“To answer your question, yes, they will be back and I suspect they hope to ambush us and kill us in our sleep. Not that we can complain, I mean, it is a good plan.”

“I know we aren’t packing up and leaving,” Helice said. All the sisters chuckled, breaking the tension as they all knew Charis by now!

“Yes and no, we must prepare to leave although appear to still be here. Our horses and wagons will be enough I expect. If they attempt to burn down the Inn, then we may lose all our supplies. Perhaps we should load them into the wagons and place them closer to the stables.”

“What of the Innkeeper?” Dione asked.

“She left after I paid her in advance. She gave us a piece of parchment, in a satchel under the bar and left for the city. She has a sister in the city she would rather be with instead of here, being killed or slowly starved,” Astera said.

Helice reached behind the bar and satisfied their curiosity.

“Well I think we unknowingly purchased an Inn if I read this parchment correctly,” Helice said.

Charis glanced at Helice for a moment, surprised and then started organising the Daughters.

“You and Dirce will pack half everything in the wagons. Drosis and I will assist. We will use a minimum of light, grab lanterns from the Inn perhaps, although don’t walk around with any. Haul the wagons to the Inn, load them up, and then haul them back to the stable. Leave the horses in the stable for now.”

“Astera and Thyia find an abandoned cottage you can guard the rear door to the Inn from and stay there. In case they are spying from the Keep, ensure you move unseen. They may expect some packing of supplies in wagons since we are to relocate in the morning, still I don’t want them to know we are preparing to stay elsewhere to ambush any attack. Take one of the crossbows with you.”

“Yes Mistress.”

“Dione and Otonia I need you to do the same with an abandoned cottage with sight on the front door, also taking a crossbow.”

“Yes Mistress.”

Charis was about to leave the Common Room and she was wondering about this plan, why didn’t the Knights attack when they first appeared? If they were a distraction for example, for another purpose it would make sense. What would be the other distraction? If you were planning to attack someone, you need to confirm where everyone was and if everyone was there, when you did attack to ensure you killed them all. Same thing they were hoping for with the sleeping ointment.

What could Charis do now; she was still blind in the dark. Could she try the Borrow Gem? The fear of blindness scared her from using that option. She would need to use lantern light to assist with the loading of the wagon like the Initiates and it was a start.

Astera and Thyia settled early, in an abandoned cottage with an effective line of sight on the rear door of the Inn. Dione and Otonia took longer as the number of abandon cottages this close to the trail were fewer in number.

They made admirable progress with the loading although Charis could not rid herself of a nagging itch. They or more importantly she was missing something. She peered out at the cottages and couldn’t discern much, the light from the Inn wasn’t enough, and the darkness was too enveloping. Towards the end of loading the first wagon, they were ready to push it to the stables.

They needed to line it up, the stables at this time a dark outline. Charis held onto the wagon to guide her. Closing her eyes as the transition from feeble light to dark night hurt them. Helice called softly once the wagon was in position. She reached for Charis, who grabbed her.

“Your eyes hurt Mistress?”

Charis felt the warmth of her tears slide down her own cheeks. Helice’s soft fingers, either side of Charis’ nose gently wiped them away. The warm liquid trails glowed brightly in the night sight offered by Helice’s Borrow Gem.

Dirce and Drosis turned to face Helice by instinct, following the sound of her voice and hearing her words. They then glanced at each other, resisting the urge to shine a lantern in the direction of their Mistress.

“Start on the second wagon Initiates, the Mistress, and I will be along to help shortly.”

After walking some distance from the stable, Charis hugged Helice and slid her down to the ground with her, completely in the dark of the night. Next moment, Charis started attacking Helice, not in a hack and slash way, a down in the dirt kissing and ravishing way. Helice, overpowered by the passionate frenzy encouraged her Mistress to take her, helpfully undressing and while strange behaviour it was also extremely pleasurable and being a Seer embraced. To Charis’ surprise and Helice’s delight, Charis enjoyed Helice’s release. Helice kept the second for herself.

“A pleasant surprise Mistress,” Helice murmured.

“I am extremely happy, and I needed to express it, I am sorry for taking advantage of you. I realise as Mistress I shouldn’t just expect to.” She was cut-off by Helice’s finger on her lips, followed by Helice’s lips.

“It will always be my pleasure Mistress, consider this my permission for the rest of my life,” Helice replied, smiling, licking her lips.

Charis inwardly celebrated Halius’ smile as a sign of normality.

“I love your smile Helice and enjoyed the shock on your face when I took you. I can see in the dark, naturally, it seems. Heritage I thought unimportant, related to my ears. We need to go, I need to change the plan, and quickly. Lead me back the way you led me here.”

“Yes Mistress, even though you can see for yourself?”

Charis grinned flashing her teeth then a memory, a harsh callous memory returned. She didn’t have time now, although she needed reminding later to consider what it would mean.

“Helice, when you can contact your Seer-sisters, I need to talk to the elder.”

“Yes Mistress.”

Once they were in the Inn proper, she explained.

“They are spying on us, I don’t grasp how although I mean to find out. I am going onto the roof to search for any signs. I need you with me as I suspect they, whoever they are will need to report back, when we are settled. As soon as I am sure they have left, I need you to call the warrior-sisters and initiates back to the Inn. Then we will try a false plan; say everyone in the stable and then a real plan, which will be the same as the original plan using different cottages from the two we are using at the moment, either side of the Inn with warrior-sisters and initiates together in case a number watch us.”

“Yes Mistress.”

Charis carefully slid onto the roof, trying to be as silent as possible and keeping as low as possible. With her dark sight, she was able to view a reasonable distance from the Inn, not as far as the Keep; still she could peer into some of the more obvious hiding places. She didn’t need to, as the spies were on the rooves of various cottages between the Inn and the Keep. She found six and they appeared remarkably similar to the Knight’s Stable Hands. This also suggested they could see in the dark, similar to her perhaps. Charis hoped they didn’t look up, the Inn being the tallest building in this part of the village.

As the warrior-sisters and Initiates settled into their positions, two of the spies left taking different routes through the village. Charis whispered to Helice and she visited each of the cottages and called everyone back into the Inn. They waited while Helice climbed up the stairs and ladders to visit Charis. She then noticed another two of the spies leaving, Charis whispered to Helice again. Helice changed the plan; the Initiates would continue to sleep in the Main Room of the Inn. This way they all wouldn’t be tired in the morning. While the warrior-sister pairs went to the stable. They waited again and finally, near middle of the night the last two spies ran off. Helice ran to the stables and sent the warrior-sister pairs off to find new cottages to watch the Inn’s entrances.

Once done Charis was downstairs and she met Helice at the rear entrance to the Inn returning from the stable.

“We need to go. Anywhere, while the final pair of stable boys race back. The Initiates can hold the Inn as I have set a number of alerts.”

“I know the perfect place,” Helice said. They were back in one of the original cottages that viewed the kitchen door of the Inn.

“They know about this cottage, we need to move to another.”

“Yes, two plans ago, we should be safe here now, and how could they cover every cottage?”

Charis placed some alerts around the cottage to match the few around the Inn and the Stable so they could sleep soundly.

+++

Dirce kicked Drosis awake, the Common Room fire now cold and sunlight streaming through the Inn’s windows. The day was well passed dawn. They were alive, the Inn still stood, although they were alone. They armoured up quickly, helping each other. There first need was to find their warrior-sisters. They would search the stables and the two known abandoned cottages first.

Charis slept in and she woke when a timid knock grew into a pounding knock. Nothing and no one attacked them during the night. It was strange and probably appeared stranger to the Judge Knights as the warrior-sisters scurried from place to place late at night, for what? Charis was troubled; she was certain the Judge Knights were going to attack. Why didn’t they and what were they up to?

After thanking Dirce, Charis decided there was nothing for it; they would need to attack the Keep. First though they needed to find the other warrior-sisters. Dione found them; her stallion woke her once he saw others awake. Otonia escorted Dione, both ready. Helice found Astera and Thyia as she saw them enter their cottage last night, confirmed by some pleasurable sounds. They say Seers have a lustful appetite mused Helice.

Once all the Daughters of the Duchess assembled in the Inn’s courtyard, Charis confirmed it was time to return to the Keep. She thought of the twenty-one knights, they were down to twelve or possibly less. Still three priests were alive as far as she knew. Still six stable boys alive and not sure of their allegiance although the spying late into the previous night convinced Charis they weren’t entirely innocent. She met others who could see in the dark and the memories of their behaviour augured badly for these children.

Charis thought about sending in Dione to scout ahead, the tactic changed when there were no guards on the Keep’s Gate. She directed all of them to ride hard for the Barracks and ensure it was either empty or if anyone was inside, they were tied up and rendered harmless. They found the Keep’s guards sleeping near their pot of gruel; they ignored them for now to save time. They were the least of the dangers in the Keep!

Next Dione and Otonia rode to the stables to check on the stable boys and take no risks, while the rest entered through the servant’s entrance via the kitchens, moving as fast as possible, with caution. Astera and Thyia led the way with spear and shield. The cook and her servants were face down in their food, so Charis placed their heads to one side in case they were having difficulty in breathing. They advanced all the faster through to the Main Hall as the sleeping ointment was proving effective although they couldn’t predict for how long and the morning passed quickly.

There were no boisterous or other obvious sounds within the Great Hall of the Keep, they were still cautious though as the silence was eerie and in some ways worse, Charis eagerly wanted to know what became of the enemy! Around the main table, ten Knights, three Priests, the Baron and his wife to be, the Commander and the Castellan were either face-down in their food or at some stage, realising what was happening, stumbled from the table before being overcome.

Charis ordered the Priests, stripped, bound and gagged first and then for each Knight to be stripped, bound and similarly gagged. She couldn’t be sure about the Keep’s inhabitants, if influenced by these imposters. She asked Astera and Helice to check the priests and knights bodies for items. She then sent Thyia with Dirce and Drosis with four extra horses to fetch the dead Knights as Dirce would remember where they were after she rode there with Helice, Thyia would locate two herself, while Otonia’s and Dione’s would be close to the Keep and they could be asked when able to fetch more. They exited through the servant’s entrance to pick up their horses and others from the Barracks where they left them.

Charis circled back through the Main Hall doors to visit the stables. She found Dione and Otonia fighting five screaming stable boys, who were no longer stable boys they were short ugly humanoid creatures of some sort. Dione and Otonia held the advantage being on horseback, although for their efforts, they claimed only one of them dead and given its crushed skull, Dione’s stallion was probably responsible for the kill.

Charis killed two before they realised there was a third opponent attacking them. The remaining three ran and that was their mistake, Dione killed one with her horse. Otonia felt safe enough to throw a knife and retrieve it. Charis continued with her archery and slew the last. Charis ordered them searched for items and then immediately burnt while the sun was up, they weren’t ordinary, and she didn’t want to take the chance they could recover somehow.

Dione and Otonia gathered all of the horses in the Keep to the Keep’s stables. While doing so, they met with Thyia telling her approximately, where their kills were. They then fetched the wagons from the Inn into the Keep to make sure hungry villagers didn’t ransack them. Charis strode back towards the Main Hall in time to meet the old man leaving it.

“That stuff damm got them that for sure.”

“Yes, although there is no more. At least it made capturing them easier.”

“I needed to stay to see, I also made sure everyone broke their fast!” He chuckled to himself.

“But I am for home now, I don’t want to be here when the Baron wakes, it could be ugly!” He strolled away waving and smiling.

Charis checked with Astera and Helice and they found each wore at least one and some two items. One of the Priests wore three items, while the other wore none; the High Priest wore four items. When removed, there was no sense of friendliness about them anymore, no assumption of automatic trust, their evil revealed in a sense. Helice used one of Otonia’s knives to cut the items away, fortunately they tended to wear the loops and circles in their ears, either ear lobe or higher. The gems were typically under tattooed skin, the tattoo being an unknown symbol, so under the guise of removing the evil tattoo by slicing it off, they removed the gems as well. The pain of this process didn’t wake their patients, although once woken they were sure to notice.

Thyia reported they found ten dead Knights and they were outside by the stables. Charis sent Astera and Helice to find any items and then burn them, they could be more through with them as there wouldn’t be any need to minimise unexplained wounds. They used a horse stall to pile the armour into; this included the armour of the Knights still alive although asleep. Dione stabled her horse in a nearby stall to keep an eye on it all. They carried the bodies out of the Keep and raised a pyre on the forest side well away from the village. Charis sadly accepted the pyre would destroy any unfound items as time was of the essence.

There was still one unaccounted for and searching the Keep didn’t find him. The search extended to the Stables, Barracks and other outbuildings, a guard placed on the Gate, Thyia, Dirce, and Drosis were armoured and armed for the task. The Initiates finding useful pieces of armour from the pile of armour booty in the stable. It was better late than never, their scavenging proved useful so far and you couldn’t be everywhere at once with a small company.

It was late morning, with middle of the day approaching when those affected by the ointment began to regain their senses, which Charis considered well timed and generous, considering a small dab knocked out a bride to be for a day and a night. Charis also ensured a number of water skins were on the Baron’s table as well as water filled cups. Those wounded, gagged, and tied were the most violent in their response.

The Baron, while initially confused and upset settled down when he heard the explanation and reasoning. In particular the real possibility of the Keep’s inhabitants taken as hostages if they couldn’t free them before any fighting started, which concerned Charis deeply. He also drank the water conveniently within easy reach, to quench his thirst, further reducing his discomfort.

He couldn’t approach them either, normal God faring humans they weren’t, he felt uneasy and told Charis so. Charis asked Astera and Helice to check on the Keep’s guards in the Barracks and update them about what was happening. There were enough guards in the Main Hall to keep watch over their prisoners, although realistically they would need to withdraw if many gained their freedom at once. Unarmed the ten knights could still overpower the Daughters and take up arms again.

“Do you still have a dungeon Baron?” Charis asked, in spite of the unpleasant memory.

“No, not really, I am not sure what to do with so many!” the Baron answered.

“Well they are probably best here, in the main area of the Keep, where many walk by and can raise an alarm if they attempt to do anything they shouldn’t.”

“What about ablutions?” the Baron asked reasonably, thinking of his Hall.

“Chamber pots?” Charis offered.

Balius took Charis to the other side of the room.

“We don’t have the strength to manage one of them, they are under control now because they are tied and gagged. When they ask to perform their ablutions how are we going to ensure they don’t try to overpower us and escape?” Balius asked.

“I don’t know and we are in further danger as one is still unaccounted for. We thought we killed eleven, although only ten bodies have been burnt.”

“Still you thought you killed eleven? The eleventh is seriously wounded?”

“I hope so, although he did manage to escape after we considered him dead,” Charis replied.

“Could we dig a pit, large enough to fit them all, with a latrine trench and lower them into it?”

“It would mean freeing them and I am not sure if a pit would contain them and I don’t believe a deep enough pit could be dug in half a day. Maybe, if the villagers assisted?” Charis suggested.

“Could we hang them by their arms from the Keep Wall, with their feet off the ground, that way they could do whatever ablutions they want, we could clean it up later?”

“Perhaps we should give them a chance to escape and when they run we kill them. That might be the easiest and the safest.”

“Maybe we slit their throats where they are?” Balius suggested.

“Possibly, carry them outside first, otherwise the blood will make a mess of your Main Hall, and if you want to do this, you will need to ask your own men to execute them,” Charis advised.

“I realise now where you have led me with this conversation. We can’t allow our fear of them treat them dishonourably. We must be better, I understand,” the Baron said.

“I experienced the same disquiet as you, to act dishonourably while they are our prisoners is not the reason we are here.”

“Well what should we do with them?” the Baron asked.

“We should clear the Hall of them. With their evil revealed, their presence would dampen any thoughts of celebration and happiness. We will cart them outside, one at a time if we must and tie them to a stake in the ground. They can squat together although in no way act together. On the ground, they can perform any ablutions they must and inconvenience only themselves. At night, torches will need to provide enough light so the guards can observe them until morning. I don’t believe we can do more. Also if the missing Knight returns he will see his friends and perhaps attempt a rescue.”

“It will be organised as you say, I will ask if the village still has a carpenter and some useful wood.”

“Make an extra post just in case we capture the eleventh, may as well be prepared.”

"How do you think they covered their evil?"

"Perhaps whatever magic they used ran out or needed to be renewed every so often and being asleep for so long they didn't get the chance," Charis offered.

"Yes, the High Priest was fanatical in 'blessing them' every morning after breaking their fast."

Charis excused herself to check on her sisters, relieved the Baron found a plausable reason based upon her hints. She still needed to consider the prisoners, would they mention to anyone certain valuable items now lost.