Battle Priestess

Dany groaned and curled up tighter in her cloak, pulling the hood over her face. Perhaps if she ignored this problem it would go away.

But it did not go away. An extremely aggravating voice Dany recognized as Sister Sharon's said, "Dany, you have been sighted entering this shed. Open up now or face dire consequences!"

The door was kicked open and an alarming number of Sisters spilled in. Dany sat up and sighed. "Allright, you've got me. What shall it be this time? Kitchen duty? Cleaning the stables?"

"No penance this time, Sister Dany," one of the priestesses hissed menacingly. "Your name has been drawn in the lots. You are to ride to the Hills of Zaphod and seek out the Magess Pti."

There was a pregnant silence. Then Dany said, "Why? Is she lost or something?"

"Bite your wise tongue!" Sharon commanded. "No more of your insolence shall be tolerated. Sister, why can't I ride instead? Or at least go with her? Dany's very ability to commune with Pti may quite well be suspect."

"Nay Sharon," said the other Sister. "You have your duties. And Dany here is a surprisingly skilled empath, and an effective fighter despite her youth. She may be... lazy, yes. But if she can in fact stay awake long enough to reach the Hills of Zaphod, she should be as good as any other priestess at performing the task at hand."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Dany said meekly. How could the sweet dreams of just minutes ago have turned into this nightmare?

"Now get up Dany," Sharon said. "You must be prepared for the journey."

Communing with Pti was apparently a very serious affair. Dany had to take a purifying bath not once, but three times, then sing the Hymn of Deep Twilight in chorus and pray fervently for the light of Granas in this world. Her long red-gold hair was twined into four elaborate braids, and she was anointed, incensed, perfumed, and clad in leather travelling clothes, ironshod boots, chainmail shirt and greaves, and over that, ceremonial red and white robes. For a weapon, she was entrusted with a silvern skirmisher's mace, one of only seven that the Church possessed. By this point of course, Dany only wanted to crawl away somewhere and pass out, but the Sisters were relentless. They rode her out to the eastern gate, kissed her cheeks in blessing, and bade her to depart and not return until she had communed with Pti.

Dany rode just long enough to ensure she wasn't being followed, then pulled her roan stallion to a halt. It was a lush, warm mid-afternoon, and there were numerous wooded groves along the road where Dany could hide and take a nap. But the ground was still wet from the recent rain, and there was still a chance of her being followed.

1. Dany fights against her growing exhaustion, and rides on until she can find a drier place to rest.
2. Dany uses her ceremonial robes to make a hammock of sorts, and goes to sleep comfortably.
3. Dany risks capture to return to Palaris and get a decent room at the inn. They didn't really expect her to leave immediately, did they?

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