presence faltering.”

“Then perhaps I need to visit Farstay as the Priest there was most unusual. He asked if I could find the Magistrate of Judge away from his village so he wouldn’t ask questions and yet this village managed to keep Goblins away for many weeks, it seems, with nothing but their faith until my company rescued them from the stalemate,” said Charis.

“I also need to share with you a word of caution regarding the items you have.”

He paused deliberately, ensuring his next words carried the required emphasis.

“They’re elvish or faerie origin. This means the warmth of a sunny day, a cooling breeze on a hot day, the flow of fresh water running off a mountain stream, sunlight on flowers turning to receive it, nurturing and growing the forest and all the plants in it, all are bonded to this single purpose. The evil uses this nature to disguise their evil and it seems little more. You and yours use it as a source of magic and influence.”

“I understand and cherish this gift so dearly paid for,” said Charis, fully aware of their cost now and valuing their benefit even more.

He steepled his hands, tapping them as one on his chin.

“Humans aren’t dedicated to the core of their soul to a single natural purpose, they can grow bonds between each other though. Take friendship for example. The items will build upon the foundation of friendship to grow lifelong companions, to nurture that relationship until you are intimate friends. Finally, intimacy blooms into love as perhaps is happening in this House. This is the magic of the elves increasing the intensity of your emotions to join you into a single purpose, united and harmonious.”

Charis stood, arms folded across her breasts, slowly pacing as if in thought. Resisting the urge to massage her numb bottom.

“As you share more of these items, those whom you share with will build upon this loving bond. With elves and fey creatures, the bonding co-ordinates the growing and caring of the faerie forest, in humans I am not sure that anything grows other than love as the items can’t fulfil their true purpose. When one is lost in this bonded company there will be much grief and suffering Charis the Young.”

Charis snuggled her bottom onto and into the soft mattress on her bed before she replied.

“I was deluded to believe for some reason only women attracted to women were attracted to join my company, but it seems it only needs to start with friendship and trust and the elvish magic will grow it from there. You are right, we are yet to face a loss and given our unnatural bonding by using the items it will be an impossible day when I lose a warrior-sister. Now that I truly know, I am not even sure how to prepare, but I appreciate the warning.”

“I prepare to say goodbye to you now Charis the Young and I appreciate you favouring me with your naked body as beauty is always good to look upon and I wish to grant you a gift, possibly.”

Charis was uncertain what that meant, still a gift is a gift.

The Elven Lord walked forward, an arrow in one hand. She stared at it and tried to restrain her disappointment.

“This is a reward and a test. When I lay it in your hands, I need for you to return it to me. Do you understand?”

“It is a fairly basic instruction, I am sure I can manage,” she replied. His perfect lips curled into a smile.

He laid the arrow in her hands and then waited for a few heartbeats, in complete silence. When Charis attempted to speak, he held his hand up. He then held his hand out and received the arrow back and examined it. Charis was patient, still give an arrow, take the arrow back, this didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

“It appears you have enough elven in you, not to be rejected. You did mention you have a number of items as well, so perhaps that assists.”

He was really talking to himself and thinking aloud Charis mused, so although wondering, she didn’t say anything. He reached into the dark corner where his borrowed chair usually rested.

“I gift you this elven bow and these three elven arrows Charis the Young as I believe we share a common enemy. Be warned though, no one else can touch these, so no one else can fetch them for you. They’re made from the One Tree, Charis the Young, the wood is, in a sense alive, an extension of the One Tree, therefore you need to store these items in healthy rich soil so they can renew themselves, the healthier the soil the stronger and more potent the bow and arrows. The enemy you seek will fall to an elven arrow in its heart, living wood defeating walking dead. If you retrieve the arrow you may need to use the other means I described to ensure its destruction.”

Charis needed moments to recover her composure, such a stupendous gift, such a trust.

“I am honoured to be trusted with such a wonderful gift and I will take care of and use it to defeat evil wherever I can.” Charis couldn’t resist bowing and nodding her head slightly as she drew an unusual comfort from the bow and arrows, it was like holding the smell of the forest and the joy of hunting all at once. She felt the need to go hunting right there and right now, to release the exhilaration. The she remembered …

“I need you to examine a weapon I have found if you have some more time to dally?”

“I have thousands of years so a few more moments with you is not a burden.”

Charis smiled and reached into her trunk and found the backpack. She resisted reaching for the leather armour, she needed more trust before she asked about something so personal and elvish, she thought, but soon. Reaching into the backpack she found the two knives and presented them to the Elvish Lord.

He handed them back immediately, which surprised and stunned Charis. She instinctively searched for and locked her eyes upon his.

“These knives are no secret, they’re ancient, they’re made from the huge craft that first landed on this planet thousands of years ago. I am not even sure if they can be destroyed. They have been cursed or blessed by Judge to kill the un-killable!”

“Why do you say curse?”

“They would be able to kill me Charis the Young and even if my body was returned to the Faerie Forest my life would not be able to regrow. Where did you find them?”

“An evil stranger, two of them, one of my sisters has another pair.”

“The ancient enemy must have finally decided to move against this final branch of humanity. You must prepare more of this Dukedom for a final battle Charis the Young.”

“I am just a curiosity to most my friend. Can I call you my friend?”

“Friends would tell their friends when they can see them clearly wouldn’t they?”

“Yes, they would, I will work to ensure that there are no secrets between us and offer you a hint of my past to reconcile my oversight.” She reached into the trunk and retrieved the rent leather armour and handed it to him.

“This supposedly belonged to my father, elven or half elven I am not sure, as you can see a large clawed animal claimed the wearer,” Charis suggested.

“The owner of this armour was half elven at best.” His voice mechanical, no warmth.

Charis sensed his disquiet.

“Quarter elven at worst, without their elvish magic, one of the cursed, one who most likely lost their elvish magic to one of your items you so prize, Charis the Young. He lived in the Faerie Forest, denied the joy of one joined to the oneness of the Faerie Forest. This heirloom of yours reminds me of the sorrow of the Elves. My heart is heavy, I must leave, and I can’t promise I will return.” He placed the rent armour carefully in Charis’ hands and stepped purposely to fetch his pack, bow and quiver from the dark corner, where he rested them. Charis’ hearing detected the scuffing of his soft leather boots!

While in her trance of shock; the information he revealed, his reaction and urgent departure she couldn’t think of anything to say to keep him. A shiver raced down her spine, he said he might not return, which finally snapped her out of her trance.

Unable to sleep she grabbed her robe and hurried from her room seeking the stove, craving warmth. She could wake a sister for company and immediately dismissed the indulgence.

As she crept down the circular stairs, words drifted up to meet her from the Training Room or Kitchen. Charis slowed to ensure silence, wrapping her robe around her tying it off missing the assurance a dagger to hand would provide. She peered around the edge of the passageway; no one in the Training Room so whoever they are, they occupied the Kitchen. Charis edged closer cautious and inquisitive, a faint glow from a lantern or candle confirming her suspicion.

---

“At the end of Death Season, I suspect my titties will be too full to fit through the gap to the Under House so one of you will need to take command.” There was a calculated paused, to let the news sink in obviously. Charis wondered where Jocasta picked up that tip!

“Since we are girls and boys the leader can be either, they just have to be smart, so getting someone killed is not smart, getting someone caught isn’t smart but sometimes it can be part of a plan, but I think getting someone killed is a real test. So, we must all be careful, get the information but not if you think you will be killed. Just knowing someone has important information could be information enough. We don’t know all the things that Mistress Charis is thinking about at any one time, so just get what information you can, but don’t take a chance on dying.”

“Yes, Little Miss.” Several young squeaky voices answered.

“I am also here to tell you Mistress Charis was mighty please we found the assassins, she asked me personally to tell you how valuable that was to her and how important also. So, I have some coin for you all as a reward. Keep it safe, use it only when nothing else will save you, you never know if offering someone a few coins will keep you alive that little bit longer and then you can see or make a chance to turn the tables on them. I am also trying to get to the farm, to see if we can find some small knives, just very little ones, something to stab a hand to escape. Don’t kill any adults they tend to want to find who is to blame when you do. But if you do come straight back here, make sure you aren’t followed, and I will see what Mistress Charis can do. That is all I want to say for now. Anyone else want to say something?”

“Yes, Little Miss, my younger brother will be six years old if he survives Death Season. Is he able to join us?”

“Probably, who is he with now?”

“I take him some food. He sleeps in a part of the Old Wall for now.”

“I think we can take him now, anyone got any reasons why not?”

Charis contemplated their discussion; they were voting on the life or death of a five-year-old boy.

“There you go Wormy, lead him here, make sure you aren’t followed, straight after we finish.”

“How many more do you reckon we can take Little Miss?”

“Well Charis has over twenty sisters. We need at least one to watch each sister while they’re in town and the space under here can still fit a few more. So, a few more I reckon.”

“Should we go find some more?”

“No if they can find us that means they have some smarts and I have overheard Mistress Charis many times, she doesn’t beat her enemies because she is tough and strong, she beats them because she is smart, like with information and is always ready. So, we need smarts and if they find us and survive Death Season then that tells us they’re smart also.”

“So why have we let Wormy’s brother in?”

“Is Wormy smart?”

“Yes, Little Miss, he sure is, he got that assassin lady to swear and tell him where the other one was.”

“Well his brother is probably smart as well, these things tend to stay in families, but if he isn’t then we will all know won’t we.”

Charis gulped at the live or die survival mantra of Jocasta’s rule!

“Yes Little Miss.”

“All of you down the hatch, take an under cloth with you, the sisters don’t seem to want them for the moment and youngest closest to the oven and stove, with the older ones on the outside with the under cloth.”

“Yes, Little Miss,” they responded.

Charis side stepped into the White Room moments before Jocasta’s cohort spilled from the Kitchen. She spied Jocasta and a skinny boy holding candles stuck to broken pottery guiding them through the Kitchen hatch to descend underneath the floor. She counted fourteen, all young, all in rags; the boy followed them down, Jocasta tip toed into the elder’s room.

Charis leant against the White Room’s door jam, shaking her head. Pushing off from the door, thoughts preoccupied digesting what she witnessed, Charis ambled to the circular stairs.

Flickering candlelight and then Charis felt a sharp stab to her buttocks; it may have even drawn blood! She spun around to face her assailant, crouched and ready.

“You aren’t being careful Mistress.” Jocasta grinned, small pointed knife in her right hand, lit candle still on a piece of pottery in her left.

“You are clever beyond your years Little Miss.”

Jocasta responded with a cheeky shallow curtsy.

“I think it is time you swear your oath to me before I lose you to another as I am sure you will easily impress them!”

“Mistress Charis I would never swear an oath to another. I have learnt so much from you and keep learning all the time. I see how the sisters look up to you, even the old assassin-seers, who would fight to be the leader in any other company only want to please you and satisfy their sexy stuff with you. To me that is respect, that is power, and it is given to you because you respect them, and you treasure their lives and they would gladly give theirs for you.”

Charis appreciated the passion in Jocasta’s speech, more than the words, so her next words flowed easily.

“So, do you have your oath for me?”

Jocasta flung her rag of a dress off, quickly dropping to the wooden floor, her knees bent, legs under her buttocks and head bowed. “I swear to serve Charis the Young as my one and only Mistress, now and forever until her death or mine and if I can give my life to save hers I gladly will.”

“Jocasta, Little Miss, I 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.” Charis then waved her forward and put her rag dress back on her. You would have thought she was being given the finest dress in the Dukedom to wear by her reaction.

“I can find another dress for you if you like?” Charis asked.

“No, I have another, this is my disguise dress for when I am on the streets or being Little Miss,” she replied happily.

“Is there anything you need?”

“I have a list Mistress.” She darted off into the elder’s room, quickly returning. The letters were reasonably written, certainly they could be comprehended. Proudly she read the list, clearly items for her urchins, nothing for her; she cared for their needs first.

“Grab your pen and ink, I have some notes to make.”

Jocasta returned swiftly with the requested writing items. Charis wrote a note on the list, signed it and presented the script to Jocasta.

“Mistress, everything on the list, we can have it all!” She forgot herself and leapt upon Charis in delight, stealing a long kiss. It wasn’t a peck Charis noted, instead a full-on passionate kiss. Jocasta’s observations catching more than just Charis and her leadership technique it seemed. Jocasta realised what she did, stood back and straightened out her rag dress, eyes down.

“You are a good leader to your company in my service, I am honoured to have you as oath-sister and supply what you have requested to see you continue in my service. See Ismene and she will procure the things required.”

“Yes Mistress, it will be done.”

Charis’ hand reached out to caress Jocasta’s cheek.

“While I was surprised by your thanks, I will never see anything wrong in one of my oath-sisters celebrating.” Jocasta’s relief immediate, although she believed she knew Charis and thought she would understand her passion and excitement, still it was good to be sure! She needed to restrain her giddiness.

“I am preparing for my successor Mistress, I am sure you overheard. My titties are getting larger and I am bleeding occasionally now, so it is a good time to think about this. I would ask a boon if I may Mistress.”

“Ask and I will consider anything reasonable.”

“I wish to start serious training, Clymene taught me reading and writing when you were away, but I wish to be able and ready to be an initiate when I turn sixteen, I would like to be your assassin-seer bodyguard, like Helice.”

“That will take dedication and the Seer part will be difficult as you are not a twin and you are not a Single Seer.”

“You are neither of those either, yet you are leader of a Seer Circle and I know if you command it Zosime would train me until her hand fell off from smacking me if it was required to make sure I learn.”

“If you wish to be like Helice, why not ask me if Helice could train you?”

“I would not put your life is such danger, Helice needs to be there to protect you not train me Mistress. Zosime will be a worthy substitute, she always looks to please you Mistress and she wants after you always, I have seen her touch herself when you walk into a room and she thinks no one else can see her, but my eyes are a little lower because I am shorter, so I am most times overlooked.

Charis held back her shock after Jocasta’s observation, assessment and considered approach. Jocasta constantly impressed Charis, a smart loyal girl, or is that woman?

“I will ask Zosime and if she has time and agrees your request will be granted.”

“Thank you, Mistress. Could you ask her now? I need to make sure I am prepared as I wish to start at dawn if possible. Plus, I wish this to be kept a secret for as long as possible.”

“How can this be a secret in a House with limited space and plenty of sisters? Dawn is not far off, so I am not sure asking now will make a difference.”

“I understand Mistress, I will wait another day.”

“No, I didn’t say no, I wish to understand.”

“I would ask Zosime to train me at the Farm and at the Arena and one more day of training is one day closer to serving you as a warrior-sister.”

“I understand, let me see how good my Seer skills are to see if I can only wake and contact Zosime.”

---

It wasn’t long and Zosime slipped in, sitting behind Charis on the circular stairs.

“Yes Mistress, I am pleased to be here to serve.”

“Would you have the time and possibly patience to be able to train Jocasta as an assassin-seer bodyguard for the next four years? You can say no!” Charis learnt to say the proviso very quickly these days as her sisters were quick to say yes before hearing all the details.

“Would this be considered a special assignment from yourself Mistress?”

“Yes, and I would expect a weekly report on her progress. Jocasta has asked this to be a secret, so when you report you will have to disguise the meeting as something else.”

“I will agree on a Season by Season basis as I don’t wish to be honour bound if the student fails to hold to the training and commit to it.”

“That will never happen, I have sworn an oath to Mistress Charis, and I will honour it or die trying.” spat Jocasta with more than a little conviction.

“That is what I need to hear. We leave for the farm at first light. We will break our fast there so we can speak freely about what is required and to give you one more chance to withdraw from the agreement.”

“I will be ready!” She left and closed the door to the elder’s room behind her.

“I am pleased you truly considered the offer and set your own requirements before just saying yes.”

“I have observed that just saying yes while loyal, doesn’t demonstrate intelligence and in my short time as a sworn oath-sister I know you value thinking above all else. Plus, for the child it is important that she knows this will be no easy path for her to follow.”

“So, my intelligent assassin-seer sister what do you propose we occupy our time with before the first light of dawn?” There was a pause before Zosime answered and Charis anticipated she knew why until she tilted her head to look back up the stairs as she needed to place her head directly between Zosime’s legs to do so.

“Oh Mistress, I am momentarily self-occupied, I, I apologise.” Zosime’s hands gripped the step, her body shuddering.

Charis stood and turned, untying her robe and forcing Zosime’s chin up with her finger so Zosime’s gaze focused directly upon Charis’ moist femineity. Charis spied Zosime’s hands covering her own loins, unable to completely cover the spreading wetness on her robe. Forcing her eyes to look at Charis in the eye, Charis could tell at once that Zosime was totally vulnerable and disarmed. Zosime didn’t know what to do or how to react to the overwhelming love and lust.

“Why didn’t you tell me Zosime?”

“I couldn’t, my lust for you is endless. I cannot explain it any other way. I just need to glimpse the curve of your breast or your inner thigh and I am wet. Your head in my groin, your intimate attentions and glimpsing teasing nakedness before me, I have climaxed my Mistress, I am ashamed to say.” Charis refused to let her eyes look down, forcing them up and kissing her passionately as a reward. She then motioned for Zosime to stand.

“Follow me now.” Charis slowly climbed up the circular stairs, sauntered along the hallway and entered her room. She pointed to her bed and Zosime hurried, waiting there, by the time Charis closed the door. They spent the next bell or so in ecstasy and just before first light Zosime got herself out of Charis’ bed. She looked over her shoulder at her Mistress.

“There was always a love growing, but when you healed me from a death wound I knew you were more than special, you cared for those that you commanded, then when you removed my scar, although this was done with the will of the Seer Circle, I felt your touch on me, your wonderful touch and my body and soul craves more of it. I accept I must share you as that is the way of things, so when I report Jocasta’s progress to you it will be a one-word report, continue or stop, the rest of the time will be spent in pleasure.”

“A most appropriate reward. I thank you Zosime and don’t walk alone with your desire anymore.”

“Yes Mistress. Know Mistress that when you healed me, I felt the joy of sunshine, the warmth of your love, the glory of blooming flowers on a bright day in growth season and you were its source, it was euphoric and desirable. It is a bond beyond our Seer Bond, it is rapture that at times only your touch upon my flesh…” A sharp intake of breath cut short Zosime’s confession, springing out of Charis’ bed and hurrying to her Mistress’ door. Zosime glanced back before closing the door behind her.

The healing aspect of the elvish magic bonded Zosime to her thought Charis. Intensely and utterly. Drosis and Dirce held the same devotion, although the intensity relaxed with time, so perhaps the fact Zosime rediscovered her Seer Skill heighten the connection, mind and body. This would explain her poetic words, the talented assassin embracing her feminine side, her personality adjusting. While Zosime tried to explain the uncontrollable attraction in terms of loyalty and respect, Charis knew that whatever existed became amplified by the elven magic utilised to heal.