Bloody Catherine
On the way to Stonekeep, Rebecca directed Serge to take them to a nearby town first on the outskirts. Taking only Victoria with her, she found a weathered cottage on the edge of town. It had several no trespassing signs along the outside fence, and a lot of combat dummies full of holes.
"Duchess, what is this place?" Victoria asked, as they stood in front of the gate.
"The home of the best combat gunner in Southern Karand." Rebecca answered. "She's pretty old now but I remember her from when I was a child, and she will be needed."
"Why just us?" Victoria asked, as she watched Rebecca carefully open the gate.
"It will become apparent soon. Stand next to me and don't do anything, unless you think my life is in danger. Understood?" Rebecca stated as they approached the cottage door. Victoria nodded, and Rebecca knocked twice, and waited 15 seconds before knocking 3 times.
"What are you doing?" Victoria asked. "That's a bit impatient."
Rebecca didn't reply, and waited 10 seconds before knocking one more time. After that, she stood back and waited. Within a minute, an eye slit on the door was slid open, and a single green eye peered at them.
"Stone." A female voice on the other side stated.
"Henge." Rebecca answered.
"Field." The voice continued.
"Turned to ash." Rebecca replied.
"In the fires of hell we are remade." The voice finished, closing the slit.
"Code phrase?" Victoria whispered, as the sound of locks being undone could be heard.
"Specific to me, not just my family. If she had said reborn instead of remade, that would have been your cue to punch the door off its hinges." Rebecca continued, as the locks kept being undone.
"Ah, coercion." Victoria said, to which Rebecca nodded, the door finally moving.
To Victoria's surprise, it was a halfling who stood before them, far shorter than the eye slit. Her one green eye stared at Victoria, the other eye covered by a black eyepatch.
"Who the fuck is she, Rebecca?" The halfling asked.
"One of my retainers, Kate. Her name is Victoria." Rebecca said, gesturing at Victoria.
"She don't look like much." Kate said, gesturing for the two to come inside.
"Appearances deceive, you of all people should know that." Rebecca argued, as they entered the cottage and Kate shut the door.
Victoria looked around. It was definitely a Hin's cottage, everything was far lower to the ground and it had been clearly adapted from a normal human cottage, as otherwise the roof would be far lower as well. She noticed an impressive array of shotguns on the walls and ceiling, but following Rebecca's instructions, said nothing, opting to just stand and wait. To her surprise, Kate rushed her and tried to toss her. She just held her ground and looked curiously at Kate, and gestured to Rebecca.
"Kate what are you trying to do, you're not going to overcome the strength of that vampire. She could punch your front door off its hinges." Rebecca said, crossing her arms.
"A vampire, huh?" Kate said, looking up at Victoria. "I could still stake her."
"I sincerely doubt a stake would even tickle Victoria. Now quit fucking around, I have a job for you." Rebecca said, sitting down somewhat awkwardly on a very short stool.
"Reb, you know I'm retired, have been for damn near 40 years." Kate said, poking her in the stomach with a broom handle. "You even came to see me the night I retired. Now why haven't you aged, come to think of it? You a vampire too? Come to bleed old Kate dry?" Kate poked Rebecca even harder with the handle.
"Former." Rebecca answered, a frown on her face. "I tricked the Gods into a cure. I need to hire you for one last job, as the Duchess of Lichfield."
"Duchess?" Kate asked, her eyebrows raising. "Well excuse me your highness, but I don't work for royalty, now fuck off." Kate grabbed a shotgun and pointed it at Rebecca.
Victoria moved to intercept immediately, but Rebecca raised her hand. Nodding, she went back to her previous position.
"Not even if it's to help me assassinate the King of Whitemire?" Rebecca asked, a broad grin on her face. "I got big plans, but I need you to be part of this one piece."
"I'm listening." Kate said, still holding the shotgun, but taking her finger away from the trigger.
"I'm planning a crash and stab tonight on the King while he dines. But I need a combat gunner, and not just any gunner. I need Bloody Catherine."
"It won't be cheap." Kate said, lowering the shotgun.
"Name your price. I've already had all your arrest warrants torn up." Rebecca answered, a wide grin on her face.
"Fuck off, how?" Kate asked, incredulous.
"I'm the Witch of Whitemire, Kate. I think you've forgotten who I am, and who my family... was." Rebecca said, choosing the final word with a brief look of regret. "I am Duchess Rebecca Astrid Ashe, the rightful ruler of County Lichfield. There is nothing I cannot do."
"A proper workshop."
"Excuse me?" Rebecca asked, clearly confused.
"I've been maintaining my boys in less than ideal conditions for a long time. I want a proper workshop, at a location of my choosing." Kate said, gesturing around at her shotgun collection.
"Excellent! Excellent!" Rebecca laughed. "Money is no object, the Ashe family will provide whatever you wish, no matter how outlandish."
The rest of the visit was spent with Rebecca and Victoria helping Kate prepare, including among other things testing the protection spells on her duster, to which Victoria marvelled at her inability to even tear it, despite her strength. Kate selected one gun in particular and attached a drum magazine to it, along with a bag of holding that she claimed contained several hundred magazines inside of it. As they were about to leave however, Kate decided to have a little fun.
"Vampire. You're going to carry me." Kate said, pointing at Victoria.
"I have a name." Victoria said icily. "Or should I call you Midget?"
"I'm a Hin and you know that." Kate said, shoving the end of her shotgun into Victoria's butt. "Now come on, pick me up. You tallfolk are too fast for my legs, especially at 130."
"Victoria, I strong advise you consider how you're going to carry her before you even touch her." Rebecca said coolly, dusting off her hands. "That will be all."
Victoria gulped. She knew a threat when she heard one. Looking at Kate, who went up to about her belly button, she realized there was only one way to carry her that wouldn't be considered offensive.
"Shoulders okay?" Victoria asked, crouching down. "I ain't picking you up unless you tell me to, I know a trap when I see one."
"Smarter than she looks, this one." Kate said, hopping up on Victoria's shoulders. "Let's go, kid. Watch out for the stool, by the way."
"What stool?" Victoria asked, confused. As she walked toward the door she suddenly tripped over something invisible, but kept her balance. "What the fuck?"
Kate laughed. "That one."
Leaving the cottage, Kate very quickly locked up the door, and set protection wards on the fence. Making good time back to the rest of the party, Kate saw them up ahead. Leaning a bit, she whispered with Victoria.
"You trust those men in your party?" Kate asked.
"I'm stronger than every single one, and one of them is my husband, so yes." Victoria whispered back.
"What if you weren't stronger than them, then what?" Kate continued, still whispering.
"I'd trust Hamlin to keep me safe." Victoria replied, raising her voice to a normal level so Rebecca could hear. "You don't trust men, do you?"
"I don't trust anyone, but I at least trust a woman to not try to rape me." Kate answered. Victoria snickered immediately. "What's so funny?"
"You're lucky you're not my type. I could easily violate you if I wanted. Don't let assumptions lower your guard." Victoria said, her demeanor cheerful despite her words. "In fact, if your breasts were smaller-"
"Shut up Victoria." Rebecca said, cutting off Victoria before she could continue. "She's a smart kid, Kate. Quit trying to plant seeds of doubt in my servants." Rebecca added.