Alayse paused on the hill and looked down on the small farming village that stood empty in the morning light. They had ridden through most of the night, desperate to gain ground on the fleeing man. Somewhere in the north was what they believed was a small Doan raiding force using the mountains to hide. However, the leader of the faith of Youthan was also fleeing north, using his cursed abilities to stay one step ahead of them.

Jessivel was hungry to bring down the traitor and member of the dark group that turned their faith against Gersius. All the members of that cabal were to be hunted down and dragged back to Calathen. Gersius planned to make them stand trial before the allied faiths before being executed. Alayse was more concerned about the Doan, who were delaying her reunion with the bulk of her army. She wanted to get her cavalry into the north as fast as she could, then sweep the land, looking for the marauding force. By all accounts, they were slowly working their way east, attacking towns and farms close to the mountains. Word had spread, and people were fleeing, clogging the roads with refugees and herds of animals being driven away.

Rumors had spread that the Doan were using bandersooks to raid the towns, the wild beast ripping everything to shreds. Darker rumors said captured men were thrown to the beasts while women were dragged away to be slaves. The whole of the north was in a panic, made even worse by the rumor that Gersius was taking his army west.

People felt abandoned, but then Alayse arrived, and they saw hope. She was ready to be that hope and destroy this annoyance so she could go west and join her army. However, she couldn't get her cavalry through the refugee-choked roads and was moving too slowly. Jessivel had his men spread out, searching every haystack and pig house for the missing traitor. It was a frustrating mixture of slow progress and methodical delays as the army she should be commanding moved away. Now she was riding ahead with a tiny portion of her forces, hoping to surprise the Doan raiding party and end this chaos.

“Another abandoned settlement,” one of her women said. “Everything in the mountain’s shadow has been left.”

“Even if we find this raiding party, how will a dozen of us stop them?” another asked.

Alayse was wondering that, too, especially with reports that a group of sixteen heavy knights had faced that raiding party already. By all accounts, the men did well, but numbers eventually won the day, and they fell. Of course, the Doan dragged their dead away, leaving no proof of how well the knights did. Everything was based on assumption, and the scene left after the battle.

“We just need to locate them and then follow until the rest of our forces catch up,” Alayse replied.

“They are almost a full day behind at best,” a woman added. “The roads are flooded with people and animals.”

Alayse didn't need to be reminded of how slow their progress had been of late. She grit her teeth and ordered them into the village to do a quick search and then move on. They nudged the horses forward and headed into the open, slowly advancing on the quiet houses. It was a typical farming cluster with a dozen small buildings arrayed around a central yard where most of the work happened. It was surrounded by pens, sheds, and small barns used to house livestock.

The lanes were made of mud, rutted by the flights of people dragging wagons and carts. The horses had to go slowly or risk injury on the slick surface. As they approached, it was clear the place had been abandoned in a rush, with doors left open and farm implements lying in the yard. It was a haunting sight as if the people had simply vanished in the middle of their work.

“Dismount and check the houses,” Alayse ordered as they reached the inner yard.

“What are we looking for?” one of her soldiers asked.

“Anyone who is still here,” Alayse replied as she climbed down. They split into pairs and began to search, finding nothing but a town that had been recently abandoned. In some places, there were still eggs resting in empty chicken houses and a half pale of milk beside a stool. These people had dropped what they were doing and fled, probably when they saw smoke on the horizon from a nearby town.

“The farm is empty,” one of her lieutenants reported an hour later, “Though there is still grain and stores in the barns.”

“They fled in terror,” Alayse replied and looked to the mountains. “In terror of what might sweep down at night to slit their throats.”

“What do we hope to accomplish here?” the woman asked. “Surely our talents are better served marching with the main body of the army.”

Alayse felt the same way, but the last dispatch she got from Gersius was clear. He felt these Doan were a distraction meant to pull them further east away from the border keeps. He believed that if he marched west, the Doan would be forced to abandon their attacks or reveal the true hidden army.

Alayse couldn't deny the logic in that statement. It was obvious they were trying to lure him east, but her orders had been to try and intercept the raiders. That meant getting ahead of them, and this town was next in their path. Under normal circumstances, she would wait outside the town to charge in when the Doan arrived. However, Jessivel had taught her a thing or two about deception and how effective bait could be.

“We wait here,” Alayse said as she looked about. “Strip two horses and put them in a pasture, then hide the rest in the barn.”

“What?” the woman asked as if she hadn’t understood.

Alayse smiled and looked around at the small farming village. The Doan would likely pass it over if it looked uninhabited, so she made a plan to ensure they didn't, and her women would ensure it worked. She ordered them into the houses to look for clothing that would fit so half their number could pretend to be farmer's wives. The other half would dress as men to create the illusion that the village was still inhabited.

There was some argument about fighting the Doan in some threadbare dress, but Alayse didn't intend to fight them that way. Most of the attacks happened at night when people were sleeping. All she needed to do was make it appear the village was still inhabited. Then, when they went to bed, her women could do their armor and wait. They would do all the things a villager would do, lighting lanterns and candles to make the village look alive. She would then ambush the predators and use their vines to capture as many as possible. She would interrogate them until she knew where the Doan were hiding and could mount an effective attack. She was still concerned with how they were moving as their trails often vanished in clearings or around rocks. Gersius's dispatch mentioned Lilly had been able to track them by scent, proving they were traveling by land. Alayse had her suspicions about how that was being accomplished but kept her tongue until proof could be gathered.

For the rest of the day, they did chores as if they were the people who lived there. Fences were mended, and wash hung on the line as smoke drifted from cooking fires. They were given pointless tasks like walking to the barn as if working and then walking back an hour later. It was purely to make scouts think the place was a valid target. They would see people going about daily chores and hopefully have no reason to pass the town. Two women walked the field just north of the fence, singing a song as they scattered seeds from bags.

Alayse met in secret with two of her sub-commanders in the barn as the sun began to dip. She believed the attack would come that night, and she had a plan to halt their advance. If their numbers were significant, they would use their growth powers to build a wall and flee on the horses. If their numbers were manageable, they would use the same powers to ensnare as many as they could, then kill the rest.

The goal was the delay the battle as long as they could, hoping her cavalry caught up. She didn't expect them until well after morning, but they could stall a battle that long. The questions of bandersooks came up, and Alayse pointed out that Gersius had seen no evidence of their involvement. He did caution that they might be using dragons to move about but again saw no sign of them in the attacks. All the towns were burned by booted feet, advancing rapidly from the north and then vanishing into the night.

The sun sank low in the west when Alayse went to a house to prepare. Three women waited inside as she changed into her armor and then asked if they had seen anything yet.

“Nothing, commander,” the woman at the peephole replied.

Alayse smiled as they settled in to wait. This was the northmost dwelling and had the best view of the fields beyond the fence. Alayse had the women make two small holes in the mud wall earlier so a guard could watch in secret. It made more sense to put one in the barn, using the high loft for a better view, but she suspected the Doan would think of that. Her enemy weren't barbarians; they were skilled warriors and cunning like Ayawa's people. They would smell a trap if she did something so foolish. Now all they had to do was wait and see if the Doan would continue their campaign of terror.

Two hours later, the fire was allowed to die down, and the candles were snuffed. Normal villagers would be early to bed so they could be up with the light to continue their work. Candles were an expensive luxury, and oil lamps even more so burning them through the night would be suspicious. Thankfully they had a good moon out and the northern hills were well-illuminated.

“I see something!” the sentry whispered, drawing the women to her side. Alayse knelt beside her to peer out a second hole to see shadows moving on the hillside.

“They are coming,” Alayse whispered with a smile. “Send the single to the others.”

A woman nodded and ran to a window on the far side of the house. She carefully leaned out and made a very practiced owl call. She repeated it three times, then returned to where Alayse was still watching, her smile growing wider.

“No more than twenty, but four of them are staying back,” Alayse reported.

“Such a small force?” a woman asked.

“They probably didn’t want to waste too much effort on this sty,” another said. “The bulk of their forces is likely moving ahead to hit the town of Thiskin further east.”

“I agree,” Alayse said as she approved of the woman’s estimation. The Doan had likely scouted the town around sunset and determined it not worth a full attack. This group had been sent only to ensure the terror campaign continued while the main body went after a real target. They would kill the men, kidnap the women, then burn the town to the ground. Unfortunately for them, they always attacked from the north, and Alayse hated a predictable enemy.

“Get ready to give the signal,” Alayse whispered as the force grew closer, spreading out as they approached the fence. Behind them, women had been slipping through windows and back doors and were now hiding in the shadows. Her entire force was waiting to pounce; all she needed was for these fools to walk straight in.

“These fools are arrogant,” Alayse said as they walked up to the fence. She raised a hand as they drew their weapons and quietly climbed over. One of their numbers used hand gestures to give instructions, and the group split up.

“Now!” Alayse cried and ran for the door. It burst open as a cry of for Ulustrah went up, and women appeared from around every corner. The raiders looked shocked but quickly recovered when a thrown spear struck the first man.

Voices went up in song as a wall of vines grew around the cluster of buildings while others tangled the raiders themselves. Alayse charged out, ordering half her women into a formation that went directly for the center. She wanted to take this leader alive and make him answer her questions, but he immediately put a wall of his men in her way, and weapons clashed in a dance of blood.

“Chains!” Alayse cried as women switched from plants to glowing chains. They tied up men in the front lines, making them easy targets for the charging women. They roared in defiance at the tactic, and to everyone's surprise, some of them broke free. One man produced a glowing shield out of the air and used it to batter a woman aside. Another threw a ball of what appeared to be golden light, knocking a woman to the ground.

“They are using blessings!” a woman shouted as men glowed red with divine strength and started swinging massive swords like a scythe cutting the grain.

Alayse hadn't expected them to be able to call on divine power, but she wasn't about to yield. This was the best chance they had of bleeding the enemy, and a few prisoners could mean an end to their campaign in the north. She took a man down with a quick slash to his throat, then drove hard on another using her shield as a ram. A third of their number were still tangled and out of battle, tipping the odds in her favor. She took a man with a short spear into combat as he thrust at her with deft precision. She had to use her shield to batter the weapon away but couldn't close the gap to reach him. They danced for a few moments until she grew frustrated and threw the shield at him in a fit of rage. He ducked the blow only to look up to see her sword quickly following, its blade finding the weak spot at his shoulder.

He died in a howl of pain, but now she had no shield, and a man with a large hammer took his place. This man was like a bear, all hair and eyes full of rage. He mocked her, saying if she survived the fight he was going to claim her as his prize.

Alayse fought the disgust as she did her best to avoid that weapon. Even in her armor, a direct hit by that hammer would likely leave her dazed. She rolled and sliced, doing her best to keep him turning. Heavy weapons were dangerous but not useful against a highly mobile opponent. He fought as if well trained, using the weapon's handle to parry attacks and kicking when it suited. She took one of his kicks to the side when and had to roll out of the way of the following hammer.

Around her, women were fighting for their lives, but an even greater problem was looming. The men who were tangled in the vines were suddenly coming free, the vines parting as a soft song drifted on the air.

“A woman of Ulustrah is freeing them!” Alayse shouted and looked around in anger. She noticed the four on the hill and realized that two of them were women. They were singing with a hand stretched out, parting the plants aside to release their comrades to join the battle.

The hammer nearly took her head off as she grew enraged. She might not be able to match a strong man for strength, but she had flexibility and speed. She followed the next sweep of that weapon, chasing it as she tried to shoulder ram her. She rolled into his charge and dived to the side, sweeping her weapon out as it cut through his leg. He fell to a knee and then gurgled as she quickly put her blade through his neck, ending any chance of healing.

A quick take of the battle showed that it was still in her favor, with only a few of her women down and at least six of the enemy dead. Green chains and magic shields were being used to blunt the attack, so Alayse went after her original target.

The tall man wore leather armor studded with disks of steel. He was handsome with a shaven face and long dark hair that fell beyond his shoulders. He carried a large sword in one hand and a short bit of chain in the other. He smiled as Alayse ran in, her golden curls bouncing as she raised her sword to meet him.

The two blades collided, and Alayse was nearly thrown back. His arms were like cords of steel, the muscles bulging as he put them to work against her.

“Eastern women are weak,” he spat and shoved her off. “You are only fit for breeding until that weakness is beaten out of you.”

“Men like you don’t deserve a woman,” Alayse growled as she set her feet. “You don’t deserve our love.”

He smiled and came in, his sword leading the way. She stepped aside and went to spin, only to have that chain wrap around her arm. She was jerked back and thrown to the ground in one fluid motion. She rolled away as he tried to follow it with a stamp of his foot and sliced up, forcing him back.

Alayse got to her feet as he taunted her, saying her hair was unusual and would make her a noteworthy wife. She realized he was trying to taunt her into making a mistake, but she wasn't about to be goaded so easily. If he wanted to fight with two weapons, she would return the favor and drew the dagger from her side before setting her stance.

He seemed to scoff at her sudden change of position and came in, weapons swinging as she did her best to avoid both. She waited for an opening as women all around her cried in pain or combat. She wanted to put him down as quickly as possible, but he was far more skilled in battle than she imagined. He moved with her, keeping pace with her attacks while trying to grab her with the chain. She couldn't get an opening on him until suddenly, his feet tangled with plants.

Alayse wasted no time, diving into his reach as he couldn't maneuver. She took a chain to the side of the head but managed to parry the sword away so her dagger could strike home. The man roared in rage before ripping his feet free and throwing Alayse off him. She hit the fence as it came apart and fell so that she could see the two women on the hill. To her surprise, she realized one of them had tangled her enemy, and suddenly the man standing beside her turned and punched her square in the face. The woman slumped over and hung from the neck on a chain wrapped around his other hand.

Her adversary pulled the dagger from his side and cast it away as Alayse tried to right herself from the fence. He came at her with blood pouring from his wound, a prayer on his lips as his eyes glowed red. Alayse had a prayer of her own on her lips as she struggled to her feet. He came at her with sword raised as she rushed him with a green warding shield to his face. The blow staggered him back but only for a moment, as Alayse ran past him and grabbed the chain. She held on as tight as possible and was rewarded when he tried to jerk the chain away. She was no match for his strength, but that was exactly what she wanted. She jumped into his pull, allowing him to draw her in so that her sword came right for his throat. The look of surprise on his face was all the reward she needed, and used her moment to carry him to the ground.

She rose in a pant and quickly took stock of the situation to see the battle was soundly turning her way. Most of the fights were now two to one and Alayse's women were healing the wounded. She turned to the men on the hill to see one throw the unconscious woman over his shoulder while the other turned to run with his.

Alayse leaped the fence and used her sings to part the walls of plants they grew to prevent the enemy's retreat. She rushed up the hill, her sword out wide as the man with the unconscious woman practically threw her at her. She rolled around the body and came at him as he produced a sword of his own. They locked in combat for just a moment before green chains tied him up. Alayse slit his throat as he tried to utter a curse and ran after the final man. One of her lieutenants was on her heels and used the chains to slow him. The man turned around and drew a knife before quickly slitting the throat of the woman beside him. He then rushed in with the knife high, only to be cut down in seconds.

Alayse ran to the woman, now choking in the field, to see eyes full of fear. She looked like a cellic with short yellowish hair and trembling lips.

“That's no Doan woman,” her lieutenant said as the dying woman tried to raise a hand.

Alayse quickly dropped her weapons and placed her hands over the gushing throat. She called to Ulustrah in song, praying for healing as golden light covered her fingers. Tears filled the woman’s eyes as the healing brought her back from the brink and left her coughing up the blood that had gotten into her throat.

“Check the other one,” Alayse ordered. “Heal her and get her back to the houses.” She turned back to the woman on the ground before her, who muttered a weak thank you. Alayse picked her up and carried her back to the town as the last Doan man was cut apart by five women. They rushed to heal their fallen companions and then stood in shock as Alayse carried the woman in a Doan dress.

“Why did you save her?” one of them asked.

Alayse wanted to answer, but instead, she set the woman down and instructed water be brought for her to drink. The other woman was brought in, a tall empire woman by the looks of her, with sweet eyes filled with pain. Both women were given water to drink as Alayse commanded the others to keep their questions until they were sated.

“Thank you,” the woman who had been punched unconscious pleaded. “You have no idea how long they had us.”

“Had them?” one of the others said.

Alayse came to her knee before the two women and asked them who they were.

“Carissa of Ulustrah,” the cellic woman answered.

“I am Karri of Ulustrah,” the other said.

“They are traitors?” a woman asked.

“No!” Carissa said and stood defiantly. “We were arrested for serving the goddess and herded into a camp where our powers were rendered impotent. Then a week later, the priests of Astikar came and took some of us. They gagged us and took us northwest into the mountains, where we were given to the Doan to use as slaves.”

“By the goddess,” a woman gasped. “They traded our women to the enemy?”

“Hundreds of them,” Karri said. “They take us as wives and demand we learn their ways. Those of us who can call on power are put to use serving their needs.”

“You should have refused to use the goddess’s power to aid them,” a woman accused.

“Many did,” Carissa replied. “But those of us who would not sing for the Doan had our tongues burned out instead.”

“They allowed us to heal the tongues back, but after going through that once, most of us were willing to cooperate,” Karri said.

Alayse had to look away as she struggled not to see that image. Rage, shock, and disgust passed over her women's faces as their enemy's barbaric cruelty sank in. They listened as the two women told stories of how they were broken like horses and taught to obey. Those that never broke were fed to the bandersooks or used for practice. They then admitted that prisoners were brought into the mountains to be forced to cover the Doan's tracks. They grew fresh growth to conceal their passage and then hid in the mountains in small camps.

“I had no idea they were that vicious,” a woman said.

“They are no better than the bandersooks they drive before them,” another added.

Alayse didn't care for the image these women were painting, especially considering how Gersius made the Doan sound somewhat noble. He saw them as proud people living hard lives on the unfavorable ground. Now they sounded like animals who had nothing but contempt for those they saw as weaker than themselves.

“Did we capture any?” Alayse asked as she looked back to see blank stares. “I gave you orders to take prisoners!”

“I am sorry, commander,” one of them said, and she dipped her head. “But they refused to yield.”

Alayse growled as she got up to pace. The whole point of laying this ambush was to gain intelligence and locate the main camp. Now all she had were two battered women who were in no fit shape to fight. She paced angrily at her failure until one of the women spoke up.

“They are headed for Dullan,” she said.

“What?” Alayse snapped as she whirled about.

Karri looked up and pointed to the south. “They need more food, so they wanted to attack the larger town in the south. I heard them planning the attack last night.”

“Saddle the horses and get ready to move!” Alayse shouted, causing women to hurry after her orders.

“Commander?” one of her lieutenants asked as she noted the pain of her aura. “Why does this distress you so?”

Alayse looked up as she tried to deny how she felt, but there was no time to delay.

“Jessivel was headed to Dullan,” she said and ran for her horse.