Winnie
Winnie woke in her new room, irritated and restless. As soon as Trevor and Rafe had completed their sweeps of the wing, organisation had been swift. The serving staff had been driven out along with the former occupants. Their kin had taken over those duties until the servants could be vetted. Castle guards were stationed at all entry points and Auraya’s office, the passageways had been temporarily blocked until they decided what to do with them, and they had all been assigned rooms to sleep in. The bed Winnie slept in was big and soft and lovely. She resented it. She longed for her own lumpy bed. For her usual shabby surrounds. To be back in Whitegate. She sighed and got out of bed.
She headed over to the basin in the corner of the room, washed up, and dressed for training. On the way out, she was joined by Gina and Seelie. The pair chatted amicably as they met more of their kin on the way to the training field. Rafe and Auraya were locked in battle to one side. They had gathered a crowd again, impressing the young ones. She watched them as she walked to a free space, then set about getting her blood warmed. The training should help calm her mind, invigorate her body and work out her frustrations.
After about a quarter mark, Trevor headed to the front of the group and called for attention. They would be running through the first six movements to warm up, the youngest and newest at the front. They all moved into position without much fuss; the habitual act was mostly seamless. For the next half mark, they glided through the movements as a unit. It was truly a thing of beauty to see so many of her kin so in tune with each other. A few of the young ones made mistakes, but Trevor helped and encouraged them to keep on track.
The quiet and togetherness were indeed calming. Winnie was not a fan of change, and recent events had turned their lives upside down. She had let the stress get to her and it had been spilling out onto others. She had an idea of how to remedy it though.
After sparring and drills, they divided and separated. Winnie took a group of earth elementals out to one of the gardens. This one was not – nor would be – a functional one. It was just there to look pretty. She had retrieved the garden’s plans and passed out seeds to each of the group. The older and more experienced ones were sent on their way with a few instructions. The youngest and newest, Winnie took to a corner that would house several lilac bushes.
She sat them down in a ring, and then explained what she intended to do and how she would show them. They were used to it by now, but clarification aided retention. She placed the seed in the centre of the group and held out her hands to the two who sat beside her. The rest followed suit until they were all connected in a circle. She closed her eyes and sent her mind out to connect with the others. The group was small, so there wasn’t much strain. Once the connection was established, she then called a sliver of her magic. Usually, she just sent a pulse of her magic, and it intuitively did as she desired. Now, however, she proceeded slowly, clearly visualising, so each of the group could see what she was doing during each stage. She saw the grains of her magic in her mind’s eye reaching out towards the seed, crawling along the dirt. As it moved, she allowed some to break away and saturate the earth, sinking down about a foot or two. When she reached the seed, the earth underneath began to churn and turn over. She removed debris, roots, and stones from underneath the seed, and fluffed up and invigorated the soil. She then grabbed the seed, softened the hull, and pulled it down about half an inch. She manipulated the soil below the seed to draw the moisture upwards. It was finickity, water didn’t like responding to her, so she had to move clumps of moist soil to where she needed it. Once done, she then focused on the seed. She directed the grains of her magic into the it, coaxing out the seedling. When the sprout breached the surface, she opened her eyes. This would be a bit difficult for them, they would need to see with both their eyes and their mind. It could be quite jarring trying to split one’s focus between the two, but they would get used to it.
Pale green leaves burst from the sprout in pairs until they branched off and shoots began to make their own journeys upward. The stem began to thicken and darken, and the roots probed and spread underground. Winnie used her magic to manipulate the plant through several seasons and cycles. It grew but did not flower. She kept the stem relatively short but coaxed it to branch off and spread out. In the end, she had a relatively round bush about waist height and two people wide. When she was satisfied with the shape and size, she encouraged the flower buds to poke through the ends of the stems and bloom all at once. There were several “oohs” that made Winnie smile at their appreciation.
She handed seeds to the group, directed them to plant their own at five foot intervals and then let them work. She walked between the group, aided them when needed, answered questions when asked, touched shoulders to see their perspective, helped guide their magics during manipulation, and complimented their efforts. It was a rewarding morning.
Once the entire group had completed their tasks, they dispersed to begin their days. Winnie made her way to the bathhouse. It was maintained as it had been in their last home. Water elementals filled metal vats and fire elementals regularly heated it. The water was syphoned into the baths and drained on a regular schedule. She went through the motions of scrubbing and cleansing the sweat and the dirt before spending a quarter mark in the bath. She went back to her room to change and then headed down to Auraya’s office.
Inside, she found Auraya and Gina reading at their desks, Rafe sat on the sofa with his eyes closed. Winnie sensed his magics swirling towards his pendant, no doubt conversing with his team. Seelie was sat opposite Auraya reading through a thick stack of paper. Winnie smiled at the girls and headed to the far right corner. She spent the waiting time perking up the little orange tree. She coaxed one of the oranges to grow and ripen, then plucked it off and ate it.
Trevor came clanking into the room, nodding his head at the occupants before heading over to annoy Gina. Those two were so obvious. Winnie rolled her eyes. By the time she had finished the orange, Tristan had arrived.
“Took you long enough,” Trevor chided, mischievous grin plastered on his face. Winnie rolled her eyes again.
“I was calming down some wailing children,” Tristan told him dismissively. “You don’t expect me to leave little ones in need of a hug, do you T?”
It was Trevor’s turn to roll his eyes as he laughed.
Auraya stood up and directed the group through the door behind Winnie. They filed into the room and gathered around a map of the kingdom on the table.
“So,” Auraya began, looking at everyone. “We’re going to increase our intake, expand the responsibilities for Tris’ teams, and he’s getting four new members.”
Auraya handed Tristan a sheet of paper, Winnie spied the names and details of the four he would be taking with him. He nodded his thanks. Auraya then took a sheet from Seelie, skimmed it, and began to address the group again.
“Seels has devised a list of the type of information we need to gather from each of the regions.” Seelie gave the stack to Tristan as Auraya read a few items at random. “We need to know about the well-being of the people, the state of infrastructure, produce counts, trade potential, state of the guard and so on. There’s a comprehensive list if you want to see.”
“O,” Tristan began, looking up from the list. “This is a bit ambitious, don’t you think?”
“It is,” she replied with a shrug. “But we need to know.”
“I get it. But do we have the know-how and the time to get it done?”
Auraya looked at Seelie.
“This will be new for your team, Tris,” Seelie told him, voice soft and soothing. “We’ll use today to run though how you guys can go about getting the information you need. And this will probably be a longer trip, but surely you don’t mind.”
Tristan nodded and grinned, looking back to the list.
They spoke about how they were going to integrate the newcomers to Tristan’s team. He would now have eight pairs to cover the thirteen regions. Two of the newcomers were steppers, one earth elemental and one water elemental. The latter two were from Winnie’s team, the former two were Initiates from a cycle ago. Each of his teams had one stepper for long distance travel and someone with an offensive talent – or at least a talent that could be used offensively. They would split the newcomers amongst the more experienced and would spend the entire day preparing.
They moved on to the increase of intake. Usually, Tristan and his team would drop off those with low talent potential at specific orphanages around the kingdom. They would visit them on their journey and invite them to join them at the castle. Winnie had a feeling that Auraya was trying to raise her own personal army.
They would need to change how the young ones were raised, but that was easily done. Most things would stay the same – basic education, contribution, combat training, apprenticeships, the oath – but the magical side of their education would need to be compacted and tailored. All things that Winnie did not need to worry about.
When the group split, Winnie followed Auraya and told her what she wanted. The two of them then cornered Rafe.
----------------------------------
Nursing a cup of swill masquerading as wine, Winnie looked up, locking eyes with an unfamiliar reflection. She resisted the urge to flinch and search for her true face. It was not the first time she had let Deb have her way with her, but it was still unsettling. Her reflection showed a woman of over twenty-five cycles. She had thinner lips, green eyes, and a far lighter complexion. The only thing that hadn’t really been changed was her hair, although it had been lightened and lengthened somewhat. The woman in the glass had an air of mysterious beauty. The petitions for her favour had been met with polite refusal and, thankfully, hadn’t required a firm hand. Her attentions were for one man only.
The now familiar creaking of the front entrance drew her gaze to the new customer. Recognition sparked as she laid her eyes on the tall man who entered. It had taken a little needling to get Rafe to give her this assignment. He liked to mostly keep his work within his team, but with both her and Auraya, it hadn’t taken long to wear him down. He had taken her to watch their quarry that day and provided enough information to formulate a plan. Remembering Rafe’s annoyance pulled at the corners of Winnie’s mouth. He knew what was to come.
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The target locked eyes with her just as the smile pulled at her lips. She softened it to somewhere between shy and interested, causing him to head towards her perch at the bar.
The man was very tall, to say the least, he towered over her by at least a foot and a half. His hair was somewhere between brown and orange, his eyes were a light grey, and he seemed to have lived just over forty cycles. His teeth were crooked but white, and his hands showed he did not work a manual job. He had the careful grace of nobility, but the cheapness of his clothing spoke otherwise.
He sat himself on the stool next to Winnie and ordered himself the same swill. Once the tender went on his way, the man turned slightly to gaze at Winnie. She sat with her legs crossed at the ankles, accepting the perusal. Regardless of the nature of their meeting, she still felt the blush creep up her cheeks unbidden. The lighter complexion would give her away, but she paid it no mind. It would most likely work in her favour.
When she finally looked the man in the face, she found that she was correct. There were traces of smugness in his smile, which shifted into something she presumed was supposed to be seductive. It was not. Her skin crawled, but she shrugged off the feeling and returned a smile with traces of a leer in it too.
After the awkward greetings, inane small talk, and inappropriate petting, Winnie was more than convinced that this man was in dire need of lessons in seduction, courting, and perchance wooing. After yet another crude comment about her appearance, she felt her eyes and lips twitch as she fought an eye roll and a grimace. Her patience had finally been buried with the fallen, so she decided to push the encounter along. She stifled a yawn and informed the man that it was time she took her leave. She glanced around, trying to convey nerves at the prospect. Rather predictably, the man offered to accompany her.
Standing, he offered her the crook of his elbow before leading her out. It really shouldn’t have surprised her that the man didn’t ask her which way she was heading, but instead turned towards the direction of his own home and led her that way. His predatory behaviour only fed the flames that had led her out to find him in the first place.
After the streets began to thin of others, he chose a particularly dark and foetid alley to push her up against the wall and engage in some vigorous petting. Her cringe was thankfully disguised as desire if the man’s comments were to be believed.
“I want you,” he whispered in her ear. Breathing heavily down her neck as his hands explored without permission. “It seems the feeling is mutual.”
“It is,” she confirmed, laying her hands on his chest. “But a lady cannot be coaxed in amongst the filth, Mr Krupp.”
“Felix,” he purred, wiping his wet lips on her cheek.
Did he think the added moisture was alluring?
“Take me somewhere warm and comfortable, Felix.”
After a few more pets and a sigh, he stepped back, straightened his clothes and offered his crook once more.
Revulsion and relief settled in Winnie’s gut, trying to take control of her expression. The desire to scowl was almost overwhelming, but she crushed it down with some effort. It took almost no time at all to reach Krupp’s home. The Tavern he frequented was quite close.
It was a small and quaint dwelling. One of a long row of many. The front consisted of red brick, and the door opened right onto the street. He let them into the main room, which doubled as a sitting room. They walked through the front door and ahead was a set of stairs. Winnie knew they led to the single bedroom upstairs. Immediately to the right along the wall at the front of the house sat a light wooden desk and chair. On the far right wall there was an open fireplace, and in front of it lay an old comfortable looking brown sofa. The house was mostly made of wood and open brick, and there was a fluffy beige rug on the floor.
She feigned interest in his sparse belongings as he made his way to the sofa and sat down. She made a show of looking around for a while and complimented him. Once he was sat, she made her way to the desk and perched on the edge.
“So, Felix,” she began. “Tell me about your former Lord.”
At her words, his face drained of all colour and he began to rise.
“Sit down, Felix.” The hardness in her voice seemed to jolt him. He sat back down and looked over at her in confusion.
“My Lord is dead,” he spoke quietly, hesitantly.
“Hence the word former. I want to know about the sun-kissed creatures in the dungeons, Felix.”
Winnie hadn’t been aware that a person could lose more blood in their face. He looked positively grey.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammered.
“Is our friend telling the truth, O?” Winnie looked into the shadows in the far corner of the room as she spoke.
“It would seem not,” Auraya replied.
Hearing Auraya’s voice caused Felix to again rise from his seat.
“I told you to sit, Felix. I will not tell you again.” Again, he seemed on the verge of complying, but this time he found his spine.
“This is my home,” he cried. “I demand to know who you are.”
“I’m not a fan of repeating myself,” Winnie told him with a smile so saccharine it dripped sugar water. “But I’m going to give you one last chance, Felix. Sit. Down.”
Winnie could see the man wavering. His profession saw him following orders without thought on a regular basis, but this was his home. They were invaders, and female, and that seemed to give him the courage he needed.
“No,” he replied after some moments, mouth set, chin raised.
Winnie’s smile simply broadened. It was always more fun when they thought they were brave. She let her magic loose, expression of sweetness never changing. The seeds she had laid earlier that day burst from their shells and dark green vines shot towards the man. He gasped his surprise as they wrapped around and slithered up his legs. After a few beats in shock, he began to writhe and wriggle in a poor attempt to escape their hold. He stamped his foot, shook his legs, and even reached down to try and prise them off. That was when he realised that they had begun to wrap themselves around his arms too. He started to make noise at the sight, crying out in his distress. He pulled at them, but they were not to be deterred. Winnie felt the smile pull even further at her lips; her expression was probably a little manic by that point.
Once the vines had a firm hold of the man, they contracted, pulling him off the ground and stretching out his limbs. He struggled the entire way, pitiful noises falling from his lips, sweat pouring from his brow, and the beginning of tears sparkling at the corner of his eyes. Winnie let it go on for several more heartbeats before calling for the man’s attention.
“Felix,” she called, waiting for him to focus on her before continuing. “I’m actually very happy you were brave. I’ve been meaning to try out my new vines for some time now. If you had been compliant, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity. So, thank you for that.”
She walked from left to right in front of him, eyeing the vines, ensuring they were in the right places, adjusting those that needed it. When she was satisfied, she looked to her left to see that Auraya had taken up her former position on the desk, leaning back on her arms and swinging her legs, a small smile dancing on her lips.
“Right then,” Winne declared, facing forward. She sent a pulse of her magic out and into the vines, they responded beautifully. Small thorns, roughly two thumbs apart, poked out slowly in a spiral formation from the body of the plant. All that could be seen were little black points.
“Ow,” Felix cried, frantically searching for what had pricked him. “What is...”
“Ah yes,” Winnie explained. “These beautiful babies come with accessories. Do you like them, Felix? They’re not even fully out yet.”
She sent another pulse, and the thorns grew further, curving ever so slightly. The thorns that had emerged near skin caused thin lines of blood to trail down the man’s arms and legs. Felix began to cry.
“Now now,” Winnie admonished, waggling her finger. “None of that.”
Of course, her words did not help, and only resulted in a look of sheer anguish.
“Now, Felix. I need you to tell me about your former lord.”
“He’s dead.”
“Yes, you said that already. Remember what I said about repeating myself, Felix.” She sent a pulse, and the thorns grew a touch more. “Let’s not be silly now. Tell me about the golden-haired creatures in the dungeon.”
“He...” Felix began, eyes roaming over himself as much as his restricted position would allow. The tears fell freely, and he gasped from the pain. “He was a good man.” Winnie scoffed. “He just had a sickness.” Winnie rolled her eyes. “He would change if he didn’t spend time with the boys. He would turn ugly inside. He was a good man otherwise.”
“Now let me get this straight,” Winnie asked, scratching her chin. “The man was good. Unless he couldn’t get his dose of kidnap and torture in for the week, of course. Am I understanding you correctly?”
“It wasn’t very often,” Felix defended.
“Surely just once was too much.”
“He was a good man,” he shouted.
“Very well,” Winnie soothed, shaking her head slightly. “What did he have you do, Felix?”
“I... I...” He did not continue. Pieces seemed to be falling into place behind his eyes. “Did you kill my Lord?”
“Not me,” Winnie confirmed. “Bit too quick and easy for my taste.”
Any blood that had remained or returned to the man’s face now fled completely. He was pale and the terror of the moment finally seemed to be sinking in. He whined in his fear, breath coming short from pain and anguish.
Winnie sent another pulse, causing the thorns to grow, and the blood to flow more freely.
“I asked you a question, Felix,” Winnie told him, expression darkening.
“I...” He began, spluttering, searching for an answer, and perhaps the question too. “I cared for them.” Winnie raised an eyebrow. “When my Lord had... finished with them, I would care for them.”
“Aah. So, you kept them alive for him to torture again.”
“It was my duty to protect my Lord. The boys were vagrants, my Lord was an important man. I needed to ensure...”
Winnie sent out another pulse, this one sprouted thick dark green heart-shaped leaves on a sprout near the man’s head. When he opened his mouth to spout more irrelevant tripe, the leaves were thrust into his mouth, effectively shutting him up.
“That’s enough of that,” Winnie told him easily as he cried out and struggled to talk… or breathe. “You’ve probably guessed already, Felix. You are going to die tonight. Slowly and extremely unpleasantly.”
No more words were spoken to the man after that. Winnie sent out another pulse to fully extract the thorns. They were about an inch in length and curved wickedly. They were black and menacing and served her purpose well. She used them to open the man up until there were pieces of him everywhere. The swirl of emotions that had been rushing through her, keeping her off-balance, and shortening her temper, began to ease. As the man’s cries dwindled and petered off, so did her uncertainty and agitation. Instead, they were replaced with determination.
When at last she was satisfied and sated, she retracted the vines, reversed their life cycle, and collected the seeds. Pocketing them, she went over to Auraya.
“I feel better,” she told her friend.
“Yes,” Auraya drawled. “I can tell by the... no, there’s no other way to describe your smile other than demented.”
Winnie giggled, it was manic and a little disturbing.
“Let’s go home, O,” Winnie said after she had calmed down.
Auraya wrapped her arm around Winnie’s shoulder, cloaked her in magic and took them to the roof. They were only there for a moment before they were at the next roof and then the next. They jumped like that until they were back in the suite they shared with Gina and Seelie. The girls were waiting for them in the sitting room with a basin, cloth, and change of clothes. Together, Gina, Seelie, and Auraya undressed Winnie, cleaned her up and redressed her. When they were done, the four settled on the sofa and snuggled.
When she woke the next morning, a smile pulled at Winnie’s lips. She regretted how she had let her mood affect those around her. Luckily Rafe had known how to cheer her up. Or rather, Rafe could be bullied into letting her get away with righteous slaughter. Executing the guilty always had a way of perking up her mood. She smiled to herself again and went about her day.