The fluffy white snow, what a joke thought Helice. The cobble stone streets of Hillperch buried beneath half melted snow, ice and slush your boot either sunk in or slipped on, the push wagons a curse and a blessing. The effort to push them counter balanced by the support they provided when the two wheeled carriage resisted and the effort causing more than one sister to slip. Helice cursed under her breath, her and her Mistress would be far away by now, except for failure.
Blinking, breaking free frozen tears Helice gazed upon Charis, wrapped and twice tortured awake, although briefly for no reward. She lay under cover in the push wagon, the sheet they used to suspend over the two push wagons while pretending to clean the Shrine, now protecting her Mistress from snow fall and wind chill. Zoe, bless Judge, expertly rugged Charis in furs and blankets for this now futile expedition and Helice needed to believe beyond hope their Mistress none the worse.
“You weren’t to know sister, your chant, the positioning of each sister, correct. The Shrine should have activated and carried Charis to Farstay,” sent Clymene.
“Poor Otonia, twice I asked her to rouse Charis. Both times I found the thread and yet we all remained, regardless of five or seven standing around the Shrine…”
“The Shrine operated, you went and returned, so Charis then …”
“Yes. Nysa quickly drew the same conclusion, quietly convincing me to mumble an excuse about the pitiful state of the Shrine in Farstay. Oddly satisfied ...”
Kyra cursed loud enough to be heard above the howl of the wind or perhaps simply defeating the wind’s attempt to carry her words away. The jolt of the wagon a signal to Thyia, Zoe, Kyra and Helice to push together and strain past whatever knot; dislodged cobble stone, deformed ice or pothole one the wagon’s wheel caught on.
Clymene warm and snug beside the Kitchen Stove oblivious, relying on her body and limiting her use of Items for Seer Linking and therefore unaware of Helice’s surrounds and ordeals.
Clymene grew concerned with Helice’s termination of her last thought, their Seer Link breaking unexpectantly. Clymene sent out another thread, touching a different Seer.
“Is Helice alright?”
Zosime needed to look back, drawing askance from Astera. Everyone agreed the empty push wagon would lead the way, to break the ground. In reality the blinding snow and sleet put pay to the idea’s best intentions. The following wagon, now stopped, Zosime flicked her fur hooded head towards Astera.
“Nysa, please attend to the second wagon,” Astera gasped and half-yelled into the wind her warm breath briefly visible.
Nysa didn’t bother replying, nodding instead and pushing herself away from their wagon she gingerly stepped towards the dark shape shrouded in Death Season’s gloomy weather. Astera, Otonia and Zosime rested, leaning against their wagon on the wind protected side.
The Judge Knight Adept Nysa patted a shocked Thyia on her shoulder as she passed her by finding Helice’s face exposed to the chill; blood trickling and freezing from her nose, Kyra attending her. Kyra pausing mid-administrations upon Nysa’s arrival. Nysa shaking her head as she approached both of them.
Nysa pulled Helice’s face cover over bloody nose and half-frozen face and screamed to the wind for them to push. Needing to scream again when Kyra and Helice hesitated or didn’t hear the first time.
Astera, Otonia and Zosime resumed their labour leading the other push wagon to the Loading Dock of the House. One of the two doors sneaking open, held by Ismene; Astera and Otonia climbing up, boosted in turn by Zosime assisting. The second push wagon drew up behind the first, Helice and Zoe, pushing against the wind and sleet, manhandled Charis’ prone wrapped body over to Zosime, who assisted them lift their Mistress into the outstretched hands of Astera and Otonia. Nysa and Kyra attending to the push wagons securing non-existent blankets and furs, an excuse to maintain their distance.
With a thud the cross beam slammed into place securing the Loading Bay doors, Ismene relieved and distressed, her Mistress lay before her, still and rugged up. Clymene attended to Helice’s nose. Laboured, relieved breathing disturbing the quiet of the Store Room.
“Nysa, Kyra and Otonia prepare for Night Shift,” commanded Astera her voice strained and tired.
Nysa and Kyra climbed to their feet, Nysa’s pitiful eyes shifting from Charis, signalling Otonia to accompanied them, out of the Store Room and eventually to the Inner Cavern.
“Ismene assist Helice and Zosime to take Mistress Charis back to her Cabin, take as many heated stones as you can with you,” said Astera, her voice slightly hoarse from cold air and shouting, although mostly from a tightening in her throat due to worry.
Zoe glanced at Clymene, a signal of sorts.
Clymene spoke softly, apologetically. “Mistress, the easiest way has failed that is all.”
Astera’s weary eyes looked over, welcomed by a sympathetic Zoe and supportive Clymene.
“We waited for three days until Charis’ condition clearly improved, until Dark Month instead of Death Month if you believe is such …”
“Helice proved the Shrine true when she left and returned,” said Clymene.
Zoe cleared her throat. “We can take Mistress Charis ourselves.”
Astera smiled the smile of one being offered an alternative and realising the impossible token gesture. The two hand carts to and from the Shrine tonight exhausting, the wind chill and snow flurries conspiring, how much worse outside the Town Walls.
Clymene more upbeat, perhaps not enduring their recent foray into the elements made her a little more receptive, perhaps simply trying to give Zoe the opportunity to explain in case Astera in her present mood unable or unwilling to listen.
“What is your plan our snow princess?”
Zoe winced at the bestowed title, although accepting as Astera’s lips curled into a secret smile, her head rising.
“The horses the delivery teams used are bred for the cold, special due to a layer of fat under their coats and an excess of horsehair around their hooves. Both good defences against the cold. You could harness six to the last wagon and possibly drive the team to Farstay. You could even lead with four horses and tie two behind the wagon to allow them to rest walk and then swapping them as you went.”
“Would we be able to carry enough feed for them all?” Astera’s stomach full of butterflies, encouraged by the real possibility and daring to hope.
“Make a castle of hay in the tray and place Charis in the centre, not only would that allow enough hay, it would keep her warm and hidden. Three sisters could drive the team in shifts if needs be using a Borrow Gem each to see the way. Trusting in the weather to keep others away.”
“So far it sounds almost too good to be true, what haven’t you told me?” probed Astera.
Zoe nodded knowingly and after some thought, said, “Snow wolves. They aren’t usually this far south, staying to the mountain range, but with this snow fall they could roam anywhere. If they took down one horse, they would cripple the entire team. Depending if and when they pick up the trail. By driving the team day and night, they may not catch us with some luck.”
“Well archery isn’t even average between the Warrior Three so I wonder if harsh words will scare them!” laughed Astera nervously. Could this plan actually have a chance?
“I could go with them Mistress,” offered Zoe.
Astera’s quick reply. “I am concerned that the caverns will have too few guarding it.”
“Zoe could be sent back using the Shrine Mistress, clean the Shrine in Farstay and with some co-ordination have a cleaning crew at the Shrine in Hillperch to cover her arrival to minimise the time she is away.”
“Zoe, driving the team day and night, would it reach Farstay by the morning of the next day?”
“If not the morning Mistress, then before the middle of the day all things going to plan. The horses though would be tired, probably near exhausted and would require care if they were to recover.”
“I will ask Dione to check the horses in the morning. During the day the wagon can be loaded with hay, even if we have to acquire some from the stable in Hillperch. The supplies will need to not only cover the trip but a few days extra in case the village isn’t well provisioned for a sudden influx of horses and people. In the meanwhile, Helice, Nysa, Kyra, Otonia and yourself will prepare and rest for the journey ahead.”
Clymene wrapped an arm around Zoe, their heads pressed together both enjoying Astera’s planning “aloud”, her words spoken with renewed hope.
---
The next day and night proceeded as planned with the preparations completed. Astera visited the Goblin sisters to ensure the injured Goblin sister healed well, and the three remained content in their service to the Daughters of the Duchess. She also thanked them for daily carting the stones to and from Charis’ Stone Cabin.
Wormy and his mate seemed fully recovered from their ordeal, Wormy’s leadership of the urchins questioned, although never challenged as no other urchin felt they could lead. Astera made it plain, no urchin would leave the Top Cavern unless they intended to roam Hillperch, everywhere else forbidden and exceptions wouldn’t be tolerated. Inwardly Astera wanted to reward them, their disappearance leading the sisters to locate and destroy the evil within the Cavern, she couldn’t bring herself to. The sisters needed to explore the Caverns further, carefully and meticulously and they wouldn’t be able to if urchins ran amok within them, endangering their lives. They needed to direct their energy towards Hillperch, a landscape, albeit an urban one they knew well.
Dawn broke in Hillperch as the first bell pealed across the town, the ringing also announcing the arrival of Astera and Thyia into the Main Cavern. Dione and Zoe in deep discussion, changing the horse teams, from three pairs up front, to two and placing the third behind to remain rested. Having greeted Thais and Latona at the Guard Post, Alexis would be acting as the Evil Priest, which meant Nysa and her Warrior Three would have finished Night Shift a bell earlier. Astera spotted the three organising the hay in the wagon and presumably the supplies and bedding arrangements.
Alexis embraced Astera. “Zoe will see Mistress Charis delivered to Farstay Mistress and Nysa will protect her, I am certain.”
Astera silently prayed to Judge, requesting his blessing to ensure his servant Nysa valued his Holy Books highly enough to endure an overnight wagon journey with someone tainted with evil. Nysa wasn’t blind to that someone being her Mistress, she proved her restraint after they destroyed the evil and that thought more than her prayer gave Astera solace and hope.
Thyia tapped Astera on her shoulder, turning, her eyes met Helice’s, her nose still an angry red from smacking it against the hand wagon. Zosime and Helice hauling a rugged-up Charis, her wrappings similar to baby swaddling, head to toe, arms bound to the body. While ideal from a warmth point of view, the display revealed to any observer their Mistress’ helplessness, her encased body on a blanket, each long edge affixed to long poles, each long pole held apart by shorter cross poles above her head and below her feet.
“When the twins witnessed our struggle with the evil on the blanket, they added wood to the design and I still have some bruises from being the test patient until they added the cross poles to keep the long poles apart as the strength required to lift and keep them apart too much,” said Alexis, answering her Mistress’ curious expression.
Alexis, Astera and Thyia accompanied Helice and Zosime to the wagon and while not required due to the body carrier, assisted them both to load Charis into her fort of hay. Eyes reddening, Agape and Alexa crawled out from the Cavern Blind to farewell their Mistress. Charis’ departure uncomfortably delayed while Dione instructed each of the sisters on how to changeover the horse teams. The second bell a sign and those gathered farewelled those leaving. Helice and Zoe on the Wagon’s bench seat taking the reins, while Nysa, Kyra and Otonia looked down from the hay bale stacked tray of the wagon. The wind taking exception and blowing flurries of snow around and about them.
Astera enthusiastically waving, brave face and all. “Farewell, deliver our Mistress and we will see our Mistress healed, so don’t weep while we await her return!”
Zoe whistled and followed up with a light lash of the whip on each of the lead horses. The horses neighed and stomped easily breaking into a walk, the wagon jolting. Astera waited, ignoring the cold and the wind, until the wagon dropped from her view and then some, Thyia finally dragging her back into the Main Cavern.
“You have done as much as any Mistress could,” said Thyia, one arm wrapped around Astera’s waist, herding her passed Alexis.
“Yes Mistress, I agree,” murmured Alexis, from under her Evil Priest’s hood.
Astera leant on Thyia, her knees trembling, weakening her legs, emotion building up in the pit of her stomach. Astera couldn’t explain why. Did this mean Astera would forever be Mistress? No, Charis will return, she needed to believe that single truth. Perhaps during Charis’ absence, the Daughters will fall? The Evil suggested so in the nightmares she sent. So relenting and convincing, could they become Astera’s future reality? The Evil announcing Charis would fall to her first. Could Charis’ departure be the first step?
She floated. Carried along, her head limp and then as suddenly held. At some point she opened her eyes, not realising she closed them. The ceiling of a passageway? The cloud ride ended as her body gently floated downward, until firmly supported and enveloped.
Thyia’s face dominated her vision. “Astera, Mistress? Do you hear me?”
Astera slowly nodded her head, then hand clapping, yes hand clapping and as her head turned toward the noise makers, she spied three Goblin Sisters, wide smiles, sharp teeth gleaming due to the lantern light highlighting them.
“They carried you Mistress to a bunk in the Inner Cavern, amazing, gentle and unexpected,” whispered Thyia. “They rushed from their alcoves, at first I thought to help me and then waved me away as they took care of you.”
“Thank-you sisters, I am overwhelmed by your care and kindness,” croaked Astera.
The three Goblin sisters jumped and squealed in reaction to the comment. Shortly after they returned to proper manners and bowed, silently sprinting away joy in their hearts.
Astera reached for Thyia and drew her down to the bunk, eyes locked, their noses in danger of being smashed together, before a well-practiced twist and their lips smashed together instead. The kiss broke when one of them, neither could remember which needed to take a breath. A vice like embrace took over, Thyia realising Astera’s love needed assurance, Charis’ departure from the Cavern, from the Daughters of the Duchess a very real moment. Astera stood alone now, in command, utterly responsible, trying with all her heart to ensure certain nightmares didn’t predict her future, worse, their future.
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“I am here Mistress, always for you.”
Astera’s eased her embrace slightly, Thyia realising with that action Astera heard her and rewarded her Mistress with a kiss on her cheek and then joining her cheek to Astera’s.
“Why do you think I stayed after you needed to brutalise me to bring me to my senses?”
A warm tear, not her own, rolled down Astera’s cheek. Astera silenced by the intimate, painful question.
“Your confidence in yourself and your pure faith in Charis. A farm girl who managed to win the trust of any who knew her, and I turned my need for revenge into dedication, to follow your example. I. Have. Pure. Faith. In. You. Astera, Mistress of the Daughters of the Duchess and where you lead I and our sisters will follow. Never doubt.”
“But I am …” replied Astera, her voice wavering, reedy, vulnerable.
Thyia raised her head until her fierce brown eyes captured her love’s large glistening brown eyes. “You are Mistress, Charis trusted you and no other.”
Astera’s lips formed into an oval of surprise.
“Never doubt!” whispered Thyia.
Astera closed her eyes, slowly nodding her head in confirmation.
A gentle hand floated across Thyia’s back, comforting and assuring. An equally gentle hand ran its fingers through Astera’s long brown black hair.
“Never doubt Mistress,” said Zosime, her gentle earnest words and presence surprising them both. Astera and Thyia’s surprise enduring; in Astera’s moment of doubt, they both forgot about Zosime. She would have farewelled Charis, unable to escort her. The one who remains behind, who worries alone.
Zosime adding into the silence. “Charis choose wisely.”
The conviction in Zosime’s words breaking Astera and Thyia out of their surprise, an arm from each wrapping around Zosime and drawing her onto the bunk, their three bodies wrapped together sharing their sadness. Astera needing to accept Charis’ absence and embrace her role, Thyia needing to ensure Astera never doubted her position and hoping not to fail her and now alone Zosime’s heart breaking, her bewitched passion for Charis never to be stated again?
“Well they did warn me, which only intrigued me, ensuring I needed to investigate!” announced Dione.
Thyia rolled towards the Cavern wall, laying on her back facing their new guest and, in the shadow, wipe her red eyes. Zosime rolled off the bunk bed finding her feet, rising to stand.
“Welcome sister,” replied Astera.
“Are you recovered Mistress, our not so little Goblin sisters gibbering about needing to carry you.”
“Charis’ fragility and weakness truly hitting me for the first time is all.”
“When Otonia and I first met Charis, we deferred to her and eventually she took charge. I remembered your doe eyed worship of Charis until eventually you became her second.”
Dione called behind her shoulder. The three Goblin sisters, responding, lugging in newly sharpened arms and cleaned armour and placing the sets neatly on specific bunk beds. The careful noise of their duty solely breaking the silence in the Inner Cavern. Dione waving them away once finished.
Dione continued as if never interrupted. “Otonia never interested of course and well, at the time due to my ‘age’ perhaps, Charis never looked to me.” Dione final few words drifting off to a whisper.
“Do you have an ambition to be Mistress, Dione?” Astera asked the question. Charis would have she would not allow doubt or misunderstanding, so Astera needed to understand why Dione spoke of the past.
“Too small then, am too small now, although you could consider a second for yourself, just in case.”
“I have discussed this with Nysa,” began Astera.
Dione’s eyes flared wide. Possibly shock or surprise thought Astera, still the reaction important more than the exact meaning as Dione assumed rightly or wrongly the appointment of second already done and dusted, which mattered to her. Could this concern be personal ambition or for a wider consideration.
“I informed her the House Seer would assume the role of Mistress in my absence.”
Dione opened her mouth to speak and then shut her mouth. Rubbed her chin between forefinger and thumb, finally settling on scratching her light brown hair. The speechless display almost comical.
“Clymene?” stammered Dione, finally.
“Yes, she is often asked to co-ordinate from the House, be responsible for others. A good introduction into what is expected of a Mistress of the Daughters of the Duchess.”
“And Nysa accepted the decision?” Dione’s doubt obvious.
“She didn’t disagree or advocate for another at the time, therefore I know she accepted my decision.”
Astera’s emphasis on the second last word drew Dione’s direct gaze upon her. To ensure Dione didn’t miss the point, Astera swung out of the bunk and drew herself up to her greatest possible height without overly stretching. Dione needing to crane her neck up to maintain eye contact, which she quickly tired of.
“Yes Mistress, as you say an ideal perspective and eminently suitable for a Seer Sister, like Charis I guess.” Dione quickly bobbed her head and retreated from the Inner Cavern.
“What just happened Mistress?” asked Thyia. Calling Astera by her title to affirm her authority, for some reason needing to confirm her support.
“I suspect Dione regretted some of her past decisions and wanted me to act in her best interest to correct them.”
---
Dione groomed the horses after Charis’ departure, according to the likes and dislikes of her stallion. She reasoned, her stallion represented a magnificent example of horse kind and he could communicate, therefore he could tell her.
“Why boss mare leave?”
“She is sickly my Stallion.”
After several more strokes of the brush, in her Stallion’s favourite spot, her Stallion spoke in her head again.
“When do challengers contest for boss mare?”
“There is no challenge, the boss mare has chosen her successor.”
Her Stallion stamped his hoof hard, a spark leapt from between horseshoe and stone of the cavern floor, his head shaking violently, neighing loudly, demonstrating his disagreement.
Dione placed her hand on his head, patting to calm him.
“It is our way, the human herd way.”
“Stupid way, boss mare would favour her fillies instead of strongest being boss mare. You must challenge!”
Dione couldn’t disagree although the Daughters of the Duchess didn’t have a true mare to filly relationship with and between each other. Somehow the thought of her sisters being fillies instead of mares amused her.
“If I called out Astera, the appointed boss mare, my sisters would side with her because the boss mare before her, favoured her.”
“What if the appointed boss mare weak?”
Dione stopped her grooming to emphasis her point. “Astera isn’t weak, she towers over me, trains more than I do, and I expect her spear would skewer me before I could rope her.”
“She weak, behind, look.”
The Goblin sisters crowded around Astera and Thyia, they carried Astera; perhaps unconscious, perhaps ill.
“You are right my Stallion, I should challenge, not in the horse herd way, the human herd way.” She rubbed her head against his foreleg and wrapped her arms around his massive neck, his horse flesh rippling with muscles. Reassured by his strength she would groom horses until the Goblin sisters returned and then question them.
---
The wagon followed a well-defined trail away from the Cavern Entrance and mysteriously the lead horses seemed to unerringly follow it. Zoe wasn’t absolutely certain but given the horses were very easy to control they must have been the pairs from Maplethorn or perhaps Farstay and eager to return home.
No snow fell when they left, a good sign, although the strong wind howled through the gap picking up eddies and swirls of loose snow. Blowing from the North, down the mountain range carrying a biting cold, the wind chill testing their furs and chasing them out of cleft and onwards. Zoe listened on the wind for the howling of wolves, she didn’t expect to hear any this early in the morning and sighed, relieved when she didn’t. Nysa, Kyra and Otonia tried to sleep on their makeshift, hay for mattress beds, as the three would need to take turns driving the team during the night.
Helice returning to the wagon bench, after checking the tray updating Zoe. “Our sisters seem to need sleep.”
“Tell those driving the wagon after us, I am keeping the shadow of the Spur on the right, following the tree line as close as possible. We need to travel more directly to Farstay, which the lead horses seem to agree with, for now.”
Helice silently nodded.
Middle of the morning and Zoe judged the fight to keep the lead horses heading to Farstay not worth the effort and she pulled up the wagon. Zoe sure the current lead horses were from Maplethorn, the town almost certainly behind them now. With Helice’s help Zoe rearranged the horse teams. The current lead horses, she dubbed the Maplethorn team were led to the rear of the wagon to follow. The second team she dubbed the Farstay team put to the lead, with the Oxrest team behind them. Zoe wanted the Farstay team leading in the remaining feint light to find home using their familiar path if possible, reasoning after dusk the horses would most likely be as lost as anyone if blind in the dark so she wanted to use them as much as she could before then.
Middle of the afternoon and Nysa surprised Zoe and Helice by peering under the cover and over their shoulders.
“I will assist Zoe, you seem tired Helice,” said Nysa.
Helice glanced at Zoe, not comprehending. “No sister, I enjoyed a full night’s sleep, Mistress Charis quiet last night.”
“I would think a proper bodyguard would want to be near the body they have sworn to guard, after all without proper attention mistakes can happen.”
Zoe sucked in a breath, did Nysa infer Helice didn’t protect her Mistress. Helice’s eyes moistened and before she showed further hurt, pulled more of the cover back and scrambled into the tray of the wagon. Nysa smoothly taking Helice’s place beside Zoe. Barely a bell later Nysa asked for the reins and after a long quiet Zoe explained the method of their travel, staying close to the mountain range.
With Helice’s sniffling finally silent Zoe decided to cure her curiosity. “I am surprised you chose to drive the horses with me now instead of more sleep.” Zoe assumed Nysa would be tired and weary from Night Shift even this late into the day like Kyra and Otonia.
“Judge guides my hand.”
Zoe swallowed and tried to steady her nerves, Nysa’s call to duty in the service of Judge a worrisome sign. The Head Woman of her tribe’s parting words reminded her, too little water and you die of thirst, too much water, you drown, and your soul cursed, the middle way is generally considered the wisest.
After another bell of travel Nysa lent over and whispered, “Zoe, I need to share a secret.”
Zoe didn’t appreciate secrets, the men held sway over the women in her trapper’s tribe by exclusion and secrets. “I am not sure I am the sister you should tell ...”
Nysa ignored Zoe’s hint of protest. “Being a Judge Knight, even an Aspirant, one of the tests of acceptance is to find evil. The Priests use seven finger bones of a very evil ancient and the first seven applicants of a year who locate one of the finger bones in the city and by dusk returns the prize to the Temple are accepted.”
“This is probably not the secret part I assume.”
Nysa shuffled along the bench, her larger frame shadowing Zoe. “It was rumoured some with influence purchased the location of a finger bone by donating to the Temple, so their child could pass the test. My village priest sent me to the city for the test because he felt a strong connection to Judge in me, despite being born to poor parents. He couldn’t explain why he felt this as it was new to him and that is how he recognised it.”
The Farstay team of horses led them in the right direction without much protest. Zoe reached for cheese and salted meat for herself and Nysa. Nysa shaking her head, returning to her story. Zoe’s shoulders slumped, resigned to listening in case at the end, Nysa planned a test of some sort.
“When it was time for the test, everyone ran off in different directions, except me. I stood there and felt for the evil. The Priests behind me stunned, some made unhelpful comments others just urged me to get into the city otherwise all the finger bones would be found before I even left. I felt four directions, although one was particularly strong, so I followed it. As I got closer to it, the evil moved. This confused me, although in following that evil I sensed and found a finger bone, in truth a far lesser evil. When I sensed for the stronger evil again, it was gone.”
“So, you were initiated, this doesn’t sound like a special secret to me.” The relief in Zoe’s voice disguised by the rattle and rumble of the horse drawn wagon.
“Zoe you weren’t listening, I can detect evil, I need to concentrate to do so and it is more like trying to hear what people are saying when they talk away from you rather than seeing and recognising those same people at a distance from you. The evil whispers to me…”
Zoe swooped in. “Why didn’t you detect the Nightmare Evil with your talent?”
“The Caverns confused and confounded my ability, death and evil pervaded every wall, floor and ceiling, I needed to refrain from listening.” Nysa frowned, setting her jaw and eyes staring straight ahead.
“Across the City you detect and find an evil finger bone and yet the Nightmare Evil, an embodiment of evil within the Cavern and nothing?” Zoe refrained from mentioning the word fail, she didn’t want to crush Nysa’s confidence, if that was at all possible, she simply wanted to reduce her fanatism.
“She hid perhaps, her evil didn’t spread across the entire Cavern, her influence restricted the Seers. Any number of reasons, although I do know I detected evil within the Mistress,” retorted Nysa.
Zoe stopped mid bite lucky Nysa drove the team as Zoe would have halted the horses or driven them off course while in shock. There were hints the Evil held a sway or influence over Charis and the Seers in particular anticipating the destruction of the Evil as “the cure”. Carting Charis to the Village Priest in Farstay made more sense now, good to cure evil.
“I suspected, not wanting to believe the truth I suppose, and you are certain?”
Nysa nodded.
“What do we do now? We need to tell Helice at least so she can tell Astera, this may change our plans.”
“Astera, Helice and for that matter Zosime know. What they don’t know is the evil is growing, thankfully very slowly. I checked each morning once the Mistress woke up, including this morning when they loaded Charis into the wagon. Somehow the evil creature has infected the Mistress, I hope the Village Priest can help, but I fear it is a race now between being cured and her being taken by the evil. I think Helice is somehow aware we are losing our Mistress bit by bit each day.”
“Why did you need to tell me, if Astera knows?”
“In case you need to restrain Charis and when you return to Hillperch you can tell Astera the horrible truth. None of the Seers can connect with Charis, yet they haven’t told anyone. I just know this truth from talking to Helice and questioning why Charis can’t talk, not only with her mouth but also with her mind.”
Nysa then handed a knife to Zoe.
“This looks like one of Otonia’s knives?”
“It is one of Otonia’s knives, so hide it and guard it in case you need to use it. Kyra and I have our faith in Judge, you and Otonia have a knife each.” Nysa then turned back to her task of lashing the horses without another word.
They worked the same team for the rest of the day, certain they headed in the right direction moving closer to Farstay than Maplethorn. They wound their way through farm tracks now, as each farmer fenced off or left trees with markers or many other ways to claim some land always leaving a track or trail in between to allow the crops to be gathered by wagon. With the fields being snow covered, only the odd farmhouse and barn competed with the mountain range as landmarks.
At dusk the horse teams changed again. The Farstay team put to the rear of the wagon for a rest. The Oxrest team promoted to lead, with the Maplethorn team behind them. All the sisters except Helice and Charis ate. Helice tending to her Mistress and Zoe, with assistance from Otonia feeding and watering the horses. Zoe and Nysa climbed into the tray to sleep. Kyra and Otonia drove the team, Zoe explaining her plan with the horse teams over their cold meal. Once dusk became night, they utilised their Borrow Gems to see, driving the wagon team towards Farstay finding the main trail after a couple of bells.
Deep in the night Kyra and Otonia hitched the Farstay team to the lead, all three teams pulling the wagon while on the trail. Zoe hoped they would pull the other teams along in their haste to return home. Kyra woke Nysa, who then stopped Kyra from waking Helice, instead waking Zoe.
With their night sight from the Borrow Gems and the clear path provided by the trail they were able to keep a good pace with the three teams. A false dawn greeted Zoe and Nysa driving the wagon team to Farstay, Zoe finally smiling in anticipation. As Nysa noticed and joined in the celebration, Zoe’s face clouded over.
The howls of wolves, feint, ebbing and floating on the wind, usually causing a listener to doubt themselves warned Zoe.
“Nysa we must hurry, there are wolves on our trail, they’re far behind us but if hungry enough they won’t give up easily.”
“I can’t hear anything,” she protested.
“Believe me, get the teams into a trot. When you can hear them then I know we will be in trouble.”
Dawn broke and morning followed and the howling carried on the wind loud enough for even Nysa to hear and reaching to lash the horses again Zoe placed a hand on her arm.
“Steady, we aren’t far from Farstay, the wolves still have some distance to catch us yet. We can’t tire the horses and take the chance one is weak and falls or goes lame, that will be the end of us.”
As they approached Farstay a low fence or wall type structure ran from each side of the trail. No gate or a gate house straddled the trail. A curiosity for now and a question for later as the protection of civilisation welcomed them. One knee on the bench seat Zoe surveyed the trail and the clumps of trees and brush either side, behind them, occasionally spotting fast moving shapes.
Nysa slowed the wagon as they reached the gateway, horses and humans realising the journey now over. Apprehensive given the open gate Nysa slow walked the horses and wagon through, waiting for screaming pitchfork armed villages to spring out at them at any moment. Their sighs of relief drowned out by an ear-splitting scream. Nysa holding the reins, needing all her strength.
Helice burst through the canvas cover, yelling, “Back up the wagon, now, backup the wagon!”
Zoe grabbed the reins trying to hold the horses, neither her nor Nysa having the skill to back up the wagon. With the return of the quiet and their tiredness the horse teams stood content to rest.
“We can’t! Do something else.”
Helice joined Otonia and Kyra trying to release the wagon’s rear gate. Charis’ body having slid a short distance and now jammed up hard against a hay bale held firm by the gate, trapped in the wagon.
By some miracle Zoe backed the wagon up. Charis still in pain although no longer being crushed. The villagers drawn by Charis’ scream, gathered around them. Zoe then alerted her sisters to their other visitors. Snow wolves, not the skinny and starving specimens, the healthy brutes, half as tall as the horses. The horses upon smelling their scent on the wind began to panic. Zoe diving back to grab the reins, Nysa pulling back on them for all her worth, trying to control the teams.
“Release the wagon gate, I don’t know if I can hold the horses for much longer!” Nysa shouted.
Otonia and Kyra lifted the hay bale out of the way and jumped to the ground. They then released one side of the gate while Helice released the other, just in time as the wagon again propelled forward. Eerily an unknown force pushed against Charis causing her to scream again. The force sliding her along the remaining length of wagon tray until unceremoniously flung out, rejected by the gateway of the village. Between horse-churned snow, Helice, Nysa, Otonia and the hay bale Charis landed better than otherwise, a single subdued groan escaping her lips.
Zoe eventually brought the horses under control when well within the village facing a crowd of scared and threatening villagers, some with poles and pitchforks! They calmed a little when a tallish man, tangled black hair, high leather boots all of him surrounded by a couple of heavy blankets pushed through.
“So, who do we have here then?” he asked.