Charis rolled over towards the warmth of Helice’s body. The Seer’s Chamber wasn’t cold and wouldn’t be for many days, yet Death Season was closing in, three months or sixty-three days away calculated Charis.

Feeling the butterfly kisses on her neck Helice giggled quietly to herself, while talking to Charis.

“Is this my morning wake up Mistress, if so it is most pleasant.” Helice sent.

Helice regretted asking as Charis needed to stop her attentions to reply.

“The dawn is fast approaching and I miss our middle of the night conversations. I am sure it has nothing to do with me sharing your bed and being tempted.”

Helice rolled away to be able to face her Mistress. Charis kept in touch with her with a wide smile and her hand caressing Helice’s cheek.

“Do you wish an update from Alcmene and Clymene Mistress?” Helice asked, speaking the question for a change.

“No. We need to attend to those strange shapes at the farmhouse some days ago and to do that we need to break our fast and gather not only our sisters but also some help from the village. I will need to have a conversation with the Baron about them. Perhaps some of the militia could assist?”

“So we have no time for play to celebrate this wonderful morning?”

“I woke up and wanted to appreciate your company, simple kisses before starting the day.” Charis whispered, her throat tightening.

Helice reached across to embrace Charis sensing her building emotion.

“Your father, like my sister will be avenged. They both sit beside their God and lived as well as they could and died providing us with a warning of the evil that remains hidden.”

“An evil we will pursue.” Charis finished defiantly.

“Yes Mistress, my grief is done. My meeting you and joining you,” Helice ensured their eyes met, “I feel the guiding eyes of Saph upon me Mistress, I am ready for revenge, and I will never leave your side.”

“We must be ready early so I can find the Baron,” Charis said.

---

“The sun isn’t up yet!” protested Thyia, as she witnessed Astera lacing on her leg armour.

“Mistress will require an early start, if we are to recruit villagers, journey to the farm, prepare, and then allow the villagers to return to the Keep in the one day.”

“Was it an actual plan or thoughts?”

Astera stood up straight and stared directly at Thyia, who eventually bobbed her head and started getting ready.

“What of Otonia and Dione,” Thyia said, sheepishly.

“You need to worry about you, so hurry up we will break our fast on our supplies and prepare the horses.”

“Do you have to be so noisy? Why are you getting ready now anyway?”

Astera spun around to the source of the voice.

“Morning sister,” Astera said raising an eyebrow as Otonia stretched herself awake, slowly revealing her nakedness.

“So why?”

“Because Astera is trying to predict what the Mistress requires of us today.” Dione called out from her bunk.

“What is wrong with that?” Thyia snapped back.

Astera waved her hands downward in a calming motion.

“This is my idea as I know Mistress will be distracted with the niceties of dealing with the Baron so I intend to help where I can, others do not have to follow me,” Astera said, finishing her armour and collecting her spear.

“Wait. Help?” Otonia said, now standing naked beside her bunk.

---

Charis strolled into the Great Hall to witness one servant preparing the table, no one else. Helice instead strode through the Great Hall to prepare the Daughters for today’s plan. Charis left her in search of the Baron and quite by accident bumped into the betrothed; she told her he was pacing upon the Keep’s battlements. The battlements being his thinking place. Charis quickly found him.

“Lord I plan to lead the Daughters to ambush the shuffling shapes we encountered when escorting your betrothed, not only to destroy them but also discover what they are as they seem to be keeping your abandon farms desolate.”

He continued to gaze upon his demesne, Charis not sure, if he listened to her or not.

“Am I permitted to call upon the village for some labour to help prepare the ground?”

“Charis why did you return?” he said.

Charis checked her next words to consider his question.

“I needed to know. I needed to explain. The Duke told me of your family’s grief. I wanted to visit my father, talk to him, embrace him, and let him know I still lived.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” he slowly turned to face her, “would you tell me about my brother?”

Charis couldn’t read his face, stony and neutral.

“Even when my Mother was cursing your name, she always returned to the amount of time you spent together, she was jealous of your relationship with him Charis the Young.”

“I would be honoured Lord Baron,” she paused deliberately, “I need …”

“Yes your duty calls, so yes recruit from the village, although coin would be a better lure than duty I am sorry to say, although it seems your Daughters have already discovered that. I will look forward to the time you can tell me about my brother. Thank you for so many things Charis the Young.”

Charis started to leave and then paused, staring back at him.

“Why do you patrol the battlements?”

Looking out over the village, he didn’t turn towards her.

“I wait for the sun to rise in the east and once I am assured I then survey the Barony as far as my eye can sight on the day. This reminds me of my duty. Then I break my fast.”

Charis left although she deliberately found the betrothed and suggested she keep the Lord Baron company on the battlements.

---

The battle would be at night and not during the day thought Charis and the best plan was to defend the Keep side of the stream from whatever those shapes were and if possible kill them and hope there weren’t an unlimited number of them.

Her planning thoughts were interrupted as she watched Helice approach, distracted by her memory of their discussion this morning.

“Mistress I have asked Astera to organise everything on the assumption the Baron would grant you permission, although in the end we needed to pay the villagers.”

Charis smiled, wide, teeth on display, shaking her head side to side. Helice ran her fingers through her hair, stopping, gazing back.

“What is so amusing Mistress?”

Charis hugged her warrior-sister and whispered.

“You are wonderful, as if you read my mind.”

“Astera is the one you need to thank. She has already loaded the wagons and taken the villagers, we should easily be able to catch up, so no time has been lost today Mistress.”

“Let us mount up and ride.”

---

Charis decided the militia would stay in the Keep until she could assess the danger and she didn’t want to explain their deaths if it ever came to that. The risk of not taking them was of course they could be overwhelmed, so she needed to plan. The plan would require a ditch and enough villagers to help although weakened through hunger.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” the Sargent asked.

“Perhaps a supplies delivery, mostly arrows and brush perhaps, the mystery shapes didn’t move fast so the plan is to burn them from a distance.”

“I will send a wagon; Pandros and Perider can drive it.” The Sargent seemed satisfied and then decided to continue.

“They said they know you by the way, Moustache and Long Hair you called them.” He smirked, waiting for Charis’ reaction.

“Yes, I knew them, they served me well. I am more than happy they used my name to secure a honest trade and I am sure they will do their duty here.”

“They will be along as quickly as possible.”

Charis approved and joined an impatient Helice as they rode through the Keep’s Gate at a gallop.

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Three wagons of villagers, labourers, tradesmen, and shopkeepers signed-up to dig a ditch and follow Astera south. Charis and Helice caught up before the wagons reached their destination, Helice and Charis glanced at each other satisfied no time had been lost. Late morning they arrived at the farm.

“Astera, will you and Thyia please supervise the villagers? The ditch needs to be at least a man tall deep and wide enough so the person digging the ditch could do so comfortably. Run it parallel to the stream for as long as possible given the time available,” Charis said.

“Yes Mistress.”

“Dione can you scout around the farmhouse and the stream and ensure there aren’t any ways around the stream.”

Dione rode off delighted.

“Otonia please choose a couple of villagers and clean up and prepare the farmhouse for defence and ensure the horses can be tethered for easy escape. The militia will be delivering supplies in another wagon and we need to make room for them and also organise them for our defence as they should include arrows and brush.”

“Yes Mistress.”

“If they deliver enough, stacks of brush and wood can be placed every so often along the ditch to be fired for light so we can see them at night, since they won’t be visible using the Borrow Gems.”

Charis considered the escape plan, the horses tethered behind the farmhouse should see them safe and at night, the Borrow Gems would easily find them and allow them to keep on a clear path. While she strolled around the farmhouse and the ditch, she became more worried and in the end burnt off some of this nervous energy by helping to dig the ditch.

A couple of bells before dusk Astera thanked the workers and asked them to load up in the wagons.

Charis called Helice to her while the villagers prepared to leave.

“I trust you to lead the Wagons back to the Keep.”

Helice clenched her hands to her sides.

“Mistress I need to be with you to protect you, I have sworn to protect you.”

“You are sworn to me are you not and I have need of someone who can tell others quickly and easily if we fall here tonight.”

Helice paced.

“Mistress, all the more reason for me to stay, I can still send from here as anywhere,” Helice pleaded.

“Your Borrow Gem will be required to guide them back after dusk.”

“Other sisters have a Gem, Mistress,” Helice retorted quickly.

“Will I have to command you, on your oath?”

“Yes Mistress,” her jaw set as she paused, “only on your command.”

“Helice, oath sworn of Charis the Young, I command you to lead and guide the villagers safely back to the Lonely Keep.”

“Yes Mistress.” Helice pivoted and stomped off to do her duty.

Charis watched Helice leave, resisting the urge to call after her and try to explain. Charis’ love of Helice confused her, and the role required of her as Mistress.

Charis, Dione, Otonia, Astera, and Thyia prepared for the night to come distributing further wood and brush with Charis aiming and releasing with her bow to practice hitting them. As they settled in for the evening two shapes came dashing towards the farmhouse. Astera recognised them as two of the militia.

“You were both ordered to load onto the Wagons and return to the Keep.” Astera folded her arms as she advised them where they were supposed to be.

“We did and then after a while we felt we were loaded long enough so we got off and ran back. We counted your number. Your party is short two and we felt it should be seven and not five, so here we are offering our services Mistress.” They then both dropped to one knee and bowed with heads turning to Charis as they did.

“You are members of the Militia are you not?” Charis said.

“We resigned to the Sargent before leaping off the wagon.”

At Charis’ questioning gaze, they continued,

“He just smiled and wished us well and told us we could pick up what was owing to us in the morning, now we are looking for a new commission.”

“We will meet your pay for the evening if you prove your worth.”

“Mistress, we were hopeful of joining you. We are competent in arms and can ride well.” They both glanced up, the fading light allowing them to scan for and look Charis in her eyes.

“We will see. You will do exactly as told. You do not have a horse, so you better hope we don’t need to retreat from here.”

“We will run, we trained as your sisters did, following at a distance after the militia finished as we thought we could do that by ourselves and not get it wrong.” They grinned most proud of themselves.

That was the end of that. They waited. Dione returned to report nothing amiss. Charis loosely covered the ditch with light brush in the fading light wondering if this disguise would dupe the strange shapes into believing the ground was still solid. She also set alerts nearby so she would know when something approached the ditch, also beyond the length in case many more were attacking than originally thought, based upon the one night. She didn’t want to be outflanked.

As night fell the alerts beyond the ditch went off, Charis dazed by the magic signs coming back to her, the enemy marching toward them from everywhere.

“Light the brazier. They are coming,” she croaked out. Her body crumpling to the ground and she needed to wave away her sisters.

The militia pair dipped in arrows to set them alight and released. Most arrows hit dirt, even so eventually, they hit the brush and timber piles, and as they lit up, other fuel piles were easier to see to hit and the light spread. None of the shapes advanced past the ditch, which proved it was effective for now at least. Charis asked Dione to ride out to the ditch and set the dried brush thrown in before the villagers left on fire.

Charis and Otonia hastened left from the farmhouse while Astera and Thyia charged right. The militia pair carried a torch in each hand, one followed Charis, and the other followed Astera. The enemy looked humanoid like, stepped slowly, methodically, they were trying to do something they use to do and remembering how.

The first one was too close when Charis released a fired arrow at it. It advanced faster until Otonia skewered it in the head using her two handed spear. It then provided some light as it burnt down. They continued to follow this pattern until Charis ran out of arrows. She received another quiver of arrows from the torchbearer who escorted them.

On the other side Astera and Thyia were efficient in dispatching them with two-handed spear as they eventually realised to target them in the head. The torchbearer with them then fired the body with the second torch she was carrying, this then added to the light available.

Dione lit up the entire field using the fire contained within the ditch. Every so often a candle of a burning enemy would hold the light stronger. She rode over to Charis and from horseback asked what next.

“They don’t seem to end and they don’t seem to tire. We will tire, be injured, and then killed. Dione ride to Astera and Thyia and tell them to retreat to the outside of the farmhouse where the horses are tethered. Don’t go inside the farmhouse. Cause your horse to neigh when you reach them and we will begin our retreat back to the farmhouse also.”

“Yes Mistress.” Dione handed Charis another quiver of arrows before she left.

The enemy didn’t follow and press them. They ambled forwards as the sisters retreated to the farmhouse, the numbers concentrated and it was a wall of uncaring dead rotted flesh hungering for living flesh.

The light cast by the brazier seemed to draw them to the cottage proper. Charis called the sisters to mount-up; she kicked off and decided upon taking a small risk. She and her warrior-sisters rode around the knot of them and then rode towards the ditch. By this time, all cast their Borrow Gem; Dione was double with one of the militia, while Otonia was double with the other.

The fires in the ditch burnt down by this time, although enough were alight to show they were on clear ground. Charis dismounted and she released fired arrows into the cottage, which set it ablaze. It was with some satisfaction, walking candle sticks of enemy were stumbling around setting on fire those nearby since they packed themselves together heading towards the cottage in the first place.

As Charis assessed the destruction, she suffered dread down to her very soul. It was a sudden momentary weight on her limbs and her chest struggled to rise and fall, making breathing difficult for her. Then it was gone. Leaning on her horse for strength, she felt anger rise within her or perhaps fear.

“You two remove your armour and leave your weapons, quickly. You will need to be light as we need to ride out of here now!” Charis commanded, as she pointed at the militia and yelled.

Her warrior-sisters alarmed and shocked, the Mistress never yelled, a sense of panic perhaps. As they mounted, they felt the same dread, holding their nerve by reaching out to touch each other for comfort. The oppressive focus on them gave them the sense every evil enemy still left standing turned their focused solely on seeing them dead. They didn’t stumble senseless; the shapes shambled deliberately towards the sisters.

Charis managed to reach for Astera’s shoulder.

“I am blind,” Charis whispered.

“Oh Mistress,” Astera grabbed Charis, “I will help you on your horse, Thyia and I will ride either side of you as guides, it will be well.”

Dione led out and raced between the farmhouse and the end of the ditch, she utilised the light available to avoid any obstacles. One did get in the way, being stomped by her horse, another Dione charged down with her two handed spear, riding her horse without the need to hold the reins while one of the militia held her from behind holding on for all she was worth. Otonia was slightly behind Dione in case another two handed spear was needed to charge down a foe, carrying the other militia who could do nothing more than hold on. Charis was managing to keep pace; her horse guided by the other two horses. Astera and Thyia continued talking to Charis to assist and guide her to keep pace with them.

After a burst to be free of the immediate area, they slowed down to a gallop and then a trot and finally a walk. A bell or more time passed, they needed to rest the horses, and they dismounted and led them by their reins. Astera helped Charis down, trying to ensure no one else noticed in the dark in case they asked or the militia overheard.

“Mistress, can you see yet?” Astera whispered.

“No nothing, I have lost my sight.”

“Well it is dark, no one can see with normal eyes,” Thyia offered.

Dione knew they couldn’t observe the enemy in the dark and didn’t want to light a fire so she asked her horse if he was ready to ride again and he snorted. The other horses? He snorted again. Dione instructed her sisters to mount again and at a measured walk continue towards the keep. It was dawn as they approached the village and all except Charis were able to appreciate the sunrise, she needed to be satisfied with the warmth from the sun on her skin.

“I think you both went too far when Charis commanded you to lose your armour and your weapons. You should have kept your under clothes on at least!” Astera advised.

“We don’t really have any; we wore a strip of cloth around our breasts and loose cloth around our loins that only really stayed there with the armour strapped on and the armour was just ill fitting bits and pieces that we found lying around.” They finished with a smile, now shining in the dawn sunlight.

Dione and Otonia provided them with their cloaks for the ride into the village and then into the Keep.

“Take me directly to Helice’s room as soon as we are inside the Keep,” Charis asked.

“Yes Mistress,” Astera replied.

“You are in command Astera in my absence, I still cannot see so I will need to talk to the elder.”

“You will not be disturbed Mistress, I will see to it.”

They rode through the village and through the Gate of the Keep the guards recognising them and not stopping them.

“Dione and Otonia ride to our barracks and see if our volunteers can be re-equipped from what we have brought with us,” Astera ordered.

They knew she was second in command and Charis was quiet, so they obeyed.

Thyia led the horses to the stable, while Astera wrapped her arm around Charis as if they were in deep discussion and led her up to Helice’s room with little suspicion from those that observed them this early in the morning, both guided by Charis’ memory.

Charis and Astera knocked on the door and announced themselves. There was a delay before Helice opened the door and allowed them in. Astera led Charis to Helice’s bed. Helice was naked as was her way and Astera resisted the Seer’s naked invitation to stay, the Seers were always willing, unfortunately Astera needed to be elsewhere.

“We need to keep this secret and we need to talk to the elder,” Astera stated.

“I will waken my sisters and ask them to fetch the elder,” Helice said.

---

Clymene woke Alcmene, they dressed in their under cloth and headed off to find the elder. She was already gone. They informed Helice and then dressed for a walk around town. Alcmene was to stay and Clymene was to search for her in some of her favourite places around town. Charis, when told, resigned herself to wait, as there was nothing else to do.

“Helice lock the door behind Astera as she leaves. Astera you need to be in charge in my place. Tell them I am doing some planning based upon what happened last night. Keep the militia busy including the two volunteers, with training if they accept; involve any of the local guards who show interest, as every bit will help. Finally, if you have to make a decision on my behalf make it, I trust you.”

“Yes Mistress, I will not fail you.”

Charis heard the door barred. She then felt Helice kiss her ear lobes.

“It seems a shame to waste an opportunity, when we could have so much time to wait Mistress.”

Helice previously told Charis there was a level or limit where Seers using lovemaking to benefit their Seer skills greatly diminished. Although she wondered to what extent, they exaggerated their need of lovemaking. Where they making up for lost time, given they weren’t allowed touch in their Temple.

“Stop thinking Mistress, otherwise you will be too busy, we need to improve your potential do we not and multiple attempts are best.”

Charis forgot all thoughts as she sighed in pleasure, not being able to see meant she was more reliant on her other senses.