Markuuara looked at the priestess before her as she approached, examining the barefoot woman’s plain robes as she approached. A smirk of confidence played upon her once pale sun kissed features, Markuuara’s clothes hugged her body suggestively as she strode forward on sharp stiletto heels which rose up into a pair of boots that caressed her calves.
“How goes the preparations for the Solstice?”
The Priestess bowed her body in response to being in the other woman’s presence, “Checks of the ancient cells goes well Mistress. Has your order dispatched your honoured self to oversee and potential candidates?”
Markuuara turned slightly to look into the nearest open chambers. “That appears to be the case, should any girls appear to be sutible then for a chosen duty.”
She bowed to the priestess before moving slowly through the chambers of the temple catacombs and up the stairway out of the temple.
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Melicia groaned as she hefted the heavy wood axe to her shoulder before heading off to the Militia station further into the village. Already she had made sure that she was protected from injury by wearing a thick woollen gambeson with several hides stitched into it to make crude form of armour. The village lacked any true force of military to protect it, resulting in several of the more able bodied having to take shifts as part of the militia. Melicia continued to trudge through the heavy snowfall, the dirt path ahead of her concealed deep beneath her boots. A patch of compressed ice caused her to stumble briefly, but she regained her footing before trudging onwards through the worsening weather. The sounds of the quiet forest echoed silently, broken only the the fall of rocks far off or the skittering Skoveira in the branches high above. Little else moved in the forest as the outer walls of the village neared. Ahead Old Munderic was scraping away at the paths close to his house, making sure that the frozen ground was clear for travel. Melicia greeted him before progressing onwards towards the large barn in the centre of the village. Already there was a small knot of people gathering together, each wearing a rough layer of armour and wielding a mix of weapons and faring implements. At the centre of the gathering band was a grizzled man mountain, Odilo the Sinerex, built like the creature he was said to have slain with his bare hands. Melicia knew that the story was a partial exaggeration, from what Odilo had told her when she joined the Militia the previous year, but not by a huge stretch. As she approached she could see that the face of the Militia leader was that of a thunderstorm as he took in each and every member who turned up for the shift. From her own viewpoint in the gathering, there seemed to be at least two shifts worth of people standing in the frozen village awaiting orders from the only permanent paid member of the militia, something big was happening.
Odilo gave a grunting growl of a snort, sweeping his eyes across those before him one final time before speaking. “Right then, we all seem to be here, including those from tomorrow’s shift. I wouldn’t have asked for you all to gather had there not been a need. According to reports from our village hunters, some idiot appears to have disturbed a Lirenex nest and taken the cubs whilst the mother was away hunting. Now that same mother is out hunting down any of us that enters her territory in order to get her cubs back. Unfortunately for us, her territory includes our village, so we need to dispose of her sooner rather than later so that she does not become a further threat to us or our livestock.” He paused, looking menacingly at those assembled before him before asking “Any questions? No? Right. Split up into your shifts and then into your patrol groups. Each will take a different path out of the Village until we reach nightfall and we have to head back. We will continue until she is dead or we reach two days before the solstice. Good luck and may the gods smile upon you.”
Melicia turned after hearing the last words and moved towards the east of the village, along with three others, past the home of Old Gerion and out into the forest beyond.
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Ermina trudged back to the large stately house as her training finally came to an end for the day. She relished the burning glow of her muscles warming her in the cold of the day as a fresh downfall of snow began to fall. She hurried onwards towards the entryway to the west wing where a rag servant met her.
“Young master, your father wishes to speak with you.” The scruffy looking woman barely a year older than herself informed, bowing slightly as she approached the door.
Ermina stripped off the shirt before grabbing a cloth and washed the sweat off her torso as she glanced at the girl. “Did he say what it was about?”
“A gift for you before you went into seclusion was all he would say.”
She towelled herself off, trying not to engage with the form of her body and how much she wanted to crawl out of it, before grabbing a clean shirt from the side and pulling it on as she began to head to her father’s office. The dark wood of the hallways seemed dark and oppressive as she moved onwards towards a room she dreaded entering. She stopped briefly infront of the office door before knocking and calling out. “Father it’s *******. You called for me?”
A pause before the voice within answered. “Enter”
Ermina slowly opened the door and stepped inside the large and oppressive space. Before her on the other side of his desk was her father, he gestured her to sit, as she entered. A strange sound started from beside the desk, a mewing of a stranded cub.
Her Father stood, before revealing a wooden crate, within which were two Lirenex cubs, each crying for their missing parent.
“One of our men found them the other day and brought them to me. I thought that they would be a good gift for you and your sister. I only give them to you now boy as you are about to go into seclusion over the solstice.”
Her Father seemed pleased with himself, but Ermina was horrified at the situation, despite the appearance of the two cubs before her.
“Thank you Father,” She began, trying the best way to refuse the gift.
“Excellent, I know you would like them.” The man beamed, his will forcing the refusal into her throat. “I hope that you and your sister will take care of them. You are almost a man now, and you must know how to deal with beasts and the lower people.”
Ermina looked at him stunned and yet unable to speak, paralysed by the maliciousness of the man before her.
--------
Markuuara sauntered into the large ornate conference room, aware of her own sexuality and owning the power that she could gain from it. Already there were several people gathered around the table and one sneered as she appeared in the doorway.
“Fuck, one of those bitches has turned up.” Spat a woman with as much venom as she could muster.
Markuuara smirked at the reaction as she strode to the table before curtseying towards those before her “Representative Markuuara of the Guild of Silk and Lace greets you guild master representatives.”
A large man rose from his seat at the table, even though she knew who he was before uttering his introduction, Markuuara allowed the formalities to continue as she brought her eyes to meet his.
“Castonius of the Far Walkers guild welcomes Mistress Markuuara of the Guild of Silk and Lace. Please Representative Markuuara, be seated”
Markuuara followed to where Castonius was gesturing and sat down with well practiced movements of supreme ettiquette, her ears perking up at a comment from another representative uttered to themselves.
“More like the guild of whores and sluts.” the woman muttered, trying not to be picked up.
Markuuara turned to her with a pleasant placating smile, presenting a pleasing front to whoever objected to her presence at the table. “Do you object to my presence at this table Mistress?”
“Mistress Landrada of the Guild of Spinners and weavers.”
“Ah, but your guild would object to our presence by our very name.” The representative for the Guild of Silk and Lace shot back at Landarda.
A cough from an elderly gentleman in the room drew their attention before their dispute could escalate.
“Dear Guildmasters and Representatives, we will present before you over the next few days information of those about to undergo seclusion over the solstice has been gathered and split into their village groups. As we all know the blessing sometimes allocates those with a duty to a guild, but at other times it is up to us guild masters to find potential candidates over the next few days. Before you is the first batch of individuals from the village of Uznius to the south of this city.” He explained.
Markuuara glanced through the paper pile before her, too many boys this year, there were some girls, but only one caught her attention, a hunter’s daughter, but she had yet to do anything of importance to mark her as a possible candidate. She paused when the sound of a maid’s shoe’s echoed down the corridor approaching the conference room. The young woman knocked gently on the door before entering and curtseying to the gathered representatives before approaching her mistress and delivering her message. She curtseyed again before leaving the room.
“That was interesting.” Markuuara murmured, looking at the name of the Hunter’s daughter, Just as the heavy sound of running footsteps approached the room again.
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