Three drunken men approached the Magistrate and the serving girl causing them to travel a different path to avoid them. The Magistrate paused with the serving girl near a building across the street to wait for the drunks to pass.
With her sight, Charis caught a cloaked figure positioning with a thin pole like object reaching out from its hooded visage, one hand guiding it, aiming it. Charis realised the Magistrate and the serving girl were now waiting and closer to the assassin since avoiding the drunks. At extreme range, Charis threw one of her daggers. It was enough to make the assassin flinch and draw a surprised glare. Charis knew the assassin couldn’t see her, so she made a deliberate mistake, allowing a street lamp light to silhouette her, to draw the assassin’s attention.
As the light faded, Charis’ eyes focused glimpsing a small slim face under the hood, certainly female, definitely disappointed, and cursing. The Magistrate and the serving girl strolled on, not seeming to notice a thing. The assassin dropped back into shadow and Charis felt she became the prey. She positioned her back to a wall, pricked up her ears, and scanned the street around her, glancing up for good measure. The drunks were now approaching her and she tried to manoeuvre herself into nearby shadows.
They hurried to cut her off from any retreat, facing her, three against one, daggers drawn. All now sober and professional, she noticed how they smirked in anticipation of an easy kill. At this point Charis wasn’t sure she could stop them for long. Throwing away one of your daggers when dual dagger trained was an awkward situation to find yourself.
Then a rope encircled the ‘drunk’ at the end and he yelped as he jerked away from his two friends. They glanced towards the distraction. Now open; two armoured females, wielding shields and wooden swords, swiftly assaulted them. The two former drunkards recovered quickly, rolling with the shield bash they each received. The sisters parried with their swords, the extended reach fending off the daggers of their opponents while the shields attacked and bashed them when they left an opening. Charis took a chance deciding to attack, sliding around behind the drunks to gain advantage.
She prepared herself and glanced at Kyra who understood what was going on; consequently Kyra positioned the target and forced him off balance feinting with her shield. Charis slammed the butt of her dagger to the back of his head. He paused a moment and then sunk to his knees and fell sideways. The third feinted towards his opponent and took the opportunity to sprint away, glancing over his shoulder confused, although elated they allowed him to run. He crashed into Astera’s Shield as she hurried to join the melee and he dropped to the ground stunned. Dione then rolled him over and cow tied him.
“Helice, has Otonia captured the assassin?” Astera asked.
“Yes, Clymene tells me she does, although they suspect there is one more. Thyia is escorting the captured one to us. Otonia and Clymene are searching for the other.”
“Helice, tell them all to return now, I command it!” Charis stressed the words, more earnest than she needed. Relieved for her rescue, realising now the danger she placed herself in, shaking it off with a shiver, while hiding in the shadows. This convinced her of the threat and if there were more assassins they would want to free the ones they have, she was sure.
“They’re all coming back to us as you commanded Mistress,” Astera confirmed.
“So what calls the warrior sisters out in force?” Charis asked.
Helice glanced around at the sisters and stepped forward.
Helice reported, “We spied upon you Mistress and discovered strangers following you, the Magistrate, and the girl. There were at least two and I am sure we’ve captured them, although they changed their clothes.”
Charis gently grasped Helice’s arm, “Calmly sister.”
“Sorry Mistress, I thought we failed, seeing you surrounded, we lost sight of you,” sent Helice.
“They stopped following you at the House and left to play drunks and we detected the assassin, after your dagger-throw and Otonia targeted her used her throwing balls before she could attack you,” said Helice.
“They’re returning Mistress,” announced Astera.
The assassin bound arms to waist and secured with a noose around the neck.
“Let us retire to the House and uncover who we caught and discover if they’re willing to chat.”
“What about the Magistrate, won’t he still be in danger?” Helice asked.
“I don’t believe so, he acted like he heard nothing or didn’t notice anything amiss, but I trust he was acting and hence planning his own course of action. He survives as often as I do. Which reminds me who decided I needed protection?” Charis asked.
“I insisted Mistress. No one goes to such trouble to make sure a Seer is dead without then trying to tie up any loose ends or stopping a search for the killer,” confessed Helice.
“Plus whether you accept it or not I am your bodyguard and will always be until my death,” sent Helice.
“I am thankful, seer sister.”
“I wonder if the door will permit us entry!” asked Nysa and they all laughed, even though they were dragging four unconscious and or tied up, blindfolded and gagged persons with them. Most people where off the street for their evening meal and those who weren’t didn’t interfere in the business of the Daughters of the Duchess.
The sisters took them to the Training Room. The Leatherworkers installed iron rings to stretch the cured leather, now perfectly placed to string up their four guests. As they started to search and remove items and their clothing from them, they were surprised to find the three drunks were in fact three females cleverly disguised as men, enhanced with false bellies, beards, and shoulder pads to broaden and deepen them to cover their breasts. They were stripped to loincloth, their breasts on display and their faces showing concern as they were completely helpless, being gagged they couldn’t say anything understandable in protest.
The assassin was different, a she also and while not disguised as a male, she was ambiguous under her cloak and hood. As they peeled off the layers, multiple knives, daggers, wire, iron claws, and other items fell out of the various pockets and hidden compartments in her garb. They found these when they stripped her down to her loincloth. Her breasts flat, in fact, Helice, ever cheeky, checked her loincloth to be sure she was female much to their prisoner’s garbled protest.
Charis commanded the assassin to be quiet and dropped her gag down as a reward when she did allowing her to speak.
“Who are you and who sent you?” Charis asked.
After struggling to say something while gagged, she didn’t answer remaining silent. Charis obtained some freshly made sleeping ointment from the elder, applied it to the three drunks, who after several heartbeats fell asleep. She lowered the shocked assassin down from the wall ring her sight firmly locked upon the now knocked out drunks. Charis tied her between two floor rings, stretching her out between them, both hands to one, both feet to the other.
“Who are you and who sent you?” Charis asked.
Charis then asked for two chairs. Otonia and Charis sat behind the assassin’s head and positioned their boots on either side. Then the influence began. It was two bells later and well into the evening when she was theirs.
“Who are you and who sent you?” Charis asked.
“I am one of a three, we are single Seers re-trained as assassins for the Mother Superior of the Temple of Saph in the city,” she whispered.
“Why were you trying to kill the serving girl?”
“She could identify one of us by our cloaks, she needed to be silenced.”
“Why did you kill the Seer Raisa?”
“The Mother Superior ordered us to. We obey without question.”
“Why without question?”
“The Mother Superior gave us new purpose after our sister loss and we are indebted to her.”
“Does the Mother Superior command any more assassins?”
“I don’t know.”
“If we kill you and the three disguised as drunks, will that be an end?”
“I don’t know, but please don’t kill me, I can serve you, I am well practiced in the art of assassination and disguise and we are friends.”
“Who are the other three, the pretend drunks?”
“They’re single Seers also. As Apprentices they’re trying to graduate by proving themselves to the Mother Superior, and hope to honour her as their patron.”
“Are you all Single Seers from the city?”
“No we are from many Temples. We found out the Mother Superior was not pleased when single Seers could find a place amongst the Daughters of the Duchess as it would mean fewer Seers she could indenture.”
“Are other Mother Superiors aware of your Mother Superior and what she is doing? I assume her sister would, but the other pairs.”
“You misunderstand the relationship. The Mother Superiors are not three pairs. They’re six pairs, one of the pair at the Temple and the other of the pair at another Temple. This joins the seven town Temples together as one, twenty-one Mother Superior pairs in total.”
“But the Mother Superior pairs look like pairs!”
“Did I not inform you I am a master of disguise, who do you think teaches us. They appear as pairs, thus no one knows the truth. The seven town Temples are one, although also seven.”
“Have you or the other three ever taken a partner, male or female?”
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“No, we are Seers we are above such earthy, peasant animal rutting and the like.”
Charis felt two alerts trigger.
“Astera, Nysa and Kyra to the storeroom, someone is trying the doors there. Alcmene, Dione, and Otonia to the roof, try to catch the assassin as they exit to the roof. Clymene and Thyia patrol the hallway and you should be able to hear where she is trying to crash through because of the effort required.”
“Mistress can I stand with Astera, I’ve fashioned a small bow and arrows to suit, I don’t believe they will kill but could injured who they hit,” asked Zoe.
“Yes, and if you can find some time I would appreciate you making such a weapon for me.”
“It would be my pleasure Mistress and thank you I will stand with my warrior-sisters.”
With Zoe’s assistance Astera positioned everyone into a hiding position. Astera removed the cross bars from the Store Room loading doors and they waited. While out in the Training Room Initiates were prepared with weapons, mostly daggers, half-watching Charis, and half-watching the Store Room door.
“Please pretend you are in pain or I will make you yell for real.”
The assassin acted out her part well. The assassin slipped past the unbarred loading bay doors and in the gloom of the Store Room approached the door, which led into the Training Room. Astera picked her up with her night sight, and shield bashed her against the door, any of her footsteps covered by the screams of her assassin-sister in the next room. Nysa and Kyra where then at her with shields and wooden swords while Astera added to her dilemma with a sharpened wooden spear, eventually crushing her face first against the very door she was trying to pass through. Zoe placed the bar across the Store Room double door.
---
The assassin on the roof gave up trying to smash through the solid ceiling. Who does that she thought? As she peered up through the hole she made in the roof, a rope dropped around her neck and jerked taut. As she struggled, it tightened and she found it increasingly difficult to breath. Her hands failing to loosen the noose as it throttled tighter, she fought panic and eventually stood on her toes to reduce the tension.
“Stop and carefully climb onto the roof,” asked Dione.
She fought to remain conscious as she finally flopped onto the roof. Dione, quick as possible tied her hands behind her back, loosened the noose and then cow tied her hands and legs adding a gag and blindfold as final touches. They then carried her cow tied down to the Training Room.
---
With shields pinning her to the door and her back to her attackers she could do nothing as they began to strip her of weapons and clothes, cutting them off her as required.
She ceased resistance. “Stop, I surrender, please leave me with some dignity, plus I need to breathe you are crushing my chest,” she gasped.
Using some rope and rag in the Store Room, Kyra tied her legs together, applied a gag, and blindfolded her. They then released the pressure slightly and opened the door. The assassin fell through and fell flat on her face. All the Initiates leapt upon her. After a few heartbeats, Charis rescued her by calling the initiates off and tying her to a set of rings as well. She yelped when she glimpsed under her blindfold, her assassin-sister strung out on the floor, mostly naked.
It was not long and all three were similarly naked and strung out between the floor rings and their blindfolds carefully in place. Checking, Charis and Otonia asked the other two assassins the same questions as the first and received the same answers.
Charis then needed to consider what she would do with three master-assassins and three apprentice-assassins. If you killed people then you needed to dispose of their bodies and burning them in town would be problematic. In addition, the Mother Superior who was their patron would miss them. It seemed they needed to live, at least for the immediate future and then Charis thought to ask one more question.
“Did either of you kill the Magistrate or the girl?”
“Yes the girl is dead. We were instructed not to kill or harm the Magistrate.”
“What were your orders for me?”
“No orders, you weren’t a target Mistress.”
“Why call me Mistress?”
“Are we not now your loyal servants?”
“What about your debt to the Mother Superior? If you easily discard one debt what assurance is there you won’t easily discard any loyalty to me when in her presence?” Charis asked.
They stared at each other uncertainly and with a certain amount of dread, as they didn’t hope to be awake the next morning. One was struggling at her bonds. Another resigned to her fate.
“Why is your ceiling strengthened?” asked the third.
“Because of uninvited guests always breaking in via the roof and we thought strengthening it would prevent another attack and also transform that particular entry method, into a trap, as it did for you, tonight.”
“Between the three of us we can offer many skills in your service as well as teach them to your company. We are more valuable alive to you than dead.” The other two caught on and pleaded the same conclusion; they are valuable, trustworthy, and willing to be loyal.
“You failed to utilise your sharpest weapon, which is why you failed. I don’t need you infecting my company with such failings, regardless of your other skills and talents. Maybe the assassin-apprentices will prove more amenable to join my company and prove their loyalty.”
“NO! Upon our lives we are loyal to you, we swear!” the first assassin pleaded.
“I already hold your life in my hands, when you leave my sight is when your loyalty will be tested and where I suspect you will fail. You will scurry back to your Mother Superior and report to her about us and we will then gain a powerful enemy. If you and the apprentices vanish shortly after witnesses sight you on the trail out of Hillperch, our problem would vanish with you. Therefore I believe that is best.”
“No, we can arrange something. We can pretend to rescue the apprentices, yes and then tell them to report back to the Mother Superior the mission was a success, but we stayed back to watch the Magistrate as he is still determined to track down the killer or killers. Especially since the serving girl was killed.”
“Why would the apprentices need to report back? Why don’t you visit the Temple of Saph to send a message or update the Mother Superior here to inform her twin?” Charis tested the depth of the conspiracy and co-operation available in the Temples of Saph.
“We are not part of any Temple anymore, so they wouldn’t acknowledge us or any requests. The Mother Superior’s twin is not in Hillperch, so they will need to travel to her.”
“Go on, how would you persuade the apprentices and how would I be convinced you would return, once free you could still return to your Mother Superior.”
“If the apprentices don’t know where they are?” At Charis’ nod she continued, “Then we could rescue them from anywhere, certainly a place not as secure as this one. If we did, at dawn we could then mount them on their horses and they could exit by the New Gate. My sisters and I would return to you.”
“No, that is not a good plan. Here is my version, you three die. Three of my company dress in your clothes to impersonate you, free the apprentices, and send them on their way. I doubt the apprentices would recognise you, as the Mother Superior would insist the two groups operate together but separately. Therefore, they won’t question who is rescuing them and allows us a full Death Season to stage your ‘official’ deaths. This way none of my company is exposed to risk and the Mother Superior doesn’t become our enemy.” At this Charis stood up and signalled to Helice. She withdrew her daggers and made a sharpening noise with them as she waited for the order on who to attend to first.
“Wait!” said the second.
Charis dropped to her haunches beside her and held her hand up at Helice.
“One of us could rescue the apprentices. We would say all three helped, but two needed to leave once the apprentices were safely at the stables, as they needed to watch the Magistrate. That way you could hold two of us here as guarantee the third would return once the apprentices were away with the story for the Mother Superior.” The second chewed her bottom lip wondering if this young Mistress would accept her plan.
“What guarantee is there, the third values the lives of the other two enough to return, without giving more information than is required to the apprentices or riding off with them? My idea provides my company with the surest safety in this matter.”
“Two of your company could accompany the third, in disguise, escort her to prevent escape as well as overhear what is said. Given we are going to the stables, you could send others of your company there, taking their time getting their horses for example to doubly make sure the third doesn’t escape.” The third desperately added to the plan, squeezing her eyes closed to prevent tears escaping.
“You are still offering risk with small reward for my company.”
“The apprentices will expect a secret signal from us, without it they will pretend to go along with whatever is said but will realise we are under a threat of some sort.” The first returned to the discussion, trying to sound convincing.
Charis stood feigning deep thought.
“Therefore I offer one of you your life in exchange for the signal, the first to speak will live.”
“Silence both of you!” screamed the third. Seemingly, now back in charge.
Charis grinned slightly, warming to her task as all she needed to do was influence any one of them for the truth, but she wanted to test their loyalty to each other and test what was truly in their hearts.
“All of us or none us,” said the third. Echoed with slightly less conviction by the other two, as they realised it was the only way they could all possibly live.
“It seems every step we must undercover a secret, instead of you volunteering information for your lives. Although this is better, sadly my sister may not get draw her daggers across your throats after all. Firstly you thought about your plan and secondly you demonstrated loyalty, at least to each other, therefore it could be true if the circumstance is right.”
“Yes we can plan when our lives depend upon it and we are loyal to each other. You don’t need to kill us, please, we offer our loyalty to you, and we will swear it, on our honour and on the Goddess who we still worship.” The three assassins all contributed to the response repeating to swear upon their honour their loyalty.
“You didn’t believe your lives depended on your plan when you attacked tonight. It seems only when you are helpless you plan in hindsight, if you thought before made helpless perhaps you wouldn’t be helpless now. I am still concerned you will pass the wrong secret signal to the apprentices. While I’ve enjoyed this conversation, I propose we dump the apprentices outside of town and encourage them to gallop home to Mother Superior. Although not before they overhear a conversation, which seems to indicate your disloyalty and then we dump your bodies nearby at the same time saying we couldn’t trust you no matter what you say, which is where we are at in truth.” Charis recalled her helplessness when surrounded by the three drunks and her lack of planning and then the irony of accusing the three assassins of the same.
They started sobbing uncontrollably as certain death awaited them. Charis’ final words broke them, although a flicker of will within one couldn’t accept this is how their lives would end.
“Mistress, on our lives we swear our loyalty, our honour, and the Goddess and will prove our loyalty every day you allow us to breathe in your service. We don’t want to die. We can prove to you our value, we beg for your mercy and this chance.”
Charis paced as if considering their offer, deliberately walking between them. Observing them tremble and realising this was her not many bells ago when faced with the threat of death. Could she trust them?
“How long have you been a Three?”
“We trained together for over five Death Seasons, in this last year the Mother Superior sent us on missions.”
Charis silently asked the sisters to clear the room, except for Astera, Thyia, and Otonia who would remain to assist with one more task. As the room cleared, boot scuffing on the floor, armour and clothes jostling daggers, the assassins filled with dread.
“You will each present to me and swear your oath to me. You will bend your back before me and kiss my feet. We will untie you, remove your gag, and blindfold. You will be able to recognise your Mistress’ face when you are swearing your oath. If you try to note who else is in the room you will die so keep your eyes upon me. Do you understand?”
“Yes Mistress, yes and thank you for this chance, we will not fail you."
Each of the warrior-sisters took an assassin to the Store Room and faced them to the double door, where Charis waited. When all was ready, they set each assassin free. They all immediately dropped to the floor, bent their backs, kissed Charis’ feet, and swore their oath.
“Stand now. We will escort you and the Apprentices to the Stable, with all your clothes and weapons. You will order the Apprentices to report to the Mother Superior and advise them you will stay in Hillperch to watch the Magistrate. Once they leave on their horses, you will meet me on the Gate Road and I will escort you back to our company. Do you understand?”
“Yes Mistress.” Tears streamed from their eyes, eyes, which fixated upon their Mistress’ face.
“You will need to sample this ointment. It will force you to sleep, but only a dab so you wake before the Apprentices and can prepare before you need to speak to them and convince them of your story. Do you understand?”
“Yes Mistress.” The three in turn followed their Mistress’ instruction, wiping tears as they did.
When they were asleep, they were dressed in their cloaks. The three apprentices were dressed similarly. They placed the six bodies and all their clothes and weapons in a two-wheeled cart at the Store Room loading dock. It was covered and then drawn to the stable by four of the warrior-sisters including Charis. They took the assassins to the Sister’s stable. It was now middle of the night and only with the aid of the borrow gems were the sisters able to find their way when the street lighting failed or they took back ways and alleys.
The sisters dumped the assassins into a horse stall together, three down one side, three down the other and their equipment and clothes in a pile at the end furthest from the stall gate. The cart remained at the stable. The warrior sisters returned to the House by a different path. When they returned, Charis thanked them and now all they could do was wait.
It was time to chat with the elder. She decided to wait until morning.