The next day, Bria had her breakfast in the refectory and trained with the other recruits in the morning but disappeared off to the infirmary at the mid-day break with Adelyn returning to take her place for the afternoon. The recruits were just laying out the evening meal when Nia, resplendent in her red armour walked in, followed by Sir Lars.

‘Report, Lars’ came the Preceptor’s voice from where he was sitting at the side table he used as a desk.

‘We travelled north-east, found a flat rock, made a fire and burnt it. Any poison in the smoke will only trouble the pirate isles.’ Came back the reply.

‘Laconic!’ said the Preceptor. ‘Nia, your report?’

‘We travelled to the rocky outcrops north of Gades where there is usually an offshore breeze. Preceptor. We found a large flat top-rock big enough to support a decent sized bonfire and gathered driftwood to make it. Once the fire was well alight, I pushed the poleaxe into the fire and we kept it burning until we ran out of wood. The poleaxe was in the fire for about three hours. When the fire had died down, I flicked the head into a rock-pool, using my poleaxe, to cool it. Once it was cool, we threaded a loop of rope through the eye in the axe blade and took it out along one of the rocky promontories there and dropped it in the deepest water we could find. I didn’t think we needed to keep it for the pattern as we have these to copy.’ She held out the poleaxe she was carrying.

‘Very good, Nia. Go and get your armour off and then eat. You will be pleased to know that Camryn is recovering. Visit her later’

Nia nodded and headed over to the Lady’s Hall.

‘Nia, you have returned. Unscathed, I hope?’ Rosa stood up and gave her a hug. ‘Let me unlace you and we will stack the pieces on the table for now. We will have to get some new armour stands but there is no hurry, I think’ Surprisingly deft fingers unlaced Nia’s armour and dropped it carelessly on the table.

‘Wouldn’t Gloria wince to see good armour treated so.’ Nia was slightly apprehensive about Rosa casually flinging the armour onto the table.

‘Gloria wore every bit of this at one time or another.’ Rosa sounded amused. ‘She would say “If it breaks from so little rough use, the better it is gone.” And she would be right. Don’t fret, child. See, even the table is undinted. Now, get you back to your friends; spend the night with Camryn and bring me more light in the morning.’ She smiled at Nia and sat back down on her chair. ‘Go child. Go and eat.’ She flapped her hands at Nia.

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Nia bowed. ‘Yes, oh wise one’ and grinned and then she turned to leave.

‘Flannel impresses me not, child’ laughed Rosa behind her. ‘Don’t forget, new lamps in the morning if you would.’

After a hasty meal and wash, Nia and the other girls spent the remainder of the evening in the infirmary with Camryn who was awake and bored, but she still couldn’t stand without turning dizzy.

‘My parents are shipping me home tomorrow to our estates in Blackrock for the summer’ she said gloomily. ‘I’m going to miss all the fun and I’ll be months behind in training.’

‘Does the Preceptor know?’ asked Bria.

Camryn looked miserable. ‘It was his suggestion.’

Adelyn squeezed her hand. ‘It’s only for the summer. You’ll have years to catch us up.’

At that moment, the physician walked down the room, collecting empty beakers and telling patients to settle down for the night. Camryn’s bed had been moved into a larger room and the other three girls had been given beds around it. Nia was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. ‘A fine guard she’ll make tonight’ whispered Camryn and the other two giggled.

‘Hush’ came a bellow from the other end of the infirmary.

The next morning, the girls said goodbye to Camryn who was due to be shipped off home to Blackrock before trooping down to the kitchen to pick up the breakfast food.

When they arrived at the refectory with the baskets, Sir Bern and Sir Anders were fully suited in armour and in deep conversation with the Preceptor which stopped abruptly as soon as they saw the girls.

‘Heading to Benduil to investigate reports of wrecking’ said Sir Bern. ‘Someone has been luring ships onto the rocks with false lights.’ He snagged a warm bread roll out of one of the baskets and left down the corridor followed by Sir Lars.

‘Lights’ said Nia. ‘I need to...’

‘Yes’ interrupted the Preceptor. ‘You will need more lights in the western hall. The steward has delivered camp beds for you as well as brooms, mops and buckets to clean up the dust. Bring out anything that is ruined beyond use and the boys can dispose of it. . Take proper precautions before you touch anything.’ He shot a warning look at the girls and they nodded. ‘Take lights through now. Your hands will be full later.’

Over the next few days, the three girls spent every minute away from training breaking up the old furniture in the barracks and carrying out it to the door, where the boys collected it and took it down to the bakehouse wood store. Once the old barrack room had been swept clean, four camp beds assembled down either side of the room and chests brought in for their clothes. Over the next few weeks, the central meeting room and the armoury got the same treatment. New armour stands were brought in and the red armour was put on them, ready for use. The old table that the poisoned poleaxe had rested on, had ropes thrown around its legs and it was dragged down to the main doors where it was loaded onto a cart and sent under regular guard escort to be burned on the same rocky promontory that had had the poleaxe burned on.

Every little change made the Lady’s Hall seem a little more homelike and seemed to breathe new life into Rosa. She was still a very old woman but she seemed to be getting slightly younger.