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| - "We returned, each to our own lives, to meet in the hall once a week to tell our stories to the new Maidens and Brothers, and to perform as instructors in the Way of the sword. All was well till the night of the Midyear Festival. "All our people were reveling and … excuse … enjoying the repast, but for we six Maidens. It happened that the festival day fell on our day of meeting in the hall, our day of prayer and fasting and honor to the Way of the Sword. "As we met, late into the night, a knocking rang on our door. When I opened it, there was a guardian from the Bangkorai Pass, wounded and near death … He told us of betrayal from the north, an invasion sponsored by High Rock, led by King Joile of Daggerfall—our ally in the war with Orsinium! "Quickly we used up a crystal of healing in restoring him to vitality. We sent him on to the king, while we six grabbed our weapons and armor of power, and as many potions, marks, and crystals and rings as we could carry. "We flew to the pass hoping upon hope that we would not be too late. Our journey was not in vain, for we arrived just at the very point where the last three guardians were overwhelmed by the horde. Into the pass we ran forming the old battle line, six abreast. "OH did we FIGHT. "The Song of the Sword was a joyous noise slicing through the ranks of evil. We fought for hours. Julia was the first to fall, a cowardly poisoned dagger finding a rent in her armor. Then one by one all fell, save me. "… Oh cruel fate … Then my beloved sword, the sword of my father, the one with the serpent's crest, fashioned by the master swordsmith Singer Tansal broke in my hands. All was lost, our six lives spent in vain. Now, many many of them would pour through the pass. I would be easy prey for them, like a newborn child. I wept in frustration. "Then I remembered the hearth in our home—the book. Frandar Hunding's Book of Circles, the Way of Strategy. I reached for Shehai, the spirit sword, that which I could never reliably form when I needed it, and behold ... it was alive. Alive with fire. It formed in my hand. Ablaze with power—oh, I slew mightily, right and left, like a scythe through wheat. All the way to the Lord of Daggerfall I fought. With one blow I cut his magical armor asunder, one more took his head. "But to do that deed cost me dearly, wounds by the dozen, for although I had magical armor, it was not formed of spirit like my blade, it was not as invincible as my blade or my own spirit, and I was sorely wounded. "With the felling of King Joile, his army crumbled. They fled before my wrath. All ran back through the pass not even pausing to collect their dead and wounded. All who could stand ran for their lives, and I slew all I could reach, but my breath was coming short, and the pain .... "Finally I rested, on this rock where you find me now. I don't know why I chanced to bring this stone along. I bought it on a whim really, with the loot from … ah, well, I guess I need to really stop and tell my story in order. I feel able to go on to tell you more … the eternal night is descending more slowly than I thought. "Not just yet am I ready to compose my death poem. A little sip of water and ... well, I think I will go back and tell you of my life, maybe some details about the battle. And, oh, yes. About Raliph and our children, humm where will I start. "… Oh … rrr …. "I am … a simple warrior … I grew up as a, a Maiden of the Spirit Blade … As early … as early as I can … remember …"
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