Days 14 thru 15

Day 14:
Before dawn, we packed our things and walked Gretta to the eastern edge of town. There stood Uncle, the lady from the inn, a couple of shopkeepers, the tanner, and the constable. Gretta shrank from them a little, knowing that these people had seen her father mistreat her and was afraid they would do the same. The three of us walked away to let Gretta be sent off in traditional style. The shopkeepers provided her with a cloak, two changes of clothes, an extra pair of shoes, a bedroll, lantern, and a small skinning knife. The lady from the inn gave her some travel food and things a woman needs on the road. Uncle and the constable handed her the away money she would need. Just as the tanner started to speak, Gretta's father stumbled around a house.
"There you are, you stupid bitch! Where the hell is my breakfast? You didn't make us dinner last night and your brother cut his hand in the attempt, which would not have happened if you were in your place where you belong. Get you sorry ass back to the house, now!"
The constable stepped between him and Gretta, "She's eighteen, Van. She's been eighteen for five months now. Let her take her journey time."
"Stupid tradition! Didn't do me any good, ended up same place I started. I just saved her sorry hide from doing something stupid, like she is now. Get to the house, bitch, now!"
Vanity was vibrating so hard, I though she would pop out of the sheath. I could see Anna and Callie holding on to Sloth and Wrath as they, too, were vibrating. Gretta looked around at us, her father, the constable, and the others assembled.
She looked back at us and silently mouthed, "What do I do?"
That was all the cue our swords needed. Without us touching them, they shot out of their holders, flew through the air, and stopped inches from Gretta's father. It took a moment for his addled brain to register his predicament. He swatted at the swords, but they did not budge. He looked at the others for an explanation. Finally, his eyes found us. He started barking orders at us.
"Call off your witchery, you little whores. Any bitch who would protect her stupid hide is just as stupid and worthless as she."
I stepped forward, "Let her go on her journey and all will be well. Do not force our hands."
He went to take a step towards me, but Vanity touched her sharp point to his chest. He thought a moment then his eyes rested on Gretta's gifts.
"Pay me for her. Give me that stuff and I will let her go. I should be compensated for the loss of what little work she does around the house."
I guess Gretta finally had enough. She took the skinning knife and slashed at her father. Red stained his shirt collar from the cut near his neck. He looked at her in horror.
"There is your compensation. A small repayment of my pain from your hands, a small token of all the harm you have inflicted upon me. I am going on my journey time, with them and this stuff, and you will not stop me. Do you understand?" Gretta told him with the knife firmly in her hand and pointed at him, a bit of his blood clinging to the edge.
He put his hand to the cut, turned on his heel, and ran for his house. The swords returned to us. We walked over to Gretta and gently pulled the knife from her rigid hand. She let a single silent tear fall before returning to where her new things were lying. The tanner, who had been interrupted, stepped forward.
"I do not know what kind or size of sword you will receive. However, this should hold all but the smallest or largest of swords."
He handed her a belt with a metal ring secured to it. When she took it, he turned to Callie.
"You have nothing but a loop of old leather to hold you sword. This is more fitting."
He gave Callie a sheath and and belt for Wrath. At the open end of the sheath was a flap of leather to guard from the many points on both pommel and hilt. Wrath slid in perfectly. Callie thanked him for the gift.
A little after sunrise, the four of us girls head eastward out of town. We passed within sight of Gretta's old house, but none of us spared a glance in that direction or spoke of that place again.
We traveled easily, chatting and getting acquainted. By nightfall, we were as close as true sisters. While we camped, Gretta wondered about listening to the swords. She waffled between wanting to and not. Finally, she decided not, that she needed a little more time to get use to the idea of talking swords with minds of their own. We settled down to sleep.
Sometime in the night, Vanity woke me up.
"Act as if you are still asleep. There is someone else here."
I lay still and watched a shadow moving around the edge of camp. When it was opposite me, I rolled softly, picked up Vanity, and lay on my stomach. When the shadow came beside me, I lashed out a hand and grabbed an ankle. Whoever it was fell with a thud. I brought Vanity to bear. Apparently, the other swords awoke my sisters and all of us converged on the intruder.
"State your business if you wish to see sunrise." I said forcefully.
From under a much-too-large cloak, a girl about Anna's size peered through the hood.
"D...do not h...hurt me. I am starving. I smelled your food. I meant no harm."
It was Gretta who noticed the stone glowing through the material of Callie's shirt. Pulling it out, a line of light struck the new girl in the chest. She jerked but then realized that it was not hurting her. The rest of us just stood there in wonder at meeting another guardian out in the wilds. I let her go and we re-lit the fire. We gave her some food and asked how she came to be here.
"I have been at a convent all of my life. A week ago, raiders burned it to the ground and took off with some of the nuns and killed the rest. I was out finding berries and bark to make dyes and medicine when I saw the smoke. I found one nun not yet dead. She told me what happened and said to get to our fellow monastery down the road. When I got there, it was burning. I found this cloak and ran. I've been wandering ever since." the girl, Sarah, told us between bites.
We, in turn, explained the swords and our mission. She confirmed the pull from somewhere, but was unsure of the direction, as it felt weak.

Day 15:
Dawn broke as we talked. We broke camp and continued east. Sarah was marginally knowledgeable about medicinal plants, but knew very few for actual food. Our map showed a town not too far. Sarah confirmed that the convent and monastery were half a day's ride from a town. She had avoided it until now out of fear that the raiders were using the town as a base. Gretta's guidance took us pass both burned buildings. Sarah quietly walked by them, a flood of emotions playing across her face. We walked on and off the road as it wound around but we followed Gretta's direct path.
About an hour after mid-day, we turned south towards a thick area of forest. Gretta began the now familiar agitation as her sword was drawing closer and closer. Through the trees, we saw a structure ahead. In a clearing stood a modest cottage. The three of us with swords stopped the other two. They looked at us questioningly.
"Sloth feels magic in this area. We need to be careful," Anna informed them.
We stood outside the barrier and looked at the clearing. Sarah noticed the lack of any leaves, twigs, nuts, stones, or any other piece of debris. The whole area appeared to have been swept clean. As we observed this, someone exited the cottage. We watched this person meticulously examining the ground around the cottage. As this person got closer, we saw it was a man. He jumped when he saw us. He relaxed a bit when he realized we were outside of his barrier.
"Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?" he quickly asked.
Gretta was the first to answer, "I have come for my sword. It called me to this place," she responded with confidence.
"Sword, sword, sword, my sword, my sword, MY SWORD!" he said rapidly and increasingly louder. He pounded his chest with each word.
"No it isn't," all five of us said in unison.
"My sword! My magic keeps it here. It's mine, mine, MINE!!" he shrieked.
He pulled out a wand and began to cast a spell.
Our swords shot out of their sheaths to point at him.
"I suggest you stop your casting," I said casually.
He looked from sword to sword, not in fear, but with a greedy look in his eyes.
"More, more, more. More swords, my swords, mine, MINE!"
He reached for them and sliced both hands in the attempt. Even with bloody hands and in obvious pain, he still grabbed for them. They moved out of reach but still kept him circled and away from us.
"Go get our brother," Vanity told us.
Grabbing the other two, the three of us headed for the cottage. Other than an unpleasant buzz, we crossed the barrier with no problem. The clean clearing was easily and quickly crossed. The door was not locked. Inside was a shock. Stuff was piled, in some places to the ceiling. Everything was sorted by type; leaves here, twigs over there, nuts along one wall, animal bones piled in a corner. A narrow path worked its way through the house. Gretta looked confused as to which way to go.
"Call to him," I said.
"He will lead you to him," Callie added.
"Trust his lead. He wants to be with you as badly as you want to be with him," Anna told her.
Nodding, she called out, "Sword! Partner! I can't find you! Show me where you are!"
Her head whipped toward our left. Winding our way through the piles of stuff, we found the sword suspended in a cage of light. Gretta nearly cried at the sight. She tried to touch him, but she burned her hands on the cage.
"How do we get him out?" she sobbed.
Even from outside, the swords gave us the knowledge to free their brother. Callie's unique sight let us find the weakest spot on the cage. Grabbing a long bone from a pile, we wedged it into that spot. Anna began a spell drawing the light into the bone. I was able to see the energy fluctuate and told Gretta when to reach for her sword. She quickly grabbed it at my instruction. She grabbed it so fast, she scratched herself on one of its many gems. I held the bloody finger to the sword. Gretta looked at me strangely until the connection clicked. She smiled so broadly that anyone else would have wondered about her sanity.
"Free! Finally, I am free! He tricked my last guardian. He claimed both she and I would be safe here. After putting me in there, he killed her. That cage kept me from sensing anything after her death. Your voice is the only sound I have heard in over fifty years."
The other swords floated in and we took them in hand. The man ran in after them, sweating heavily and hands still bleeding. He saw the empty cage and screamed. He saw Gretta holding it and lunged for her. He stopped when four swords came to bear on him. He tried to speak but could not find the words. Instructions flashed through our minds. As one, four swords touched his head. A brief light washed over him. We saw the sanity return to his eyes. He looked at his home.
"What have I done? All for a sword I killed to get and more craziness to keep it. I am sorry for what I did to your other guardian. I do not know how to make amends."
Words batted around our heads. Finally, I said, "Your years of torture, we conclude, is adequate punishment for your crime. We will take our leave now, with Greed."
"That is Greed? The Greed? No wonder I was so obsessed! Here, something I can give you," he went into another room. He returned with a sheath as gem encrusted as Greed.
"This was his former guardian's. It is only fair that you should have it, too."
Gretta slid Greed into his sheath and worked her belt into it. He rode easily on her hip.
"Thank you. That showed a lot of character. I appreciate this very much," Gretta replied.
In about an hour, we left Mattis' house with Greed, his sheath, and a bag of coins for Sarah. Mattis pointed us in the quickest way to the nearest town. He expressed his sorrow over the loss of the convent and monastery.
We made it to town before nightfall. Inns were plentiful and we chose one that sounded safe. I and Sarah separated from the others to get her some gear. With my sight, I was able to find honest shops with good supplies. One shopkeeper recognized Sarah from the convent and relayed his sympathy for that awful event. He threw in some extra for her.
We met up with the others. Callie and Gretta both appraised and approved of our purchases. Gretta was revelling in her new ability and the loving presence of Greed and the other swords. She said she was glad for waiting to be joined and felt she would have been uncomfortable hearing the swords without being connected.
Sarah said her's must still be far away as the pull was barely there. She wondered as to which was her's.
"Vanity, Sloth, Wrath, and now Greed. That leaves Envy, Lust, and Gluttony. What do you know about them?"
"Envy and Lust are female and Gluttony is the last male," Vanity informed us. We told Sarah.
"Hm, I'm worried. I do not know if I am ready for this. I am only fifteen, not ready for my journey time."
"The stone pointed to you . You have four sisters to aid you. We are here as well." Sloth assured her through Anna.
Sarah nodded and seemed a bit more relaxed. We finished our meal, got a room, and slept very well.