It had been the first day when Aednat had been given her question, and the second now that she had given the twenty-four hours for the people who didn't want to risk impressment had had their chance to leave. On the seventh day, the trolls would arise from the Earth like a portal, ready to claim any humans they desired as food and cattle.
She needed an army of one hundred Dullahan including herself. The family of three gave her four. Ayna had given her seven more, now they were numbered in eleven.
89 to go.
And she had failed to catch the campers, who had thrown gold at her to deter her. She was impressed that anyone even knew about that weakness of her mind, or anyone still carried gold. (The campers were grateful they listened to that internet guru who had told them, 'buy gold!')
Meanwhile, the former father of the family of three that had been Aednat's first conscripts, she came to the hunting log she was supposed to visit after the picnic with her family. She felt no romantic feelings towards her former wife, nor any parental feelings to her former daughter, the only love she felt was the familial love one naturally does towards one's sisters (even if they were only a few seconds younger than her despite appearances), and the fellowship of their duty. And so when she came to the hunting log, she felt no regret or shame at having to conscript the close friends of the human she had been created from. Only a grim resolve of what had to be done for the greater good, and hoped she'd be forgiven one day for her part in it.
As is true for all Dullahan, all the windows, doors, and unlocks undid themselves and flew themselves open for her way. The surprised and bewildered men within barely had time to process what happened as she entered, still on the back of her headless horse, her own head hung held in one hand. The shape of the door doing little to bar her passage.
"Humans, under command of the Dullahan Aednat, by order of King Oberon himself, you are herby all impressed into service for his majesty against the coming threat of the trolls."
"Hey! We fought the war of 1812 to send a message that we were done with impressment by kings!" Shouted one old man.
"Sadly this is an existential threat."
"... Bob's not gonna believe this if he was here," said one man.
The Dullahan wondered if that had been her name before. She silently laughed at the joke that this meant her horse's name was also Bob's. She'd have to come up with a better name for her new self later.
There was a case of gold coins hanging on the far side of the wall, but none of the men there thought to go for it, which would have barred the Dullahan from coming any closer. Many had simply forgotten this part of the legend it seemed. None of them thought to go for their weapons, she was relieved at that, she'd prefer not to blind with her gaze future sisters.
She saw the many beasts' whose heads had been struck down by these hunters and now immortalized as trophies. Now they would hunt far different game. The men still did nothing. The situation was so unreal to them that they didn't process what she had said, nor did they grasp what she intended to do. And they never would.
Her sword moved like flashes of light, her steed moved like the window. Within moments, the necks of the ten men vanished. Their clothes morphed in highly polished armor, their faces softened their figures slimmed and their breast plates filled out as each he became she. Their heads were held in their hands. Stropped across their backs were not longbows, but muskets, repeater crossbows at their hips, and the segmented whips that all Dullahan bore.
The new Dullahan at attention in line.
"We are ready to serve!" They echoed boldly.
"Come sisters, we have many more left to recruit."
"Yes sister!"
---
Aednat chose to ride with Anya, hoping her little recruit's good luck would rub off on her.
And their crusade had brought them now to a school.
All doors, locks, and windows open for the Dullahan. What Aednat and Anya had not expected to find was a dark hair main in his later forties with glasses. Anya had the odd feeling she had known this human in a former life.
The teacher looked at Aednat, then to Anya, then to the small army outside, and finally to Aednat again.
"Hello Far Dorocha."
"I am not Crom Dubh, he is no more," Aednat said simply.
The teacher side rubbing his eyebrows. "My father always told me to buy gold in this economy, now I wish I had listened."
"Life is composed of 'if only I had known', that is the way of things. I find it interesting you recognize me and yet do not run."
"You could say my name and strike me dead, there's no point in running. Shouldn't your whip be a human spine and a blue flame where your neck should be?"
"Having our whips in that form when I am not in battle feels excessive. The flame comes and goes as I will it."
"Interesting you're riding a single horse instead of commanding six pulling the death couch."
"I am not here in that capacity as a coachwoman for the Coiste Bodhar. Other spirits handle the duty of escorting spirits to the next world. Until today, I was the only Dullahan left."
"It's been twittering... so what you said in the town square yesterday was true."
"Yes."
"You steed do seem as silent as shadows. Do you ride them so fast grass and bushes are set ablaze?"
"I have not ridden Tandes that fast in a long time."
"You said your making an army to fight an invading horde, but everything I've ever read says tragedy falls in all places your kind passes through."
"I know that already." Aednat's face hardened. "And tragedy is falling now upon this entire town. I am ROBBING them of their futures, their pasts, and their rightful inheritance as children of Adam and Eve. I take neither pride nor pleasure in this ghastly deed. But it is the lesser of two evils. If we did not, my new sisters would've met a far worse fate at the hands of the trolls, and so would their friends, family, and their friends and family. Unless your glorious leaders decide to drop nuclear bombs on every spot of exposed soil the trolls think to emerge from... which I'm sure you can imagine would be far more collateral damage than the gruesome duty I perform. Even if they survive this battle, who they were before shall not return. I am REVOLTED at myself... but I do what must be done!"
Anya gives her a hug. "Don't sound so angry and sad big sister, I am happy to fellow you."
The teacher sighed looking at what had become of one of his favorite students. "Just do it."
Aednat complied with a slash of her sword.
The new Dullahan picked up her own head, her white shirt and jeans turning the polished shiver armor of her fellows.
"Well sister?" She said matter of fact sternly. "We have an army to recruit do we not?"
The female history teacher stumbled into the classroom that the mythology teacher had been dating...
Without hesitating, with a slash of the new Dullahan's sword, another join their ranks.