6.3
New
- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The next day as they rode, Bors suddenly threw up his hand.
"Someone's coming!" he shouted, bringing his horse around. "From behind us!"
The party erupted into a flurry of activity, the warriors riding to the back as Charles drove the remounts forward alongside the cart. The squires stayed back to protect the cart, but Father Clovis joined Iris and her companions in the rearguard. Iris put on her helmet, but Alessa kept her head bare as she rode to the fore.
A party of mounted men was riding down the King's Road, dressed in black. There couldn't have been more than a dozen; as they came in hailing distance of the party, they slowed to a halt, their leader riding forward to meet Alessa.
"Hail and well met, brothers and sisters," he said. He was a tall, dour-looking man, clean-shaven with shoulder-length blond hair falling from under a wide-brimmed black hat. He and his companions were all dressed in blacks, greys, or whites. All were armed; their leader had a longsword belted at his side.
"Hail," Alessa said. "I am Madame Alessa Harcourt, and these are my companions and retainers. Name yourself."
The man swept his hat off and bowed in the saddle.
"I am Brother Ezekiel Fall-by-the-Sword Stewart, of the Purified Church of the Lady." He raised his eyes, and they fell on Chiri. "I see you travel in the company of one of the catfolk, Madame."
Chiri hissed, and Alessa's hand crept towards the hilt of her sword. Iris wasn't sure who these men were, but she instantly disliked them, and moved to put herself between Chiri and the strangers.
"As I said, these are my friends and companions. What is your errand…Brother?"
Brother Ezekiel returned his hat to his head.
"We are on pilgrimage to the Lady's Sanctuary in the Forest of Dern, Madame," he said, smiling amiably.
"Then we are on the same errand," Alessa said, although she didn't sound pleased by the fact.
"Hm. Perhaps, then, it is the Lady's will that we travel together?"
"Permit me a word with my companions," Alessa said. She rode back to the others, and they joined her in a close huddle.
"Father Clovis, who the fuck are these guys?" Iris asked.
"Purifiers," the priest said. His expression was cold. "After the Great Plague, many flocked to the protection of the Church. Perhaps it was the madness of those times, but many strange sects emerged claiming to do the will of the Lady. One of them was the Purifiers. They believed that the plague was a punishment, and that sickness was a moral failing. There is nothing they hate more than the incomplete body – the sick, the infirm, the deviant..."
"And the catfolk," Chiri muttered. The catgirl was on edge, her fur standing up.
"Indeed, and much evil was done at their hand during the Plague Years."
"Oh, so these guys suck," Iris said, glancing back at the Purifiers over her shoulder.
Bors nodded in agreement.
"In all honesty, Lady Iris, I would prefer the Flagellants, and they're complete nutters."
"Indeed," Father Clovis said.
"So, what, are they heretics?" Iris asked.
"Unfortunately, it's not so simple," Father Clovis continued, "The Church was not very unified after the Great Plague. It had expanded too quickly. At the Second Council of Lantilla the fringe sects such as the Purifiers and Flagellants were declared in communion with the rest of the faith…and, despite controversy, they have remained as such ever since."
"Many in the Church called it a devil's bargain," Alessa said. She had been silent during the conversation, lost in thought. "At the very least it put a stop to them burning people at the stake."
"At least where people could see," Chiri spat.
Alessa drummed her fingers on the hilt of her sword.
"I'm afraid we have no reason not to travel with them," she said finally, "But they won't harm you as long as you're my companion."
"…very well, Madame Alessa," Chiri muttered, pulling the brim of her hat down. Iris put a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.
"It'll be fine, Chiri, promise," she murmured.
Alessa turned to the other pilgrims.
"Very well, Brother Ezekiel, you and your men shall travel with us. Tell me what supplies you have, perhaps we can share…"
They left the main road, heading deeper into the forest. The pilgrims who had gone ahead of them had cut a track through the trees, wide enough for their cart. In some places they had felled trees or broken up fallen logs to clear the way, in other places they had merely cleared the undergrowth. It was difficult going, with the trail little more than a muddy track, and tangling tree roots and hanging branches frequently got in their way. At several points the cart got stuck and they had to wrestle it free.
Brother Ezekiel and his men kept to themselves, sitting around their own campfire at night and barely speaking to the rest of the party during travels. The Purifier preacher didn't even insist on joining them in prayers, instead only addressing his own men.
Iris didn't like the looks they sent Chiri…or to her. She didn't really need a lesson on history or theology to recognize small-minded bigots who hated anyone that was different; she'd been dealing with them all her life.
"I'd just like them to try something," Iris snarled, her hand on the hilt of her sword. She was sitting around a campfire with her girlfriends, watching the Purifiers conclude their evening prayers and sit down for dinner a short distance away.
"No, you don't," Alessa said, "We're outnumbered, and they're all armed. I wouldn't like our odds in a fight."
"She's right, Iris," Chiri said, pushing back the brim of her hat, "The best thing to do is try not to provoke them."
Iris spat into the fire.
"These are violent fanatics," Alessa said, "We should part ways as soon as possible."
"If you'll permit me," Father Clovis said, appearing behind them and joining them at their fire, "They may not be beyond saving yet. Some of these young men were probably raised in a Purifier Church and have little exposure to the outside world. Perhaps if I were to talk to them, they could be turned onto a different path."
None of the three women said anything at first.
"If you'd like to try it, Father, be my guest," Iris finally said. "I'm staying here."
"I wouldn't have asked you to do otherwise."
***
One night in the woods, Iris dreamt of the wolf-goddess.
They weren't in the usual featureless black void. Instead, they were in a deep, primal forest, dense trees covered in moss, trees as old, so it seemed, as the world itself. There was water dripping from the leaves high above to land in puddles, ripples breaking up images of a dark, inverted forest. Shadows lay dense beneath the eaves. It was like the forest they had traveled through, but…more. Iris didn't even bother asking where they were, or if this was real; she knew the wolf-goddess well enough that she didn't expect a clear answer.
Her personal goddess in question was crouched on the forest floor, gutting a sheep with her bare hands.
"Ah, Iris, there you are. Want the liver? It's very nutritious."
Arms red to the elbows with blood, she offered Iris a glistening lump of flesh.
Iris blinked.
"Uh. No thanks."
"Suit yourself. Also good for divination." She peered at the liver closely. Whatever she saw there, she didn't share. "Anyway, I wanted to warn you, you're going into a place of the Lady of Light's power. I won't be able to assist you once you're there."
"I'll keep that in mind," Iris muttered, "I actually wanted to ask you about the Lady. You know, since you're both goddesses, I thought you'd know something about her."
"Well, I know that she used to be a lot more fun."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ha! Only that in ages past we battled side-by-side against evil gods and Archdevils to make the world safe for mortals. Those were the days, when blood stained the stars and there was war in Heaven! Oh, but then she wanted to settle down and raise a church. I guess you could say we had…hm, different priorities."
"Oh, do not tell me you and the Lady of Light are exes."
The wolf-goddess bared her fangs.
"Look, if you see her, just tell her I said hello."
"Someone's coming!" he shouted, bringing his horse around. "From behind us!"
The party erupted into a flurry of activity, the warriors riding to the back as Charles drove the remounts forward alongside the cart. The squires stayed back to protect the cart, but Father Clovis joined Iris and her companions in the rearguard. Iris put on her helmet, but Alessa kept her head bare as she rode to the fore.
A party of mounted men was riding down the King's Road, dressed in black. There couldn't have been more than a dozen; as they came in hailing distance of the party, they slowed to a halt, their leader riding forward to meet Alessa.
"Hail and well met, brothers and sisters," he said. He was a tall, dour-looking man, clean-shaven with shoulder-length blond hair falling from under a wide-brimmed black hat. He and his companions were all dressed in blacks, greys, or whites. All were armed; their leader had a longsword belted at his side.
"Hail," Alessa said. "I am Madame Alessa Harcourt, and these are my companions and retainers. Name yourself."
The man swept his hat off and bowed in the saddle.
"I am Brother Ezekiel Fall-by-the-Sword Stewart, of the Purified Church of the Lady." He raised his eyes, and they fell on Chiri. "I see you travel in the company of one of the catfolk, Madame."
Chiri hissed, and Alessa's hand crept towards the hilt of her sword. Iris wasn't sure who these men were, but she instantly disliked them, and moved to put herself between Chiri and the strangers.
"As I said, these are my friends and companions. What is your errand…Brother?"
Brother Ezekiel returned his hat to his head.
"We are on pilgrimage to the Lady's Sanctuary in the Forest of Dern, Madame," he said, smiling amiably.
"Then we are on the same errand," Alessa said, although she didn't sound pleased by the fact.
"Hm. Perhaps, then, it is the Lady's will that we travel together?"
"Permit me a word with my companions," Alessa said. She rode back to the others, and they joined her in a close huddle.
"Father Clovis, who the fuck are these guys?" Iris asked.
"Purifiers," the priest said. His expression was cold. "After the Great Plague, many flocked to the protection of the Church. Perhaps it was the madness of those times, but many strange sects emerged claiming to do the will of the Lady. One of them was the Purifiers. They believed that the plague was a punishment, and that sickness was a moral failing. There is nothing they hate more than the incomplete body – the sick, the infirm, the deviant..."
"And the catfolk," Chiri muttered. The catgirl was on edge, her fur standing up.
"Indeed, and much evil was done at their hand during the Plague Years."
"Oh, so these guys suck," Iris said, glancing back at the Purifiers over her shoulder.
Bors nodded in agreement.
"In all honesty, Lady Iris, I would prefer the Flagellants, and they're complete nutters."
"Indeed," Father Clovis said.
"So, what, are they heretics?" Iris asked.
"Unfortunately, it's not so simple," Father Clovis continued, "The Church was not very unified after the Great Plague. It had expanded too quickly. At the Second Council of Lantilla the fringe sects such as the Purifiers and Flagellants were declared in communion with the rest of the faith…and, despite controversy, they have remained as such ever since."
"Many in the Church called it a devil's bargain," Alessa said. She had been silent during the conversation, lost in thought. "At the very least it put a stop to them burning people at the stake."
"At least where people could see," Chiri spat.
Alessa drummed her fingers on the hilt of her sword.
"I'm afraid we have no reason not to travel with them," she said finally, "But they won't harm you as long as you're my companion."
"…very well, Madame Alessa," Chiri muttered, pulling the brim of her hat down. Iris put a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.
"It'll be fine, Chiri, promise," she murmured.
Alessa turned to the other pilgrims.
"Very well, Brother Ezekiel, you and your men shall travel with us. Tell me what supplies you have, perhaps we can share…"
They left the main road, heading deeper into the forest. The pilgrims who had gone ahead of them had cut a track through the trees, wide enough for their cart. In some places they had felled trees or broken up fallen logs to clear the way, in other places they had merely cleared the undergrowth. It was difficult going, with the trail little more than a muddy track, and tangling tree roots and hanging branches frequently got in their way. At several points the cart got stuck and they had to wrestle it free.
Brother Ezekiel and his men kept to themselves, sitting around their own campfire at night and barely speaking to the rest of the party during travels. The Purifier preacher didn't even insist on joining them in prayers, instead only addressing his own men.
Iris didn't like the looks they sent Chiri…or to her. She didn't really need a lesson on history or theology to recognize small-minded bigots who hated anyone that was different; she'd been dealing with them all her life.
"I'd just like them to try something," Iris snarled, her hand on the hilt of her sword. She was sitting around a campfire with her girlfriends, watching the Purifiers conclude their evening prayers and sit down for dinner a short distance away.
"No, you don't," Alessa said, "We're outnumbered, and they're all armed. I wouldn't like our odds in a fight."
"She's right, Iris," Chiri said, pushing back the brim of her hat, "The best thing to do is try not to provoke them."
Iris spat into the fire.
"These are violent fanatics," Alessa said, "We should part ways as soon as possible."
"If you'll permit me," Father Clovis said, appearing behind them and joining them at their fire, "They may not be beyond saving yet. Some of these young men were probably raised in a Purifier Church and have little exposure to the outside world. Perhaps if I were to talk to them, they could be turned onto a different path."
None of the three women said anything at first.
"If you'd like to try it, Father, be my guest," Iris finally said. "I'm staying here."
"I wouldn't have asked you to do otherwise."
***
One night in the woods, Iris dreamt of the wolf-goddess.
They weren't in the usual featureless black void. Instead, they were in a deep, primal forest, dense trees covered in moss, trees as old, so it seemed, as the world itself. There was water dripping from the leaves high above to land in puddles, ripples breaking up images of a dark, inverted forest. Shadows lay dense beneath the eaves. It was like the forest they had traveled through, but…more. Iris didn't even bother asking where they were, or if this was real; she knew the wolf-goddess well enough that she didn't expect a clear answer.
Her personal goddess in question was crouched on the forest floor, gutting a sheep with her bare hands.
"Ah, Iris, there you are. Want the liver? It's very nutritious."
Arms red to the elbows with blood, she offered Iris a glistening lump of flesh.
Iris blinked.
"Uh. No thanks."
"Suit yourself. Also good for divination." She peered at the liver closely. Whatever she saw there, she didn't share. "Anyway, I wanted to warn you, you're going into a place of the Lady of Light's power. I won't be able to assist you once you're there."
"I'll keep that in mind," Iris muttered, "I actually wanted to ask you about the Lady. You know, since you're both goddesses, I thought you'd know something about her."
"Well, I know that she used to be a lot more fun."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ha! Only that in ages past we battled side-by-side against evil gods and Archdevils to make the world safe for mortals. Those were the days, when blood stained the stars and there was war in Heaven! Oh, but then she wanted to settle down and raise a church. I guess you could say we had…hm, different priorities."
"Oh, do not tell me you and the Lady of Light are exes."
The wolf-goddess bared her fangs.
"Look, if you see her, just tell her I said hello."
