Charis expected the visitors, although she stayed confined to her room and didn’t greet and meet them. Confident now, the players involved, for better or worse needed to commit and therefore duly expose themselves in the days and nights to follow.
---
“Do you wish to partake of tea?” asked Astera politely, finishing with an inviting smile.
The Seer mouthed yes and slid into the carved wooden chair at the small well-worn table, a popular fixture in the elder’s room. One of the two Temple’s Guards accompanying the Seer, timing her assistance perfectly, guiding the chair beneath their superior’s soft rounded posterior. Thyia poured as Astera deliberately threw her leg over the top rail of her chair’s back. Her legs splayed as she slowly lowered her toned buttocks until comfortable. Astera’s tightly fitting leather leggings accentuating her femineity.
The Temple Guards strangled the hilts of their daggers, white knuckles showing while their mouths opened in a near perfect oh! The Seer tensed, wetting her lips in appreciation. Astera’s manoeuvre intending to shock the sheltered Seer spectacularly failing. Instead, Astera fought to maintain her own composure needing to utter a distracting, confirming mumble to Thyia about the tea.
“The rumours are true, so this is a House of loose women!” accused the left Temple Guard.
“While true, we don’t hide our preferences, we only indulge with agreeable company while in our House such as drinking the tea before us,” answered Astera, using the reply to further cover her own reaction to the Seer.
“Enough, we have business to attend to.” The Seer’s piercing blue eyes zeroing in on the left Temple Guard as she glanced over her shoulder. Both guards immediately stepped back, releasing their grips on their daggers, heads bowed. As Single Seers, grateful to serve and find purpose within the Temple of Saph and desperate to remain.
Facing Astera, her eyes softening, the Seer explained her visit.
“The Mother Superior, requests Mistress Charis to attend her at the Temple at her earliest convenience.” The Seer sipped her tea, her eyes widening in delight.
“While some drink it as it comes, we tend to add honey,” explained Thyia whispering, rewarded with a warm smile and an agreeable nod from the Seer.
“I am sure you know Mistress Charis is on a mission for the Duchess,” offered Astera.
“I am sure you know the Seers of Saph employ ways and means to confirm certain information and we are certain the Duchess hasn’t requested your Mistress.”
A smug knowing grin graced the faces of the two Temple Guards, a sense of pride straightening their backs camouflaging their inner melancholy. As Single Seers they were no longer able to contribute as Seers.
Astera grinned from ear to ear and rocked back slightly in her chair.
“Mistress Charis will visit before dusk this day.”
“I thank you and we will take our leave.”
As she stood her chair was drawn out of the way and she paused.
“I enjoyed the tea, a warm bittersweet drink on a cooling day as Death Season approaches.”
The right Temple Guard held the door, while the Seer enveloped herself in her Seer Robe and swept out of the House. The left Temple Guard following, slyly appreciating the tall, athletic, large brown eyed female warrior rising from her chair. Thyia’s hand hurrying to her cover her own mouth, feigning shock, triggering a rapid retreat of the left Temple Guard embarrassed by her fall into temptation.
Once the door swung shut, Thyia embraced Astera, laying her head on her shoulder.
“Why force them to reveal their knowledge?”
Astera kissed her lover and half coin partner. Thyia positioning her mouth perfectly.
“Charis needed them to divulge the strength of the relationship between this Seer Temple and the Duchess. Also, if the assassins placed a spy within the Temple, they may reveal themselves when they reach out to the assassins with the information as Jocasta was to follow any Seers on unusual errands.”
“The Temple Guard amused me,” replied Thyia.
“Yes, I believed she protested too much!” Astera’s laughter rang out as arm in arm they strolled out of the elder’s room in perfect unison to report to Charis.
---
Charis checked to her right, Helice affirmed her readiness. She then checked to her left and Rhea nervously straightened her greaves for the umpteenth time.
Charis placed her hand on her lover’s shoulder and leaned in.
“Calm sister, you will be welcomed as a Single Seer and Raisa is with you in a way no other could be.”
“We worry together,” Rhea placed a hand on Charis’ and finding her lover’s eyes, “as we don’t know if Saph has communed with the Mother Superior and revealed our … condition to her.”
“This is not about you,” Charis affirmed, “I am sure it is about us escorting a Seer.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I suggested the idea some days ago. If it is about you and Raisa, both Helice and I will stand with you so don’t worry.” Charis kissed Rhea on her nose. Rhea returned a grimace although issuing a short sharp nod. Ready.
As the three stepped out into the mid-morning sun, cool crisp air about them a cheer went up across the street. As they came about onto Gate Road several patrons at the Knight’s Rest Inn were feverishly exchanging coin, some more delighted than others.
The Inn cheer also served as a call to the townsfolk, alerting them to an event causing them to point and gesture. Charis wore her full regalia, as did Helice and Rhea and with both positioned just off Charis’ left and right shoulder respectively, they presented a commanding presence, the way clearing for them without announcement or incident. Charis resisted pinching herself, so young, so honoured and respected by the townsfolk. The other likelihoods being fear and curiosity of course!
The townsfolk lining the street marked her path to the Temple of Saph, their presence a convenient witness to any possible skulduggery or untoward assault by the assassins. Charis certain though the assassins would wait until she ventured outside the walls of Hillperch.
The Temple Guards at the top of wide stone steps acknowledging Charis and Rhea, expecting them. Once in the shadow of the Temple proper a young Seer child pair greet them and show them to a side room without a door.
Inside the room a single Mother Superior stands to receive them. Her fine cotton Seer robe white and voluminous, trimmed with a subtle white fur, otherwise the same as every Seer Robe. The Mother Superior’s headdress denoting her rank, a close-fitting skullcap with cloth flowing behind it to conceal her hair.
“Leave us now Seer children,” said the Mother Superior. The Seer children cheerfully smile and bow before leaving. The Mother Superior returning their smile with her own.
The Mother Superior waited for the Seer children to leave and turned her attention to her guests who ventured further into the room.
“Welcome Charis the Young and Single Seer Rhea.” Clasping her hands in front of her waist, lips pursed before continuing. “We wish to request your assistance as we have in the past.”
“In what way may I and the Daughters of the Duchess assist, Mother Superior?”
“We wish to burden you with an important mission and realise as Death Season approaches the risk is heighten and the return journey, if any delay, possibly fatal. The Goddess and this Temple would be in your debt if you succeed and the Daughters will accrue much honour.”
“The Daughters will assist if we can Mother Superior.” Charis held her head steady, they were equals regardless of any ‘folly of youth’ suggestions.
“We require you to escort our Seer designate to the Lonely Keep,” the Mother Superior paying particular attention to Rhea, “Seer Raisa before she was taken by the Goddess had pledged to do so and none have since offered.”
“This mission would be our honour to accept and I am certain Rhea would welcome the opportunity to uphold her twin’s pledge and complete her mission,” said Charis solemnly.
Rhea remained silent, communing with Raisa coming to terms with this unlikely situation. On que the Seer they needed to escort entered the room after acknowledging her Mother Superior.
“Sister I lament your loss!”
“Thank you, Seer Sister. I mourned her passing and I am trying to start a new life with the Daughters,” replied Rhea. Her emotions in turmoil, controlling them proving difficult and needing to stare at the stone floor of the temple to collect herself.
“We will make some plans today and leave at dawn tomorrow if acceptable Mother Superior?” added Charis. Charis now concerned about Rhea, who answered with a polite response and scant distress.
“Yes, our Seer Sister will make ready at dawn. Thank you for your service as we have been wondering how to see our Sister safely to the Lonely Keep as Raisa was very confident, she could succeed in this task and no other Seer Sister has stepped forward.”
Charis held back an aggressive response, not believing the Mother Superior would state the obvious again unless she decided Rhea required more testing somehow not long after her Twin loss. Nevertheless, Charis thought it cruel. She nodded curtly in response and ushered Rhea out of the room before her and out of the Temple of Saph beside her.
Helice joined them as she waited outside maintaining her stance never to step foot within a Temple of Saph ever again. Tonight, they would need to plan.
---
Dione and Zoe rode with the fleshy female body to the main camp and were pleased to discover Alcmene and the young girl alive and more importantly aware they were approaching. From Alcmene, Dione learnt Niobe now approached the Gap, although still at least a day away and riding through the centre of Gap to avoid the scree.
The warrior sisters always rode through the Gap beside the scree, Dione dumbfounded Niobe didn’t and now worried for her. Charis agreed and urged Dione to ride to meet them in case of trouble. The warrior sisters couldn’t identify the source of the loose stone chips, which skirted the base of the Hillperch plateau, they conveniently used them as a path or to protect a flank.
Dione asked Alcmene to instruct Niobe to head towards the Spur on the town side and stop when she reached scree and wait. She asked Zoe to carry the baby to the pyre and burn them, at least their souls could ride the rising smoke. Returning to the camp when finished. Satisfied, Dione rode out of the camp at a gallop in pursuit of Niobe, her stallion relishing the ride unencumbered by others; lessor horses and in some cases their riders!
By dusk, riding without respite, Dione needed to continue her search for Niobe and magicked her borrow gem to ride through the night, her stallion embracing the challenge. Dione shared Charis’ concern although inwardly questioned Charis’ wisdom. Why did Charis send a recently elevated warrior sister on a mission with two initiates new to the Daughters? None of whom were practiced in facing some of the more unusual challenges offered outside of a walled town and unaccompanied by any experienced sisters to guide them.
Alcmene maintained contact with Niobe, celebrating with her when they found and then stopped near scree before dusk. She instructed Niobe to hobble her horses away from their camp, that way any noise they made would warn her with some time to react. Niobe and her Initiates then made busy gathering enough wood to ensure an overnight fire could be fuelled. The sisters carried the wood and themselves up the scree, scrambling, slipping back and scrambling back up again. If anyone approached them, they would need to stumble over the scree to reach them. Once settled on the scree, they set out and prepared the wood, ready to be fired in case they needed it to signal Dione who was riding to them and for warmth as the night deepened.
Alcmene trusted Charis and her decisions as did all the sisters, absolutely. They all swore allegiance and to serve. Charis and now Dione’s concern for Niobe and the Initiates spread doubt amongst Alcmene and her Seer Sisters. The reality, Niobe and the Initiates were far too green for this type of mission, Charis must have been distracted, the only explanation. Sending Niobe and the Initiates on this journey the wrong decision.
---
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Before dusk the warrior sisters and initiates returned to the House, therefore Charis started planning for the mission. Otonia, Astera, Thyia, Rhea and Helice would accompany Charis and the new Seer which made seven. Clymene would remain in the House to ensure she could call for any aid from Hillperch if needed. With her Jocasta, Kyra, Nysa, Dirce, Drosis, Thais and Alexa remaining to guard the House. They were to train within the House including Thais and Alexa who needed to continue to train in sword and shield, taking time off from carpentry to do so.
---
“Warrior sister, something is moving on the scree,” whispered Ismene, while cloaked in the black ink of night.
“Yes, there is something out there,” confirmed Agape, her voice wavering.
Niobe couldn’t spot anything, and neither could Alcmene linking through Niobe, although they could catch an odd faint scrapping sound.
“Light the firewood now!” yelled Alcmene into Niobe’s mind. She struck the flint and the kindling was well set and took to fire easily and hungrily. The light cast revealed human shapes trying to grapple the scree to reach them.
Agape screamed, while Ismene stared silently her mind trying to grasp and understand. Alcmene held Niobe’s mind clear and aware.
“Tell your initiates to dip their arrows in the fire and release at them, now!”
“Ismene and Agape fire your arrows and release, strike for their heads! Now!” she screamed. The forms clambering forward, now two body lengths away and while slow they were making progress towards them over the scree.
Niobe faced her initiates, both of whom fumbled with their hands, trying to call them to action as ordered. Their minds though still horrified. Niobe rolled over to Ismene and lifted her short bow from her back handing it to her forcefully.
“String it, fire your arrow, release and keep doing it, think of nothing else!”
Ismene, in a slow motion swivelled her head towards Niobe, grabbed the bow and started the demanded motions.
“Keep going, Agape next, hurry Seer Sister,” sent Alcmene.
Niobe didn’t think. She followed Alcmene’s instructions, fortified by her presence similar although different to the time of her torture when her Seer Sisters embraced her with their love.
Niobe rolled to Agape and lifted her crossbow from her back and like Ismene forcefully handed it to Agape to resolve her indecision.
“Load it, fire your arrow, release and keep doing it, think of nothing else!”
Agape snapped to awareness, simple instructions to follow and efficiently she released a fired quarrel.
“And again sister,” urged Niobe.
Niobe added kindling and branches to the fire and then grabbed a smaller burning branch and threw it at the cluster of walking corpses homing in on their tenuous position.
Most of the arrows and quarrels struck the torso, in the end a hit was a hit and the fire spread willingly to destroy them. Ismene and Agape were out of ammunition before they were out of attackers. They backed further up the scree, unfortunately the burnt down bodies of the attackers allowed those behind more traction to climb over the scree. Some caught fire, unfortunately many more crowded behind them desperate for living flesh. Ismene’s foot was grasped first and she reach forward to plant a knife in the moving corpse’s head. Once released, she jerked her foot back up the scree accompanied by a shiver running along her spine. Each of the sisters threw some burning wood from the fire on more of them. They kept coming.
The moving corpses approaching the living over the remains of other corpses limited the width of the attack. As they reached over to grab them, Niobe, Ismene and Agape planted their knives in their heads. The continuous effort to defend themselves beginning to tire the sisters and with the fuel for the fire exhausting, darkness of night approached to seal their doom. The moving corpses didn’t require light, the blood of the living guided them, while the sisters would lose sight of their targets.
“Alcmene …”
Alcmene ‘heard’ more than her name. Niobe’s contact a sorrowful goodbye. Within their Seer Link the finality and acceptance of her imminent death clear beyond words, beyond tears the connection of emotion raw and unfiltered.
The three Seers combined their will and message.
“Seer sister Niobe we are with you. You trusted us when you were taken, and you need to trust us now. Dione is on her way and you and your Initiates must stay alive to welcome and thank her.”
Their three ‘voices’ crowded her head and her being, her sisters infused Niobe with confidence, and she grew it into bravery.
“Keep fighting Initiates, we die fighting, or we live proud!” Niobe wasn’t sure she said those words, no thoughts of her own formed them, they were placed into her mouth.
“Yes, Warrior Sister Niobe!” they both responded. They fought back with renewed energy to keep the living corpses at bay.
“You wear the armour of a Sister and you must strike the enemy to protect those you are responsible for. Strike the enemy, comfort those you protect,” sent Helice.
“Yes, Seer sister,” replied Niobe, as she reached over and thrust her dagger into the skull of another enemy.
“There are too many, Warrior Sister, we kill and there are always more,” sobbed Agape, facing Niobe, tear tracks down her cheeks.
“Sob and cry if you must as long as you continue to strike.” Niobe grabbed Agape behind her head taking a fistful of her long black hair and drawing her near kissing her full on her lips. As quick as it happened Niobe rolled away to plant her dagger in another of the approaching living dead.
Agape sprung to defend herself once again, the tiredness ignored, determined to live proud.
A crunch of skull bone welcomed Niobe to Ismene’s side.
“She is right Warrior Sister, they are endless, and we will eventually tire.”
“Help is on the way and we need to make sure we are alive to thank and welcome them.” Niobe grunted as she struck another rotting skull.
“We can’t climb up the scree any further, perhaps we can skirt along as their dead are assisting them like a street to climb over,” Ismene said, breathing heavily.
“Agreed, I will call to Agape,” Niobe searched for Agape in the ember glow of the fire and shouted, “Agape, roll to us now!”
Waiting for Agape, Niobe noticed Ismene fuss with her backpack.
“Agape!” Ismene screamed gaining her attention, “Bring a firebrand with you!”
Amazingly a glow floated independently of the rest, which Ismene wrapped in pieces of her spare clothing after Agape held it before her. The glow greedily grew into a flame. The three scrambled further across the scree. The living dead also needing to scramble across the bare scree instead of their destroyed living dead.
The one leading the chase, stopped when struck by Niobe. She received the firebrand from Agape and lit up the new source of fuel. Niobe waited for another, striking it to add its body to the fire. She then scrambled after Ismene and Agape, the lose scree rolling down as she hastily caught up to them.
The noise of their breathing dominated the silence. The living dead now scrambling up to them in a wide semi-circle, often sliding down and relentlessly climbing again. The sisters rested, realising they would shortly enter battle again.
---
The stallion pulled up, obeying Dione absolutely. Sliding from her stallion Dione grabbed a spear sheathed beside her saddle and gripping it in both hands prodded at the low mound. The way before her littered with these mounds, the soil churned in place like a filled in grave.
Her stallion carefully trod over the dirt and his hooves sunk easily and dangerously through a thin crust before Dione instructed him to draw back.
Dione sheathed her spear and climbed into her saddle the challenge made easier as the stallion bent down gracefully.
“We need to hurry, and we need to avoid those mounds!”
The stallion replied with a whinny acceptance.
---
With arms now tired all three used their boots to kick the living dead back down the scree. Occasionally one would slide down with a crushed skull, although these were typically repeat attackers soften already as the strength required for a one hit skull crush kick no longer there. More than once they checked with each other, Niobe returning an encouraging smile and alternating between whispering words to hearten and screaming words of encouragement.
Niobe noticed the fire first, beyond the writhing mass of living corpses, out past the scree, then another separated from it and another as the spot fires spread picking up speed in a wide semi-circle. Then she made busy kicking the skull of a corpse, which grabbed at her ankle. The fire glow highlighted and silhouetted the enemy allowing the trapped sisters to target them easily. Niobe looked up and counted many fires, like candles and they started to burn down or wander into others and set them on fire. Then fire brands rose in an arc, tossed beyond the back ring of fire to start spot fires within the mass of shuffling corpses. Eventually they burnt to the front and those corpses were destroyed. Niobe, Ismene and Agape laid back exhausted.
Dione rode south until she cleared the battle site and set a small fire on the scree, she willed and hoped her warrior sisters would recognise it as a signal and clamber towards it. It took Niobe a fragment of time to recover and then after prompting from Helice, Niobe reacted and called upon Ismene and Agape to follow her towards the fire.
“Welcome warrior sisters, please share my fire, drink and some food,” Dione said.
Their tired relieved smiles barely visible in the small amount of light thrown by Dione’s fire.
Dione allowed her sisters time to sip a drink and share some cheese before forcing them to travel on. She extinguished the small fire and tied a rope around each of their waists, leading her three sisters to her horse. After checking everyone was ready, she led them over the scree and away from the fires, they heard another bell from Hillperch before Dione permitted them rest. They lay down and didn’t move. Dione rolled them together for body warmth, too tired to protest and then threw a blanket over them to keep them warm.
+++
A warm smooth wet rasping slicked across her face. Dione ignored it, her lips curling up in a smile, subtly her body curved in sympathy as she waited for her assailants next assault. And she waited…
She rolled onto her back; her patience defeated by her curiosity.
The stallion whinnied loudly and tossed his long black head back, his black mane flung back joining in the celebration of outwaiting his partner. Dione rolled back onto her side and drew her blanket back over her.
She lost her blanket quickly as her stallion’s teeth clasped it and snapped it off her. Instead of waiting her stallion returned head down and nudged Dione on her buttocks shifting her lower body off the bedroll she slept upon, swivelling her head and chest around. Her eyes meeting her stallion’s, clearly impatient to break camp.
She locked the fingers of her hands around his muzzle and he obliged by dragging her to her feet, smoothly and gently. His reward a kiss and a hug followed by a stroking of his forehead.
“Alright boy, allow me to dress and don’t disturb the others, I made plans for them.”
Her stallion waved its head about, not pleased he needed to wait for plans. Dione dragged her under cloth over her near naked body as she slept wearing a loin cloth, still not as comfortable as Otonia to sleep totally naked. Her felt and armour followed in a well-practiced rhythm.
The shadow of the spur in full force, chilling the air about their camp, the morning sun not high enough to warm the Gap and the ground it claimed. Dione sensed the cold air partly responsible, although perhaps their shared survival more so. The three intertwined under the blanket, the two Initiates on either side of Niobe or perhaps not, as the tangled ones repositioned under Dione’s gaze.
Dione reassessed Charis’ decision to send Niobe the newly appointed warrior sister, out on her first mission. The risk extreme and real, although the reward, at least in Charis’ mind probably worth it. The gamble ended well, how did Charis predict it? Or possibly she didn’t and trusted the Seers to coach Niobe while waiting for me and my stallion to arrive to save them. Was Niobe bait? If true, Charis knew about the walking dead; how? Dione knew one thing for certain, Charis is Mistress and their oaths bound them to her and her decisions.
Dione shook her head, to clear her thoughts and needed to start the day and her stallion started striking the ground with his front hoof, a sign of impatience.
She set bread and cheese with a skin of water for them beside the dead embers of the campfire and leapt upon the bare back of her stallion. Trotting back to the battle, the burnt bodies, grass and occasional sapling filled her nostrils with a sweet odour she didn’t expect. The horses Niobe and the Initiates rode waited, tethered and hobbled away from the conflagration zone. Once Dione checked them for wounds and burns, she offered them an apple each and a calming pat. Leaving her stallion with them she then searched for anything useful.
Dione managed to recover a crossbow and a few saddle bags, partially burnt, from the sisters overrun camp, although she wasn’t prepared to search inside of them in case the contents were personal, a mess or both. Freeing the horses and roping them she rode her stallion back to her camp leading them behind her.
Upon arriving she slid off her stallion and unbuckled the saddles from the other three horses and began a well practice grooming session for each in turn, which ended after a couple of bells, pealing clearly from Hillperch above them.
“Wake sister, much to do,” whispered Dione, while stroking the side of her cheek. Niobe woke with a start, instantly settling as Dione kissed her on each cheek.
“My arms and legs are sore sister, I thank you for our lives and our rescue,” sobbed Niobe, tears forming and cascading down her face.
Dione wiped the tears away. “You must be brave warrior sister, no more tears. I will prepare the horses and you wake your Initiates and show them the food I prepared. We need to ride far today.”
Niobe wiped her face, her body protested as she sat up, concentrating on Dione readying the horses to distract her from any discomfort. Niobe, once fully awake realised, the blanket, herself and the Initiates smelt of smoke with no escape until they bathed.
Reaching for Ismene with her right hand and Agape with her left hand, she gently rocked them awake. They fluttered their eyelids warmth flooding their cheeks and they unentangled their bodies enough to embrace Niobe.
Between kisses they whispered. “Thank you for keeping us alive, thank you for forcing us to fight for our lives and thank you for being a warrior sister to us humble Initiates.”
Dione interrupted their appreciation. “Enough you two, leave your warrior sister, eat some food then check the gear I saved, we ride shortly without delay.”
“Yes, although on behalf of the three of us, thank you Dione for your timely rescue,” replied Niobe.
“You take on one warrior sister you take on us all,” responded Dione, with passion, raising a fist.
“Thank you, Seer Sisters, for the encouragement and faith, your company ensured I showed a bravery I never thought possible,” sent Niobe.
Her Seer sisters didn’t reply with words, instead sending expressions of warmth and love. Belonging.
Dione straddled her now saddled stallion and walked her beast towards them as they fussed over their food and rummaging in their backpacks.
“Mount up. Time to leave!”
In response to their questing faces Dione returned a cold determined stare.
“You can eat and drink from the saddle as best you can, mount up as we leave now.”
They struggled with aching arms and legs, coupled with tired bodies. Staring at Dione and her stallion walking off, the sight motivated them to hastily gather their meagre possessions, mount their horses and follow at a trot to catch up. Dione hearing them approach grinned. Her stallion stepped into a canter and then increased the pace to a trot not allowing her sisters to slow if they wanted to follow.
By mid-afternoon the four riders greeted Alcmene, Zoe and the young girl at the secluded camp. Niobe shot a questioning look at Dione when she noticed their dead company of three corpses. She would quietly be told the young girl’s brain-dead aunty counted as one of the three. Zoe distracted her when she handed her succulent fire cooked rabbit meat.
“Charis’ plan,” responded Zoe, studying Niobe while she devoured the offered portion of rodent, her hands becoming greasy.
Alcmene assisted Dione to groom the horses, she needed to keep her hands busy to divert her mind. With the task completed she paced slowly about the camp studying Niobe with an occasional glance towards Ismene and Agape. She needed to know.
“Helice, why did the Mistress send Niobe through the gap?” sent Alcmene.
Helice concentrated, controlling her horse and replying a challenge. “I haven’t asked Charis directly, although I know there wasn’t any intention to place Niobe, Ismene and Agape in danger. The attack upon them a surprise to Charis as anyone else, Clymene having to tell her to stop asking questions about their safety while trying to instruct Niobe with us.”
“Her instinct about plans and actions always so certain,” sent Alcmene, not expecting a response.
“Charis didn’t believe it would be anything more than a training ride, an overnight camp and then meeting with you and Dione. She began to doubt her instincts and I needed to assure her by saying Niobe’s survival must mean something, yet to be revealed. I would beg you wait until that moment and not sooner to ask her yourself.”
“You feel I have the right to ask?”
“We can all question our Mistress. In this case though, with the Assassins about I ask you wait.”
“I will do as you suggest and meanwhile, I will keep a close eye on Niobe. Ismene and Agape sing her praises and have no doubts for now.”
“If I thought her brave enough, I would encourage Niobe to ask for herself. Perhaps you can make that happen somehow.”
“I will think upon it. I may have to find some additional smarts from somewhere though. Thanks Seer Sister for your guidance.”