Days 17 thru 18

Day 17:We awoke, dressed, ate, gathered our gear, and left in near silence. Once outside, we asked Sarah and Lisa which way and how strong were the pulls of their swords. Sarah indicated it was pulling from the east and it was strong but far away. Lisa, finally comfortable enough to speak freely, said her's was northeast, strong, and kind of far away. By consensus, we headed east. We let them know that whoever pull got strongest would take the lead.
As we walked, we spoke of many things: Lisa's training, Sarah's routine at the convent, each of us of our home villages. We stopped around mid-day for food and rest. While resting, Sarah and Lisa re-evaluated the pulls of their swords. It was determined that neither was stronger than the other, but that we were on the right track. So, we continued east.
A few hours later, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, and Vanity told us to stop. They said to get off the road and hide. We found an area large enough to conceal us all. Once hidden, the explanation came.
"I sense pain and anger approaching."
"There is a trap just ahead."
"This place is favored by bandits."
"Much gold has been lost and stolen around here."
We relayed this information. Lisa wanted to charge in and take them out, but we advised her against it. As we hid, discussing our next move, three riders galloped down the road. They triggered the trap Wrath had warned us about and the bandits Sloth mentioned converged upon the trio.
"Can't we do anything?" Lisa asked, almost ready to dive into the thick of it.
Words, ideas, plans, and spells rattled in our heads as the swords discussed the situation. Finally, all of them, and us, agreed on a course of action.
The four of us with swords left our hiding place and went into the middle of the road. Lisa and Sarah crept through the brush at the side of the road to get behind them. Wrath, having the most commanding voice, spoke through Callie.
"Unhand those riders!" Wrath's voice boomed, echoing off the trees lining the road.
The bandits and riders looked around until they saw us. The bandits sneered at us. Ignoring the riders, the half dozen bandits slowly advanced on us. Anna vocally and Sloth mentally began chanting a spell. The bandits grunted and growled as they made their way to us. On cue from Sloth and Anna, we pointed our swords at the ground they were walking on. The normally solid road turned into sludge under their feet. Before they knew it, they were sunk to their waists. With a flick, the ground hardened and held them fast. Lisa and Sara were beside the riders, explaining that we were there to help. Lisa's knowledge of military protocol eased the riders' nervousness. Not long after, a small band of soldiers came upon the scene. Lisa and the riders were able to explain what had happened. The leader of the soldiers asked us to release the bandits so they could arrest them. The four of us, again, pointed our swords at the ground around the bandits. The ground again turned to sludge. The soldiers and riders pulled them out with a slick sucking sound. As soon as they were out, shackles snapped around their wrists. The soldiers thanked us for capturing these men. They tossed Lisa a pouch and said it was the reward for aiding in the arrest of the bandits. The riders also thanked us for saving them and their lord's property. We were asked where we were headed. Looking at each other, we simply answered, "East" in unison. The soldiers and riders just looked at us and each other. They parted, soldiers going back west with the bandits and the riders continuing east. We recovered our gear and also continued east.
With the next town in sight, Sarah began the agitation four of us knew all too well. However, this pull came from inside the town. We were curious as to how a power sword was hidden inside a busy town with no one knowing. That question was answered when we were guided to a church. Sarah relaxed slightly to be in familiar territory, but the closeness of her sword was gnawing at her. Around the church was a barrier that, we guessed, kept the sword's influence out of the town and contained solely inside the building. We entered the church to witness a sight I never thought to see in a church. Instead of singing and praying, the people were in various stages of undress, groping, kissing, fondling, and other acts my eyes had never seen. Above the altar where the statue of their god usually resides, a delicate sword with fine details was suspended by thin chains that, to my eyes, radiated strong magic. The people did not notice us as we stepped over, around, and through the copulating congregation. We reached the altar. I was able to hear her speak to Sarah.
"I am Lust. A priest of this church imprisoned my guardian a century ago. He hung me here as a trophy of the success of his faith over our's. With magic from another, he charged these chains to keep me as he burned my guardian at the stake. My influence has produced the effects you see here."
Sarah was nervous about removing Lust in front of so many people. Callie and Anna stepped forward, one on each side, raised Wrath and Sloth, and chopped through the magical chains. Sarah caught Lust, slicing her hand as the fine blade slid across her flesh. She gasped in fright, but I held her bloody hand to Lust. Sarah and Lisa watched in fascination as the blood disappeared into the metal. Sarah's fear and nervousness visibly vanished as Lust made the connection. The rest of us with swords sighed at the mental click. We turned back to the congregation, but no one seemed to notice the loss of the sword.
Back outside, we made our way through the dimly lit streets to the nearest inn. Lust was such a delicate sword that Sarah easily slid her under her belt and she rode without problems. We chose to take the food to our room so we could lay out the swords and get Sarah use to the idea that she could now have nine voices in her head at once. Sarah slept with Lust in her arms like a strange toy. Lisa told me that she wanted to find her sword now more than ever. She also said it was now almost due north.
Day 18:
While gathering our gear, Callie found an abandoned sheath under one of the beds. A little cutting provided Lust with not a secure holder, but better than hanging out in the open. It was a good thing we had her hid. The members of the church were hunting for their "sacred relic". When pressed, however, they never explained what it was or why they wanted it. They walked pass us without a second look. The other wondered why until I winked at them and pointed to Vanity. Out of earshot, I explained.
"Vanity convinced them that a gaggle of girls could not successfully enter their church and take their most prized possession literally from under their noses. She also convinced them that they could spot Lust no matter how well anyone hid her."
We all laughed, even Lisa. We left the town as the members of the church continued to turn it upside down, vainly searching for a sword we were now carrying.
We went north, following Lisa's guidance. Sarah's face showed a variety of emotions as Lust instructed her on her guardian gift. We, with swords, barely listened but offered help when it seemed they had trouble getting an idea across.
Lisa began speculating on which of the two remaining swords was pulling her.
"Envy and Gluttony are left. I will admit to being guilty of envy, even now as the only one without a partner. We are trained to exist on the barest of supplies so we can make them last longer. So, I really have no experience with gluttony, just as Sarah, being just short of a nun, was unfamiliar with lust until we walked into that church. As I travel with the rest of you, I can see why you were paired as you are. Kayla, I have never seen someone like you, willing to risk everything for another with no thought of how it will inconvenience you. You are willing to be last at everything, yet you take the forefront when we meet new people. You are also the picture of patience, guiding all of us through this strange and wonderful time without showing off or bragging about yourself. Callie, don't you ever get mad? Even in the couple of days we've been together, there have been times I would have flown into a rage if it was I being spoken to in such a manner. Yet, you smile and take it without so much as a twitch of anger. Anna, for someone so slight, you are the busiest little bee I've ever seen. The rooms we have stayed in you kept them so tidy and kept our gear easily reachable so we could get on our way quickly. You probably left them cleaner than they have been in some time. Gretta, you would give your last coin to anyone who asked without a second thought. You act as if everything is only precious if it helps someone else. I wonder of past guardians were this way."
I faltered in my step then Vanity addressed Lisa.
"Yes, our previous guardians were much like you and these others. Our first ones, the original seven sisters, were just like all of you. Breanne, my first partner, was a beautiful girl, yet would always insist that another was far more attractive. She always found a way to compliment even the homeliest, most awkward individual to let them know they had worth in the world. Claire, my last guardian, tried to reason with the queen who wanted me, but Claire's kind words were mistaken for insults by that self-absorbed woman who thought I would increase her beauty. Over that, Claire was pursued by soldiers and killed by an ice dragon over one hundred years ago."
Anna was counting on her fingers as Vanity returned control of my body to me.
"Vanity has been alone for over one hundred years, Greed was trapped for fifty. How long was Wrath stuck in Leo?"
"Seventy-five years," came the male voice from Callie's gentle face. "Leo had attempted to scratch, claw, and bite me out of his leg for that long. Five guardians lived and died during that time that I could have been partnered. " Callie shook as she returned to herself. 
"Alright, one hundred, fifty, seventy-five. Sloth says he was last paired about sixty years ago. Lust was in that church for one hundred years as well. So, other than Leo, Mattis, and the people of that church, no one living has seen even one of these swords. Now we have five out of seven in our possession. When Lisa gets hers, probably in the next day or so, we will have all but one. I do not wish to be negative, but that could be a dangerous time, " Anna finished gravely.
"I agree," I said, "we will start attracting attention but not be complete to stop it. We really need to find the last guardian and complete the set."
The swords hummed and murmured just below our ability to hear them. Finally, Sloth informed us that we would "call" the last guardian to see if she could come to us. With nods all around, the subject was dropped. We spent the rest of the day walking, talking, and learning old songs from the swords. As villages were wider spaced, we camped under a canopy of willows just off the road.