“It’s going to be a red autumn this year.” Chastity murmured, stroking the already turning leaves of the great old tree that shaded her small home. Though still green from the fertile summer, the outermost leaves were trimmed in garnet, as if some trickster Fae had taken their little brush and painted the edges with blood. Shaking her head, Chastity tugged her shawl a bit tighter around her shoulders to ward of a chill that had nothing to do with the nip in the air. The grey tabby cat who was her only companion so early in the morning mewed, twining around her ankles until she leaned down to scoop him up.

 

“It doesn’t bode well, Lazarus.” She murmured, burying her hands in his plush fur as she cuddled him to her chest. His rumbling purr eased a tightness in the pit of her stomach. No use worrying about it now. Laying a light kiss on the top of his head she set him down. “Don’t you have rats to catch?” Flicking his tail at her reproachfully, the young tom sauntered toward the barn where she could hear Thomas hitching the horses to the cart. The cows were milked and chores taken care of. Turning back towards the house, Chastity lifted her voice, arms crossed comfortably beneath her breasts.

 

“Jacob, Joseph, Tabitha, it’s time to go.” There were muffled calls from inside the small house, than the thud of rushed footsteps before her three children burst through the door, rosy cheeked from being scrubbed clean for church. She’d had Tabitha supervised, and was pleased that she’d managed to get six year old Jacob to scrub. Thomas drove the cart out to meet them, reaching down to hoist his wife into the seat beside him. With a somewhat scandalized yelp she clung to him, concentrating on smoothing her skirts while she hid her embarrassed but please blush. “Stop that Thomas!”

 

“I was just playing, darling.” He teased, chuckling as he waved for the children to pile into the cart. They did so and he clucked to get the two long legged mares going. The cart jostled along the ruts in the trail, and Chastity raised her voice in a bright little song. Thomas joined in after a moment, followed shortly by the youngsters. 

 

“Sing and sing and sing a little more

Watch the goblins flee.

Run from voices lifted bright

Lighten even darkest day.”

 

Their voices faded as they neared a young couple standing by the rode, waving. Thomas slowed the cart, and Chastity leaned past him, beaming. “There isn’t much room, but if you’d rather ride than walk I’m sure the children can scoot.” There was an enthusiastic carol of agreement from the three in the back as they scrunched together.

 

“Gladly, Chastity.” Jonathon led his wife around to the back and swung her up, following soon him. Sarah smiled at Tabitha, offering her hands. The adolescent girl returned the smile with a grin of her own, catching Sarah’s hands and bumping their cheeks together lightly by way of greeting. Thomas, who’d glanced over his shoulder to make sure their guests were in, shook his head.

 

“Chastity, I’ll never understand that silly gesture. I know you were raised that way, but it caught on with the other women folk fast as wildfire.” Chastity gave a vague shrug and tugged at the scarf covering her hair, pinned into a strict bun as it was. 

 

“It’s something for us womenfolk to know and you to not.” She responded primly, casting a discreet wink to her friend. “How has the first frost found you, Sarah?”

 

Sarah slid her hands over her own hair, devoid of scarf but just as tightly tamed as Chastity’s. “Well enough, truth be told. I’m afraid I hadn’t gotten all of my garden in yet, but it wasn’t so bad as to have entirely ruined what’s left. I have heard that one of Faith and Gregory’s ewes had gone missing. And pregnant too, such a shame.” Chastity nodded.

 

“True, but as you said the frost wasn’t a bad one. There’s hope she’ll wander back to her flock.” The rest of the ride was made in near silence, broken only by Thomas’ rough whistling. They were some of the last to arrive, stopping on an empty spot of grass behind the church that wasn’t already taken by the other wagons and carts, or even a few individual horses. There was a pair of such riding horses hitched nearby, and Thomas hmphed under his breath.

 

“That’s those sisters’ horses.” He swung down from the seat, helping the children out of the back while his wife got down herself, frowning in disapproval. Sarah spoke up before she could though.

 

“Don’t speak ill of them who’ve done no wrong.” Janathon laid a placating hand on her arm, but she shook him off, gathering her plain brown skirts and sweeping off, slender frame threading easily through the gathering crowd. Chastity shook her head slightly hands resting on her ample hips. 

 

“You two had best learn not to judge so harshly. Abby and Gail are lovely women.” She followed Sarah, wondering if it was wise to have spoken up. Many disapproved of the two women, unmistakably sisters, who had come out to their small town in only the last few months. Everyone recognized their horses, stout, black and white painted things large enough to carry three people a piece. Of course, Chastity knew that things went farther than the oddness of their horses. It was the cinnamon glow of their skin, the shocking darkness of their hair and eyes and how they rode astride with breeches under their skirts and their hair unbound.

 

Gypsy blood, Chastity knew and many suspected. She came up beside Sarah, casting aside her worries to smile at the sisters. “Abby, Gail, it’s lovely to see you again. You’re looking well.” Abby flicked a ringlet of inky black hair back over her shoulder, deep dimples showing when she smiled.

 

“The same to you, Chastity.” She paused, casting a discreet glance at the people around them, but no one was very close. “The full moon is in three days.” She murmured. Chastity nodded, wiping her hands nervously on her skirt.

 

“I fear a red autumn.” She murmured, before she hurried to join her family as they trooped into the church and settled into pews. Sarah and Jonathon weren’t far behind them. The sisters were the last to enter, taking seats that the very back of the small church. There was no chance to speak afterwards, as Thomas hauled her and the children off to home to avoid the storm that was gathering.

 

And three days late, it was the full moon.

 

The children slept easily from the powder she’d fed them, but Thomas was restless. When he finally tramped in from a last minute check of the cows, Chastity was near desperate. She slipped a little of the powder into his tea, praying that the herbs combined with the long day would make him sleep. She gave thanks to Diana when she heard his deep, contented breathing. With a cat’s quickness she slipped out of bed, drawing a thin robe on over her shift. Lazerus gave a low mrow from where he stood by the door of the bedroom, eyes glowing a strange gold when they caught the moonlight. She raised from the room barefoot, following the tom cat’s graceful bounds.

 

A chill breeze nipped at her skin through the thin cloth of the garments she wore, but it mattered not. She trusted in her familiar, following his shadow-like for through the glow of the full moon, catching the gold of his eyes whenever she thought herself lost. After what seemed like ages the slowed, and she walked into the clearing where a blazing fire was lit, surrounded by seven women, all dressed as she as if drawn from their beds. She completed the circle, and Lazarus purred, seating himself at her feet.

 

The other women had similar companions with them. A raven preened Sarah’s hair, its black beak stark against her honey gold hair. The dusky skinned sisters were flanked by two odd eyed dogs, long legged creatures who’s sharp features reminded Chastity of staghounds, but not. As if their prey was something different, smarter- two legged. The other four women were ones she knew well. Faith, with a slender albino snake draped around her neck. And owl perched above Elise, and a calico queen curled at her daughter’s feet, sending glances over to Chastity’s gray tom. And lastly a goat stood at Carol’s side, slitted eyes still unnerving though Chastity should have been used to them by now.

 

Shrugging off her robe and casting it aside, she swept out her hands in welcome to them all. “Sisters, it is time to meet once more. Forgive my tardiness, there were things that had to be bound before I could free myself.” There were murmurs of acknowledgement from around the circle before Elise spoke. 

 

“Where is Tabitha? Is she not being taught of us?” 

 

“Until a familiar seeks her out, she will not attend our dances, just as with your Gloria.” There was a brief silence, then a rustle of cloth as the sisters pulled their shifts over their heads, dusky bodies turned copper by the moonlight. 

 

“This may be the last time we dance sky clad. Let us enjoy it.” More cloth rustled, and soon they all stood nude. From rounded Elise to slender Sarah and wide hipped Faith, they were all beautiful. Chastity looked around the circle with pleasure, watching the play of firelight on every body, shadows accented every dip and moonlight shining on every lush curve. With a smile of satisfaction, she pulled her own shift off, auburn waves of hair falling around her shoulders. She reached out to Sarah and Abby, the women on either side of her.

 

“Then let us dance, first for the lady moon and then for the earth, and then for eachother and then ourselves.” Their voices rose in a song that had no words, the tune meandering and organic, grown from joy and sorrow and worship. It held the sounds of feet on the forest’s leaf litter, the hooves of a goat, the paws of dogs, the purring of cats and the hiss of a snake. The croak of a raven became a bell-like tolling, an owl’s hoot the sound of pipes. They danced, first in a single circle.

 

The pattern broke into smaller grooms that twined through eachother, partners exchanging and slowly breaking smaller and smaller, until they danced in pairs a dance they only dared to partake in on this night, beneath the moon and far from prying eyes. Chastity found herself staring at Sarah’s pale blue eyes, turned near silver by moonlight with sharp daggers of icy color where the fire caught. Her callused hands slid over small breasts and slender hips, the cold forgotten in a rush of passion. 

 

The fire died as the soft moans and sounds of pleasure whispered on the night winds, a dance for themselves and for eachother. The partners never changed in this, and no one ever asked who was with who. It didn’t matter. As their essence watered the earth, their very souls carried their cries to the lady moon, who turned from her escort to listening. Their cries paused the Wild Hunt as their mistress listened and shook her head slowly, unshed tears like captured stars marking the corners of her dark eyes.

 

Before dawn they gathered around the near dead embers, twigs caught in their hair and scratched marking their skin. Chastity caught the groups attention with a gesture, green eyes near black in the darkness of the forest.

 

“I have seen signs of a red autumn. The leaves on the Faerie tree have turned to blood.” There was a moment of silence before someone else spoke.

 

“I too have seen signs. Our ewe returned last night bereft of child. I found the lamb- her fleece was black, and not a single creature had touched her except for a crow at her right eye.” Faith murmured, hands clasped tightly in her lap. Abby and Gail, on either side of her, draped comforting arms over her shoulders and leaned in, sharing comforting warmth and reassuring touches. Chastity stroke Lazarus, who had returned to sprawl across her lap, eyes closed to mere slits. 

 

“What can we do?” Carol spoke up, one heavy arm resting on her familiar’s back as the goat lay beside her. 

 

“Nothing. Wait and see what comes to pass.” Gail spoke up sharply, rising gracefully to her feet. She drew her sister and Faith up with her. Chastity nodded and stood as well, suddenly tired.

 

“Yes, that’s all. Stay in touch, and we’ll see eachother all again next full moon and every full moon after until the snows are too deep.” 

 

“So be.” The group murmured, and slowly began drifting off in the directions of their homes, gathering discarded clothing and plucking debris from their hair. In the deepest shadows, Chastity could see the vague hints of human forms, as if their numbers had doubled from eight to sixteen. Shaking her head, Chastity scraped a hand through her hair and started towards home. She wasn’t at all surprised when a warm, muscular arm curled around her waist and swung her up. She curled close to the chest of the grey haired young man carrying her, a slight sigh escaping her.

 

“You’re too good to me, Lazarus.” She murmured. A deep, rumbling purr echoed from the man’s chest as his strides carried her through woods, towards the silken chains she neither resisted returning to nor regretted fleeing. She dozed, listening to his heartbeat, waking only briefly when he slid her back into bed beside the warm body of her husband. She caught his hand briefly and kissed his palm before she settled to sleep, feeling Thomas automatically turn over and curl against her back. There was a deep purr as Lazarus lept lightly up on the bed, the tom cat curling against her stomach.