Chapter 49: New Deployment

Varris awoke in a cold sweat. Her heart pounding out of her chest. Panting for breath. She cupped her face in her hands. The warrior let out a silent sob before she began to recall the events of her nightmare. The warrior got up out of her bed and poured water into a basin. The crisp water helped wash the dread from her mind. By her guess it was close to dawn. A good enough time as any to get the day started. Especially for a woman in her profession.

The Sergeant's private chamber was rather plain by some standards. A single feather bed tucked into a corner, a vanity dresser with a small glass mirror kept a few articles of her civilian attire. Nest to it was a small table with a single chair where she had a few logistics papers organized. No paintings or personal belongings hung on the walls. The only other decoration in the room was an armor stand and a rack with a heater shield painted white and yellow with a black bear paw print emblazoned. Nest to it clutched between two wooden claws was her sheathed falchion longsword. Her armor stood like a watchful sentry. Hollow yet radiated with authority.

Varris wiped her face clean with a linen hand towel and stood in front of the vanity mirror. Her stern scowl glared at her reflection.

"You're okay. You are not weak anymore. You're strong. You. Are. The. Strongest." She said glancing at her armor stand in her reflection.

Once dressed in her common clothes, a white linen shirt, a pair of brown leggings, and heavy knee boots, she went about her morning routine of donning her armor. She fixed her hair into a make-shift bun as she dragged the desk chair over to her armor stand and sat to fashioned on a pair of splint knee and shin guards. A 'skirt-apron' tied around her waist that protected her thighs were next. Then followed a padded gambeson jacket. Once buckled on, Varris hoisted her breastplate that clam-shelled over her torso. Every time she put on that armor the weight took a little time to get use to. The warrior strapped on her sword belt to her waist and lastly fixed on her gauntlets.

Her hulking armor amplified her footsteps along the monastery floorboards. When she passed an acolyte or scholar, they quickly diverged from their path as to not hinder the sergeant's pathway to the training grounds. She smirked at the sight of her underlings standing in formation ready for their morning briefing. Thirty men and women. Humans, dwarves, and halflings from all walks of life, and all backgrounds stood uniformed in armor, and dedicated to the Monastery's ethos.

"Soldiers!" When she spoke, the mob of armor-clad Militia members clanked their chestplates with a salute.

"Todays orders: Squadron 6 is to train from dawn to lunch. Squadron 1, you are on Kitchen Patrol. Squadrons 1 and 4 are on patrols with the city guard today. Squadron 3, you are on Monastery Duty. See to it that weapons are cleaned, blessed by the clerics, and in good condition. Squadron 2, you lot are with me today. Any questions?

"No Sergeant!" yelled the mob

"Good. Dismissed

The sergeant approached her squad of soldiers, but was stopped by an acolyte of the Monastery.

"Sergeant Harth. You have been summoned by Sir Minot to his chamber."

Understood. Squad. Conduct your patrol. I will join you later.

Varris' armor clanked through the halls of the Monastery grounds. As she made her way, she noticed how the priests and healers would duck out of her way. Some would even whisper about her. About her fierceness as a protector. And how she didn't fit the mold of a paladin. In front of her commander's chamber, she combed her hair out of her face before knocking

"Enter."

Sir Minot's hand was busy at work scribbling upon a stacks of documents. His desk filled with ledgers. He was adorned in a well tailored green and white surcoat.

Varris stood at attention and gave the commander of their order a crisp salute "You asked for me, Sir?"

"Aye." He answered after a pause. Eyes not looking away from the paperwork. After finishing his assessments he rested his quill in an inkwell and retrieved a sealed letter from his desk. "Your transfer papers. Congratulations, Sergeant."

Varris cocked her head. Her ears burned from the word 'transfer' "Sir. May I speak freely." Instead of answering, the knight grabbed his quill and waved for her to speak while he worked. "If this is a punishment for the events of the tournament, I can assure you sir. I never meant to bring dishonor to our order.

The commander dropped his quill in the inkwell and rubbed his eyes. "Sergeant. Your transfer is not a punishment. It's a promotion of sorts. The Matron Mother has requested that one of my paladins be assigned to a city noble as a bodyguard."

"Protection detail, sir? This is below a warrior of the faiths."

The Matron wanted the best. If you are refusing the order. Than I'm certain I can find a replacement."

Varris pursed her lips and let out an audible groan. "No sir. It is an honor to serve the Matron in this way."

"Good. That order in the transfer paper will have the name of your new charge. Good luck Sergeant."

The paladin's armor clanked as she beat her breastplate to perform a crisp salute.

Varris opened the seal of the letter and dropped the paper when she read the name on the document. "This has to be a cruel joke."

The Matron's chamber was filled with the smell of electricity. Then small arcs of static crackled around a sigil drawn on the floorboards. Then a blue bolt of lightning clapped sending a rumble through the chamber and a small yellow cloaked cleric emerged tossing an apple to the Mother Superior.

"Impressive." The old woman said grinning in pride

"I'm really starting to get the hang of that spell." Hastur said sliding back her hood "I've even been able to conduct the spell without the sigil."

"Excellent. I trust you are doing more than practice with my book."

"I've learned a lot, ma'am. Your notes of healing are remarkable. My potions have been much more effective. Thank you for trusting me with it.

"Indeed. Since you have been improving I took the liberty of assisting in a more hands-on method to assist you in your learning." The Matron lead Hastur towards a teapot next to three chairs. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

The cleric gladly took the cup in her hand. The aroma of rich black tea and the soothing notes of lavender greeted her nose. Mother Illisa took a single sip before turning to the door "Ah right on cue. Enter dear!"

Hastur brought the porcelain cup to her lips and tried to sip the hot contents, but before the tea touched her lips, the cup fell from her limp hand and the cup shattered against the floor.

"Ah! Please be careful, Sister Prynn." Scoffed the Matron. The old crone rolled back the sleeve to her gown and snapped her boney fingers making the cup magically piece itself back together and the liquid be soaked back into the cup "That cup belongs to a three hundred year-old tea set. There are no replacements."

"S-sorry ma'am. But if I may ask. What is she doing here?"

Varris' eyes narrowed onto the cleric. The paladin's armor shifted as Varris stood at attention before the Matron Superior. She gave the old woman a crisp salute and stood like a statue.

"Well, this is a perfect segue to the matter I just mentioned. Experience is the greatest teacher, Sister Prynn. And there is no better experience than getting out in the word. Away from these four walls and into an adventure."

"Ma'am. With all do respect that doesn't explain why she is here."

"I've been assigned to be your bodyguard." Hissed Varris "And I shall complete my assignment till death."

"What?!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Harth."

"Ma'am this is highly unnecessary."

"Now then Mrs. Harth. I want you to see to the well-being of my Ward and to protect her from harm. Can you do this?"

"Aye, Mother Superior."

"Good. Now, Sister Prynn, since the path to adventure is often a dangerous one, I took it upon myself to have my Monastery's greatest warrior to be your guardian. Mrs Hearth shall protect you from all harm and will train you to become as strong as even she. Is there anything you would care to add, Mrs Hearth?"

"Aye, Mother Superior." The Paladin took two more steps forward and drew out her sword and placed if horizontally. One hand supporting the cross guard and the other supporting the end of the blade. "On my Oath with the Militia of Hayak, I swear I shall not falter. With sword and shield, I shall safeguard my Charge with the upmost diligence."

"Ma'am…" the words jumbled up in the half-elf's mouth. She wanted to say her protests, but the wise woman of Hayak wasn't going to have any of it.

"Now be off with you two. Have an adventure or two. I cant wait to hear your stories, Sister Prynn."

For the rest of her time in the Monastery, Varris stood by off in a corner. Hand on her falchion. Watching the cleric wrap a patient's bandages, prepare elixirs, and shuffle through the stone hallways. Every time she left a room, the sound of clanking armor followed. Her head ached under her hood with the sound of armor constantly following her and a dense blue haired shadow tailing her every move.

'God's I'm going to need more than a beer after this day'

But the second she stepped foot outside the Monastery grounds, that insufferable clanking followed.

Hastur dropped her satchel and spun around on the balls of her feet.

"Look. I don't need this. I don't need any of this. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Care to prove that on the training grounds, Cadet?"

Hastur's head twitched under her hood. "Just…fuck off will you?"

Later that night at The Weathered Wheel, Thaelin looked at the two women and let out a wild laugh. Pounding his hand against the trestle table. Both woman glared scornfully at the ranger.

"Asshole!" they said together

Thaelin wiped a tear from his eye. Im sorry. But Hast. Even you have to admit this is funny."

"No. I don't think it is. I think this is a joke the crudest Joke to have ever been crafted."

Hastur took several deep gulps of her tankard and slammed the empty mug down. She slip the mug over to Varris and gave the paladin, her first command "Make yourself useful and get me another."

The paladin rolled her eyes and reluctantly left her spot on the bench

Once she was away from earshot, Hastur leaned in close towards her roommate. "Is there anyway you can help me out? I don't want to to have to deal with that."

"Oh I don't mind it." The man chuckled lustfully watching the paladin from afar. He wished the gods could have given him the sight to see through the warrior's armor.

"Any word on bounty missions yet? I can't believe I'm saying this but I need a job."

A sly grin took Thaelin's bearded face before he drank from his tankard. "I got word on a real juicy job down in Daggr Port near the Sapphire Gulf. 600gp and nobody is taking the job. So its wide open for us."

Hastur's curiosity was peaked. "Why won't anyone take the job?"

"Rumors very. But nothing a badass adventurer like myself and my naïve, yet oddly charming, sidekick cant handle. Plus our newest addition. Looks like we are finally getting an adventuring party together."

The cleric shrugged off the remark. She was too busy thinking about the possible job. Mother Illisa wants a story. And she will give her one