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DKP 6-2 A wolf to lead the sheep
🕑 Added 2020-10-31 22:00:57 +0000 UTCGersius dressed as the women shared the last few moments of calm. He knew what lay ahead for the day and what issue Thayle planned to address. Yarvine would have to be confronted and put and in her place before the tension in the camp grew any worse. Thayle was the one who had to do it and already settled the matter in her heart.
Thayle originally planned to wear her robe of office, but Sarah objected. She felt the Thayle needed to remind them that she was a dragon knight. She should wear the armor as proof she was chosen by the divines. Thayle eventually agreed, and Sarah helped her put it on, admiring the craftsmanship of the scales.
Once they were dressed, Lilly went to lead the acolytes in prayer as Sarah headed out to train her women of Astikar. Thayle took a long moment to sit in silence with her bowl in lap, praying to Ulustrah for guidance. Gersius felt her tension over what was coming and decided to intervene.
“Thayle, there is something I want to ask you,” he said as he stood at her side.
“What?” she replied, blinking her eyes and looking up.
He decided to sit behind her, folding his legs before carefully lifting her and the bowl into his lap. She smiled slightly to be so close to him as his hands came around her waist.
“I want to link to your meditation with Ulustrah and use the bind to speak through you to her,” he said.
“Why?”
“I am concerned about this vision you had about the woman with the bowl full of blood. I feel it is somehow linked to Yarvine, and I am praying Ulustrah will help us.”
“Gersius, I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Thayle replied.
“Please, I am hoping to avoid a serious confrontation with Yarvine.”
Thayle nodded and let out a long breath as she settled in his lap. With a sigh, she began to sing a gentle song while staring into the water. The surface glimmered for just a moment as Gersius put his hands to her wrists. He made skin to skin contact, and instantly he could see her thoughts and hear the singing as if it echoed in his mind.
He could feel the rush of power as the link to the divine was made and, for the first time, experienced what it was like to bathe in Ulustrah's holy waters. There was such a sense of calm and forgiveness as if anything wrong or hurtful was being washed away. He felt a sensation of love that bathed him in its embrace, challenging him to let go. He understood now why Thayle was so gentle a soul. Who could dwell in such peace and have a heart for war?.
“My Goddess, I come to share my presence with you,” Thayle whispered. “My husband wishes for your aid. He is joined to me through our bind and listening through me.”
Gersius waited for her to finish and was sure he heard a sort of song, like the wind dancing in the trees while birds sang.
“She is listening,” Thayle said. “She will hear what you have to say.”
Gersius nodded slightly and focused on his thoughts. He expressed his worry that they were all in danger and that Yarvine was going to lead them to disaster. He asked Ulustrah to guide him, as she had done so before, and carry them to safety.
There was a faint singing again, and he tried to focus on the sound when suddenly everything changed.
He stood on a grassy field and turned to see the distant walls of Calathen. He went to step forward, but there were chains on his wrists holding him back. A shrill voice laughed from someplace behind, and he turned to see a woman with her back to him. She had a silver bowl, much like Thayle's in her hand; only hers was full of blood. She set the bowl down and reached into the blood, drawing out a sword. She then reached in with the other hand and drew a second sword, holding them aloft with a cry of victory.
Her hands dripped of blood, and in each, she held a sword, one glowing with red light, the other green. She laughed again and raised the swords higher when another woman appeared. This one had short knives in her hands, and she stuck the first woman from behind. There was a terrible scream as the bloody-handed woman fell to her knees.
“No! I cannot fail now!” the dying woman wailed as she crumpled to the ground. “I was so close,” she moaned and then lay still.
Gersius was jerked awake by Thayle, who jumped up so rapidly she spilled her bowl.
“I'm sorry,” Thayle gasped. “I couldn't bear to see anymore.”
“You saw it then?” he asked.
Thayle nodded. “A woman with two swords being murdered by another.”
Gersius stood and took her into his arms, holding her tights as she trembled. “This must be important. Did you see something very similar in your vision?”
“Yes,” Thayle replied. “A woman with a silver bowl full of blood, stabbed from behind by a woman in the shadows.”
“It is the same vision then,” he suggested.
“No,” Thayle interrupted. “In the first vision, she didn't draw swords from the bowl, and she never spoke.”
“Ulustrah was answering me specifically,” Gersius said. “A woman with blood on her hands who wishes to claim two swords, one red, one green. At the moment of her victory, a second woman arrives to steal her life.”
“Does this mean someone is going to be murdered?” Thayle asked as she clung to his chest.
“I do not know,” he replied as he rubbed the back of her head. “But, it has something to do with Yarvine.”
“We don’t know that,” Thayle argued.
Gersius turned her loose and stepped back so he could look into Thayle's eyes. He saw a deep concern paining her once happy and seductive appearance. “Thayle, think about the vision and what we know. The first woman is a follower of Ulustrah. Her bowl is full of blood, which means she has blood on her hands. She draws two swords from the blood, which suggests blood was spilled to get them.”
“And?” Thayle asked in a whisper.
“Look at the memory. Those were our sword,” he said as her eyes went wide. She turned her head to look to the table where they rested and went silent. “You know I am right.”
“I don’t want to know,” Thayle replied. “But I do. One was red, the other green, they were obviously ours.”
“We also know Yarvine thinks your sword would be better in her care and has suggested I am not worthy to carry Astikars. She is the only one who thinks the swords should be taken away.”
Thayle went quiet as she considered his words and the possibility that Yarvine would try to take the swords. Gersius rubbed her hands and pulled her close to soothe her nerves. He had seen enough, and his suspicions were high now. He wondered if the first woman was Yarvine and if the blood in her bowl was theirs.
“It can’t be her,” Thayle said as she turned in his arms. “She might be a disagreeable woman, but she would never betray Ulustrah.”
Gersius thought back to the letter in the library below the keep. It said there were agents in every faith working to prevent Balisha from returning. He knew she was reading his thoughts and didn’t bother to verbalize it.
“I know what the letter said,” Thayle replied. “But it can’t be. Yarvine is a prime, elected by Ulustrah herself. Why would the goddess appoint a woman she knew would betray her?”
“I have no answer for you,” Gersius replied. “I know only what my instinct tells me.”
“I know your instinct is rarely wrong, but Yarvine is a prime of Ulustrah. She went through a right of proving and was found pure and deserving by the goddess herself.”
“The Father Abbot goes through a similar process of proving,” Gersius said. “Look at what he is capable of.”
He felt Thayle's anguish and decided not to push that logic. Thayle had a hard enough task to complete as it was; he didn't' need to burden her heart with this.”
“It isn’t a burden,” Thayle replied. “I’m sorry I don’t mean to keep seeing your thoughts.”
“I am getting used to it. Lilly never stops doing it,” he joked.
“Lilly loves having the connection,” Thayle sighed. “But I'm like you. Sometimes I want a little privacy.”
“Speaking of privacy, do you want me to come with you to face Yarvine?” He waited for her response as she looked away. He knew what she was going to say but hated the idea of her going alone.
“No, I have to do this myself. I need the followers of Ulsutrah to see that my authority comes from her, not you.” She turned in his arms and looked into his eyes. “But I wish you could.”
“You will be fine,” he said as worries ran through his mind. Yarvine had personal guards and an unknown number of loyal followers. Thayle could be walking into a potentially hostile situation where her life would be at risk.
“I am going to bring Mingfe, and twenty women who she says are loyal to me,” Thayle replied after reading his thoughts. “I intend to make this confrontation as public as possible. I need my army to see I am in charge and answer only to Ulustrah.”
“What about your plans for the primes?” Gersius asked.
“I will check on the message first. If I don't have my answer, I intend to move forward and strip the primes of any say in this war. I will conduct it how I see fit, even if they object. I suppose that will make her even angrier.”
“Is there some precedent in your order for something like this?” he asked, worried this might cause some women to revolt.
“As far as I know, no one has ever been appointed as the champion of Ulustrah or general of her armies.”
“What about that woman Sarah told us about? She said she led Ulustrah’s armies during the ancient war,” he suggested.
Thayle stood up and shook her head. “I've never heard of her, and I doubt anybody else has either. Her name will carry little weight.”
He still didn’t feel comfortable about this but knew there was no other option. “If I can’t be at your side, then at least allow me to be there.”
She nodded and stepped into this arms to enjoy a hug. “Alright, but you have to let me do this.”
“I promise,” he replied and pulled her in tight.
“Well then, let’s go and put an end to this,” Thayle said, straightening her belt.
Gersius walked beside her as she first made her way to the training areas. There she spoke to Mingfe, who was determined to triple the guards that already followed them. She warned Thayle that Yarvine had been making public announcements that the sword of Ulustrah should be in her care. Yarvine argued that it belonged to the order, not one wild priestess.”
“She doesn’t even refer to you by your titles,” Gersius pointed out.
“She will after today,” Thayle replied as Mingfe told her Yarvine would be in the second camp speaking to the women there. She took a dozen extra guards and went to the tent that acted as their temple. She went directly to the side tent, where Jaylis often sat in meditation. She drew the curtain back to discover the man lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
“By Ulustrah!” Thayle cried and rushed to his side.
“Seal this tent,” Gersius ordered to his guard. “Nobody comes in or leaves. One of you find Mingfe and tell her to come here immediately.” He turned back to Thayle as she turned Jaylis over to look into his lifeless eyes. His throat was slit, and his final expression was one of shock.
“He has no aura,” Gersius observed.
“Because he is long dead,” Thayle replied with a voice full of anger. “As a person dies, their aura rapidly fades, but even minutes after death, there is some faint light. He has been dead for several hours.” She stood up and quickly searched the area for any correspondences. There was a stack of paper with a quill and ink to write with but no letter.
Gersius watched as Thayle stormed into the outer tent and commanded the women on duty line up. She demanded to know when he was last seen alive and established it to be about four hours ago. She grilled them about who had come in and out of the tent since then. She got some names, but many admitted they don't know most of the women. Thayle pressed to know who had gone in to see Jaylis specifically, and they all agreed a woman with red hair had come three hours ago. None of them knew the woman's name, but she was dressed as a sister with a rose priestess rank.
Mingfe arrived as the description was being given, and Gersius took her to see Jaylis.
“It has come to this,” Mingfe growled. “Treachery in our ranks. I will find out who did this.” She turned and looked to Thayle, who was aglow with anger and frustration. She motioned Thayle to stand aside so she could whisper her concerns. “You should not face her alone.”
“I have to,” Thayle replied.
“I would wager my arm she is involved in this,” Mingfe argued.
“She is chosen by Ulustrah. I have to hold on to faith that her heart is still for the goddess,” Thayle argued as she looked down at the body of Jaylis. “But that doesn't mean I have to turn my back on her.”
“She is speaking outside the south wall to nearly a thousand of the woman who arrived with her. I will send several hundred women who are loyal to you to mingle with her ranks. If a fight breaks out, they will stand at your side.”
“I am not going to see the follows of Ulustrah slaughtering each other,” Thayle snapped back. “I will deal with Yarvine and put an end to her meddling.”
Mingfe took a quick glance over her shoulder at the women standing nearby before whispering again. “She believes she has the right to command because she is a prime, and neither of you are comparable to her rank. Many women see it the same way. They believe you should follow her instruction.” She paused and looked to Gersius. “And they believe you should take her council.”
Gersius heard the implication in her words and remembered the incident at the gate. Yarvine was a manipulator and would use her station to shield herself from Thayle. Thayle was a softer touch, who lead by example and through devotion to Ulustrah. However, she was passed her point of tolerance and ready to fight. She instructed Mingfe to grill the women for any details that might have been missed.
Together they headed outside the keep to the south wall where the first company was camped. It didn't take long to find Yarvine, standing on a hillock with two of her guards and a dozen women behind her. She spoke to a gathered mass of perhaps a thousand about the coming war and how they might yet avoid the bloodshed through her careful negotiations. This wasn't Ulustrah's war, and a poor decision made in Eastgate should not destroy their entire order.
“I will kill her,” Thayle growled as they reached the back of the gathered crowd.
“Remember who you are,” Gersius cautioned. “You are the chosen of Ulustrah. Stand as her light to the world.”
Thayle paused to take a deep breath and shouted to women to part as she marched down the center of the gathered crowd. Hushed whispers began to circulate as she made her way forward, the sun glinting on her silver armor. Yarvine noticed her immediately and frowned. She leaned over to whisper to a guard, and the women nodded. Gersius suspected a trap but had to stay his hand for now. Mingfe arrived at the side of the yard and gave him a nod as Thayle pushed her way to the front of the crowd. A moment later, a familiar face also arrived and went directly to him.
“Gedris,” he said as the woman came to him. “What are you doing here.”
“I have been looking for you for an hour,” she replied. “A messenger came to our tent with a note for Thayle. She said it was too dangerous to take it directly to her, so she asked me to do it. I went to your tent, but you were already gone, and Lilly told me you were going to confront Yarvine.”
Gersius nodded and gestured to the scene, unfolding by the hill. He saw the letter in Gedris's hand and reached to take it. Written on the paper with a shaky hand was a reply from Eastgate. His heart sank to read what it said, and he looked back to Thayle in pain. It contained one last line at the bottom that said. “I am sorry for what I did, but I had no choice. I will not survive the day for betraying her, Jaylis.”
“Did you see the woman who brought you this?” Gersius asked in as quiet a tone as he could manage.
“Just some woman with red hair,” Gedris replied. “But there are hundreds of them in the army.”
He ran a hand through his wild hair as Thayle reached the front of the crowd. “Stay at my side, and keep an eye out,” he said, turning back to the confrontation.
“And here is the wild one who will lead us to disaster,” Yarvine said with a look of contempt on her face.
Thayle didn't say a word as she walked to the side of the hill and began to climb. Four women moved from behind Yarvine to block her path, and Thayle paused for just a moment.
“Out of my way, priestesses,” Thayle commanded. When they didn't move, she drew her sword and held it firmly before her. “Out of my way, or I will cut you down.”
“You see,” Yarvine called. “She threatens to use the weapon of our goddess to slay her followers.”
“You be silent!” Thayle shouted, her voice echoing with dragon power. Her eyes burst into blue fire, and the women before her faltered and took a step back. Thayle burst through them as they looked on in shock, but several others moved to stand beside Yarvine.
“Those of you who stand with her will fall with her,” Thayle said as she drew within ten paces of Yarvine. The two guards immediately moved to block her with weapons drawn. Gersius could see the stance was aggressive, and they would fight. He nodded to Mingfe, and the two of them began to move closer as he closed his hand on the hilt of his sword. His guards followed as the tense moment grew into a thunderstorm, the two women prepared to fight for control.
“You have come before a prime with the holy weapon of our goddess in hand,” Yarvine accused. “I can only assume you mean this display as a threat to your superior. I cast you out of the order of Ulustrah and strip you of your rank and powers. Let the water be poured that your blessing be removed!”
Thayle stood tall, her eyes never leaving the two guards before her. Gersius could feel her over the bind. She was calculating the best way to kill them quickly so she could skewer Yarvine. He began to rush forward as her hand tightened on the grip of her sword, then suddenly she smiled.
“Fine, let the water be poured,” Thayle said to a sudden burst of whispers.
“What does that mean?” Gersius whispered to Gedris.
“They will pray over a bowl of water and then pour it on her head. Once they do, her connection to the goddess will be gone,” she replied.
“By the divines, they will not,” Gersius growled.
“Stay there,” Thayle said in his head. “I know what I am doing.”
“They will not take your goddess from you,” he replied silently.
“No, they won't,” Thayle answered in a firm voice.
“Thayle, this has gone too far,” he insisted.
“You promised me you wouldn’t interfere. I need you to trust me.”
He grit his teeth and motioned to Mingfe to stop. They were more than halfway to the hilltop as A bowl of water was presented to Yarvine. She took six women and had them sing a song of condemnation over it as Thayle waited patiently with a smile on her face. White smoke began to curl from the water's surface, and Gersius caught a glimpse of Mingfe twitching to intervene. The bowl was raised high in Yarvine's hands and presented to the gathered crowd.
“I hereby remove you from the order of Ulustrah and strip you of your titles and powers. By Ulustrah's will, are you now punished!”
“Ulustrah's will be done,” Thayle said, her smile never fading.
“Why is she allowing this?” Gedris gasped.
Gersius started to smile as he realized what was happening and felt a sudden sense of east. The bowl was lifted over Thayle's head, and the water poured as women cried out to condemn her. Thayle stood motionless as Yarvine stepped back with a pleased smile on her face.
“Strip her of that sword. Ulustrah’s gift belongs to her faithful,” Yarvine commanded.
Thayle drew the weapon and held it out, the handle presented to the guards. As soon as one of them reached for the weapon, green chains wrapped around her. They squeezed tightly and lifted the guard from the ground to float in the air. The second guard was also wrapped and carried up as Thayle swept her hair back and glared at Yarvine.
“It would seem Ulustrah's will has been done,” she said in a commanding tone. She plunged the sword into the ground, and all around it, flowers began to burst forth and bloom, rising to Thayle's knees.
“It failed?” Gedris said. “Ulustrah refused to take her blessing away from her.”
“Because she is Ulustrah's chosen,” Gersius said. He was impressed at Thayle's cunning, turning a moment of shame into a powerful symbol of her right to lead. All around him, women were now whispering that Thayle must be Ulustrah's champion.
“Chain her!” Yarvine commanded the women at her side. Several fell into song and raised hands, but nothing happened.
“I said, chain her!”
“We can’t,” one of the women replied. “The goddess will not answer our call.”
Thayle walked directly to Yarvine as the women beside her fled in terror. Yarvine stood her ground, but her face no longer looked in control. She leaned back slightly as Thayle glared into her eyes.
“You will renounce your plans and your criticism of me. You are removed from command of any women of Ulustrah until I put you back in your temple in Calathen. If you get in my way again, I will ship you under guard to Eastgate and have you held until I have completed my mission.”
“You cannot order a prime!” Yarvine shouted back. “I am chosen by Ulustrah herself!”
“I am Ulustrah's champion!” Thayle returned, her voice echoing with dragon power. “I have been chosen as well and given authority to lead her armies free from meddling primes. If you wish to establish who is more favored, then consider this. You couldn't cast me out, but I assure you, I can cast you out.”
Yarvine's nostrils flared at that threat, and the women folded her arms in defiance. Thayle ignored her and walked back to the sword, pulling it from the ground to hold it aloft for all to see.
“You see this?” Thayle asked.
“You will not hurt a prime!” a woman shouted as two ran from the back of the hill with swords drawn. Thayle turned to meet them and quickly swept one woman's blade aside. A quick stab and her shoulder was bleeding, causing the weapon to fall from her hand. Thayle promptly turned on the other, sweeping a leg to make her falter, then sliced her arm, sending that weapon the ground as well.
Gersius noted the attacks were quick and precise, meant only to wound and disarm. Again he was impressed as Thayle paid the two no more attention as they stumbled away.
“You have injured two of your own sisters!” Yarvine roared.
“You injured those women,” Thayle said. “Your foolish need to be in control, and your venomous words caused that. Those women did that because you have told them I do not have the right to lead. I am chosen of Ulustrah as her champion, and by the blessing of several divines as a dragon knight. I have been given this sword to mark my station, and as a symbol of the blood I will spill to keep it.” She turned to face the gathered women who looked on in shock as Thayle held the weapon high.
“Do you see this?” she asked again as blood ran down the blade. “This is a sacred blade Glitterroot, forged by Ulustrah herself and handed down to her champions for thousands of years. We were told by a messenger of the divines where it was, and my loved ones and I paid the price to claim it. No man or woman can take it from me. Only Ulustrah can choose a new owner. So long as I am the wielder of this weapon, no one can question my right to rule.”
“You have soiled your essence with that of the dragons,” Yarvine barked. “You are a tainted thing!”
Thayle turned back, lowering the sword as she tightened her grip on the handle.
“What is she doing?” Gedris asked.
Gersius let out a low rumble as he watched his anger flaring. “She is showing the women she is no longer a shepherd. She has become a wolf.”
“And the flock had better learn their place,” Sarah added as she folded her arms.
Gersius turned in shock as Sarah and Lilly joined his side. He was so caught up in the commotion he hadn’t noticed their approach in the bind.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Word of this confrontation is sweeping the camp,” Sarah replied. “Half the army is here now.”
“Thayle feels angry,” Lilly said. “Like you do when something terrible happens.”
Gersius sighed and turned back as Thayle once again faced Yarvine.
Thayle held up a hand, and green light wrapped around Yarvine as the chains formed with almost no effort.
“You attack a prime! You have forsaken your oaths!”
“My oaths are to Ulustrah!” Thayle shouted back. “If your title and position are so great, then call on her to judge me. I will stand before this entire assembly and wait for her reply. I doubt it will be any more effective than your effort to cast me out.”
“She is maintaining three blessings?” a woman whispered in sheer confusion.
Gersius looked over his shoulder as more whispers began to spread. He felt a tap on his arm and was relieved to see Ayawa and Tavis as well.
“Word is spreading through the camp that Thayle has killed Yarvine,” Ayawa said.
“She only wounded two of the guards,” Lilly replied as they watched Thayle lift all three of the chained women from the ground, supported only by the magic of the blessings.
“How is she doing that?” Gedris asked.
“What is she doing that is so amazing?” Sarah asked.
“She is holding three people in chains,” Gedris said. “It takes a decent amount of focus to hold one. Two is extremely difficult, but three is impossible. She is doing it and making it look effortless. I have never seen or heard of anyone doing such a thing.”
“You will learn your place, or I will send you to Eastgate in chains!” Thayle roared. “You will make available to me all your records, logs, and personnel.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Yarvine roared.
Thayle's eyes began to glow brighter, the fire flaring in the air causing more gasps from the crowd as she squeezed her hand. The chains around the women tightened, causing them both to cry out in anguish.
“That's impossible,” Gedris remarked. “You can tighten the chains, but you can't crush with them. She is more powerful than any priestess in history.”
Sarah smiled at that remark, a profound sense of pride in Thayle filling her heart.
“I can feel her pulling on me,” Lilly whispered. “She is drawing on my power to maintain her blessings.”
“She should pull on me,” Sarah said. “I have more to draw on and will not feel the weakness as readily as you will.”
“I have only become weak a couple of times,” Lilly replied.
“It only makes sense to draw on the well instead of the bucket,” Sarah said with finality in her tone. “But, I understand if you enjoy sharing this with her. Perhaps there is a way you can draw on me to avoid the weakness.”
Lilly smiled and went back to watching the display as Thayle turned and used the chains to hurl Yarvine and her guard from the hill to the feet of the crowd below.
“There is your station,” Thayle said with a firm voice before looking out over the crowd. “I am the champion of Ulustrah, chosen to lead her armies. I am above the primes until this conflict has ended, and my duty as general is no longer needed. Yarvine has no authority over me and cannot countermand my orders.” She paused to let the stunned crowd catch its breath before continuing.
“Hear me now. We are in this war not because Gersius came to our temple or a Prime made a poor decision. We are in this war because the Father Abbot has turned his back on Astikar, and tried to hide the truth. Our war isn't with Astikar; it is with those who deny the truth and seek to keep it from being known. Our great gift from Mother Ulustrah to always know the truth from lies is why they are attacking us. They can't keep their lie when we can see through it. If you want out of this war, then gouge out your eyes because so long as you can see, you are their enemy. If you love the goddess and treasure her blessings as I do, then you must stand behind me and follow into war and bloodshed.”
“Why are her words so cold and harsh?” Ayawa asked. “She was always such a gentle touch.”
“It is the bind,” Gersius said. “She is being changed by us.”
“She is being changed by me, you mean,” Sarah sighed. “My cold heart has affected her.”
“I see some of your nature in her words,” Gersius replied. “But it will lessen with time.”
“Am I a danger to your family?” Sarah asked as Thayle sheathed her sword and ordered the women to disperse.
“You will grow rapidly, and much about your nature will soften,” Gersius said as Thayle stood like an angry goddess. “As it does, so too will the rest of us. It will be better in a few weeks.”
Yarvine rose to her feet, and Thayle commanded her to stay. She stood above the woman and removed her of any useful role in the camp. She wasn't even allowed to lead worship services and was encouraged to leave. Yarvine remained silent, a look of murder in her eyes and an aura full of rage. Thayle made one last threat before ordering the woman away. It was only as Yarvine stormed off that the pain in Thayle's heart began to show.
“She is suffering,” Sarah said in a whisper as Lilly ran to the hill and up it to wrap her arms around Thayle.
“This might get worse,” Ayawa said.
“No, it will not,” Gersius replied as he watched Lilly hug Thayle and try to comfort her. “Yarvine tested Thayle's faith and was proven wrong. She has lost the respect of the women, and Thayle has made it clear she is chosen to lead.”
“We should get rid of Yarvine,” Sarah said. “I can fly her to Eastgate in a matter of days.”
Gersius shook his head. “That is for Thayle to decide.” He looked to his right at Gedris, and a thought came to mind.
“Does Yarvine know you are a priestess of Ulustrah?”
“No,” Ayawa replied for her. “And we are keeping it that way.”
He nodded as a thought came to mind. The march would begin again in the morning, and Thayle would be solidly in command. Yarvine might try to undermine her somehow, but the whole camp knew who was truly in command. Sarah went to join Lilly, and the three women spoke on the hill as the crowd dispersed.
“I take it she is a wife,” Ayawa asked.
“Sarah is our wife,” Gersius replied. “And what a terrible time for it to happen.”
“None of your wives have come at a good time,” Ayawa said. “But maybe they came at the right time.”
“I think it’s wonderful,” Gedris interjected. “She is very beautiful.”
Gersius looked to the hill, and the three women gathered on top and had to agree. They were all beautiful and unique in their own ways. Each strong in character and honest of heart, but as today showed, those hearts would be tested, and blood spilled. Would they be the same women when the last battle was over, and the horrible prices paid? He looked at the letter in his hand and remembered what it contained. Those prices were going to be high, and the first one was terrible.
Comments
WhiteRabbit
Glad to hear the good news
Sam4005
So fucking satisfying (wish she would be killed), finally. Np enjoy the good news. Ty for chapy!
Sorry this was so late. My poor wife really wanted some attention today and I of course put her first. Some very positive things have happened in her life of late and she is feeling a sort of emotional outburst from it as it lifts a lot of stress. So a happy good reason for a delay for a change.
