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“And that is why I suspect that the minds of the entire household are being affected.” I told Lady Ingrid. I had left out the part about my System message.

“How would such a curse get past our wards? How would it work at ALL inside?” She casually waved a bloody knife at me while talking. It would have been so easy for her to thrust it into my face.

“I don’t know. Did the woman, Feor have anything to do with re-making the wards?”

“The woman who tore them down? Do I look like an idiot?”

“You look like someone who has had many things to keep her busy.”

“Including checking the wards, before, during, and after construction. They should prevent all harmful magic.”

“It sounds as though I must be mistaken, then.”

“Well, be mistaken with a suture needle and thread. And sew it double. I expect for there to be fighting tomorrow.”

.....

“Should I add him to the list of people I’m bringing food to?”

“He has no intestinal wound; feed him as much as he wants.”

“I want sleep, more.” Victor said. “My wife can see to my needs.”

Lady Ingrid snorted. “See that he eats SOMETHING. As long as it isn’t another person, I don’t care what.”

The kitchen smelled of fresh mutton. I wondered if the sheep I had dubbed as “Noisy” was among the dishes.

I’m sure I’ve pointed out before that levels affect the nutrition you need, and that intense action, such as combat, serves as a multiplier. By the time all the warriors were fed, their wives were doing most of the transport. Easily two thirds of the remaining warriors were laid up in beds, and mood at the feasting hall when I got there with my bowl of porridge was grim.

“How is it,” Sigmund asked me, “that so many of my warriors are injured beyond battle, and yet YOU are eating here with us?”

I shrugged. “I am at two of my thirty health. If I had a bed, someone would probably have tied me to it by now.”

“You had best eat quickly.” Tomas said. He pointed over my shoulder. “Frieda waits.”

I ate quickly. “Show me high thrust.” I said. “Height of an adult male’s chest.”

Then, “Good, good, I thought as much. Now come over here, to the inner line. Place your right knee here, on the seat of this chair. You will practice high thrust over my head, as I charge from the door to the entrance room.”

I sighed. “Bend your other leg, you’ll want its thrusting power as well.”

And we practiced, at real speed, for all of the thrusts it took before I was tired.

“I can go longer.” She said.

“Get good sleep tonight. You will need your full fatigue meter to hold this line with your father.”

“I... I get to fight? Alongside my father?”

“Until he tells you to leave this line of defense and escort the women to safety.” I said.

“Father, is this true?”

Tomas turned in his seat. Without a single hair changing color, he seemed a decade older. “It seems the Speaker of Truth has already said so.”

“I’ll get to sleep immediately!” Frieda said.

Tomas waved me over. “You understand there is nowhere you can hide if she dies tomorrow?”

I nodded. “Of course not.”

#

Try to remember what it felt like, the last time your health meter was low. Pains seemed sharper, didn’t they? Everything more exhausting, and the truest deepest desire was just to SLEEP.

I sprawled atop the soft fur that served as my bed, in the hallway outside the closet that it was stored in during the day. This is the state I was in when Kismet and Madonna shook me awake.

“Nooooooo.... What can’t wait until morning?”

“We need to escape tonight.” Madonna said.

“We have the rope, but it’s not long enough.” Kismet said. “It won’t reach the ground if we tie it to the chimney. We need you to anchor it.”

“There will be a guard on the roof.” I said, “to watch for night attacks.”

“Whom YOU can put asleep.” Madonna said.

“It won’t work.” I complained.

Except that I didn’t even have to do that. I wasn’t the only one tired after the long day, it seemed.

From the corner opposite the front and away from the pigsty, we descended to the ground, my companions by rope, and I afterward, precariously jamming talons between boards.

“Why have we been there this many months? That seemed easy enough.” Madonna said.

I sat with my back to the corner of the great hall. “Where are all the townsfolk?”

Kismet squinted. “Rhishi. Shut. Up. We’re outside. We’re frigging safe. SAFE.”

“You’re about to say something noble and self-sacrificing, aren’t you?” Madonna asked.

“You two should head downhill, toward town. See to freeing Igrun Sivert. There are two here who must die, and that means getting them to overextend themselves.”

Kismet crossed her arms. “No. You stand up. It’s no safer for us in town than here.”

“The jarl no longer has the forces to siege the town. It’s over.” I said.

“Then let’s all go.”

I shook my head. “My fatigue is at zero of two. Two of my three daily uses of Sprint are used up. I wouldn’t make it to the funeral pyres. But you two can, and should.”

“Come along, furball.” Madonna said. “Big stupid man needs to big and stupid.”

“No, no. I’m not going. We can CARRY him if we have to.”

“Kismet, SLUMBER.” The spell was poorly cast, and undirected, and I REALLY wanted to sleep.

And so I did, until the twin motivators of sunlight and woodsmoke woke me. I tried to roll over on the ground, ending up on my back.

I hate being on my back. Why couldn’t I just SLEEP? I’d earned that, hadn’t I?

A short boot kicked me in the eye.

“Wake up.” Kismet said, “We need you to stand behind us and just shut up.”

[You have taken three points of Bludgeoning damage. After armor, no damage has been received. You have 8/30 health remaining.]

#

The problem of waking up, for me, is that once I do start moving around, I’m usually awake. An entire day of ... what were we doing today?

Oh, right, the exact opposite of what the plan said we were going to.

“Hi!” Kismet said. “We’re escaped slaves of the jarl, and we’d like to join the revolution.”

“What revolution?” someone’s wife or mother asked, “Were you not paying attention, lass? We lost. We’ve got over four dozen dead, at least that many more wounded. That’s near unto half of our manfolk.”

“But he’s down to under a third of his.” Madonna said. “You were winning.”

“At what cost?” someone’s brother or son asked us. “Look about, here. Tell us anything is worth this.”

To her credit, she tried. “He has under a handful of warriors! Close the gates, he can’t siege you.”

But the gates were open, and unguarded.

“Let’s get a ship out of here.” Black Madonna said. “We can at least do that.”

“With what money?” I asked.

“Maybe we can pay our passage with work?”

“Before the jarl and his men find us?” I asked.

“So, what is your plan?” Madonna asked, “Go back, and beg for your life?”

“We need to get Igrun Sivert, and get to the woods.” I said. I explained to them what I thought was going on with the jarl and his men.

“Well I don’t see her here. You don’t suppose she’d be...” Kismet said.

Madonna nodded. “Branded slave, where else would she be?”

So we made our way to the building with the blue lanterns. We checked both front and back doors, but they were locked.

“Maybe we should knock?” I said.

“It’s wood.” Madonna said. “I can burn them out.”

“Let’s try knocking first, and those terrace windows on the second floor if that doesn’t work.” Kismet said.

“Go AWAY!” the matron screamed at us through the closed door, “We’re closed until dusk!”

.....

“Open the door, or we’ll force our way in.” I replied.

“Uhm, Rhishi, maybe that’s not the best tactic right now?” Kismet asked.

“You think you’ve the Might to get through a door? Be my guest. This door...”

I kicked the door open. “This door was broken two days ago. Anyone who could have repaired it has been busy fighting or covering other positions. We’re coming in, now.”

She shrieked at us, and invoked hospitality, and didn’t stop. I was so tempted to pull my mace out and hit her. I waved a hand dismissively.

“Madonna, she’s yours if she keeps up.”

She kept up, and people came out of their rooms when she began wailing. Not Igrun, not Igrun... There.

“Miss Igrun, we need to go. Now.”

“I can’t. These collars choke us if we leave.”

I pulled a knife from my inventory. “That’s easily fixed.” I said.

“No, they also choke us if you try that.”

So I had to pull her downward to get my teeth around the collar. It nearly broke them, but the leather did eventually give way. Stupid enchanted objects.

“Me next! Me next... please.”

Ugh! We’d have been there all day if Kismet hadn’t come along with the matron’s keys.

#