Day 16

Day 16:
We arose at dawn and had a simple breakfast. We went outside to get a sense of where to go. Anna had the stone this day. We had walked away from the inn when Anna commented that the stone was hot. She pulled it off and held it by its string. The familiar light was spinning, as if searching. Callie and I stood between it and Sarah to help it focus better. Apparently it helped as a beam of light lanced through the morning air, headed to the south of town. We followed the light right to the edge of town. It went up the wall of a tower into the lookout post.
"Hello, up there! May we speak with you a moment! " I called.
I called twice more before I received an answer.
"What do you want? I am on duty here, protecting the town from raiders, " came back a voice that did not seem right.
"Are you alone? Is there only one up there?" I asked.
"Yes, just me. If it is an emergency, go to the red building on the corner. My commander is in there. I can't leave my post unless he orders it," the voice replied, wavering in pitch and volume.
"Is there a red beam of light touching you but not harming you, positioned over your heart?"
Silence.
"We are the source of that light. It is a way to find our lost sisters. We already know you must be a girl if the light is upon you. Female soldiers are not unfamiliar to us.
Silence.
The five of us stood at the base, looking at each other, not sure what to do next. Above us, we heard hinges creak and saw a door open. A soldier and the beam of light descended the ladder. At the bottom, the soldier's helm was removed to show a girl about our ages yet hardened by her service. The light faded and the stone went cold. She looked at us in shock.
"This is a dream. I have had this dream before. Five sisters claiming I am one of them, taking me to a fantastic place where we are treated like queens. I must be dreaming."
The four of us with swords drew them and saluted her. She fainted. One of her fellow soldiers saw the sight and called for others. We were surrounded, she was picked up, and all of us went to the red building on the corner she had indicated earlier.
Inside, she was placed on a cot and we were marched to another room. An impressively dressed officer sat at a desk. He looked up when we all entered.
"Lieutenant, explain, " his deep voice ordered.
The officer approached him and told him what he had witnessed. The man sitting scowled at us as he listened. Sarah was shaking, but the rest of us met his gaze unwaveringly. The officer finished his tale and returned to his place behind us. The man excused them with a wave of his hand. They left quickly and shut the door behind them.
"What do you want with Lisa?" he said sternly.
We looked at each other, then I began, "Sir, we are the guardians of the Swords of Ancient Power. By their power, we have identified Lisa as one of us, a lost sister. We did not mean for her to faint. We were just introducing ourselves."
I paused for breath, but he held up his hand to stop me. He stood up and came closer to us, towering above all of us and mentally appraising both us and my story.
"Are you telling me that five young girls hold the legendary swords of power?" he asked almost in a condescending tone.
"Actually, we have only four. Sarah has yet to find her's," I replied casually, meeting his gaze and not feeling any fear.
"Show me, " he ordered.
We drew them and held them for his to see. With a warrior's gaze, he appraised each one. After looking at them, he began to talk to us like a father scolding his children.
"You stand before me with these things, claiming they are the Swords of Power? I don't know who sold you these shoddy pieces of junk or from what waste pile you retrieved them , but they have no power whatsoever."
The swords raised from our hands to float between us and him. He seemed unimpressed. We watched them come together and form four sides of an empty space. The commander looked into the space framed by the swords. He pose dropped. An expression of fear formed on his face. He began to physically shake. Callie, Gretta, and Sarah moved as if to see what he was seeing. Anna and I stopped them. We shook our heads and, as we held them, told them that this was for him alone. After a while, the swords separated and returned to our hands. The commander tried to regain his composure, but just fell into his chair.
"I believe you," his commanding voice now shaking as much as his body, " for only those ancient swords could know and show such as I have witnessed. Stay in town today. I will talk with Lisa and prepare her for this new duty. Return here by evening and I will have her ready."
We nodded and sheathed our swords. As we left, the commander stopped me alone. He drew me back into his office.
"I have one request: watch over Lisa. I have not told anyone this, but she is my daughter. I have let her believe that she is an orphan so no one would think I favored her. I have probably been harder on her for that. You seem to be strong in mind and character. Guard and guide her well."
I assured him I would and he let me join the others. We walked pass a still unconscious Lisa, being tended by a nurse.
We spent the day just looking around the town, checking out shops and the like. We did notice that we were being followed. A quick glance revealed that soldiers where keeping a guarded distance, but always in sight of us. We decided not to pay too much attention to them or try to hide from them and let them do their job.
As evening approached, our shadows surrounded us and escorted us back to the command building. Inside, we saw Lisa awake, packed, and ready to go. The commander informed us that rooms and food were waiting for us at a nearby inn. Our guards escorted all of us to that inn, a different one than we stayed at last night.
The food was decent, but the place felt cold and hard. Vanity said it was mainly used by the military and held their energy within its walls. Lisa said nothing through the meal. Most of our conversation was mentally conveyed, since talking aloud caused the other patrons to give us nasty looks. Sarah, unfortunately, was left out of our conversation, but she seemed too preoccupied to notice. It wasn't until we got to our rooms that we could talk openly. Lisa still seemed a little afraid of us while Sarah seemed lost in her thoughts. Callie and I approached Sarah.
"Are you alright, Sarah? You seem a little preoccupied or distracted. What's wrong?" Callie asked gently.
"I think I'm sick, " Sarah quietly replied.
"What makes you think that?" I asked.
"My stomach hurts and there... there is blood on my inner thighs." she whispered the last part.
We did not laugh. We asked her if the nuns ever explained moon time to her. She went very pale. She took a step back from us, slowly shaking her head. When she regained her voice, she began loudly shouting reasons and excuses as to why this could not be happening to her. Anna, Gretta, and Lisa ran in from their room to see what all the noise was about. We informed them and told them how freaked Sarah was about it. Sarah finally ran out of breath and slumped onto the bed, sobbing. The rest of us huddled around her to give her comfort. Even Lisa expressed her sympathy. Sarah allowed me to take her to the privy and get her set up. This was when she informed me that the pull of her sword was stronger even though it still felt far away. Vanity confirmed that most guardians were pass their first moon time when bonded with a sword. It was to keep young children from bonding too early. I told this to Sarah. She seemed to understand.
After this minor crisis, we all went to bed.