“Yep. Every single day is the exact same routine. If we didn’t have these few hours to talk, we’d all be insane.”

“Who says we’re not?” one woman called.

A few laughed.

“Yeah, well, we help each other out here. There’s no fighting among ourselves and we don’t form gangs. We’re not going to make anyone’s life harder than it already is. I’ll show you some exercises to ease the cramps, but first tell us what’s going on? We haven’t had any news in months.”

I filled them in. They listened intently, leaning forward to hear every word.

“The High Priestess is returning?” Fydelia asked.

“As we speak.”

“Damn.” Fydelia exchanged a glance with another woman before returning her attention to me. “The war’s going badly, isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

Her forehead creased and she asked me a few more questions about Estrid’s retreat. At one point a low whistle sounded and everyone dispersed. Fydelia pulled me to sit next to her on a bunk. Soon after two guards arrived to check on us.

When they left Fydelia said, “They do random checks and if they see us grouped together or doing our exercises, they come more frequently. And if it seems we’re too friendly, they’ll break us up and assign us to different towers just in case we’re planning something.” She huffed.

“Exercises?” I asked, hoping to prompt her in that direction. My legs ached and even though I healed faster, I still felt pain.

Fydelia gave me a hard look. “If you’re thinking to rat us out to curry favor from the guards, think again. They’ll punish you just as hard as us and then you’ll be branded a traitor. If you think it’s bad now...having over two thousand penitents pissed at you is a hell you don’t want to experience.”

“I won’t say a word.”

She studied my expression for a few seconds. Then she led me up to the sixth level of the tower. Women stretched their muscles in a variety of ways. Fydelia showed me how to relieve the cramps in my neck, lower back, and thighs.

“It’s not a miracle cure,” she said. “It is just a matter of building up your endurance and stamina. It’ll get worse before your body adjusts. After that each day will be a little bit better. And once you get through the physical trials, we’ll help you with the mental.”

“Mental?”

“Once the pain in your body no longer occupies your thoughts, it’s a long day staring at that window.”

“Oh.”

I repeated the exercises Fydelia had demonstrated. From time to time a thump sounded from the level above. More exercises, or something more?

* * *