《The Song of Enki》


 Chapter 1, Part 1 - The Passage

    The sun had just begun to drift between the distant mountain peaks by the time Priya had finished her daily chores. Today, out of all days, had been an especially late start. She had woken up late, missing the morning call of the rooster, and had somehow managed to sneak past Mamae, darting out the door for a day full of playing and exploring in the nearby woods.


    Priya smiled to herself, thinking about her time in her secret place; a hidden alcove that she could reach only by following a small game trail, carved through a thicket by a fox, that led to the quiet, babbling spring that provided drinking water to her village. When things were quiet or too busy, Priya would escape there to sit and listen; listen not so much to the sound of the water, while that was an anchor. No, she would listen deeper to the whispering inside her; the voice that was beyond her own. The voice that was everything and nothing all at once.


    It was her special place; a secret spot that was hers and hers alone. Anytime she would feel tired or overwhelmed by the noise of the village, she would retreat there, sitting in silence, watching the water ripple around the smooth stones that lay at the bottom of the spring. As tempting as it was to dip her toes into the cold water, she never did. There was something sacred about that spot and the stillness it allowed her to find in herself; a sacredness that she didn¡¯t want to profane with her dirty feet.


    But chores were chores after all and they were still waiting for her when she came back to the village long after the sun had reached its peak in the sky. It wasn¡¯t that she was trying to avoid her chores. Priya knew that she had to do them at some point and knew that Mamae and Papai wouldn¡¯t mind today if her chores got done a little bit later.


    She fed the animals first: fresh grain for the horses, hay for the goats. The cows were already chewing on a patch of grass by the house, so she let them be. Priya began to clean the barnyard, shaking hay over fresh droppings before raking and scooping them up. The other girls in the village would always moan and cry over these chores, but Priya didn¡¯t. There was a simplicity in these motions that she enjoyed regardless of the smells. These creatures, these barnyard animals, were her friends and her family¡¯s helpers. The horse pulled the plow during the season of planting. The cows and goats provided milk, which then became cream, butter, or cheese. And sometimes, when one of the cows or goats became too old, it became an offering of meat for the long, cold winters. Small as her actions to clean and feed may be, this was, in part, her way of saying thank you to these creatures.


    Priya stood up stretching, arching her back, and let out a satisfied sigh as her back crackled and her joints loosened. She shook the dirt from the day from her linens and ran her fingers through her hair, removing the errant pieces of hay that always managed to find their way into her brown curls.


    The sky during this evening was especially beautiful. As the sun dipped below the mountain peaks, the rays lit up the clouds in an array of dark blues, purples, pinks and violets. It was lovely. No, more than that, it was perfect; a perfect way to end the day. Her day. Her very special day.


    Smiling, Priya bent her head, holding her left hand open and held at her waist to receive, while her right hand was held upright, facing outwards in blessing. ¡°Thank you, Eusou,¡± she whispered in prayer. ¡°Thank you for today and for the Sun and the beauty I see before me. Thank you, Eusou. Be there with me through my trials this night.¡±


    ¡°Priya!¡±


    Beyond the freshly cleaned pen, Priya could hear Mamae calling. The sun was setting and it was time. Priya glanced at the sky once more, seeing the sign of The Mother beginning to shine in the twilight sky. She hovered above the village, twinkling, watching, guiding, and aiding.


    ¡°Be with me tonight, Mother,¡± Priya prayed.


    Brushing her hands on her linens, Priya waved farewell to the horse who responded with a low, fluttering blow through its nostrils. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± she said, closing the gate behind her.


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    The walk to her house was short; a quick turn from the barnyard and she was there on the doorstep. She lifted one foot after the other, brushing dirt from them. Lifting the handle that barred the door, a lever that was mirrored on the inside, she stepped inside.


    A low fire burned in the hearth. Priya sighed at the immediate feeling of warmth. Mamae had already lit several candles for the evening, the wax from previous burnings forming a chaotic cascading mound that cast shadows on the table that danced with the flickering flames.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Mamae said, coming to Priya. Her hands ran over Priya¡¯s linens, gently traced her face, pausing as they plucked a piece of hay Priya had missed out of her hair. Mamae was already dressed for the night, in a white, simple shift. Her hair was braided down her back. ¡°Are you ready, beloved?¡±


    Priya nodded.


    ¡°Good,¡± Mamae said, smiling. ¡°Now, come. We must hurry.¡±


    Their house wasn¡¯t large, but it wasn¡¯t small either, at least in comparison to the other structures in the village. It was the perfect size for Mamae, Papai, and Priya. It was one big room with a table for preparing and eating food and places to sit around the fire when the nights got cold. In the northern corner of the house lay a mound of hay and blankets where Mamae and Papai slept. A blanket hung from the rafters as a curtain providing them a modicum of privacy. The same was setup in the opposite corner for Priya, albeit with a smaller bed.


    Mamae drew back the blanket and led Priya into her own sleeping space. A bowl of water from the spring sat on the floor. Mamae knelt before it and Priya did the same. Dipping a small cloth into water, Mamae wet it through, and began to gently trace it over Priya¡¯s face and neck. Each time the cloth returned to the water, the spring water became murkier and murkier, but Mamae didn¡¯t stop until Priya¡¯s arms, hands, each finger, foot and toe were clean. Or as clean as they could be.


    Pulling Priya¡¯s bedcover aside, Mamae pulled out a white shift, very much like her own that had been hidden. Priya smiled, shimmying out of her dirty linens, shivering slightly as the cool air pimpled her skin. Mamae held the shift out for Priya to slide into¨Cfirst one arm, then the other, followed by her head, the two smiling as their eyes met. Mamae guided the shift down Priya¡¯s body, covering her nakedness. Priya smiled, running her hands down the shift, letting her hips twist slightly causing the bottom of the shift to bounce side to side.


    ¡°Thank you, Mamae,¡± Priya whispered.


    ¡°Mamae is the name you gave me when you were a child. After tonight you are a child no longer. You are to call me the name the other women in the village call me, Priya.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anissa,¡± Priya replied, stuttered slightly over the unfamiliar name on her lips.


    Anissa smiled. ¡°Even though you are a woman, you are still my daughter. Do not forget that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Priya said, wrapping her arms around her mother¡¯s waist.


    Beyond the curtain, Priya heard the creak of the wooden door as it opened. ¡°Papai?¡± she called.


    ¡°Yes, little one, it is I,¡± returned the voice of her father.


    She pulled back the bedsheet curtain. ¡°I am no longer a little one, Papai.¡±


    Her father smiled, his eyes twinkling. ¡°You will always be my little one, Priya, until you have a little one of your own to take on the name.¡± His eyes shifted to Anissa, his smile widening slightly as he caught her eye, then back to Priya, taking the whole of her in. ¡°You look beautiful, Priya.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Papai.¡± Her mother nudged her with her elbow and Priya corrected herself. ¡°Sorry. Aaron.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Priya,¡± her father sighed. ¡°I will miss you calling me Papai after tonight. Perhaps you could call me that here, inside our home? Our little secret?¡±


    ¡°Aaron,¡± Anissa scolded. ¡°That is not why we have these traditions. We can¡¯t bend them to our own likings.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Your mother is right. But perhaps one day I¡¯ll be Papai once again.¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Anissa tsked. ¡°Priya is only just entering into womanhood. There will be no talk of grandchildren or of husbands or of any of those things. There are still many things for Priya to learn and grow into. There is a time for all of that, but it is not now, and it will not come for some time.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. Forgive your silly father, girl.¡±


    Priya ran the few feet that separated them and wrapped her arms around her father¡¯s midsection squeezing him tight. ¡°Nothing to forgive, Aaron,¡± she said. Then whispered almost silently, ¡°I love you, Papai.¡±


    Aaron squeezed her back.

 Chapter 1, Part 2 - The Passage

    Anissa went to the window and pulled back the curtain, gazing out towards the village and then towards the sky. Priya could see that it was dark and shadowy outside, the faint glow of Father Moon illuminating the dirt path that led from their house to the village square. There, in the distance, she could see the faint glimmer of candlelight, marking the path.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Anissa whispered.


    A nervous energy fluttered through Priya¡¯s stomach. She blew it out, trying to steady her breath, but suddenly she felt like all the blood had drained from her hands, leaving her fingers cold.


    ¡°There, there,¡± Aaron said, taking Priya¡¯s hands in his. His warm fingers rubbed her own, bringing warmth rushing back.


    Anissa placed a hand on Priya¡¯s back, rubbing slow and gentle circles. ¡°I felt the same way when I went through my passage,¡± she told Priya. ¡°But trust in The Mother. Anchor yourself to the flame. You will pass through.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay.¡± Priya pulled her hands from her father¡¯s and shook them out. ¡°I can do this. I can do this.¡±


    She placed a hand on the door lever, paused, took one more deep breath, and opened the door.


    The night air was cold, but her mother was there, beside her, draping a shawl over her shoulders.


    As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see shadowy figures on the path ahead. It was as it had always been on nights like this, for the passages of the other women in the village. A few cycles before, she had stood on the path, holding a candle as her cousin, Serah, walked to receive her passage.


    ¡°Father Moon be with me this night,¡± Priya whispered, echoing her prayer for earlier. She looked to the distant star, the sign of The Mother, the brightest star in the night sky. ¡°Be with me through this passage, Mother.¡±


    And she began to walk.


    One foot after the other.


    Priya could hear her mother¡¯s footsteps swishing behind her.


    She followed the path, leading her towards the center of the village where their holy house, The House of Eusou, stood.


    As she walked, Priya saw all the maidens, mothers, and crones that stood in solidarity with her; silent, holding a single candle, their eyes watching her, their heads bowing slightly as she passed by.


    Priya saw maidens that she had played with like a child; maidens who still haven¡¯t had their first blood. She saw the mothers of the village that had helped raised her; feeding her or patching blooded knees. She saw the crones that would sit outside The House of Eusou telling stories or passing along the knowledge they had collected to whomever would sit at their feet.


    When she passed by the carpenter¡¯s house, she saw his two daughters, Thekla and Ami, standing outside next to their mother¡¯s grave, each holding a candle while their free hand wrapped around the other in sisterly communion.


    And then she was there, standing, just outside the doorway of The House of Eusou.


    She paused before entering, steadying herself and her breath once again. ¡°Mother, be with me,¡± she whispered and she felt her Anissa¡¯s hand on her shoulder offering her strength and reassurance.


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    ¡°Remember,¡± Anissa offered, ¡°to be open and ready to receive. Keep your channels open. Try not to cross your arms. Be firm in your place. Keep your focus on Eusou. And don¡¯t leave the circle.¡±


    Priya nodded and pulled back the bear skin that hung in front of the entrance. She bent low, humbling herself before Eusou, to enter the sacred space.


    As she stepped inside the air changed, turning from a prickly cool to a comforting warmth, and with it so too the energy changed. There was a heaviness in the space; a heaviness and awareness that something greater than Priya¡¯s self resided there.


    A small fire crackled in the center of the space. The wood was already a dusky orange, splintering and popping in the heat, the smoke spiraling upward through a small opening on the roof. Sitting pillows were arranged around the fire, one for each woman present.


    Tohki, the ancient medicine woman of the village, walked the perimeter of the space waving in an endless chain of circles a smoking bundle of salvia. A twisting column of smoke was left in Tohki¡¯s wake. As she came to Priya, she paused, lifting the incense towards Priya¡¯s forehead, then her navel, and back again three more times. Tohki did the same for Anissa before moving on, continuing her circuit around and around the space.


    A small piece of ember floated down, resting in the palm of Priya¡¯s hand. It burned hot for a second and then just as suddenly, the sharp tickle of pain vanished; the dark orange ember turning to a pale gray ash that left a smudge on her palm, a remembrance of its own passage.


    Looking around the room, Priya noted the other women there.


    Gal, the butcher¡¯s wife. Her daughter, Galia, was a cycle younger than Priya and hadn¡¯t reached her first blood, yet. Regardless of the age difference, Galia was Priya¡¯s dearest friend. Galia always managed to find joy in the smallest and simplest of things. Oftentimes, Galia could be found in a meadow on the other side of the woods, braiding ringlets of flowers for the other girls in the village.


    Asa, the widow of the village¡¯s blacksmith was there, as well. Since his passing two winters ago, Asa had taken on the work of blacksmithing. After Aaron had helped her repair her roof, she had forged a beautiful wood axe. Its handle was strong, but bore an engraving of Eusou on one side and The Mother on the other, their arms reaching around the handle till they joined and linked; a story of how the world was formed.


    And then there was her cousin, Serah. Sweet, sweet Serah who was in Priya¡¯s place a few cycles earlier. She was less of a cousin and more of a sister to Priya. Many years ago, during a cold and harsh winter, Serah¡¯s parents became sick and passed. As was the way of their community, Anissa, Aaron, and Priya had taken her in. Serah was recently joined in marriage to a farmer who lived outside the village. While it wasn¡¯t but an hour¡¯s walk, Priya still missed the close companionship she had with her.


    As their eyes met, Priya smiled, mouthing the words, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Serah offered her a wink in return before rearranging her face in a more serious manner that was more befitting the night¡¯s ritual.


    Anissa¡¯s hand gently rested on the small of Priya¡¯s back, guiding her forward. Anissa gestured for Priya to sit. It was the seat nearest the entrance, but when she sat, she faced away from it. Across from her, over the fire, Priya could see, painted onto the wall, the image of Ensou as a young man, hanging by one foot from a wooden beam.


    She remembered the story. It was one she heard from Aaron, told countless times by the fire. Before Eusou met The Mother and created Terra, he wondered the inky blackness of night. He journeyed from star to star, moon to sun, searching for purpose. He tried naming himself, but in naming he gained nothing. As he was dancing across the night sky, his foot twisted and was snagged on a star, and he fell, hanging upside down for what felt like an eternity, until finally he learned what his true purpose was. As he hung there he began to unravel and see the mysteries of the universe around him and saw the ritual he must undertake to create a world and a being in his own image.


    Anissa settled down on Priya¡¯s right side and Serah on her left. Asa sat beside Anissa and Gal next to Serah. Tohki took the final spot, sitting opposite of Priya.


    The skin of Priya¡¯s exposed legs tingle from the intensity of the heat, but it relaxes her. She focuses on her breath. In and out. In and out. Raising her eyes, she looks across the fire and sees Tohki watching her. A small smile begins to grow across her wrinkled face. The air is thrumming with anticipation for what is to come and Priya can almost hear Tohki ask through the look shared between them, Are you ready? And she is, so Priya offers a small nod to Tohki. Tohki winks at her, shifting back and forth, settling deeper into her cushion, her legs crossed in front of her. She rests her hands, palms facing up, on her knees, and Priya does the same.


    It¡¯s silent now. Except for the crackling of the fire.

 Chapter 1, Part 3 - The Passage

    And Tohki begins.


    Oh Father Eusou,


    Creator, Gardener, Harvester


    We thank you,


    We bless you,


    We adore you,


    Tohki blessed Eusou in the heights and in the depths. In the lower planes and the higher ones. She blessed his attributes of Love, Harmony, Goodness, Truth, Life, Wisdom, Power, and Joy.


    I thank you, oh Eusou, for this house is filled with your presence.


    I thank you, for within you, I live and move.


    I thank you, for all who enter here will fill your presence.


    Then Tohki is quiet, her eyes closed.


    The fire pops and Priya jumps in her seat at the sudden noise. But she sees the other women sitting in stillness and stills herself.


    ¡°Let us drink,¡± Tohki says.


    The energies shift as the other women stand, forming a single line in front of Tohki. Priya is in the back, watching and observing this next phase of the ritual.


    Holding a clay bowl in one hand, Tohki scoops into a wooden cup a beverage. Tohki drinks the cup swiftly before dipping it again into the bowl. Each woman takes the cup, offers it to the heavens, then drinks it down in a single gulp before handing the cup back to Tohki who refills it for the next in line.


    When it was Priya¡¯s turn, Tohki doesn¡¯t scoop the drink into the cup immediately. She looks into Priya¡¯s eyes. It feels as if she was looking through her; through the outer layer of who Priya was, all the way down into the abyss of Priya¡¯s heart and soul. Measuring her. Discovering her worth.


    Tohki dips the cup. Priya can hear it scrape the bottom of the bowl as Tohki drags it slowly across the bowl, filling it almost to the brim.


    Taking the cup in hand, Priya sniffs at it. There is an herbal essence to it. Something sweet and a little bit woodsy. It made Priya think of the bark of the cherry tree. It couldn¡¯t be that bad, could it? She tried to take it all in one big gulp like the other women, but she couldn¡¯t. Priya swallowed and a shudder ran through her, starting at the tip of her nose and running all the way down to her bare toes. She stared at what remained in her cup.


    Was this what it meant to be a woman? What did the boys have to drink to become men? She had seen the kinds of things boys drank behind the alehouse, but never thought it made them men. If anything it made them more foolish.


    She looked to Anissa for guidance, but couldn¡¯t catch her eyes. Anissa¡¯s head was bowed, her hands raised in prayer.


    Looking up, she could see the night sky through the opening in the roof and through that saw The Mother, shining down on her.


    That gave her the strength she needed and she down the contents of the cup, grit and all. The shudder ran through her again, but after that she was still again. Priya handed the cup back to Tohki.


    Tohki bent down, setting the bowl and cup next to where she sat and settled back down into her cushion. The other women began to follow suit and so did Priya.


    Once they were settled and still, silence filled the holy house once more. It stretched on and on until Priya began to wonder if anything else was going to happen, but then softly and gently Tohki began to sing.


    O mother can you hear me?


    Mama, hear my cry.


    I am just a little child.


    Please hold me.


    Her voice is steady, pleading to The Mother; the Creator¡¯s spouse, his equal. As she starts singing the same words, the other women join her. Priya, familiar with the call and response, but unfamiliar with this particular song stumbles alongside them.


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    O Mother help me.


    I need your aid.


    Tell me that I am good.


    And hold me in your arms.


    O mama! O mama!


    Tell me I am your child.


    Tell me that I will be alright.


    And hold me in your arms.


    Our Lady help me


    Find the strength in me,


    The strength of Love


    So I can help hold others.


    The hymn was a plea; and ask for help. And as Priya sang she could feel an energy building inside her; that the words weren¡¯t just words, that she was speaking directly to The Mother asking for help, pleading for help. She felt tears, sliding down her cheeks, but she didn¡¯t want to wipe them away. She wanted to stay in this experience fully, letting her song, her voice rise with the smoke of the fire, spiraling, spiraling through the roof opening, up into the night sky, until her prayer reached The Mother.


    When the final syllable was sung and their voices faded, they all sat in silence until Tohki began to sing the next hymn. And this was how it continued, song after song, singing in unison. They sang hymns that praise Eusou, The Mother, Father Moon, Sister Sun, Terra, the Waters of Terra, and the Forests of Terra. They sang hymns of courage and strength, songs of fortitude and resilience, and songs of hope and joy. On and on it went. All the voices pushing and pulling against each other.


    And while at first it felt like the hymns and the singing themselves were energetic, Priya began to feel clearer and clearer some form of energetic force building around them, centered above the fire, like a cyclone; something that was beyond the music they were making. It was almost as if the songs itself were creating, or calling down upon them, this terrific and terrifying force.


    Priya looked above the fire, at the spiraling smoke, but did not see anything there. Nor was there any undulation in the smoke itself that was unnatural. But as she looked at and studied the smoke, stumbling briefly through the words of the current hymn as she did so, Priya began to see something there. Twisting amongst the smoke were twirly, whirly pieces of green and yellow cobwebs. They were attached to everything, not just the smoke. As Priya looked around the sacred space, she saw it swirling in the walls, the posts and support beams, and in the hair, faces, and clothing of those gathered. Priya lifts her hand to her face and can see the same patterns present there. But as she brings her hand closer, she can see the cobwebs split, creating ladder-like structures between the now two strands. They twist, pulsating with a greenish. These shapes move in and out, creating new shapes. Rectangular outlines like a house or fence. Circular ripples as if someone had thrown a stone into the pond of Priya¡¯s visual field; the green turning a deep, dark purple, before spinning away like the fireworks a tinkerer had once brought to their village.


    The pulsings, Priya notes, are to the beat of Tohki¡¯s hymns. It¡¯s a dance, Priya thinks as she stops singing. That thought cascades a hundred other thoughts all at once. How do I know it¡¯s a dance? Have I ever danced? No, not real dancing. Just dancing for fun, as a child. So, how would I know if this is really what a dance is like?


    The thoughts bounced around in her head, knocking against each other. The noise was deafening. Priya wanted to sing, but how could she? But then she remembered the advice her mother gave her to anchor herself to the flame.


    Priya lay her hand back down in her lap and turned her gaze to the fire. It was hard. She wanted to get lost inside all the furious zigzags and the kaleidoscope of colors, but she squinted her eyes, until all she could see was the tiny flame burning in the center of the fire. With her anchor in place, Priya was able to find her way back to the hymn, folding her voice in with other women.


    It¡¯s beauty is lies


    The serpent¡¯s lies


    Hide the Light


    From our Eyes


    Only the Light


    Is welcome here


    Let the dark clouds


    Pass away pass away


    Those that are not Love


    Those that are not of the Light


    Be gone. Be gone.


    Be gone. Be gone.


    It was silent again and Tohki let it remain so.


    Priya could still feel the vibration of the force that was present in the space. Its thrum ran through her, vibrating her core and soul. In her mind''s eye, Priya could see an eagle hovering above the fire, buffeting them with its wings. The air rippled under the force of its presence, but when Priya focused her eyes on the space that she felt it was, it wasn¡¯t there. But it was there and all Priya wanted to do was to kneel down, prostrating herself before it. It was awesome, awful, and awe-inspiring all at once.


    What was in that drink? Priya wondered, but there magically was Tohki, kneeling beside her, offering her another cup of the rancid-tasting brew. Priya took the cup and looked at it, staring deeply at the ripples the drink made as her hand shook slightly, the patterns within patterns visible on its surface.


    Just thinking about downing the drink made Priya shiver, her head jerking involuntarily to the side. A moan escaped her lips. It wasn¡¯t as if her conscious self¡ªthe version of her that was at the forefront of her thoughts, feelings and present emotions. But some part of me does, she thought. Perhaps some other element, her spirit or soul, knew what was to come after she drank the second cup, and that was what was rejecting it.


    Help me. Priya pointed those thoughts to the cup and the brew within it. Aid me. Give me the courage to see my path through this night. Give me the strength to walk it.


    Priya exhaled through her teeth and downed the contents of the cup in a single gulp. Another shiver passed through her and when she raised her head, opening her eyes once more, Tohki was there, offering her a comforting smile.


    Tohki served Serah, then Gal, before settling back down onto her cushion.

 Chapter 1, Part 4 - The Passage

    It¡¯s quiet.


    The quietness lengthens and Priya can feel the rumbling of the invisible force begin to grow.


    Priya senses tickled with a notion that the fire is dying, that the inside of the prayer house is growing darker, but when she turns her eyes back to the flame, she can see that the fire still smolders. But when she pulls her eyes away, the darkness returns. She feels that there is something there, just outside their circle; that danger lurks there. A bear or perhaps a wolf or perhaps something much more sinister. The feeling remained even after she brings her eyes back to the flame. Something was here, in the sacred space with them, something that didn¡¯t belong.


    With her eyes on the flame, in the periphery of her vision, Priya could see small creatures scurrying about the space; crawling on the floor and walls. Lizards, bugs, snakes, spiders and rodents. But everytime she tried to focus on one of the creatures, it would disappear from view. It was almost as if it was a test. A game. One that she didn¡¯t quite know the rules on. But if it was a game, Priya was determined to win it.


    What mother¡ªAnissa¡ªhad told her about tonight didn¡¯t include this.


    Eventually, after wrestling with her mind and will in this irritating and never-ending silence, Priya convinced herself that all the creepy crawlings in the space weren¡¯t real. Normally it would have been an easy deduction, but with every line of logic Priya followed, another would sprout causing doubt on what was her subjective or objective reality in that moment and the next.


    These things, these figments of her addled mind, were distractions; trying to pull her focus from the light of the fire and from Eusou.


    Priya tried various methods to regain her focus.


    She would stare at the fire as long as she could, willing herself not to blink. But as soon as she did, there would be a scurry of activity beside her, and her concentration would be lost.


    Priya tried closing her eyes, holding the image of the fire in her mind, but a great serpent with a sideways, oval-shaped head dominated her view. It studied her, as much as she studied it. What are you? Priya asked, but it didn¡¯t respond. Instead, it cocked its head to the side, its great, single eye blinking, seemingly asking the same question of her.


    Eusou, are you there? she pleaded. But the only answer she received was a rumbling with the force. Priya tried to press her consciousness towards that force, that murmured answer that could have been Eusou, but she was suddenly overpowered. Priya felt as if she was suddenly picked up and thrown into the river, tossing and turning, head over heel, in the current and undertow; completely overpowered by this turbulent and powerful inner river.


    Priya wanted out.


    She wanted to pull herself to shore and heave her wet and tired body out of the water and onto dry land.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Priya whispered, breaking the silence of the space.


    None of the women in the circle moved. That sat in their place, backs straight, hands folded or resting on their knees.


    Priya¡¯s prayer turned inward as she fought for control over the force. Mother, are you there? Please help me. Mother, can you hear me? Are you here with me?


    And she heard a reply. It was as clear as if someone was kneeling beside her, whispering into her ear.


    Sweet one, I am here.


    And Priya was back in her seat. She was hunched over, nose to navel. Priya could feel the tightness in her lower back and straightened out.


    Focus. Eyes on Eusou.


    But there was something there.


    It was different this time.


    Priya could still feel the current of the force, rising like a cyclone above the fire, but it was somehow muted.


    The strange, one-eyed snake-like creature was no longer there observing her.


    There instead, at the forefront of her awareness, was a buzzing; like the soft, beating wings of a hummingbird.


    Mother? Priya asked.


    I am here, it replied. I am here. Within you. Beside you. Above you. Below you.


    And with those words, Priya felt a warmth rush through her. And with that feeling of warmth, Priya was transported to another place and time.


    While she could still feel her physical self rooted in her seat around the fire, Priya felt another part of herself back in her body as an infant. The same warmth she felt from The Mother was the same warmth she felt as an infant, held to her mother¡¯s breast as she suckled. But just as quickly as she was an infant version of herself, there she was, in her mother¡¯s body or perhaps as a mother herself, nursing herself or her own child. She could feel the babe¡¯s lips around her nipple, pulling and sucking, and she felt the warmth that she had received as a baby being passed to this child from her to one day give to another. This juxtaposition continued, Priya vibrating between herself as an infant to herself as a mother and back again. Over and over.


    Back in the physical realm, her breast ached from the infant latching, and she reached up, rubbing her nipple, pulling herself away from the visionary realm.


    In her mind¡¯s eye, she could see herself as a baby, but it was no longer an out of body experience. And then rapidly she saw her mother, Anissa, as a mother, then as a little girl, and then as a baby at her mother¡¯s¡ªPriya¡¯s grandmother¡ªbreast. Then Priya saw her grandmother. She first saw her as she remembered her¡ªold and wrinkly and always smiling¡ªthen as a young mother, then as a child, and then as a baby at her mother¡¯s breast. And on and on it went, through the ages: crone, mother, maiden, babe, crone, mother, maiden, babe. On and on until there was nothing. Just a vast emptiness. But then, there was Eusou and there was the Mother. Priya could feel the love they had for each other radiating from these formless beings. She could see their joining, their coupling that gave birth to the universe, and as their ecstasy exploded around them and existence began to form the formless into somethingness, Priya felt herself being pulled back through time once again. From the first mother, to the first child being born. Over and over again: babe, maiden, mother, crone, babe, maiden, mother crone. Until Priya was her grandmother again, then her mother, and then herself as a babe, then finally into her present form as a maiden.


    It felt good to be back in her body, but what did all these visions mean? What was the point of this ritual, the songs, the cup that they drank from (just the thought of it caused another shiver to pass through Priya)?


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Mother, what is it that you want of me? Priya asked.


    What is it that you want? the warm presence replied.


    Priya paused. What was it that she wanted? She remembered the glow Serah had the day she was joined with her partner Zachael. She had always felt that she was on a predetermined path as a woman in her village. She could find a partner, bare children, raise them in the faith, and eventually grow old and die. Or remain barren and support the village in other ways.


    What did she want? What she wanted more than anything were those quiet, still moments when she would look for the stillness within.


    There was a strange familiarity between this feeling of warmth Priya could feel emanating from the presence of The Mother and the stillness. Were they related or one and the same? If they were the same, what was it? And as Priya¡¯s mind voiced that question, she saw, frozen in time, the moment where Eusou and The Mother birthed the universe; the sudden explosion of life and existence and soul and matter. And in that microcosm of time and space before time really existed, there it stood, the essence of the stillness: their Love.


    I want that which you and Eusou have, Priya said.


    That already lives within you, The Mother replied.


    But I want to be able to give it¡ªshow it, live it, gift it. I want to be that Love to everyone around me and to be able to teach others how to be that Love so that we can live in Love. All of us. Not just our village, but everyone.


    Who is able to know Love, except the one who is loved? The Mother asks. Open your heart, dear one. Open your heart to praise Eusou. Let your love abound from your heart to your lips; from your heart to your hands. Eusou will not turn his face from those who are his own, because he knows them. Open your heart so that you can receive the words of truth; the knowledge of the Most High. Give yourself fully, so that Eusou and I can give of ourselves to you. Drink from Eusou¡¯s cup of knowledge. Drink from my breast that which has been prepared for you. Drink my holy milk and live by it.


    Priya felt her consciousness slip away from her physical body. She no longer was in the sacred space, but floating above it, far above it amongst the stars. She felt warm hands and arms enveloping her and when she opened her eyes, she saw, watching her, the incorporeal form of The Mother. There was an energy emanating next to Priya¡¯s head and when she turned she sensed that The Mother was offering her her full breast to drink from. Priya brought her head closer to the source of energy, her lips opening to take in The Mother¡¯s nipple, and she began to suckle. Warm, life-giving milk filled her mouth and throat. And she drank it down.


    And as she drank, she saw Terra burn.


    Like a cry emanating from the depths of Terra, the ground split open. Fiery liquid spewed forth, covering the land. Trees turned from a lush, vibrant green to blackened, charred skeletons standing rigid across the horizon.


    The spring that fed their village gurgled no more. It dried up as did the water sources further and further downstream: creeks, rivers, lakes, great vast expanses of water that stretched further than Priya could see, all gone.


    She saw giant insects descending on crops, stripping them bare. She saw starving cattle and starving children, collapsing in heaps.


    Everywhere she looked there was a wasteland; a land without Eusou.


    A fire covered the land, turning it into a never-ending hellscape.


    No life dwelled here, whether mankind, animal, or plant.


    Her village was no more. There was no more Anissa or Aaron or Serah or Tohki or Galia. No Priya, either.


    Terra was no more.


    Priya pulled away from The Mother¡¯s bosom and began to cry. Tears coursed down her cheeks and she let them remain without wiping them away. She grieved for the vision that she saw and the horrors that vision held for her. And The Mother grieved alongside her for the loss of her child, Terra.


    Rolling out of The Mother¡¯s embrace, Priya knelt, feeling The Mother do the same. Together they raised their arms to the expanse of stars and offered a keening prayer, a song, to mark their loss.


    Eusou, heal me


    Eusou, heal the land


    Eusou, come


    Eusou, take me to your kingdom


    Eusou, heal me, heal the land


    And he came.


    Eusou knelt in front of Priya with a golden cup offered for her to drink from.


    With shaking hands, Priya reached for the cup, bringing it to her lips and drinking of Eusou¡¯s knowledge.


    And there, in the barren wasteland of a broken Terra, buried in the firmament and ash, a seed cracked open, a tiny sprout springing forth, growing, ever-growing, branches forming, leaves sprouting, fruit blooming, growing and shining.


    All across Terra a rebirth was taking place. From the ashes, life rose up.


    Where there was death, hope bloomed.


    Where there was decay, joy blossomed.


    Where the fire burned, love grew.


    Priya cried out, praising Eusou in all his glory.


    Eusou, you are my Sun


    Your rays have lifted me up


    Your light has chased


    The darkness away


    The vision faded and she found herself laying on her side in the sacred space. As she lifted her head, she saw Tohki kneeling next to her. A hand squeezed her shoulder and when Priya reached for it she recognized it as her mother¡¯s. Turning she saw her mother, Anissa, kneeling behind her and next to her, Serah.


    The brew stil coursed through her, but she felt more conscious and aware of her own body. Priya no longer saw the web patterns, but the light in the space still shined a little brighter; the firelight sparkling in the eyes of the women gathered around her.


    Tohki pushed herself up and tottered over to a bench that rested against the wall. Picking up a deerskin bag, she pulled out a bundle of herbs and came back over to Priya. Tohki knelt in front of the fire, holding the herbs next to an ember until it lit. Fire began to quickly burn through the herbs, but Tohki blew it out, letting the smoke spiral.


    Moving next to Priya, Tohki began to work the smoking herbs over Priya¡¯s body, making rapid movements, with some flourishes¡ªfinger-snapping, whistling, and clicking. Occasionally, as Tohki moved over Priya with the smoke, Tohki would pause as a sudden semi-seizure rippled through her. Priya responded in kind with a tremor that ran through her body, ending in her legs and toes.


    As her body shook, Priya tried to center herself with her breath. A slow and steady inhale that became shakier as her lungs filled up. As she exhaled, her breath shook, vibrating through her as her body continued to tremble.


    I am like a deer, Priya thought and indeed she was like a memory of a deer, recently frightened, and trembling in the meadow as it looked towards Priya wondering if she was a predator.


    Gradually, Priya felt her body become more quiet, calm, and centered. Eventually the tremors stopped and Anissa and Serah helped her sit up. Gal and Asa came over with water and torn off pieces of bread.


    Priya slowly drank the water, lifting the cup to her lips. It was cool and provided comfort to her parched throat. With the bread, Priya dug her fingers in, separating out a soft piece from the crust and put it in her mouth, chewing, breathing, breathing, and chewing.


    A quiet sigh escaped her lips and Priya heard Serah laugh lightly at the sound.


    ¡°It was the same for me, cousin,¡± Serah whispered.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°Tsch,¡± Tokhi admonished them, shaking her head. ¡°Talking is easy. Harder still is our ability to not talk and to sit with our experiences.¡± She turned, addressing Priya directly. ¡°What you experienced is for you and you alone.¡±


    ¡°But what did it mean?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°That is for you and you alone to sort through,¡± Tohki replied.


    ¡°But, I saw¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tsch!¡±


    ¡°But, Tohki. I need to know. I need to understand what I saw. I need to know why I saw what I saw.¡± Priya turned to Serah. ¡°Did you see Eusou when you did this?¡±


    ¡°I felt him,¡± Serah whispered.


    ¡°Did you see The Mother?¡± Priya asked her.


    ¡°I felt her,¡± Serah whispered.


    ¡°I saw them,¡± Priya said, turning to Tohki. ¡°I didn¡¯t just feel them. I saw them. I was there with them. I saw the creation of Terra and I saw its end. I saw it burn.¡±


    Priya is quiet, pleadfully looking at Tohki, begging her the silence shared in the space to help her.


    Tohki holds her gaze and speaks without looking away. ¡°Everyone out.¡±

 Chapter 2 - Lessons

    At Tohki¡¯s words, Annisa, Serah, Gal, and Asa stood up. Before leaving, Anissa rested a comforting hand on her daughter¡¯s shoulder. Priya squeezed in return. But then she was gone, leaving Priya alone with Tohki.


    It¡¯s quiet.


    Priya pulls off another soft piece of bread and places it in her mouth; working it with her teeth and saliva before swallowing it. Her stomach gurgled in thanks, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Tohki begins, speaking slowly, ¡°after an initiation like this, it is easy to jump in and share about what we saw.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tohki,¡± Priya says. ¡°I understand. But I know what I saw.¡±


    ¡°But, do you know what you experienced?¡±


    Priya is silent, turning the phrase over in her head, trying to find meaning, but coming up with none. Instead, she just repeats, ¡°I know what I saw.¡±


    ¡°Seeing and experiencing are two different realms, child.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What we see, or rather what we think we see, is influenced by our state of consciousness, which during your ceremony, was extremely altared. When our consciousness is altered, what we experience is more deeply rooted in truth. It pulls away from the magic and mythical constructs that our reality is built upon and roots us in a reality that has a foot in both objective and subjective realities, blending the two until they are one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Priya whispered, hanging her head, and turning her attention back to the bread.


    Tohki sat down in front of her and took Priya¡¯s hand in her own. ¡°Child,¡± Tohki began. ¡°We are always dealing with concepts we do not understand. But our minds and hearts like to trick us into thinking that we know the answers. It is perfectly fine that you don¡¯t understand.¡± She paused to brush Priya¡¯s hair out of her eyes. ¡°You said saw Eusou and The Mother, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Priya replied.


    ¡°Were they here, sitting beside you?¡±


    ¡°No. I was with them, out there.¡± Priya pointed through the hole in the roof to the night sky. ¡°In the sky, in the darkness amongst the stars.¡±


    ¡°But you were still here, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Priya answered.


    ¡°Priya, so much of what you are told as a young child is about what is good or what is bad. Don¡¯t do this or you will get in trouble. Don¡¯t do that or you will get hurt. Don¡¯t eat that mushroom or you will die.¡± Tohki chuckles. ¡°And when we¡¯re children, those absolutes are good for us. They keep us from doing careless things and from losing a limb or life. But as we grow older, our way of thinking has to grow too. Sometimes the truth, Eusou¡¯s truth or The Mother¡¯s truth or the truth of what makes us who we are, isn¡¯t as simple as right or wrong. Truth is a language full of paradoxes that lies neither in the affirmation or the denial of either side. We have to wrestle with it, trying to understand what truth means for us and how that truth could differ for our neighbor based on the village they were raised or how their parents raised them or how deeply and fervently they believe in Eusou and The Mother. Just as Eusou and The Mother are mysteries, so is truth at the very center of its nature.¡±


    ¡°How can I understand the truth of my experience tonight?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°You have to sit with it and let what happened wash over you,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°You have to be patient. Sometimes it can take hours or days. It is easy to rush into explaining what happened, but when we do, we are only describing the sequence of events, not explaining what happened; the deeper meaning that can remain hidden.¡±


    ¡°What do I do?¡± Priya pleaded.


    ¡°You go home. You hug Anissa and Aaron. And you sleep. And when you sleep, your dreams will sort through your experiences and will provide some shade of meaning for you when you awake. And when you awake, if you can fully see¡ªnot understand, but see¡ªyourself balanced between this reality and the incorporeal realm, come find me and we can talk more.¡±


    Priya tore a piece of the bread¡¯s crust off with her teeth and worked it around her mouth, disappointed and a bit angry. There was so much confusion building inside of her from the vision she saw¡ªmade only worse by Tohki¡¯s riddles.


    Tohki could see Priya¡¯s frustration written across her face and laughed. ¡°Priya. Priya. Priya. Priya. I still remember when you were little, you would cover your eyes with your hands, thinking that if you couldn¡¯t see the other children searching for you, that they wouldn¡¯t be able to see you in return. And now look at you. You¡¯re a woman. You¡¯re beautiful. You have your whole life in front of you.¡±


    ¡°But, what about¡ª?¡±


    Tohki cut her off, looking at her admonishingly. ¡°Go home, child.¡±


    Conceding, Priya bowed her head to Tohki. ¡°Thank you, Tohki.¡±


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    Priya picked herself off the ground, steading herself as her muscles groaned in protest. She looked back at Tohki, offering her a smile of thanks. Lifting the flap of deerskin that hung over the opening of the sacred space, Priya stepped outside.


    It was cooler than it was when she had first arrived. Goosebumps prinkled Priya¡¯s skin and she rubbed her hands up and down her arms to warm them. Looking up into the night sky, Priya could see the stars twinkling; the edges of light touching each other. If she squinted hard enough she could see a blanket of much smaller stars behind the more familiar ones.


    ¡°Eusou? Mother? Can you hear me?¡± she whispered to the heavens. But this time they didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Hello, daughter,¡± Priya heard behind her. Turning she saw Anissa and Serah standing, their arms wrapped around each other for warmth.


    Priya went to them, wrapping her arms around her mother and cousin, and buried her face into the crook of her mother¡¯s neck, breathing deeply her familiar scent.


    ¡°How was it, cousin?¡± Serah asked.


    And all Priya could do was laugh, shrugging at first then throwing her hands up in the air in disbelief. Serah pulled her in for a hug, kissing Priya on the top of her head in sisterly affection.


    ¡°I was impressed you didn¡¯t purge,¡± Serah said, laughing.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± Priya said. ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°O Eusou, I did,¡± Serah said, dropping her voice to a discrete whisper. ¡°I had a horrible knot in my stomach after the second cup. Tohki saw that I had my arms wrapped around my middle and she came to me and asked, ¡®What are you holding on to?¡¯ And I didn¡¯t know what she meant, but as I thought on it, I noticed a shift and I started to feel all hot and sweaty and then I was throwing up in the dirt next to me.¡±


    ¡°Shhh. Hush, children,¡± Anissa admonished. ¡°What happened there is between you and the women there, not for anyone listening in the dark. Come. We should go home.¡±


    ¡°Are you coming home with us?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Serah said, nodding. ¡°It is too far to journey at night. I¡¯ll sleep next to your hearth tonight and leave tomorrow to join Zachael by midday.¡±


    Priya threaded her arm through Serah¡¯s, pulling her close, as they began to walk back to their house. ¡°How is your life with Zachael?¡±


    ¡°It is good,¡± Serah replied. ¡°He is very serious, yet very sweet. But he is a good man. Our farm is well. Crops were strong and our sheep grew very thick wool. We will be ready for the cold months.¡±


    ¡°I hope I can come visit,¡± Priya said. ¡°Anissa, do you think I could?¡±


    Anissa sighed. ¡°Yes, but now that you¡¯ve gone through your passage, you need to discern your path so that your place in the village can be determined. Then and only then can you leave the village.¡±


    Priya laughed. ¡°Who knew becoming a woman would be so much work?¡±


    ¡°Becoming always takes work,¡± Anissa said in reply.


    ¡°What do boys do when they become men?¡± Priya asked.


    Anissa stopped walking so that she could face Priya. ¡°Boys do not become men in the same way your body changes and you become a woman. Boys go through their own passage to be made men.¡±


    ¡°Zachael went through his five cycles ago,¡± Serah whispered. ¡°He still cries out in his sleep, but won¡¯t talk of it.¡±


    ¡°Their passage is their own,¡± Anissa replied. ¡°Just as tonight was your own, Priya. Your passage. Your journey to discern wisdom from.¡±


    They were near enough to their house that Priya could see the outline of her father, Aaron, standing outside with a lantern in hand for light. Priya waved to him and when he waved back, she broke away from the other women, into a run, crushing into him.


    ¡°Hey. Hey there,¡± Aaron said, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°You made it. I was worried that Tohki might have turned you into a rabbit or something.¡±


    Priya laughed. ¡°No long ears.¡± She held her hands up above her head, pantomiming. ¡°It was just a really horrible tea.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Anissa, how did she do?¡±


    ¡°Our daughter did well,¡± Anissa replied.


    ¡°She did great,¡± Serah added. ¡°She didn¡¯t throw up.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s something to be proud of,¡± Aaron said, laughing.


    Lifting the door latch, Aaron ushered the three women inside. Priya sighed at the sudden heat from the fire. Serah went directly to it, sitting down in front of it, rubbing her bare arms for added warmth. Priya huddled next to her, realizing suddenly just how tired she was, stretching her mouth wide in a noisy yawn.


    ¡°You should go to sleep,¡± Serah offered.


    ¡°I know,¡± Priya replied. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. I have so many thoughts and questions about what happened, what I saw.¡±


    ¡°I was the same way. And I am sure every woman who has gone through the passage will tell you something similar. That power that was present there was strong. Feeling it vibrate through you¡ª¡± Serah pauses at a loss for words. ¡°Oh, and then The Mother. I hadn¡¯t felt that sense of love since my mother had passed away. All that love emanating from her being. It was so beautiful. Even now, talking about it, I can feel that same feeling of warmth that I had felt from her during my passage.¡±


    ¡°I felt that too,¡± Priya said. ¡°But did you see things?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± Serah asked.


    ¡°There were all of these little creepy crawling creatures scurrying about the space. There was this one-eyed snake creature. But there was The Mother and Eusou and things they showed me.¡±


    ¡°Tsckh,¡± Anissa admonished. ¡°The passage isn¡¯t something to be shared in idle chatter. What did Tohki share with you, Priya?¡±


    ¡°That I was to keep my passage to myself,¡± Priya replied. ¡°To let my dreams sort through them.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now, to bed.¡±


    ¡°But I have to go relieve myself.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you doing in here having idle chatter about something you shouldn¡¯t be idly chat about? Go. Go!¡±


    Priya hugged her cousin and ducked outside the front door. Ducking below the fence, she stepped into the animals¡¯ pen. Lifting her shift above her knees she squatted slightly, relieving herself in the dirt. When she was finished, she let her skirt drop.


    It was so quiet. In the stillness of the night, in the stillness within her, Priya could feel a rustling within her soul; a rustling that was if to say, I am here.


    A few moments later, lying in her bed, Priya could feel that same rustling. ¡°Eusou?¡± she whispered. ¡°Mother? Are you there?¡±


    And in the stillness she heard: Yes, my child, I am here. I am with you always. I am within you. I am above you. I am beneath. I am always here with you.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Priya whispered. And she closed her eyes and slept.

 Chapter 3 - Leaving Behind Childish Things

    The sun was past the eastern peaks and high in the sky by the time Priya opened her eyes the following morning.


    It had taken a long time before she had fallen asleep. Her mind, in the stillness of her room, was racing while the rest of the household slept. Priya kept turning the visions she had received and the voices she had heard over and over in her mind, trying to extract some sense of meaning to her experience.


    Rubbing the grit from her eyes, Priya stretched in her bed like a cat; arms over her head, reaching as far as they could while her feet and toes arched.


    Sitting up, she began to straighten her hair, brushing it through with her fingers. Finding a small piece of leather, she bound all the strands together at the base of her neck and tied them off.


    Gradually, Priya became aware of Anissa and Serah talking. Their voices were low, barely above a whisper. Leaning over the edge of her bed, she put her ear to the curtain that divided her room from the rest of the house, trying to hear them a bit clearer.


    ¡°There is no point in our continued speculation,¡± Priya heard Anissa say. ¡°It is peculiar, but it is not our role to assign meaning to something we do not understand.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Serah replied, ¡°but it is unusual and rare, is it not?¡±


    ¡°No woman in recent memory had visions like what Priya described.¡±


    Priya pulled the curtain back. ¡°I thought all women went through what I went through.¡±


    Anissa looked up from her seat at the table and sighed. ¡°I thought you were still asleep.¡±


    ¡°I just woke up,¡± Priya responded.


    ¡°How long were you listening?¡± Anissa asked.


    ¡°Not long.¡± Priya fidgeted with her hair, pulling a piece of hair out of the tie and twisting it around her finger. ¡°Mother¡ª¡± she stopped to correct herself. ¡°Anissa, did you see any visions during your passage?¡±


    ¡°It is not for us to discuss,¡± Anissa admonished.


    ¡°Please,¡± Priya pleaded. ¡°Just tell me.¡±


    Anissa took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, folding her hands into her lap. ¡°No. I saw strange geometric shapes across my visual field¡ª¡±


    ¡°I saw those too,¡± Priya interrupted.


    ¡°¡ªand,¡± Anissa continued, ¡°I felt a presence there. Two presences really. One manifested itself as a powerful force that surrounded me. It felt like diving underwater and swimming to the depths of the lake. It was powerful and overwhelming. And then there was this other presence: a loving, mother-like being.¡±


    ¡°I felt the same,¡± Serah whispered.


    ¡°But did you see them?¡± Priya asked. ¡°Did you see Eusou and The Mother?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Anissa replied.


    Priya looked at Serah who shook her head.


    Standing up from the table, Anissa went over to the fire, ladling steaming water into a cup. Returning to the table, she opened a box of dried herbs and flowers, and sprinkled it into the cup, before handing it to Priya.


    Priya gazed at the tea, watching the flowers and bits of herbs soak in the hot water and sink to the bottom of the cup.


    ¡°How were your dreams?¡± Anissa asked.


    Priya smiled, laughing lightly. ¡°There were moments last night I wasn¡¯t sure if I was dreaming or awake or dreaming while awake or awake while I dreamed.¡±


    ¡°That is the way of it,¡± Anissa replied. ¡°Anytime any of us go through our passage, the night is restless.¡±


    ¡°Did your dreams provide any answers?¡± Serah asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Priya responded. ¡°It¡¯s still very confusing. Made even more confusing after hearing that you two and others hadn¡¯t had similar experiences.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry you heard that,¡± Anissa offered. ¡°It is not our role to speculate, but it is easy to.¡±


    ¡°It was my fault,¡± Serah said. ¡°What you said stayed with me last night. I want to know why and what it means as much as you do.¡±


    Anissa reached out her hand and rested it on Priya¡¯s. ¡°This is part of the journey. Today is your day to do with what you will. Aaron has fed the animals and milked the heifers. Your chores are not waiting for you. Take the time you need, but come home before dark.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Anissa,¡± Priya said, sipping from her cup. The tea was still hot, but the smell and taste were cool and soothing.


    ¡°Do you remember why the women of our village have walked the passage you walked last night?¡± Anissa asked.


    ¡°To mark the year of their first blood,¡± Priya replied.


    ¡°Yes, that is part of it. The deeper meaning isn¡¯t revealed until after the passage, because, in part, the passage itself reveals it. Do you remember the stories we told you when you were little about Eusou and The Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°From when we are nothing but little babes to now, we grow through many more changes than receiving our first blood. Our bodies and minds change and grow and with it our conscious and unconscious bodies and minds change and grow. Those stories are told to help us understand that there is something greater outside of us. We tell stories, we sing hymns, we offer prayers as a community because through a certain growth stage, we believe, and have to feed that belief, that there is something superior to us¡ªsomething superior in nature¡ªthat can protect us and aid us if approached correctly. And these stories are told in a very literal sense. As children we are told that Eliya was raised up and placed in the stars by Eusou, that Tzuri''el was nine hundred years old when he was born, and that Musa led our people across the great sea at the dawn of the first sun. And these stories are offered without much in the way of proof. We are told to believe in them, but there isn¡¯t any concrete proof that the stories are true. But we are told to believe in them because of the lessons these stories give us.


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    ¡°Eliya gives us hope in Eusou recognizing our works and hearing our prayers and raising us up to the stars when we die.


    ¡°We tell the story of Tzuri''el the way we do, because we believe that if we share the love of Eusou with others, we will live on in the hearts and minds of others when we die.


    ¡°The story of Musa is there so that we know that we are children of Eusou, just as he was thousands and thousands of years ago. It is important to know where we came from, so that we can learn from our ancestors and not repeat their same mistakes.


    ¡°But as we grow and change, we begin to ask ourselves, ¡®How did Musa walk across the great sea? Wouldn¡¯t he sink?¡¯ Or ¡®How do we know those stars are Eliya? Did our ancestors look at the stars one day and call a grouping of starts Eliya and created his myth?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± Priya said, jumping in. ¡°Did Eusou and The Mother really create the world?¡±


    ¡°Did Eusou really hang himself upside down to gain the knowledge of how to create the world?¡± Serah added.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Anissa said, nodding her head. ¡°Our growing rational mind begins to overpower our childlike mind that has been stuck in a magical and mythical mindset for years. They war with each other, trying to find and answer, and sometimes finding none. Some will stop believing in Eusou altogether when their rational minds can¡¯t make balance out the notion of an unseen Creator and creation growing and flourishing all around them. That is why we do the passage: to peek behind the curtain and feel that Eusou and The Mother are real. That way, we can pass that knowledge down so that Eusou and The Mother aren¡¯t forgotten.


    ¡°In the distant Caves of Ishua some of the oldest images of Eusou and The Mother are painted onto the walls. Tohki believes that those ancestors that lived in the caves, hiding from the beasts that preyed upon them, were the first to drink the holy drink, as you did last night.¡±


    Anissa paused, rubbing her temples and smoothing her hair behind her ears. ¡°But these are lessons intended to be passed down to you over the months and years that you are part of this village¡¯s women¡¯s circle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anissa,¡± Priya said, sipping at her tea. She ran her tongue over her teeth, removing the bits of herbs and flowers that stuck there.


    There was so much she wanted to know. Her mind was filled to the bursting point with questions after questions. But patience was required. She had heard the same from Tohki and now Anissa, and Serah was in agreement with all of it, nodding along with every word.


    Priya couldn''t count on her hands the times Anissa had encouraged patience. Patience wasn¡¯t a trait she carried well. When it was time for the Harvest Moon, Priya would ask her mother every day how many more days until the festival and she would be admonished with a ¡°Be patient, darling.¡± When her mother baked bread or cakes, Priya would stand by the fire waiting for them to finish. While cooling, Priya would burn the tips of her fingers trying to steal morsels. Even after Serah had her first blood, Priya was excited for her own, driving herself mad with the desire to be a woman. ¡°Patience, Priya.¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Serah asked.


    Priya nodded.


    Serah left the table and returned with a thick wooden board that was heavy with fresh bread, butter, and honey. Cutting off a piece, Serah slathered it with butter and drizzled a zigzagging line of honey across it. Handing it to Priya, Serah licked errant drops of honey from her fingers.


    Biting into it, Priya realized just how hungry she was. The bread was moist and the creaminess of the butter was just right with the sweetness of honey.


    It was quiet except for Priya¡¯s chewing and the curtain of the north window moving in the breeze from outside.


    In between bites, Priya mumbled, ¡°So, what do I do?¡±


    ¡°You think on what you saw,¡± Anissa replied. ¡°You think about the messages you received and look for what lies between the words or the hidden depths of your visions. Tohki will be there to guide you. But you also have to start thinking about the future you want. After today, you will need to leave behind girlish things.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Priya. I think you¡¯ll find some things as you go forward in life. Things that don¡¯t hold the same meaning for you.¡±


    ¡°I started to braid my hair,¡± Serah said, chiming in. ¡°I used to wear it down or pull it back like you, but one day I decided that if I was a woman, I would start to braid my hair. And it was so much nicer after that. It would stay out of my mouth when I ate and the wind wouldn¡¯t tussle it about.¡±


    Priya reached behind her and pulled at her hair, fiddling with the tie that bound it.


    ¡°It starts with little things,¡± Anissa added. ¡°And then those little things become bigger. it won¡¯t change who you are, though. You¡¯ll always be my little Priya. But you also need to decide what path you want to take in the village. You can choose the Path of The Mother, find a partner like Serah, and bare the next generation of children that will keep and care for the land. But you can also choose the Path of The Maiden and that path has many branches. The Maiden¡¯s role is to care for the village, like Asa does with her blacksmithing. You could be a warrior maiden and train to protect our village with sword and axe and bow. It is a path, though that forbids children whether you are barren or not.¡±


    ¡°And then there is The Crone,¡± Priya whispered.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Anissa said, ¡°The Crone. It is the path Tohki took. It is the least desirable, but the most worthy path. To take the Path of The Crone, you learn about healing, you gather stories and pass down knowledge to the next generation.¡±


    ¡°Why did you chose the Path of The Mother?¡± Priya asked Serah.


    Serah giggled, her cheeks turning a bright red. ¡°Because I saw Zachael out in the field with his shirt off and I knew that I wanted to make babes with him.¡±


    Priya blushed as well.


    Serah stood, walked to the window and pulled back the curtain, looking outside at the sun. ¡°I must leave, sadly. I need to go back to Zachael¡ª¡± she giggled, putting her hand over her mouth to stop herself ¡°¡ªso that I can keep practicing the Path of The Mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh stop,¡± Anissa admonished, throwing a crumb of bread at her.


    Serah¡¯s giggle turned into a laugh and Priya found herself joining in, but soon the laughter turned to goodbyes.


    Priya hugged her cousin fiercely. ¡°When will I see you?¡±


    ¡°Soon enough,¡± Serah replied. ¡°You can visit anytime you would like. It is only a few hours walk.¡±


    ¡°I will. I promise.¡± Priya gave her one more squeeze around her middle.


    ¡°Would you like me to walk with you?¡± Anissa offered.


    ¡°I would love the company,¡± Serah responded.


    ¡°Can I come?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Anissa said, opening the door. ¡°You have work to do.¡± While her words were serious, she offered a wink and a smile and Priya grinned back.


    Priya watched as Anissa and Serah left, walking up the path that would lead through the village and eventually to Zachael¡¯s farm. Closing the door behind her, Priya went to her bed, drawing the curtain shut.


    Pulling the white shift over her head, Priya stood there naked, looking down at her body. What was this body? Was it pretty? Tohki had said she was beautiful, but was that a compliment from someone who was old and wrinkled and possibly hadn¡¯t seen better days?


    Was this the body of a Maiden? Priya lifted her arm and bent it at the elbow, flexing what muscles she had. Asa¡¯s arms were built to wield a hammer. She was short and thicker than most women, but it hid a strength that could bend metal into tools for farming or for defense.


    Was this the body of a Mother? Were there any boys in the village that she thought would make a good partner or father? They were all annoying and gross and loud. Would she be a good mother?


    Patience, Priya, patience, she reminded herself.


    Perhaps that was an aspect of her life as a child she could leave behind.


    She slipped on a pair of brown trousers and pulled a light blue tunic over her head. It hung loose past her waist, but she pulled it tight to her figure with a leather strap.


    Leaving her room, Priya returned to the table and picked up the remaining bread. She wrapped it in a cloth and stuffed it in a satchel. Slinging it over her head and across her shoulder.


    Opening the door to her home, Priya looked out, away from the village, towards the woods and what lay beyond.


    She had a lot to think on and knew of the perfect spot for some introspection.

 Chapter 4, Part 1 - The Crone

    Closing the door behind her, Priya left the comforts and safety of home. She could hear voices in the distance; too far away to identify who was out and about in the village that day. There were the higher pitched voices of children, giggling and laughing, and the deeper voices of the mothers and fathers that called after them.


    She could see the tiny outline of Aaron in the distance. If she hadn¡¯t been released from her duties of the day, she knew she would have been with him, delivering milk from their cows to the other families. They would spend the day churning the milk into butter or pressing into small rounds of cheese to be stored in the communal house for winter festivals.


    In turn, the other families would provide Aaron and Priya with goods from their farmsteads or trades. On occasion, Aaron would bring his knives or spear to be sharpened by Asa or a cart¡¯s wheel to be fixed by the carpenter, Josif. Gal and Galia would share free meat from a recent hunt. Zachael and Serah would bring wool from their sheep. There would be freshly harvested vegetables or gathered fruits to share. Samuel and Tahel, the older sons of Josif, would harvest honey and honeycomb from a rotted tree that a colony of bees lived in. The honeycomb would be cooked and melted. Some of which would be given to Tohki for medicines, while some would be turned into candles for the dark night.


    Everyone helped each other. They supported one another fully as a community.


    When Josif¡¯s wife died, they all leaned in, helping his family. The mothers of the village helped by tutoring the younger children. The fathers of the village helped watch his household, fed and clothed his children, until Josif¡¯s grieving had passed.


    It was the same with Serah when her parents caught a fever and died many winters ago.


    They were a family. All of them. Every man, woman, and child.


    That was the path Eusou and The Mother taught.


    So it was.


    So it is.


    And so it shall be.


    Priya¡¯s house stood on the far edge of the village, keeping the smells of the animals away, except when the occasional southern wind blew in from the mountains. On those days, when Priya was younger and the other children a bit meaner, they would call her all sorts of names. Some would rhyme with Priya and others would be crass descriptions of the smell that they would apply to her. But they would be quickly scolded by the other mothers of the village.


    ¡°Do you know why you have milk to drink? It is because of Priya and her family.¡±


    ¡°Who plows our fields when it is time for the growing season to begin. Priya¡¯s father. They keep the animals, so we can keep the land.¡±


    Priya didn¡¯t mind the animals or the smells. They were good helpers, providing food and drink, and good companions for when Priya could find anyone to play with. Or, at least, anyone she wanted to play with.


    Aside from Galia, Priya didn¡¯t have too many that she would call a close friend. Thekla and Ami, Josif¡¯s daughters, were too young. Priya would play with them, folding dolls out of dried corn stalks or braided flowers in each other''s hair, but they weren¡¯t much for conversation.


    Serah was dearest to Priya, but now that she lived outside the village and was on the Path of The Mother, Priya saw a distance between them.


    Even now, after her passage, Priya wondered how much longer Galia would be a close friend. As Priya began leaving behind childish things, would some include what made Galia such a good friend?


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    What was the point of worrying, though? Priya thought. It wasn¡¯t as if she could leave this vale. Mountains rose around them from the north, south, east and west. No one ever left and no one ever came. Everyone she had ever known had been known since her birth. This was the way of things since their ancestors crossed over the great sea. Which meant that if Priya chose the Path of The Mother, who she laid with and bore children with was already known to her.


    Priya scuffed the dirt in the center of the path in frustration.


    Josif¡¯s sons were too young. Too young, annoying, and dirty.


    Galia¡¯s brother, Arcas, who was one of the trackers and hunters, was a year older than Priya. His hair was long and he had strong shoulders, but Priya still remembered how he would call her names.


    The younger hunters and trackers would make an interesting match. They would come back to the village, carrying their kills and share stories of daring adventures and strange sights. Priya remembered sitting at the campfire a few moons ago and Kuji was telling about how he was tracking a great bear through the woods and up through the rocks at the base of the mountains, when a lion had lept on his back, bearing him to the ground. Kuji had dropped his spear during the attack and couldn¡¯t reach his knife. Instead, he twisted and turned until he was laying on top of the lion, using his weight to pin the lion¡¯s scrambling feet and claws to the earth, while pushing his forearm against the lion¡¯s neck until it was still. When he was finished telling the story, he had pulled down the front of his robe to expose his chest and four long scratches that were etched there.


    Even recalling the story now, Priya felt a thrill move through her.


    Maybe Kuji would be a good match.


    Perhaps seeing him without his shirt, just as Serah had seen Zachael, would help sway Priya¡¯s feelings and help her determine her path. Perhaps Priya could happen upon the lake when Kuji and the other hunters were bathing and catch a glimpse then.


    Priya felt her face grow warm at the thought.


    Just keep walking. Just keep walking, she told herself.


    The footpath ended at the edge of the woods. Cutting into the tall grass was a smaller, narrower trail that led into the forest. As Priya followed the trail, the trees began to grow thicker and taller around her until most signs of the trail disappeared and all that existed was Eusou¡¯s and The Mother¡¯s creation.


    Gazing up, Priya could see the sun gazing down at her, trying to find her through the think branches. The branches curved upward and upward, laying on top of each other, spiraling. Prickly, sap-scented needles sprung onto the smaller branches, their spiked tips making them look like emerald green beasts¡ªmuch scarier to the younger children at night.


    This was the perfect spot to play Sleeping Fawn with the other children. The trees were large enough to hide behind and dense enough so that the Wolf could be extra sneaky, stealthily moving behind one tree to the next until he spied a young fawn and he would pounce causing the poor child to shriek and on some occasions cry.


    Priya loved the way these trees smelled. At times, when Josif would shape these trees for wood for his carpentry, he would take the shavings, roll them in beeswax, and present them as gifts for the other families to burn during the winter¡¯s solstice.


    Some of the great trees of the forest had branches low enough and wide enough that the children of the village could climb them. Priya would climb the highest of all the village girls, up and up until she could see above all the other trees.


    She felt free in the forest, amidst the trees.


    While the trail had disappeared under a blanket of dried needles, Priya still knew how to find the spring. Her father had shown her years ago how to follow the small signs left by an animal¡¯s passing: the overturned rock, the rough marking in the dirt of a hoof or foot, and the various scat and what it meant and what type of animal it belonged to. Priya had first found the spring by following the tracks of a forest rabbit. Then she had found it again by following the tracks of a fox. And now the trail was a familiar one.


    Eventually, Priya reached the thicket that hid the spring from the other village children. She could hear the spring gurgling on the other side of the barrier. Bending low, she crawled through a small space where the brambles had been pushed to either side. It was barely large enough for her to fit through. After a few feet, Priya had to pause, untangling a strand of hair that had gotten wrapped around a thorny branch. And then she was through.


    Standing, Priya opened her arms to the warm sun, gazing up towards it, through the branches of the trees that stood on either side of the spring.


    But she wasn¡¯t alone.

 Chapter 4, Part 2 - The Crone

    There, sitting on the rock that Priya had claimed as her own, sat Tohki.


    ¡°Hello, Priya,¡± Tohki said, smiling. ¡°I thought I might find you here.¡±


    Suddenly, the spring didn¡¯t feel as special anymore. How many times had Priya been there alone, sitting on that rock, and finding the stillness within her? She had never ever seen anyone else here and yet, here was Tohki, sitting and smiling at her special place on her special rock.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Tohki waved her over. Pushing herself up from her seat, Tohki moved further upstream towards the source of the spring. Priya followed.


    Bending down, Tohki pointed at the large boulders that circled the spring. ¡°Do you know what this is, Priya?¡±


    Priya shrugged. ¡°Moss?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Very good. Do you know why we drink from this spring?¡±


    ¡°Because the water is clean?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. But it¡¯s more than that. You could go to any of the streams that carry the melted snow down from the mountains and drink from it, but your belly will ache for hours after. That water is clean, as well, but not as clean as the water from this stream. It¡¯s because of this.¡± Tohki points again at the moss that grew on the boulders, hanging down into the waters. ¡°The nutrients in the ground help this water stay pure and the moss removes any remaining uncleanliness.¡±


    Tohki pulled out a small knife, turning over a small patch of moss that had grown into the surrounding dirt, she cut away a loose patch, holding it up for Priya to see. ¡°Terra provides nutrients through the water that feeds the moss. Here, on the other side of the spring, the moss grows into the ground, pulling out other healthy nutrients. This¡ª¡± she shakes the moss, pieces of dirt falling back to the ground ¡°¡ªwhen dried, can be packed into cuts to keep rot from setting in.¡± Rolling the moss, she placed it into the satchel that was around her neck and shoulder.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Priya asked.


    Tohki smiled, her eyes crinkling. ¡°Because I thought you might have questions.¡± Priya opened her mouth to speak, but Tohki raised a hand, silencing her. ¡°I have a question for you first: why do you come here?¡±


    Priya looked back at the rock she used to sit on for hours at a time, watching the water of the spring flow past her. ¡°I like the quietness here.¡±


    ¡°It is very peaceful here,¡± Tohki agreed.


    ¡°I come here to help me find myself. The sound of the water or the wind through the trees help me find a quietness within me. It¡¯s calming. It makes me happy.¡±


    ¡°That quietness within is a very special thing to have discovered,¡± Tohki said. ¡°Not many are able to find it. Even fewer make the time to find it. How does the quietness feel to you?¡±


    Priya paused, turning inward, trying to calm the fluttering of her heart, trying to temper the anger that had sparked when she had seen Tohki here. She closed her eyes, still feeling Tohki watching her, and started to focus on her breath. Breathing in peace. Breathing out the anger. Over and over and then, like a small flame she felt the stillness with her come to life.


    ¡°It feels warm,¡± Priya began, ¡°like a small fire. Not too hot, but enough so you know that it is there. It is warm and feels loving, like my mother¡¯s love, or how I felt The Mother hold me last night. It feels as if it burns through me. As if it is me. As if it is all of us: our village, all of Terra.¡±


    ¡°When you feel this stillness, how does your body feel?¡± Tohki asks.


    ¡°It feels calm,¡± Priya says, keeping her eyes closed. ¡°I feel loose, relaxed.¡±


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    ¡°How do your emotions feel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Priya says, scrunching up her forehead. ¡°I feel calm, if that counts. But I don¡¯t feel anything big. No anger. No sadness. I don¡¯t feel overly happy, but I am not sad, so I suppose I feel happy?¡±


    Tohki chuckled. ¡°And what about your mind? How does your mind feel?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Priya sighed. ¡°Confused? I don¡¯t usually sit here thinking about how I feel. I find the stillness and hold it in my awareness for as long as I can.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel from all those vantage points, right now?¡±


    The fire within Priya froze. The internal visual of a flame stopped moving. She felt as if she was suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water. The internal dialogue of how she was feeling and what she was feeling was gone and all that remained was a radiately unmoving and still awareness that was everything and nothing. It was her, but it was more than her, stretching up through the tops of the trees, across the vale, and up over the ridges of the mountains.


    ¡°Did you feel it?¡± Tohki asked.


    Priya opened her eyes and nodded.


    ¡°That is what we feel the moment we enter the world from our mother¡¯s womb. Then it is gone, vanished, sucked away by a flurry of needs and desires. And as we grow, we lose sight of that feeling. We become creatures that have thoughts of our own and get caught up in those thoughts and begin to analyze them, judge them, condemn them, feel shame for them. We forget this true and vast and infinitely deep sense of self that resides here!¡± Tohki emphasizes this by striking her chest with her fist. ¡°We forget and we make our lives full of our own suffering; making it intolerable with our doubt and anxieties and despair and tears. That is why we do the passage as we have done for ages: so that we can wake up and find the stillness with us once again.¡±


    ¡°Is this feeling¡ªthis stillness¡ªis it Eusou?¡± Priya asked.


    Tohki smiled. ¡°Years ago, a prophet wandered these lands. On the top of a distant peak, after taking shelter for the night, he heard a whisper on the wind that was the voice of God. The wind spoke its name and its name was Eusou. As the prophet listened to the wind, he began to hear the voice of God echoed in the rocks beneath his feet, in the song of the trees as they moved in the breeze, the rippling of water, and then he heard it within his own self. Eusou has always existed. And that center you have found in yourself is him. There was never a point where he didn¡¯t exist within you or you without him. What you are at your most deepest self and what Eusou is as well, is part of Terra: every deer, fox, ant, tree, every child, your parents, Serah, Galia, everyone in our village, all one and the same, bound together in spirit to Eusou.¡±


    Priya is silent, letting her mind separate out the meaning behind Tohki¡¯s words. ¡°Are you saying that this stillness is Eusou, but it is also me?¡±


    ¡°There is no separateness between what you are and what Eusou is. Just as Eusou was, so you were. And as Eusou is, so are you. You, me, everyone and everything was there when Eusou breathed the universe into being. We were there as Terra was broke open and formed and reformed, remade time and time again from fire and ash. We were there when life first formed, becoming more complex and more and more whole, becoming more defined in their form and function, after each generation. We were there when the first forests grew and when Terra cracked open to heave the mountains onto the plains. We were there through it all, joined in the consciousness of Eusou. Eusou is timeless stillness. He is us and we are him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Priya said, her voice brimming with frustration.


    ¡°I know that it is a lot,¡± Tohki said. ¡°This type of knowledge, if it is gained, is shared over years, not over the course of an afternoon.¡±


    Tohki settled down and patted the ground next to her. Priya sat down, folding her legs beneath her.


    ¡°Let''s try a different approach,¡± Tohki said.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Priya did. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am Priya,¡± Priya replied.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Tohki asked again.


    Priya paused. ¡°I am a girl, a woman. I live in the village.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I have brown hair, brown eyes. I like to sit by this spring, alone.¡±


    Tohki laughed at the edge in her voice. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am tired of this game.¡±


    ¡°Look deeper, Priya. Be quiet and look within yourself and ask yourself who you are.¡±


    Priya is quiet. She rocks from side to side, becoming relaxed, and begins to find the stillness again, resting inside of her.


    Who am I?


    Who am I?


    Who?


    Am?


    I?

 Chapter 4, Part 3 - The Crone

    As Priya cycled through everything and everyone that made her who she was¡ªher family, Serah, her friends, the other children in the village, the mothers and fathers she grew up knowing, Tohki¡ªshe began to sort through the identities that were her own and the ones that were assigned to her by others. To her parents she was Priya, their beloved, their daughter. To Serah she was cousin, sister, and friend. To Galia she was a friend and confidant. But what was Priya to herself? As she searched for an answer, she felt the stillness within her turn towards her, observing her with the same intensity as she was observing herself. Each reflected the other and in that moment of realization, Priya felt herself slip out of her body and into the stillness. She was no longer daughter, cousin, sister, friend or Priya. She was part of the vast depth of the timeless expanse within her.


    ¡°I am,¡± she spoke into the quietness of the forest around her.


    Opening her eyes, she saw Tohki smiling.


    ¡°I will tell you a different story this time,¡± Tohki said. ¡°Years ago, a man wondered about the land. At the top of a distant peak, he found shelter for the night. He wasn¡¯t a prophet. But he was searching for God. And as he sat, gazing at the fire, he saw that he was as much part of the fire and the fire was part of him and he heard a voice within him speak the words, ¡®I am.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Why is the story different?¡± asked Priya.


    ¡°Because we need our stories to be myths to help us understand why we believe what we believe.¡±


    ¡°Is Eusou real?¡±


    ¡°For eons, people have ascribed names to their deities so that they had a name to call upon when they pray. God didn¡¯t create man in his own image. Man created God in their own image. The infinite, eternal, and unnamable was named and reduced to an idol in man¡¯s mind. Across the great waters and in other parts of our land, there are other names for Eusou. But at the heart of it, God is that stillness inside of you, regardless of his name. Eusou didn¡¯t begin existing a millenia ago when the prophet heard his voice. This stillness within you, what you just named as I Am, has been there since before the beginning of time.¡±


    ¡°But I saw him and The Mother last night. They are real,¡± Priya pleaded.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Tohki asked.


    ¡°I saw them come together to create Terra,¡± Priya replied.


    ¡°Sometimes what we see during the passage is a manifestation of our shared beliefs. You grew up listening to the myths of Eusou and The Mother. If you remove their identities from their vision, does it change what you saw?¡± Priya thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°Does it change any of the lessons you received from your vision?¡±


    Priya shook her head again. ¡°The lessons don¡¯t change. But The Mother. I felt her presence and saw her. I drank from her breast!¡±


    ¡°The Mother connects us to the I Am within ourselves, just as we came out of the womb tethered to our mothers. She is there to help us remember who we are and from where we came from. She is our guide back to the womb, to find the stillness within ourselves, and our guide back to the final womb when we rest in the ground.¡±


    ¡°Does my mother know all of this?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°There is secret knowledge that I only know. It was passed to me by the Crone before me and the Crone before her.¡±


    Sighing, Priya laid down in the cool grass. ¡°Riddles, Tohki. More and more riddles.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to tell me what you saw last night? And I¡¯ll try to provide guidance.¡±


    ¡°I saw a lot,¡± Priya began. ¡°At some point, I felt as if there was a lion prowling around us, just outside the light of the fire. And then, there were all the tiny creatures¡ªlizards, snakes, some mices¡ªrunning around the floor, climbing the walls.¡±


    ¡°Even the little things provide lessons,¡± Tohki whispered.


    ¡°And they did. They kept me from focusing on the songs or Eusou. It made me think of all the things I do to pull me away from the stillness within and how I need to be stronger, so that I can find the stillness even when I am away from this place.¡±


    ¡°And you saw Eusou and The Mother?¡± Tohki prompted.


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    ¡°Yes. I felt Eusou all around me. It was like I was at the bottom of the lake, my ears filling with pressure. It was terrifying and amazing, all at once. Then The Mother was there, holding me, and I saw myself being born, and then my mother, and my grandmother, all the way back to the beginning of Terra. I saw Eusou and The Mother come together and create Terra and then I was being born and reborn as my ancestors until I was back in my own body. The Mother asked what I wanted and seeing how much her and Eusou loved each other, I told them I wanted to love as they did.¡±


    ¡°And what is that love?¡± Tohki asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s this.¡± Priya pointed at the center of her chest. ¡°It¡¯s this stillness. That which I am, they are.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tohki whispered.


    ¡°And when I spoke of my desire to have and to be their love, The Mother offered her breast to me and I drank from it and I saw the world burn.¡± Priya felt tears welling up in her eyes and she remembered the horrific vision. ¡°It was awful, Tohki. I saw this spring dry up. I saw the ashes of our village. Everywhere I looked Terra burned. But then Eusou came and offered me a cup to drink from. And I saw life grow from ashes. It was beautiful. It started with a single seed and it spread across the land, bringing life to everything that had burned.¡±


    ¡°From death comes life,¡± Tohki murmured. ¡°Given what I have shared today, what do you think it means, Priya?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure,¡± whispered Priya. ¡°I think in some way the visions are connected: the creation of Terra and the destruction of it. Or that it was a visual representation of my journey from being a child to a woman: leaving the aspects of childhood that I cling to, being reborn as a woman. But I also wonder if it is a premonition for what might come. In accepting Eusou¡¯s love and wanting to be a vessel for that love, perhaps by showing that love it¡¯ll bring about the destruction of everything I have known and love. And yet, even with my known world gone, something new, something greater will bloom from its ashes.¡±


    ¡°Can I tell you another story? A secret story?¡± Tohki asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Priya replied.


    ¡°Long ago, the world did burn. It burned because man thought they could control who Eusou was. They made him small and held his power over the people of Terra. While they taught that Eusou was love, they made his love conditional. Only those that followed the rule of law or who prayed a certain way was worthy of his love. But then, like a soft breeze, people began to see the love of Eusou. They heard his voice in the wind and saw him within the stillness of their hearts. And this made the leaders of Terra scared. They made stricter rules. They told their people that they had to follow the rules in order for Eusou to welcome them into his kingdom. And they said no. And they died. Countless people died. Cities burned. Smoke hung in the sky for years dropping remnants of ash upon Terra. Our people didn¡¯t come from the sea, but from beyond the mountains. They escaped the smoke and the dust and found shelter in this vale and so we¡¯ve remained for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°How could I have seen this if I had never heard this story?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°It is a gift you have been giving,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°But I am not sure what you saw was the past. Humankind has one trait that has continued for thousands and thousands of years: we don¡¯t learn from the past. Especially if stories aren¡¯t told so that each generation can learn from the prior generations'' faults. The same darkness that burned through the land can and will happen again. There will be a time, perhaps in your generation, when the veil will be lifted between what is myth and what is real so that people can understand and see the I Am in them, just as you have.¡±


    ¡°But if I do share, what harm could I cause?¡±


    ¡°I think it depends on how you share and what your intent is. If you share so that you can hold power over people or gain importance in the village, then that path will cause your world to burn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want power,¡± Priya said. ¡°And I just want to be me, not some village elder.¡±


    ¡°If you act in accordance with the stillness within you, that path will lead to that new growth springing forth from the ashes.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡±


    ¡°I can show you,¡± whispered Tohki. ¡°Do you want to learn more?¡±


    Priya sighed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then choose the way of The Crone. I will teach you the medicine of the forest. I will tell you the stories of old and share with you the hidden secrets of the world. I will teach you how to heal and how to hunt. I will show you how to harness the invisible spirits of the air and how to hold the power of the Gods in your heart.¡±


    ¡°But what about¡ª¡± Priya began to protest, but Tohki cut her off.


    ¡°What about Kuji?¡±


    Priya blushed. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Just because I am old doesn¡¯t mean these eyes can¡¯t see. If you chose the Path of The Crone, you cannot also follow the Path of The Mother. Your womb will remain empty like mine has. The village will be your family. The people there, your children. This has been the path since we first came over the mountain and settled in the vale.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tohki. Thank you for sharing with me your stories, but I don¡¯t know if that is the path for me.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± Tohki said, grinning, ¡°Kuji wouldn¡¯t be attracted to you for a mate.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Priya asked, her heart racing. ¡°Was it something I did? Or said? Is it because I don¡¯t braid my hair?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tohki laughed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like girls.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Priya sat back, her heart slowing back down. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°These eyes see everything.¡±


    Priya was quiet, picking pieces of grass from the ground between her legs. Tohki watched her, her eyes shining.


    ¡°Eusou¡¯s balls,¡± Priya muttered. ¡°Fine.¡± She flung the pieces of grass off to the side, brushing the dirt off her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. The Path of The Crone is my path. When does Crone School start?¡±


    Tohki grinned. ¡°Crone School starts tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 5, Part 1 - The Stillness

    Leaving the spring, Tohki showed Priya a hidden passage between two large boulders that led back into the dense forest and didn¡¯t require any crawling on hands and knees.


    The sun was high in the sky before they reached the wider footpath that led back into the village.


    ¡°How do you hold onto the stillness with you?¡± Priya asked Tohki.


    ¡°It¡¯s a balance,¡± Tohki began. ¡°Right now, I am walking, but I am also connected to the stillness. To do this, I have to be mindful of every step: how my foot falls upon the earth, how the dirt feels, how the tiny rocks feel, or how the needles on the forest bed feel. We can¡¯t be grounded in stillness if our minds are elsewhere. And we breathe. We connect our breath to our steps.¡±


    Tohki put a finger to her lips to signal silence and stops walking for a moment. Priya stops a few feet ahead of her and turns, watching. Tohki takes a step, raising one hand from her waist to her chest, signaling an in breath. Then another step, pushing the same hand back down to her waist as she exhaled. She repeated this two more times, then beckoned Priya to follow.


    Priya took a step before remembering to breathe. She paused, reminding herself of the steps. As simple as it was, once her mind was connected to this rhythm of stepping at the same time she inhaled, walking and breathing became more challenging. She tried again and again, finally finding the rhythm, but only losing it again when she congratulated herself.


    ¡°It takes practice,¡± Tohki said. ¡°But once you find it, pairing the stillness with work, it can be a magical thing. When you sit with a mother giving birth, the stillness is there, relating a sense of calm for you aiding the mother and the mother aiding her babe into the world. When you are setting bones or threading a wound, the stillness is there aiding you.¡±


    Tohki pointed towards the sky, at a large cloud beginning to move over the sun. Priya followed her finger, once again losing the rhythm of breathing and stepping.


    ¡°Imagine you¡¯re up there, Priya, walking on that cloud. Looking down you see the other, smaller clouds in the sky, and far below you can see the trees, the other people. You are connected to everything. Looking at a tree, you see it''s truck, the root system below the ground, the leaves, and the bark. You are connected to the tree in the same way you are connected to me or Anissa or Serah. Notice how the trees are moving in the wind. You are that tree. Notice how the tree feels and you¡¯ll notice how the air feels as you move through the tree and through the branches. You are all: the tree, the air, and you. The stillness, Eusou, the I Am that is you is the connection to all things. You are here, now. You are mindful. You are whole. In the stillness, you have no fear. You have no doubt. You have no anxiety. You are you. You are connected. You are not separate from what you witness. You are the same. You are the oneness. You are one and the same thing as everything. There is no separation. You are living, awake, and aware. You are the living energy. Everything in the universe is an expression of the single and pure energy of light and love that is Eusou.


    ¡°You can sit and find the stillness. Or you can walk. All you have to do is walk. When you walk, your body, your mind and your soul can relax and settle. It is a practice, a way of life, a way of seeing that you can do anything. Just start walking. When you take your first step, then you¡¯re on your way to finding the stillness. Let everything unfold in its own perfect order. Find the stillness. See that everything is part of you. You are the same, part of the same, connected to all, as the sun is. As the moon is. As the stars are. You are here, aware, now, this moment fully. You are not your thoughts, your feelings. Your task by following the Path of The Crone is to be present. All you have to do is be aware of yourself and by being aware of yourself, you are aware that you are a vessel for Eusou. That is all.¡±


    ¡°That is all,¡± mumbled Priya, once again finding herself in the flow of breathing and stepping. ¡°That is all.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°That is all.¡±


    ¡°It would be easier if I picked the Path of The Mother and just had a few babes.¡±


    Tohki laughed. ¡°Perhaps it would be.¡±


    ¡°Eusou¡¯s balls,¡± Priya muttered.


    ¡°That is the second time you have used that phrase this afternoon,¡± Tohki said. ¡°Why do you children say these things?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Priya replied. ¡°We just say them because we¡¯re children and because it¡¯s fun to say and fun to curse things.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the stillness, Eusou¡¯s essence inside you, has balls?¡± Tohki asked.


    Priya looked at her and saw a small smile on her face. ¡°No. I suppose not.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps that is something you can leave behind.¡±


    ¡°What about ¡®hag¡¯s teats?¡¯¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°I am a hag, by all accounts of its definition,¡± Tohki said. ¡°I suppose if you are cursing someone with my teats, I should be honored.¡±


    As they neared her house, Priya saw Aaron round the corner of the barn, carrying fresh hay for the horses.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come by tomorrow,¡± Priya told Tohki.


    ¡°At first light,¡± Tohki replied.


    ¡°But what about my chores?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at first light. What you do with your chores is up to you and Aaron and Anissa.¡±


    ¡°At first light,¡± agreed Priya.


    Priya left Tohki behind as she ran to greet her father. Ducking through a gap in the fence, Priya waved to Aaron. Shaking the remaining straw over some fresh manure, Aaron dusted his hands off on his tunic. Opening his arms to Priya, he pulled her into a firm embrace.


    ¡°What were you and Tohki up to?¡± Aaron asked, waving to Tohki as she passed by on the footpath.


    ¡°Talking about last night,¡± Priya said. She gave Aaron a final squeeze around his middle before shrugging out of his embrace.


    ¡°Did she give you all the answers you were looking for?¡±


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    ¡°You say that as if I don¡¯t have the capacity to find the answers myself,¡± Priya said, looking at him accusingly. ¡°You raised your daughter to be smarter than that, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°A father can only hope,¡± laughed Aaron.


    ¡°Has Anissa come back from Serah¡¯s?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Aaron said, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t expect she¡¯ll be back before the sun has dipped below the mountains.¡±


    He gazed up at the sun and then the mountains as if to reassure himself. Turning back to Priya he studied her, holding her gaze and Priya held his willingly and not defiantly as she was most prone to do.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed,¡± said Aaron. His voice was deeper and gruffer than it was a few moments ago.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Priya inquired.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the same Priya that left my house at nightfall yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I am, Papai.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you are,¡± Aaron replied. ¡°Perhaps last night uncovered part of you that was hidden.¡±


    ¡°You sound like Tohki,¡± Priya admonished.


    ¡°Do I?¡± Aaron sighed. ¡°Perhaps I do. Perhaps I am reminded that you are getting older and wiser and I am just getting older.¡±


    Priya wrapped her arms around Aaron, burrowing her head into his chest. She felt his arms encircle her, holding her gently in place.


    ¡°I love you, Papai,¡± Priya said.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± Aaron whispered. ¡°Come.¡± Priya thought he heard a break in his voice before he cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Help me with the horses. They are getting content on their grain and horses. Will you take them out with me and run them?¡±


    Priya smiled. ¡°Oh yes!¡±


    She followed Aaron to the side of the yard where the horses were bent over, heads buried in their wooden grain buckets. Aaron unslung the lead that dangled around their necks and led them to the fence post. Looping the leads around the post, he turned to Priya.


    ¡°Do you want a blanket to sit on?¡± He asked.


    The last time Priya rode she had done so bareback in a skirt and had come home with her legs scratched and raw.


    Priya shook her head, patting her legs, drawing Aaron¡¯s attention to her trousers. ¡°I am ready.¡±


    Aaron picked her up around the waist and placed her on the back of the chestnut-colored mare. He handed the mare¡¯s lead before mounting the other horse, a stallion that was the color of the night sky with tiny white stars that dotted his face. They rode them slowly to the gate. Aaron leaned forward, bending down and lifted the wood that barred the gate. The gate swung open and they were free.


    Priya¡¯s mare stood there silently while Aaron¡¯s stallion snorted and tossed its head in anticipation.


    ¡°Yah!¡± Aaron called and kicked the stallion with his bare heels. The stallion leapt forward, sending up a cloud of dirt in its wake.


    Priya matted the mare¡¯s neck bending low. ¡°Eusou,¡± she whispered into the mare¡¯s ear. ¡°Are you there in her as you are in me?¡± The mare¡¯s ears twitched in response. Priya rested her body along the mare¡¯s neck. She could feel the horse¡¯s breath, breathing in low and slow. Priya matched it, letting the mare¡¯s breath, center her in her own stillness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Priya whispered.


    The mare leapt forward, throwing Priya back on her backside, barely staying. The lead dangled towards the ground, far out of Priya¡¯s reach. Instead Priya grasped a handful of the mare¡¯s mane. As Priya realized this she realized as well how tightly she was holding onto those thick strands of hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, girl,¡± she said as loosened her grip.


    The mare¡¯s hooves thundered in the open plains. Long plaits of green grass whisked by in their wake.


    Looking up, Priya could see Aaron and the stallion in the distance. Aaron had slowed to a cantar to let her catch up. But when she did, Aaron kicked the hurts spurning him into a gallop once again. The mare¡¯s instinct to run kicked in and Priya was off as well.


    Over the hard-packed dirt the horses stretched out, manes and tails streaming behind them, shimmering and shining in the sun¡¯s light. Hooves pounded out a steady rhythm.


    Priya wanted to catch Aaron and the mare wanted to catch the stallion. The mare stretched forward and Priya leaned down, resting her body again along the mare¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Run!¡± Priya urged.


    On and on they raced. The tall grass faded and the lake came into view, its crystalline clear waters sparkling. Priya could see the village on the other side, smoke rising from a few rooftops. Near the opposite shore, Priya could see Arcas and Kuji along with the other younger hunters splashing in the water.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s mercy,¡± she swore under her breath. She was too far to catch a glimpse of Kuji without his shirt, but she had taken the Path of The Crone and he didn¡¯t like women and¡ª ¡°Yah!¡± Priya yelled, urging the mare onward, slowly closing the gap on Aaron.


    Glancing back, she saw the hunters waving towards her and Aaron, whooping and hollering them on, faster and faster.


    The mare was soon close enough to the stallion that she could have nipped him in the rear. Then they were neck and neck for a moment before Priya and the mare edged forward further, taking the lead.


    And then it was over.


    Aaron pulled up on his lead, slowing the stallion, turning his head towards the lake. Priya followed.


    When they reached the water¡¯s edge, Aaron hopped to ground, releasing the lead completely. Priya turned in her seat, swinging around so that both legs dangled off the same side of the mare, and slid the rest of the way to the ground. Throwing her arms into the air she whooped in celebration and heard the reply call from the hunters on the other side.


    Reaching into her satchel, Priya removed the piece of bread she had stored earlier. Breaking it in half, she offered a piece to Aaron. They ate in silence, watching the water lap the shore, listening to the wind move through the grass.


    ¡°What was your passage like, Papai?¡± Priya asked as she chewed on her final bit of bread. She went over to the mare, letting her grab with her lips the crumbs that clung to Priya¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It was different from yours,¡± Aaron replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t sit in our sacred space. As you know, for the passage of men, they take us deep into the woods, nearly to the base of the mountains. And instead of drinking the tea, we are given special mushrooms that Tohki collects. We eat them and then are left alone in the forest to spend the night wrestling with our demons. For two more nights we do this. The men return with fresh water and more mushrooms. We eat and are left alone and we wrestle.¡±


    ¡°What was your demon?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°It is always ourselves that each man wrestles with. Our nature. Our desire for power.¡±


    ¡°How do you win?¡±


    ¡°We die. We die for three nights; for three long nights.¡±


    Aaron is quiet and Priya lets him be.


    When he finally speaks, he whispers, ¡°The desire for power is a powerful poison. Even now after all those years, I can still feel, at the edge of my mind, this notion of power and how I can take it. It could be as simple as burning the animals¡¯ manure instead of giving it to our neighbors for their gardens. Or I could ask for more in trade when I plow their fields. Power is a fire and if you feed it, it will grow larger. These small, minor showings of power would get bigger and soon it would raze our village to the ground and there will be nothing less.¡±


    Looking towards the distant ridgeline on the other side of the village, Aaron points between two of the peaks. ¡°One of the stories we tell ourselves, about our ancestors, is that they came through that pass and into this vale to escape a power that had grown too big and was devouring everything in its path like the monsters of old.¡±


    ¡°I had a vision of Terra burning,¡± Priya said, softly.


    The words hung between them.


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Aaron began, slowly, ¡°I worry that the old powers will come back and our village will burn.¡±


    He walked to the stallion and picked up its lead.


    ¡°Come, let''s walk back. Your mother will be home soon.¡±


    Picking up the mare¡¯s lead, Priya followed closely behind.

 Chapter 5, Part 2 - The Stillness

    They walked in silence, following the shoreline.


    Priya could see the hunters more clearly. They were out of the water, pulling trousers over their wet breechcloths, the thin tan fabric that covered their man parts.


    Arcas saw them and ran over, a small bundle in his arms. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing it to Priya. ¡°It''s from this morning¡¯s kill. Fresh. We brought down a large elk. Well, Kuji did. The rest of us helped box it in. It was huge, Priya!¡±


    Aaron reached over and grabbed the bundle of meat from Priya, weighing it in his hands. Unwrapping the hide that covered it, he looked at the contents, nodding approvingly before wrapping it back up. ¡°You men did well.¡±


    Arcas bowed his head. ¡°Thank you, Aaron.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll thank your parents for us, yes?¡±


    ¡°I will, Aaron. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°We have extra viands in our garden, if you would like to take some back to your family.¡± Arcas nodded. ¡°Walk with us,¡± Aaron said, tucking the bundle under his arm.


    Arcas waved to the other hunters and fell in step with Priya. He held out a hand for the mare¡¯s lead, but Priya held onto it, crossing her arms.


    ¡°I have it,¡± Priya said, curtly.


    ¡°I was only offering to help,¡± mumbled Arcas.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t much work to hold a lead for a horse that is already walking,¡± Priya responded.


    ¡°Priya,¡± Aaron grumbled as a warning.


    ¡°Sorry, Arcas.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Arcas began, ¡°just because you¡¯re a woman now doesn¡¯t mean a friend can¡¯t offer to help.¡±


    Priya held the lead out to him. ¡°Here then.¡±


    Arcas took it in hand and the mare cantered up behind him, nudging him with her muzzle, causing him to stumble.


    Priya laughed, holding a hand over her mouth. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you, so she¡¯s going to test you. Even though you¡¯re a man, the beasts won¡¯t listen to you unless you show them that you hold domain over them.¡±


    The mare tried to nudge him again, but this time Arcas turned, using the flat of his hand to smack her muzzle.


    ¡°No, Arcas,¡± admonished Priya. ¡°You don¡¯t hit a beast to show them that you¡¯re in charge. You can use your hand, but suddenly and swiftly and you warn them with your voice.¡± She paused, lifting her hand, palming facing away and giving a sharp, ¡°Ah!¡± The mare¡¯s ears twisted forward at the sound.


    They walked for a while in silence, Priya watching Arcas and Arcas watching the horse, waiting for her to try to knock him again and sure enough, after a few minutes, the mare sidled up to Arcas, dipping her muzzle, leaning forward and Arcas darted forward a few steps, turned, holding out his hand and gave a sharp cry. The mare lifted her head, snorting.


    ¡°See?¡± Priya said. ¡°You don¡¯t need force.¡±


    Arcas nodded in agreement.


    ¡°How was your passage last night?¡± Arcas asked.


    ¡°Is that all anybody ever wants to know about anymore,¡± Priya sighed.


    ¡°Well then, how have you been?¡±


    ¡°The usual. Eat, sleep, and do chores. So, fine I guess?¡± Priya laughed. ¡°It¡¯s all pretty mundane now after the passage.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Arcas drew the word out as long as he could, ¡°how was it?¡±


    ¡°Intense. But I survived it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Arcas asked.


    ¡°Well, how was your passage?¡±


    Arcas blew out a long breath, shaking his head. ¡°Intense. But I survived it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why the women and men of the village don¡¯t share what they learned or saw during their passage,¡± Aaron spoke up.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Priya and Arcas said together.


    ¡°I had heard mother whispering that you had a vision during your passage,¡± Arcas said.


    ¡°Boy,¡± Aaron warned. ¡°There is a reason why we don¡¯t speak of our passages.¡±


    ¡°Eusou¡¯s balls,¡± Arcas grumbled.


    ¡°Do you think Eusou has balls?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°Priya,¡± Aaron growled.


    ¡°He is a man,¡± Arcas replied. ¡°And men have balls, so yes.¡±


    ¡°You are not children anymore,¡± admonished Aaron. ¡°Stop talking of childish things.¡±


    When they reached the gate, Aaron handed the bundle of meat to Priya and took the mare¡¯s lead from Arcas. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of these horses,¡± he said. ¡°You two go around to the garden. Arcas, take as much as your family needs.¡±


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    ¡°Aye, Aaron,¡± Arcas said, dipping his head. ¡°Thank you, Aaron.¡±


    Priya led the way around the side of the house to the garden. Their garden was twice the size of their house and it was in full bloom. Bees buzzed from flower to flower. Roses, nasturtiums, lilies, chrysanthemums and marigolds spread their scent to the air.


    Waving her arms, Priya shooed away several ravens that perched on the roof, hungerly eyeing the pumpkins and other squashes that lay on the ground, nearly ready to be harvested. The ravens flew off reluctantly, cursing Priya and Arcas with their call.


    On a bench that leaned against the frame of the house several wooden baskets were stacked. Priya grabbed one and handed it to Arcas. ¡°Take whatever you¡¯d like for your family. We have an overabundance of tomatoes that need to be harvested over there.¡± Priya pointed to a wild tangle of vines in the far corner. ¡°And there¡¯s plenty of root vegetables here.¡± Priya walked over a few steps and knelt in the shade of the house, pointing to the green tops of carrots and the larger stems and flowers of potato plants.


    Arcas busied himself amongst the tomato plants while Priya dug into the ground with her bare hands, pulling up onions along with several carrots and sweet potatoes. She uncovered the root of what she believed was a turnip, its skin a mixture of browns and oranges. As with every other harvest, Priya rubbed her hand up and down its length, brushing the dirt from it. Once it was clean, Priya set it in her basket with the other vegetables.


    Leaning back on her heels, she watched Arcas search for ripe tomatoes, pushing aside the vines and leaves, looking deeper, his eyebrows arching in delight as he found a hidden fruit, plucking it and setting it gently into the basket.


    ¡°Do you remember the story of Varuni and his seven treasures?¡± Arcas asked as he disappeared behind a particularly tall bush.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Priya replied. ¡°They were hidden in the four corners of Terra, in the deepest sea, the tallest mountain, and¡­¡± She trailed off, looking up at the clouds, trying to remember.


    ¡°And with his love, Apsara,¡± Arcas called. ¡°Eusou gave Varuni a vision showing him great wealth and happiness. Varuni searched high and low, finding treasures of all sorts. I feel like Varuni and these,¡± Arcas held up a plump tomato for Priya to see, ¡°are my treasures.¡±


    Priya laughed. ¡°You are much happier with your findings than Varuni was. Even though he had found the greatest treasures in all of Terra, he was still unhappy. The vision that Eusou had given him was incomplete.¡±


    Arcas carried his basket of tomatoes and knelt down next to Priya. Priya began to trade some of her root vegetables for his tomatoes.


    Clearing his throat, Arcas said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t until Varuni saw Apsara for the first time that he knew his vision was complete.¡±


    Priya looked up and saw Arcas watching her. ¡°Hag¡¯s teats, Arcas. If you¡¯re about to tell me that I am your Varuni.¡±


    Arcas stuttered. ¡°I¡­ well¡­ You¡¯re very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°And you smell.¡±


    Arcas coughed, clearing his throat. He lifted a piece of his tunic to his nose and gave it a sniff. ¡°I do not. I just bathed.¡±


    ¡°You smell like boys. Like all boys do.¡± Priya sighed. ¡°Besides, even if you didn¡¯t smell, you are not my path.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arcas asked.


    ¡°I am taking the Path of The Crone.¡±


    Arcas is quiet.


    Priya didn¡¯t dare look at him, her eyes were on her hands, folded in her lap. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone. I haven¡¯t told Aaron or Anissa.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Arcas mumbled.


    Priya reached for his hand, taking it in her own. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. And you don¡¯t really smell. At least right now. The lake did you some good.¡± She offered him a soft smile, which he returned. ¡°You¡¯ll find your Varuni.¡±


    Arcas took his hand from hers and stood up, brushing a few bits of dirt off his trousers. ¡°Priya, you¡¯re the only woman that¡¯s near my age in the village. It is going to be a long while before anyone else is of age.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have plenty of time to wander the vale searching for Varuni¡¯s other treasures.¡±


    Bending down, Arcas picked up one of the baskets of vegetables. ¡°Thank you for sharing your garden with my family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome, Arcas.¡±


    ¡°I am glad you found your path, Priya.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Arcas.¡±


    Arcas turned to leave, but paused, turning back to Priya. ¡°Galia was asking after you this morning and I know my mother would be happy to see you. Come by when you can.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Priya said.


    Offering a final wave, Arcas began his walk back to the heart of the village where his family lived.


    Priya watched him go, then turned back to her work, harvesting a few herbs to add to her basket. She held a bundle to her nose, breathing in their scent, thinking about how all of these victuals would taste with the fresh meat.


    Picking up her basket with both hands, Priya left the garden, following in Arcas¡¯ steps. The basket bumped against the front of her legs as she walked. Looking out towards the western mountains, she could see that the sun had nearly reached their peaks. As she rounded the house, she saw the silhouette of Anissa returning from Serah¡¯s, walking the footpath from the village. As Anissa passed Arcas, Priya saw her offer him a small wave.


    ¡°Mother! Anissa!¡± Priya called, catching her eye.


    Anissa raised her hand in greeting.


    Raising the latch to the door, Priya stepped inside their home.


    Aaron was already inside, sitting at the table, carving the elk meat into smaller pieces. ¡°Did I hear you call to your mother?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Priya replied, setting down the basket of vegetables next to him. ¡°She will be here shortly.¡±


    Turning, Priya grabbed a heavy, black iron pot from the counter and heaved it onto the table. With a knife she began to rough chop the large vegetables. She cleaned up some of the pieces that had blemishes or new growth sprouts, but for the most part, left each as she had harvested it.


    Aaron watched her work. ¡°Not too much. We can take what remains into the village to share tomorrow.¡±


    Priya cut up a final carrot and threw it into the pot as the door opened and Anissa stepped inside.


    ¡°How was Zachael?¡± Aaron asked.


    ¡°He is well,¡± Anissa replied, hanging up her shawl beside the door. ¡°One of his ewes is not, though. Her babe is turned in her womb and Zachael expects a troubling birth.¡±


    Aaron grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see him in the morning and see what I can do to help him.¡±


    ¡°Tohki should go as well,¡± Anissa said. ¡°She has helped with many challenging births.¡±


    Grabbing a nearby pitcher of water, Priya poured it in the iron pot until it covered the vegetables. ¡°I should go as well, then.¡±


    Picking up the salt box from the counter, Anissa sprinkled some into the pot. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ll have your chores to do in the morning.¡±


    Aaron took the iron pot over to their smoldering fire and hung it from a metal hook. He added another log to the fire, pushing it in as the coals snapped and sparked.


    Priya waited till he was done before she answered quietly. ¡°I chose the Path of The Crone.¡±


    Her words hung in the air as her parents studied her in silence.


    Aaron rubbed his beard. ¡°Mother¡¯s Mercy,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Anissa said. ¡°Be up before the sun is over the peaks and make sure your chores are done.¡±


    Priya smiled as she stirred the stew with a wooden spoon. ¡°Aye, Anissa. I will.¡±

 Chapter 6, Part 1 - Be The Wheel

    That night Priya hardly slept. It was partly because of anticipation and fear for what the following day might bring. Anticipation of what it meant to sit at Tohki¡¯s feet and learn from her of the Path of The Crone. And Priya was fearful that she might sleep too late and cause herself to miss out on her first day of lessons.


    It wasn¡¯t until Priya remembered to breathe and to allow herself to relax in that remembrance¡ªto settle herself within the flame of I Am that burned inside her¡ªthat she finally fell asleep.


    Nevertheless, she still awoke with a start, filled with dread that she had slept too late. But it was still dark and the house was still quiet. Looking out her window towards the eastern slopes, she could see small traces of light past the peaks, turning the black of night into a lighter shade of blue.


    Leaping out of bed and as quietly as she could, Priya dressed herself. She pulled her hair together at the nape of her neck and was about to tie it off, when she paused, thinking about Serah and her braid and how womanly it made her look. Priya let her hair drop past her shoulders, then reached behind, separating it into several sections, folding one on top of the other until a rough braid was formed. She tugged on it, pleased with herself.


    The elk stew still sat on the warm coals. Priya dished herself up a bowl and shoveled into her mouth several spoonfuls before slipping outside.


    In the early morning the air was cool. Goosebumps dotted Priya¡¯s arms and she rubbed them briskly. Looking out at the lake she saw that it was covered in a low fog that spread past it into the grasslands that stretched below their farm.


    With an empty bucket in hand, she ducked underneath the fence. The heifers saw the bucket and moved towards her thinking that it was food. Sighing, Priya led them to the shed. She scooped a few handfuls of grain into their troughs and the heifers lowered their heads to eat. Now that they were occupied, Priya squatted beside the larger of the two, setting the empty bucket underneath its teats. Priya leaned forward, resting her cheek on the heifer¡¯s haunch, breathing in her sweet smell. Reaching underneath, she began to milk her, pulling down on the teat, letting the milk squirt down the side of the bucket. Priya milked her fast and fully, knowing that once the heifers had finished their grain, they would start to stamp and kick. She had lost a bucket or two of milk in the past from an errant kick. Other times, they would kick up dirt or manure into the bucket, ruining the milk.


    The bucket was halfway full when Priya moved to the second heifer. This one¡¯s teat was different than the first¡¯s and it was why Priya always milked her last. Priya had to pull down until it wouldn¡¯t squirt anymore milk, then turn it at an angle to thoroughly clean her out. Aaron had told her that the heifer¡¯s teat had an extra hole, but Priya had never studied it long enough to see it was true.


    Standing up, Priya patted each heifer on the haunch, thanking them for their milk. Holding the bucket with two hands, Priya slowly walked back to the house, careful not to spill any. She set it down just outside the front door and returned to the barnyard.


    Grabbing a rake and shovel, Priya turned her attention to cleaning out the horses stalls and the small piles of manure left by the heifers.


    ¡°Priya.¡±


    At Aaron¡¯s voice, Priya turned. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re finished cleaning the barnyard, can you run down to Tohki and tell her about Zachael¡¯s ewe?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Priya replied. ¡°But I still need to feed the horses and milk the goats.¡±


    ¡°I talked to Anissa. She will tend to the goats this morning. I¡¯ll feed the horses as I hitch them to the wagon. I don¡¯t want to delay long for Zachael¡¯s sake.¡±


    Priya would have much preferred to have left the barnyard cleaning to Anissa or Aaron, but she nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, Aaron.¡±


    Looking up, Priya saw the peaks of the mountains a bit clearer. While the sun wasn¡¯t visible yet, dawn was breaking and she was due soon at Tohki¡¯s anyhow. She moved faster, raking and scooping, scooping and raking until her cart was full of manure to be hauled to the garden. It was piled higher than usual¡ªher attempt to reduce multiple trips into a single one. She grunted and strained, pulling it through the gate and over to their pile at the far end of the garden; far enough away so that the smell didn¡¯t waft in through their open windows, except for when the wind blew in from the south. Then they and everyone else in the town would smell it.


    There was a barrel on the side of the house that caught and stored rainwater. Lifting the lid, Priya used the ladle to wet her hands. Rubbing her hands together, Priya removed the day¡¯s grime and then wiped them dry on her trousers.


    Catching Aaron¡¯s eye, Priya pointed towards the village and he nodded.


    Priya took off in a slow jog.


    The village was quiet as it normally was at this hour. Those that were awake were inside their homes, tending to fires or preparing for the day ahead.


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    As Priya passed by the butcher¡¯s house a girl appeared, backing out of the chicken coop with several eggs in hand. ¡°Hello, Galia.¡±


    Galia jumped, a single egg slipping from her grasp and cracking on the packed earth. ¡°Hag¡¯s teats!¡± she exclaimed.


    Priya laughed, reaching out a hand to her friend, steadying her.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s Mercy, what are you doing out so early?¡± Galia asked.


    Priya pointed down the footpath towards Tohki¡¯s hut. ¡°Papai and I are taking Tohki to Serah and Zachael¡¯s farm. One of his ewes needs her medicine.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Galia shuffled her foot in the dirt, drawing a curved line. ¡°Arcas was in a mood last night.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Priya replied. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that was my doing.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°He tried to tell me that I was his Varuni.¡±


    Galia¡¯s eyes widened in the first of the morning sun¡¯s rays. ¡°He did not.¡±


    Priya stifled a giggle. ¡°He did and I told him that I had chosen the Path of The Crone.¡±


    Galia¡¯s eyebrows lifted even further, disappearing into her hair that hung down around her forehead. ¡°The Crone, eh?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Priya reached over and gave Galia¡¯s shoulder a small pat. ¡°But that won¡¯t change anything between us. More than likely it¡¯ll mean that I¡¯ll be able to sit for your passage and see all the silly faces you make when you drink that horrendous tea.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡±


    ¡°Horrid,¡± Priya said, smiling. ¡°Tell your mother and Asa I said hello.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with the ewe.¡±


    As Galia turned towards her house, Priya ran to Tohki¡¯s.


    Raising her fist to knock, Priya felt the door shudder, then open and she was face-to-face with her new mentor.


    ¡°First day of Crone School,¡± Tohki announced.


    Priya held up her hand, steadying her breath. ¡°We need your help at Zachael¡¯s farm first. One of his ewe¡¯s babes is turned the wrong way in the womb.¡±


    Tohki waved her inside, shutting the door. ¡°Today is the perfect day to start then. Come. Help me prepare some medicines for today¡¯s work.¡±


    Priya gazed in awe at the inside of Tohki¡¯s hovel. Hanging from the rafters were dried plants of every shape and size. Tohki handed her a candle and urged her to stay close by as she moved about with a cup in hand, taking clippings from several different plants. Oval leaves with five sharp spines that were a dark green on one side and a lighter green on the other. Seed pods that looked like tiny brown skulls with gaping eye sockets. Flowers that were maroon-spotted, golden-orange with dark red splotches. And finally a pale lilac five-petaled flower that was surrounded by delicate jagged leaves. While Priya did not know their names, she recognized some of them from the surrounding forest and Tohki¡¯s garden.


    Grabbing a pestle, Tohki used the rounded end to mash the medicinal mixture until it formed a brown paste. Heating up a small amount of water at her fire, she poured it into the cup, continuing to mash and stir. ¡°Here,¡± Tohki said, handing the cup to Priya. Reaching high up on a shelf, Tohki pulled down a small jar. Taking the cup back from Priya, she carefully poured the medicine into the jar, stoppering it with a round, soft piece of wood, before handing it back to Priya.


    ¡°What will that do?¡± Priya asked.


    Tohki pointed to the various plants she had cut clippings from, naming each. ¡°Holly, Snapdragon, Haydn¡¯s Lily, and Vervrain. All of these are meant to calm the ewe, so that we can do our work without her kicking or bucking.¡±


    Tohki grabbed her satchel, pulling it over her shoulder. On a low shelf she grabbed another jar full of pale green clumps with patterns of orange tracing out tiny stems.


    ¡°What is that for?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°Additional aid,¡± Tohki replied, placing a pipe in her satchel. Taking the jar of the ewe¡¯s medicine, Tohki placed it in her satchel with the rest of her supplies.


    There was a sharp knock at the door. Tohki opened the door and there was Aaron with the wagon and horses behind him.


    ¡°Did Priya explain the situation?¡± Aaron asked.


    ¡°Aye, she did,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°We are ready.¡±


    Nodding, Aaron walked with them to the wagon. He helped Tohki climb into the back with Priya. As Tohki sat down, with her back to the wooden side, she moved her satchel so it rested in front of her in her lap. Climbing into the front of the wagon, Aaron picked up the reigns, giving them a soft snap while he clicked his tongue. The mare and stallion, familiar with their roles and his signals, began their way down the path, pulling the wagon behind them.


    Priya¡¯s teeth chattered as the wagon bumped along the path. While it was faster, Priya preferred to walk, feeling the dirt of the path beneath her calloused feet. She fidgeted, shifting in her seat, trying to find a position where she didn¡¯t bounce as much. Looking to Tohki for guidance, Priya noted that Tohki was still in the same seated position. Her eyes were closed, her face was turned to let the sun warm her wrinkled face.


    Opening her eyes, Tohki caught Priya watching her and smiled. ¡°It only is uncomfortable if we let it be so.¡±


    Priya caught a retort on the edge of her tongue, stopping it from being spoken. Why did Tohki have to speak in riddles? Perhaps it was uncomfortable because it was uncomfortable and it had nothing to do with Priya¡¯s mindset.


    Tohki studied Priya. ¡°My bones are old, girl. Yes, bouncing around in this wagon does hurt. I will feel it for days after. But my role today is to aid Zachael and his ewe, not to complain.¡±


    Priya nodded in understanding.


    Tohki patted the bottom of the wagon next to her and Priya scooted over. ¡°Let this be today¡¯s lesson or at least your lesson for now, until we get to your cousin¡¯s farm. Settle in and look for the stillness within. Find it and hold your gaze on it. It is important to be able to call it up and find it quickly when we work. Do you remember when Aiden fell, breaking his arm?¡± Priya nodded. ¡°It hurt terribly. He was screaming. Do you think it would have helped Aiden if I was screaming, as well?¡± Priya shook her head. ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t have. In order to bring aid and to help our friends and family, we have to remain calm even in the most stressful of times. Do you understand?¡±


    Priya nodded. ¡°I do, Tohki.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then find the stillness and let all of these jostling distractions be your work.¡±

 Chapter 6, Part 2 - Be The Wheel

    For the rest of the ride, Priya tried her best. It was hard at first. She would close her eyes, turning inward, and as soon as she found the stillness, the wagon would bump and she would lose it, her eyes flying open. It was disorienting keeping her eyes closed. With the wagon¡¯s movements, there were times where she felt like she was falling. Other times she would bump into Tohki and she would mumble an apology while Tohki rubbed her knee, telling her not to worry.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± Priya sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only just begun to learn,¡± said Tohki. ¡°Your mind has been stuck, repeating the same patterns for years. And to unstick your mind, it takes time. You are like this wagon¡¯s wheel, except you are not moving. If these wheels didn¡¯t move, what good would they be? But they are free, moving around and around and around, guided forward by these two horses. Regardless of what is on the path, these wheels move freely and fluidly, unhindered. If it comes across a small rock or twig in the road, it does not stop. It rolls over it, because that is the nature of the wheel.¡±


    ¡°But the wheel doesn¡¯t have a choice. It moves, because it is being pulled towards its destination. If it had a mind, don¡¯t you think the wheel would say, ¡®Enough of this! I am my own wheel and I will go where I please!¡¯¡±


    Tohki laughed. ¡°Does the wheel ever stop being a wheel?¡±


    Priya, paused, thinking. ¡°No, it does not.¡±


    ¡°Is the stillness ever separate from you? Do you magically call it up at will or was it always there, residing within?¡±


    ¡°It''s always there. I think.¡±


    Tohki held up her hands, bringing her fingers together to form an angular shape. ¡°You are the space between my fingers.¡± She wiggled the fingers of her left hand. ¡°What you identify as your self is over here. Your body. Your mind. Your thoughts. Your ideas. Everything that you use to identify as Priya and everything you need to be Priya: fresh air to breath, good food, clean water. And over here¡ª¡± Tohki wiggled the fingers of her right hand. ¡°Here is the stillness; that which is without form, Eusou, the I Am. It includes you, but it is not limited by your sense of self. You have to be able to hold this notion that you and this stillness are one, but also separate.¡±


    ¡°Riddles, Tohki. You¡¯re talking in riddles!¡±


    ¡°If you sat in quietness, being at one with the stillness, how much good would you be to your neighbors? If Anissa told you, ¡®Priya, take care of the weeds in the garden¡¯ but you were practicing stillness, could you do both? If you just practice stillness, it has no connection to the world, just the eternal. But if you go about your life, you¡¯re not connected to the eternal. I open myself to experience all. I embrace desires and emotions, but I am not bound by them. If I have a desire and it does not feel fulfilling, I can drop it and move on. After a lifetime of practice, I can move between the stillness and my own wants and needs freely so that I am no longer aware of making the transition. And I do it continuously, so that there is no gap between the two. My self and the stillness are always accessible and available. And it is particularly handy during days like today. I will need my stillness to help the ewe, but I have to be fully in my self so that my mind and my hands are connected to the work. I am the wheel, ever moving.¡±


    ¡°So, be the wheel?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°Be the wheel, but also be the path, the dirt on the path, the horses pulling the wagon so the wheel moves.¡±


    ¡°Be the wheel,¡± Priya murmured to herself before falling silent, turning her gaze outward, facing the eastern slopes.


    With the village behind them, the vale had opened wide.


    A herd of elk were grazing nearby, just outside the shelter of a copse of trees. As their wagon passed, a giant bull lifted its head watching them, standing proudly, tossing its antlers as it bugled.


    Priya could see the lake in the distance, its curves drawing narrower and narrower as it met a small stream on its northern banks. The winter''s snow melt trickled down the slopes to feed the stream that fed the lake. The path curved, taking the wagon close to the stream. Priya could hear the sound of moving water, burbling as it moved over rocks and submerged branches.


    Abandoned homes dotted the path, leaning this way and that, their foundations and frames weakened from years of neglect. Priya didn¡¯t remember a time that these houses sat full, but Aaron and Anissa did. During past journeys to Serah and Zachael¡¯s farm, Priya¡¯s parents spoke of a time when the vale was more full of life; a village and community that stretched from the northern to the southern edge and from the eastern to the western slopes. When harvests came in short and winters were harsh, people died. The fever that took Serah¡¯s parents had spread through the farms outside the village, taking many lives.


    But that was the way of life in the vale. No one ever left unless it was to meet Eusou and The Mother in the sky.


    Soon the farm came into view. From a distance, Priya was able to see the herd of sheep, moving about the pasture being driven by a black and white dog, nipping at their heels to keep them in line.


    Aaron, placing his fingers in his mouth, gave a sharp and long whistle, signaling their arrival.


    Serah and Zachael emerged from the house and offered them a wave. Zachael was taller than Serah, though not by much. He was handsome in his own way: strong shoulders, a wide chest, dark eyes that were an intense, almost unnatural shade of gray. His hair was held back with a leather strap and a heavy beard covered his face, obscuring and highlighting his features.


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    Aaron waved back, pulling the horses back into a slow canter. He stopped in front of a trough, hopping down and letting the reins rest in his seat. Walking to the back of the wagon, he helped Tohki down.


    Priya jumped off the side, running to Serah and wrapping her in an embrace.


    ¡°Well, hello to you too,¡± Zachael said. He smiled, reaching down to ruffle Priya¡¯s hair. Priya saw it coming and turned in Serah¡¯s embrace to avoid it. Zachael laughed. ¡°Aaron. Tohki. Thank you for coming.¡±


    Tohki looked towards the barn. ¡°Is she in there?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Zachael replied.


    ¡°Well, come along then,¡± Tohki said, leading the way.


    They found the ewe in a far stall. She was laying on some fresh straw, her breathing labored.


    Tohki knelt down next to the ewe, placing her hand on her distended abdomen. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me she was laboring.¡±


    Zachael ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I honestly thought I had a few more days. She started early this morning.¡±


    ¡°Priya, come here.¡± Tohki motioned for Priya to join her. Taking Priya¡¯s hand, she placed it on the underside of the ewe, guiding her fingers, and showing her where to push in. ¡°Do you feel that? That is the kid¡¯s head. His back is¡ª¡± Tohki moved Priya¡¯s fingers again, ¡°¡ªhere. She cannot give birth when his back is blocking the birth canal. In order to aid this ewe, we are going to have to turn her kid in the womb.¡±


    ¡°We tried yesterday,¡± Zachael said, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Tohki said, shaking her head. ¡°You were the same way in your mother¡¯s womb, Zachael. You were comfortable, all folded up, just sitting on her uterus, biding your time. You just needed some coaxing, just as this kid needs some coaxing.¡±


    Reaching into her satchel, Tohki removed her pipe and the dried green and orange plant. Breaking off bits of the plant, she rolled it in her hand, grinding it up into a fine dust, which she packed into the bowl of her pipe. Removing a flint and steel, she struck the two together over the bowl until a spark caught. She lightly blew on it, causing the ember to grow, then stuck the pipe in her mouth, sucking on it, until smoke began to stream out of her mouth. Pulling in a long mouthful of smoke, she turned the ewe¡¯s head to her and blew a slow stream into the ewe¡¯s nostrils. The ewe¡¯s eyes widened at this and it bleated a prayer. Tohki repeated this two more times, before setting the pipe off to the side.


    ¡°Zachael, can I have a small bit of grain?¡± Tohki asked.


    Zachael nodded, disappearing for a moment and returning with a handful of grain. Tohki nodded towards Priya and Priya held out her hands receiving the grain from her cousin¡¯s partner. Tohki pulled the stoppered jar of mixed herbs from her satchel and poured a bit onto the grain, closing Priya¡¯s hands around it. Priya began to work the grain, folding and reshaping it with the moisture until she had a small pellet of the grain and herbal mixture.


    Taking it from Priya, Tohki offered it to the ewe who gave it an offended sniff before gobbling it down.


    ¡°Serah,¡± Tohki asked. ¡°I need fresh water and do you have any tallow?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Serah replied.


    Aaron, watching from a distance, spoke up, eager to do something other than spectate. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡±


    ¡°Can you feel this?¡± Tohki asked, resting her hand on the ewe¡¯s ribcage. Priya mirrored Tohki¡¯s hand. ¡°This kid and ewe are tethered. They are two, yet they are one. Here, feel her breath. See how it is slowing? Can you feel her heart? It still beats strong. You have to feel for both signs. You can¡¯t listen to the heart alone and say that she is fine. You have to listen to the lungs; they can sometimes tell a different story.¡±


    Priya closed her eyes, focusing, feeling the ewe¡¯s ribs expand with each steady breath and the slow rhythm of the heart beating underneath. ¡°What do these signs mean?¡±


    ¡°That the herbs are working.¡±


    Serah returned with a small jar of tallow that she had savings from animal renderings. Aaron was a few steps behind her with a bucket of clean water.


    Dipping her hands into the water, Tohki washed them before drying them on her linens. Tohki dipped her fingers into the jar of tallow and began to coat both hands and up to her elbow.


    ¡°Priya,¡± Tohki said, ¡°stand behind me to watch. Aaron, hold her down at her neck. Zachael, hold her back legs.¡±


    Tohki slowly and carefully pushed her index and middle fingers into the ewe. Sweeping her fingers in a circular motion around the walls of the ewe¡¯s vagina, she found the cervix and pushed inside deeper. Tohki talked through the procedure so that Priya could learn. When her hand met the resistance of the kid¡¯s spine, she stopped, feeling carefully before proceeding, trying to gently nudge it into the right position. When that didn¡¯t work, Tohki followed along the kid¡¯s spine until she could grab its head, pulling and twisting it into position. ¡°If you can find the head and pull it into position, you don¡¯t have to worry about the legs. It can still be born. But if it slips back into its old position, that¡¯s when you will have to tie a snare, holding the head in position.¡±


    Removing her hand from the ewe, Tohki sat back on her heels, watching to see if the kid would slip out of position. When it didn¡¯t, she said, ¡°Now, we let nature take its course.¡±


    While the ewe labored, Tohki continued to teach Priya about the birthing process of animals and the different ways the young could present themselves in the womb.


    Zachael knelt beside them, joining in Priya¡¯s education. ¡°Most of our kids are born with their front legs and head towards the birthing channel or their back legs. When their legs are tucked or their heads turned sideways, it is easy to correct.¡±


    Priya gasped, interrupting Zachael and Tohki, pointing to the ewe¡¯s backside. A liquid trickled down, quickly soaked up by the hay that covered the floor. Slowly, the cervix expanded and the legs and head began to emerge.


    ¡°Help her out,¡± Tohki urged.


    Nervously, Priya gently wrapped her hands around the kid¡¯s head and legs and guided the rest of its body into the world. Tohki knelt next to her, wiping a thick mucus away from the kid¡¯s mouth and nostrils. Bleating, it tried to stand, but wobbled and fell. The ewe bleated after it, leaning forward, looking for her babe. Tohki guided the kid to the ewe¡¯s milk where it began to suckle. Priya laughed at its vigor and lack of coordination.


    And there they sat, watching and witnessing this new life¡¯s first moments.


    ¡°Is this what it means to be a crone?¡± Priya asked Tohki.


    ¡°Some days are like this,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°Other days are different. The common thread is that all are days of service; to the community, to the land, to its flocks.¡±


    Serah settled down next to Priya. ¡°You¡¯ve chosen?


    Priya leaned her head against Serah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°I am proud of you, cousin,¡± Serah whispered.


    Aaron cleared his throat. ¡°If we are done here, there is more work to be done back at the farm and village.¡±


    ¡°We are done here,¡± Tohki said, rising to her feet. ¡°Come, Priya. Our lessons will continue on the ride back.¡±

 Chapter 7 - The Path Of The Crone

    And that was the way of things.


    Every morning, Priya woke up before dawn to finish her chores, then ran to meet Tohki before the sun crested the eastern slope.


    Her lessons varied depending on the day and the season.


    Early on, Tohki¡¯s lessons revolved around the various herbs around her hut and garden with occasional walks through the vale, collecting herbs that grew in the wild. Tohki taught that wherever they harvested, before taking anything, they would always greet Terra and ask The Mother for her permission, taking only what was needed and no more. While they harvested, Tohki taught Priya the songs and prayers they would offer The Mother in return.


    As they walked the length of the vale, Tohki would have Priya focus on mastering the stillness. Or rather that ability to move in and out of the stillness; always being one with the stillness while she was still one with her self. These lessons were always paired with confusing dialogue with Tohki; dialogue that walked a fine line between brilliance and insanity.


    Recognizing how much time Priya and Tohki spent outdoors hunting for herbs, Priya began to collect young seedlings, replanting them in Tohki¡¯s garden. At times when a seedling couldn¡¯t be found, Priya would gather seeds, pressing them between a wet piece of wool until the seeds would crack open and a sprout would form. This she had learned from her mother, watching Anissa tend their garden over the years. This practice allowed Tohki¡¯s garden to grow and Priya was able to spend more time working with Tohki and mastered the various herbal remedies that kept their community healthy.


    There was a pattern to the healing process that Priya enjoyed. Every plant had its place. Different amounts and different uses provided different results. Sometimes a plant would be used in a tonic to help reduce a child¡¯s fever. Other times, the same plant¡¯s leaves would be ground with some beeswax and a few other herbs to aid in the healing of a wound. Some plant¡¯s fruits could be used medicinally, while others were poisonous and only their leaves or stems would be used.


    It was harmonious work and Priya saw how her work alongside Tohki was a model for how the stillness manifested itself in her work. The I Am, Eusou¡¯s Love, The Mother¡ªit was all there, present in nature¡¯s healing bounty, given back to the community, just as they gave and supported one another. It was love, pure and simple.


    As pure and simple it was, it was still work for Priya. One afternoon, Josif showed up at Tohki¡¯s door with Tahel, a welt on his forehead oozing blood. Priya¡¯s first thought was not about helping him or about his wound or if he was concussed, but a memory of how he teased her for how she always smelled like dung.


    When she paused at the door, Tohki pushed past her and knelt in front of Tahel, examining his pupils for signs of something worse than a bump.


    And Priya just stood there, caught up in the dialogue of her heart and mind, realizing how silly it was to attach feelings of being hurt for what was a very essential role her family had in the village.


    After Josif and Tahel had left, Priya explained to Tohki why she froze.


    Tohki listened in silence for a while, a small smile creasing the corners of her lips. ¡°When we are born, all that exists is our mother. She was there before we were born and she was there after as a person of great comfort, warmth, and nutrients. Then we became aware of ourselves. One of our earliest words is ¡®mine.¡¯ We are very selfish creatures when we are young. It isn¡¯t until we are a bit older that we begin to develop a capacity to care for others beyond ourselves and loving-kindness emerges. But even then it only extends to particular people and groups and sometimes that sense of loving-kindness changes, extending to some people on some days, but upon an offense, it shifts, leaving those people and being applied to another, entirely different group. We wrestle for years with this sense of belongingness, love, and care and sometimes our sense of self can cripple our ability to love ourselves enough to extend that sense of love, true love, Eusou¡¯s love to others. The passage that the men and women of the village undertake is a component of breaking down those barriers and getting us to expand our sense of loving-kindness past certain people and groups and extend it in a more widespread manner.


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    ¡°In a few years, Tahel will go through his passage, but for now he is a child and he will probably continue to misbehave to get attention. When he teases, he is looking for you and others to acknowledge that he exists and that he isn¡¯t insignificant. These are roles we have all played at some point in our lives.¡±


    Priya nodded. ¡°But what can I do so that I can be ready to serve instead of freezing like I did?¡±


    ¡°Why are you bothered by this little boy saying that you smell like dung? Do you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Priya replied, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then stop attaching meaning to something that is meaningless. You can feel slighted by an insult, but feel slighted, and then be at peace. Slip into that space where you are you and you are the stillness within.¡±


    And so it went. Day after day Priya worked with Tohki learning the healing arts and deepening her understanding of the mysteries of Eusou and The Mother.


    A month passed and then another.


    The vale took on a golden hue as the green grass that surrounded the lake turned brown and the days grew colder. Soon the lessons paused so that Priya could help the rest of the village with the harvest.


    Priya, Anissa, Serah, and the other women in the village tended the gardens. Onions and garlic bulbs were hung from their stems from the rafters. Holes were dug at the side of each house to store yams, potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, and turnips. These vegetables were layered and covered in dirt so they would stay cool and not rot during the winter months. Cabbages, lettuces, and broccolis were left where they grew to be harvested as needed.


    Berries were gathered from the woods by the children. Most were eaten before they could be distributed through the village.


    Aaron, Josif, Zachael, and the other men spent most of their days in the surrounding fields. With scythes in hand they cut down the grain that would feed the village and the animals through the winter months. The grain would be bundled back to the village. There, in the late afternoon, everyone would work together, rubbing the stalks between their hands to separate the grains from the chaff. What fell to the ground was gathered for the animals, but what remained was ground into flour and divided amongst the villagers.


    Deep in the vale where the tall grasses grew, the men walked through, cutting it down to finish drying out. Once it was dried out, Aaron hitched the horses to the wagon, and they would bundle together the fresh hay and load it onto the back of the wagon. Some was distributed throughout the community to help stuff and fluff beds, but most was stored for the animals.


    The hunters built smokehouses, hanging strips of venison and freshly caught fish to dry. While they would still venture out into the forests to hunt, these preparations were still needed for the coldest of days when the snow was deep and they couldn¡¯t venture outdoors.


    Deep in the forest, trees were cut down for firewood. Aaron¡¯s wagon was once again used to deliver load after load to the village.


    Serah and Zachael brought spun wool from their sheep. The wool had already been cleaned to remove dirt, debris, and grease. In years past, Priya had joined them for this ritual. It was fun to wash the soft, course hairs. But even more fun was when they would place the wool on flat boards that had rows of short, sharp metal hooks. The boards would be rubbed against each other over and over again, combing the hairs out until a light, airy fiber would appear. This in turn was gathered and spun onto sticks so that clothing could be woven from it.


    As Tohki and Priya walked through the vale, Tohki pointed out the signs that signaled a longer winter than usual: thicker scales around onions, early departures of the ducks and geese around the lake, woodpeckers sharing nests in the forests, the thick hair that began growing at the napes of the heifers¡¯ necks.


    These signs intensified their work, combining various leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers into tea bundles and tinctures. Priya delivered baskets of these remedies throughout the village and vale, sharing blessings from her and Tohki for the winter to come.


    And then the first snow fell and the busy sounds of the village all but disappeared.

 Chapter 8 - The First Snow

    The snow came down heavy and thick. The following morning when Priya opened their front door, the snow was up to her knee caps. She laughed in delight, scooping up a handful and forming it into a ball before putting it to her lips to taste.


    Walking the short distance to the fire, Priya picked up the iron pot and carried it back to the door. Using the morning¡¯s light she inspected it to make sure it was clean, and then dipped it into the snow, filling it with as much snow as she could.


    Closing the door, Priya returned to the fire, setting the pot next to the ashes, the rocks still carrying much of the fire¡¯s heat. Going to the woodbox, Priya grabbed another log, careful not to lodge a splinter in her fingers or underneath a nail, and placed it on the fire. The embers cracked and sparked causing tiny elements of flame to trickle up through the chimney.


    Priya pulled on deerskin breeches and shirt over her linens. Sitting down on her bed, she slipped on her elkhide boots; thick, warm leather that quickly removed the chill from her bare toes. Reaching under her mattress, Priya pulled out a pair of wool-lined mittens.


    Walking to Aaron and Anissa¡¯s bed, Priya pulled back their curtain.


    Aaron groaned, burying himself further underneath the fur blankets. ¡°Mother¡¯s Mercy, it''s cold outside.¡±


    ¡°There is fresh water heating up at the fire. I am going to care for the animals and then go to Tohki¡¯s for the day¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the animals today,¡± Aaron said. ¡°I will care for them once I have dug a path to the barn.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Papai.¡± Priya looked to the other mound in their bed. ¡°Mamae, do you need anything?¡±


    Anissa pulled the furs down, exposing her face. She blinked in the morning light, her eyes finding and focusing on Priya. ¡°Not this morning, dear one. Enjoy your work.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Anissa,¡± Priya replied. ¡°I will.¡±


    She slipped on the mittens and grabbed her cloak that hung by the door, fastening it around her shoulders. Opening the door, she stepped up and out and into the deep snow, losing her balance for a brief moment. Reaching back to shut the door, Priya found that it had swung inward too far and could no longer pull it shut.


    ¡°Papai!¡± she called. ¡°Can you shut the door, please?¡±


    ¡°Eusou¡¯s balls,¡± muttered Aaron as he stood up, quickly crossing the distance from his bed to the door. ¡°Love you, be well,¡± he said before he closed it.


    Priya straightened, looking out at the surrounding mountains. Every winter, for as long as she could recall, there was always this moment after the first snow where she was breathless at the wonder and beauty that surrounded her.


    The mountains that had only yesterday been a mixture of grays and browns were now of the purest white. It shimmered in the sunlight, lighting up the vale like it was the surface of the moon.


    The branches of the trees bowed under the weight of the snow, humbling something that had once stood so proudly.


    The lake was blanketed with snow, but Priya knew how deceiving it could be. Only a thin layer of ice had formed so far that winter. Even now she could see spots where snow and water had met, creating a gray ugly slush.


    The village itself looked magical; each house blanketed with snow and smoke rising from each chimney. It reminded Priya of the white capped mushrooms she had harvested that autumn with Tohki; the brown wood structures, much like the mushrooms¡¯ stems.


    Stepping high, Priya walked as best she could to the village. Even with the thick boots and mittens, Priya began to feel cold, her toes and fingers tingling by the time she reached Tohki¡¯s hovel.


    Priya thumped on the door with her fist and heard Tohki call her inside. Opening the door, Priya carefully stepped inside, trying her best not to cascade the deep snow into Tohki¡¯s home.


    Tohki sat by the fire, a thick blanket wrapped around her for added warmth.


    Removing her boots and mittens, Priya carried them over to the fire, setting them down so they could dry out. She stood next to the fire, letting her toes hover over the rocks while dangling her fingers. Eventually the tingling stopped and she sat down next to Tohki.


    ¡°What will you teach today, Tohki?¡± Priya asked.


    Tohki is quiet for a while and then sighed. ¡°I am tired, child.¡±


    ¡°I can hear that, Tohki.¡±


    ¡°Every winter when it first snows, I am reminded how old I am. My shoulders ache. My back and hips do too.¡±


    Priya moves behind her and begins to rub and knead Tohki¡¯s shoulders the way that she was taught, attuning her movements and pressure to Tohki¡¯s slow, deep breaths.


    ¡°I am glad you chose the Path of The Crone,¡± Tohki whispered into the silence. ¡°There were many years I wondered if I would be the last.¡±


    Priya is quiet for a moment, measuring her words. ¡°What would have happened if I didn¡¯t chose this path?¡±


    ¡°When I passed away, giving my body to Terra, my knowledge would have passed away with me. Not all of it. Many of the women in the village know my little tricks: the teas to cure a cough or break a fever, how to sew a wound, how to aid in troubled births. But it wouldn¡¯t have been enough. Even with my help every year our community grows smaller. I wonder how long we have left in the vale.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to help our community thrive, Tohki.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I mean. I have been The Crone for nearly fifty winters. I have seen the vale when it was healthy; hundreds of people all working together in harmony and peace. But now we are but a few, nearly thirty. Soon we will all pass into dust.¡±


    ¡°What if we left the vale? Certainly there are others on the other side of the mountain like us.¡±


    Tohki sighed, letting the silence stretch and wane before she answered. ¡°That is a secret that was known to the first inhabitants, but they held the secret close, not telling their kin so that when they passed on, the only one that carried that knowledge was the Crone. For generations it was passed down from Crone to Crone until I became the carrier of secrets.¡±


    ¡°I have taken the Path, can you not tell me?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°You are but a child and you haven¡¯t studied with me for a full turning. The crone before me didn¡¯t whisper any secrets until I was much older than you and it wasn¡¯t until she lay dying in her bed. You¡¯re smart. Wise beyond your years, Priya. You have a quick mind for studying herbs, but I do not know what your mind will do with this knowledge.¡±


    Priya rubbed Tohki¡¯s shoulders one final time before moving to once again sit next to Tohki. ¡°Very well. You hold onto your secrets for a bit longer, Tohki. But do not wait till you are on your deathbed to tell me.¡±


    ¡°That is fair,¡± Tohki agreed.


    ¡°What lessons do you have in store for me today?¡±


    Tohki gazed at the fire. Reaching out, she picked up a tea cup that was staying warm on the rocks. She cupped it in her hands, smiling at the warmth. ¡°Today¡¯s lesson will be about staying warm.¡±


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    Priya laughed, standing. ¡°I¡¯ll fetch some more wood.¡±


    Tohki grabbed her arm as she passed by, pointing to the woodbox. ¡°There is plenty. Sit, sit. Stay here and be warm.¡±


    ¡°Is this a lesson on the stillness?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Tohki murmured. ¡°When we tell the story of how Eusou and The Mother created Terra, how was man created?¡±


    ¡°Eusou pulled the first man out of the mud of the great River Alto and shaped him into his own image.¡±


    Tohki nodded her head. ¡°Aye. And how did The Mother create the first woman?¡±


    ¡°The Mother pulled the first woman out of her womb and she was already formed in The Mother¡¯s image.¡±


    ¡°Very good. Why do we tell these stories of creation?¡±


    Priya gazed across at Tohki, watching her eyes, looking for the telltale signs of teasing, which wasn¡¯t there. ¡°You have told me before about how God didn¡¯t create man in his own image, but we created God in our image.¡±


    ¡°That is correct. But I didn¡¯t tell you why. Why is it that we have these myths that liken our being with that of a god¡¯s?¡±


    Looking down at the floor, Priya turns the question over in her mind. The fire pops. Tohki sips at her tea. And Priya could feel the stillness within her humming, brimming with the answers, waiting for Priya to reach out and grasp it. ¡°It is a reminder to us that each of us has a divine spark. If only we knew how to find it.¡±


    Tohki nodded her head. ¡°Yes. That is why one of the first stories children are taught is the story of our creation. It provides them with the framework early on that each of us has that light in us without all that talk about stillness and Eusou¡¯s Love and the I Am presence. If we started there, children would run about confused, looking into the shadows within themselves, trying to find the light. And even then, most of the men and women in the village are only aware of these stories and have never touched the divine spark within each of them outside of their own passages.


    ¡°So we tell these stories of Eusou and The Mother. We tell these myths of the creation of Terra and of the first man and woman and then what?¡±


    ¡°We tell stories of wandering prophets and their miracles.¡±


    ¡°And what stories lay beneath those stories?¡± Tohki prods.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Take the story of Musa. After he led his people across the great sea at the dawn of the first son, what did he do?¡±


    ¡°He got lost. He wandered the mountains with his people and eventually his prayers turned to cursed and he was left alone at the top of a mountain for the birds to peck out his eyes and tongue.¡±


    ¡°We mostly focus on the story of his deeds: listening to the voice of Eusou and saving his people. His divine spark was lit and he blew it out, giving into doubt and despair. So many stories we tell follow this pattern: Eusou reveals himself, he helps other see the divine spark within themselves, great things happen, but then great failure also.¡±


    ¡°Like with Davinia,¡± Priya said. ¡°The Shepherdess Queen.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± agreed Tohki. ¡°Blessed by Eusou, raised from a lowly shepherdess to the High Queen of the Seven Isles, only to seek more and more power by killing all that could have taken her thrown.¡±


    Priya understood the pattern now. ¡°It is the same with Ilie, Sh¡¯ma, Heskel.¡±


    ¡°The stories we tell are full of great promise, but end in great tragedy. As often as Eusou has revealed himself, no one has reached the full potential of the divinity sparked inside of them. Men who caught a glimmer of that spark prostrated themselves, worshiping Eusou, telling others that they, being made in the image of Eusou, were more superior than those that were not. Kingdoms rose and fell. Men fought and died in the name of Eusou, spreading across the surface of Terra, taking more and more until everything even beyond what they could see was claimed for Eusou. Eusou saw this and wept. And he stopped revealing himself to men. He was quiet for many years and a darkness spread across the land; a darkness that claimed to be Eusou, telling people how to live, who to worship, and how to worship, and the rewards they would receive if they whispered prayers in the right manner to Eusou.


    ¡°Then one day, when Eusou was walking in a faraway corner of the world, many years ago, he saw a man named Araham, sitting underneath a tree, crying softly. The man was crying because he thought that his life was subject to disease, old age, and death; that there was nothing else, but shouldn¡¯t there ought to be? Eusou revealed himself to Araham as a flower, sprouting up from the soil beneath his feet and opening up to him. In the opening of the flower, Araham saw himself, and realized that he had been asleep to the presence of Eusou within him. He touched the stillness within and opened his consciousness to encompass all objects of knowledge and desires. He transcended his mortal body, achieving truth in the highest realm, glowing radiantly like the sun. For years, Araham, the Man of Light, walked to land, teaching others about the stillness and how to achieve enlightenment.


    ¡°Eusou was pleased and continued to walk the land, revealing himself. But the more he revealed himself, the more he saw men¡¯s failings. Large statues of Eusou were built. Mankind stopped finding the divine spark inside them, instead turning to the external machine of power and control. Villages grew bigger and bigger. Leaders grew greedier and greedier. To enter Eusou¡¯s LIght, people had to bow to a power outside of them.


    ¡°And Eusou wept.


    ¡°And he went away for a time, promising to The Mother never to reveal himself to man again. Years passed. The darkness in the physical plane grew. Wars were fought. Many people died. Disease spread across the land.


    ¡°The Mother heard Terra cry out to her. She saw how the land was torn asunder by the actions of man. But she saw a ray of hope in a young woman who lived far across the sea. The young woman¡¯s name was Priya, your namesake, and she was carrying a child. A boy, though she did not know it. The Mother came to the woman in a dream and taking her by the hand, led her to the highest peak of the world where Eusou sat, watching and weeping as his creation turned on itself.


    ¡°But in the heart of Priya, Eusou saw hope. Eusou saw that his Love was already radiating in her heart and that the breath of the I Am moved through her. He helped Priya turn her gaze inward and she saw how Eusou¡¯s love was her love and could be the love of her child.


    ¡°The child grew in her womb and when he was born, Priya began to teach him the ways of Eusou and The Mother. She let her love be an example of how to love, so that when he was old enough for Eusou to reveal himself, his heart was ready. As he grew, the boy helped the world be reborn. He pulled mankind out of the depth of darkness to new heights of light and love. He taught love of all, not love of some or love of the worthy. He taught that it was love of all things, people, creatures, Terra, the larger universe and all things in it that would bring hope and peace, banishing the darkness for eternity.


    ¡°But the darkness was strong. It corrupted the hearts of man and the boy, who had grown into a man, was put to death. Even in pain, he loved. Even at his most lonely and abandoned, he loved. Even in death and dying, he loved. And in showing that love, he opened mankind¡¯s eyes to Love. Through his love, mankind began to see Eusou¡¯s Light shining forth from their brothers and sisters. They gathered in darkness to pray and sing to Eusou and share stories of the man who loved.


    ¡°Yet there was power in those stories. And the people in power felt small and threatened in the wake of the man¡¯s love. So they took the stories and the prayers and the songs and built great buildings to house and contain those works. To remember the man and pray to Eusou correctly it had to be done a certain way and people bowed to that power and Eusou¡¯s Light was hidden once more.


    ¡°Darkness spread across the land. Many wars were fought. Great fires tore across Terra destroying all life in its wake. And it was done all in the name of this man and Eusou. Terra shook and cracked open, fire erupting and blotting out the sun for days, months, and years. The air was filled with ash and fire. And it continued until there was no one left to fight. Only a few scatterings of humanity remained and what wasn¡¯t broken by the wars was broken by their minds as they cried out to Eusou for mercy, tearing their hair and rending their clothes.


    ¡°And Eusou wept.¡±


    Priya sat silently, tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡°How many times does Eusou have to weep before we learn?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, child,¡± Tohki said quietly. ¡°People are afraid of what they do not understand and love, as pure and as freely as Eusou gives it, is terrifying. How can Eusou love a creation as flawed as mankind is? We reject the answer that has been with us since before the beginning of time. We feel small and quake in front of that love then tell ourselves that if we are not worthy, no one is. And on and on, throughout history, we repeat similar mistakes. That is my greatest fear: that we haven¡¯t learned and one day our community will face a similar trial. But our community could very well die out before we reach that precipice.¡±


    ¡°What if there are more like us across the mountains?¡± Priya asked. ¡°Could we cross over the pass and expand our community? Share our teachings and our prayers and our songs and bring Eusou¡¯s Light into the world?¡±


    ¡°I asked that same question when I was a few years older than you, Priya. There is great risk.¡± Tohki sighed. ¡°I will tell you one part of the secret.¡± She turned in her seat to face Priya. ¡°Our ancestors came here when the rest of the world burned. They couldn¡¯t breathe because of the ash in the air and they were hungry because none of their crops would grow without the sun. They packed up what few belongings they had and began to walk. Our stories talk about them crossing the great sea, but what we leave out was that it was a sea of ash and bones. They walked in and out of days for over a year, scavenging as they went. Only the strong survived. Many died along the way. But then they came across these great mountains. They might have stopped, but they didn¡¯t. They kept walking, up and up these mountains until they reached the top and there they beheld our vale for the first time. It was paradise. The spring thaw ran clear, clean water down their slopes feeding the green of the vale. Herds of elk dotted the vale¡¯s floor. They ran down the slope praising Eusou and fell into the lake drinking its pristine waters. They were home and they promised never to leave it, because they believed and I believe that if we did, there would be no turning back. We would lose everything that we hold dear and love here. Promise me, Priya.¡± Tears glistened in Tohki¡¯s eyes. ¡°Promise me that when I am gone, you will keep the vale safe, you will keep our community safe and whole and won¡¯t leave.¡±


    Priya wrapped her arms around Tohki as her teacher¡¯s shoulders shook with deep, heart-rending sobs. When Tohki still, Priya pulled out of their embrace, taking Tohki¡¯s hands in hers, looking deeply into her eyes. ¡°I will keep the vale safe and our community whole. I swear on Eusou and The Mother and the I Am within me. I promise.¡±

 Chapter 9 - Arcas

    The winter months were long and cold. The days were shorter and the nights longer, but together, as a community, the people of the vale thrived.


    The stores from their harvest held. There was an abundance of vegetables to cook and eat. The meat that the hunters dried kept them fed during the long stretches where no elk or longhorn sheep could be found.


    When the water of the lake finally froze over, several children along with those that had just gone through their passage, Priya included, stepped out onto it, running and gliding as far as they could in their boots. They would crash into each other¡ª¡±Gently,¡± Priya warned¡ªfalling down, their high-pitched laughter bouncing off the nearby mountains. The cold wind whipped at their faces, turning their cheeks red, stealing the moisture from their lips. As they chattered and teased, whisps of their breath hung about them like clouds.


    Soon after they returned to their homes after these little adventures, Priya would walk the footpath, knocking on doors, and dropping off little gifts from her and Tohki: small jars of beeswax and herbs to aid with chapped skin. She would also check on their stock of winter remedies, leaving behind more tea bags or chest rubs as needed.


    Day after day, Priya grew in her knowledge of herbs. Tohki would rattle off symptoms and just as fast Priya could list what herbs she would steep for a tincture or mix with beeswax. While her knowledge grew, there weren''t many opportunities to put the knowledge into practice.


    ¡°Patience, child,¡± Tohki would admonish. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hope for someone to get hurt or get sick just to feed your sense of self.¡±


    Priya nodded. ¡°I know. But wouldn¡¯t it be fun?¡±


    On the longest night of winter, news passed through the village that Galia had her first blood. Priya ran from her farm to Tohki¡¯s hovel, excited to put her knowledge to work for her friend. Tohki watched her as Priya moved about, selecting with a careful hand several herbs that would lessen Galia¡¯s discomfort when drunk as a tea, as well as the root of the black cohosh plant that could be chewed on. Tohki gave her several clean folded rags to take to her as well.


    Priya trudged through the snow to the butcher¡¯s house with her basket of supplies hooked under her arm.


    Stamping her feet on their front step, Priya knocked off some of the snow that clung to her boots. Raising a mittened fist, she hammered on the door.


    Arcas opened it, ushering her in. ¡°I was wondering when you were going to come.¡±


    Priya gently elbowed him in the stomach for teasing her. Taking off her mittens, she waved at Artamos, the butcher, who was turning a sizzling haunch over their fire.


    ¡°I wish people made as big of a deal when I got my first hair on my chin,¡± Arcas muttered.


    ¡°When you got your first hair, did that symbolize that you were ready to bear children?¡±


    Arcas barked a laugh. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Priya?¡± Galia called from behind the curtain of her bedroom.


    ¡°Aye. I am here.¡±


    Priya undid the ties of her boots and stepped out of them, setting them by the door. Arcas took her cloak and hung it on a hook.


    Pulling back the curtain, she found a smiling Galia with her mother, Gal, sitting on the edge of her bed.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Priya asked.


    Galia sighed. ¡°Well enough.¡±


    Priya sat on the bed next to Gal, setting her basket in her lap. ¡°I brought you some things from Tohki.¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you playing The Crone these days,¡± teased Galia.


    Priya ignored the jest. ¡°I made you a bag of herbs that you can use for a tea.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Gal said, taking the bag. ¡°I¡¯ll heat up some water.¡±


    ¡°Just a spoonful in a cup,¡± Priya called after her. ¡°No more than that.¡±


    Galia reached over and grabbed the folded rags from the basket. ¡°Thank you for these.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re most welcome.¡± Priya handed her the cut up pieces of blackened root. ¡°These are for you to chew on should the cramps get to be too much.¡±


    Galia made a face. ¡°What does it taste like?¡±


    ¡°Like a root. A little bit like dirt. But it helps.¡±


    Galia pulled out a small piece, breaking off a bit, and put it in her mouth. Her nose wrinkled slightly at the taste.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Priya asked.


    Galia sighed. ¡°You know how it feels. Awful.¡±


    ¡°No, not that,¡± Priya said. ¡°How does it feel to be, you know, a woman?¡±


    Her friend is quiet for a moment before speaking. ¡°I am happy. But I am not happy that I am finally a woman. Since your passage all those months back, I didn¡¯t feel like our friendship was the same. We have hardly been with each other since then.¡±


    ¡°I have been busy with Tohki.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it''s not that. There are times where we will pass each other on the path and you would hardly even look at me. I thought I had lost you as a friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Galia.¡±


    ¡°I am happy to have my first blood because I hope we can be friends again. Like we were.¡±


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    Priya leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Galia. ¡°I am sorry you felt that my love for you was any less than it was. After my passage, I didn¡¯t think any less of you. You were always dear to me. Things became busy studying under Tohki; she was all I had time for. I love you, Galia. You are my dearest friend and you always will be.¡±


    ¡°I love you, as well, Priya. I am excited and nervous for my passage.¡±


    ¡°My stomach fluttered the day before and the day of. I will be there to help guide and aid you.¡±


    Gal returned, carrying a steaming cup of tea.


    Galia took the cup, blowing on it to cool it a bit before putting it to her lips and sipping. ¡°Thank you for this.¡±


    Turning to Priya, Gal asked, ¡°Would you stay and share food with us?¡±


    Priya shook her head. ¡°Not tonight. Aaron and Anissa are waiting for me to return.¡±


    ¡°Can I walk with you?¡± Arcas asked.


    Priya nodded.


    Hugging her friend, Priya slipped out into the night with Arcas walking beside her. He shivered in the cold night air, his hands tucked into his cloak. They walked slowly, not saying a word, gazing up at the clear sky. The moon, reflecting off the snow, lit the village with a blue glow.


    When they left the village and were on the footpath back to Priya¡¯s farm, Arcas stopped. Priya stopped as well, unsure if this was as far as he was planning to walk her or if he had something to say. Arcas stamped his feet in the snow. His head hung low, avoiding Priya¡¯s questioning eyes. Lifting his head, he let out a long and mournful howl, his hands cupped around his mouth. The dogs in the village answered his call, howling and barking. Wolves, further away, on the far side of the vale, answered as well.


    ¡°What is it, Arcas?¡± Priya asked. ¡°I would rather be walking to stay warm than stand here and let the cold seep into my bones.¡±


    Arcas looks at her, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, unsure of what to say or how to say it.


    ¡°Arcas, whatever you want to say, you can say it and I will keep it secret and safe. I swear it on The Mother.¡±


    Turning away, Arcas looks out at the lake. ¡°Sometimes, when I am out with Kuji and the other hunters.¡± He trails off and begins again. ¡°Sometimes, I think, ¡®Oh, what if I trip here on this root or rock and catapult myself into that tree, spearing myself through and die today.¡¯ Sometimes, when I am helping Artamos prepare meat for the fire, I imagine myself taking the knife and sliding it across my throat. There are other times that I hope Kuji might mistake me for an elk or deer. Or I could take a rope and hang myself from a tree.¡±


    Priya steps behind him and places her hand on his back.


    ¡°I want to die, Priya. I want to die and it scares me, but I can¡¯t see past that darkness. It is always there, these thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to die, Arcas?¡±


    ¡°Because there is nothing here for me. Every day is the same. I hunt, I kill when I am lucky enough to find a wild animal, I eat, and I sleep. I feel alone. I know I have the other hunters and I have Galia, but I feel so alone.¡±


    ¡°You have me,¡± whispered Priya.


    ¡°No. No I don¡¯t.¡± Arcas turned to face her, his eyes wide with anger. ¡°You chose to be a Crone. I can never have you.¡±


    Priya¡¯s eyes flashed in the moonlight. ¡°Whether or not I chose the Path of The Crone, I was never yours or anyone else¡¯s.¡±


    Arcas sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I was saying. I know that you would have had a choice, but I would have done everything I could have to make you think I was the right partner for you. There¡¯s no other girls near my age in this village. Thekla and Ami won¡¯t become women for years. I want to be a good partner and a good father, but I can¡¯t. There is nothing here for me, Priya. Nothing. And I can¡¯t see myself continuing this way forever. Sometimes, I wonder if the vale would be better off without me.¡±


    ¡°What about Galia?¡±


    ¡°Galia is a woman now and will find a partner in a few years. Probably Josif¡¯s oldest boys, Aiden or Samuel.¡±


    Priya pointed at the night sky. ¡°The night is long, but the sun is coming and the days will get longer.¡±


    Arcas chuckled, running a hand through his hair. ¡°You sound like Tohki.¡±


    ¡°Aye. She taught me well. But this is the way of things. Just as winter must come before the spring, sometimes we have to make the journey through the dark night to find the light on the other side. When you undertook your passage, it was like a dark, long night, yes?¡±


    Arcas nodded. ¡°It was.¡±


    ¡°And what did you feel during it?¡±


    ¡°That I wasn¡¯t alone. That I was part of Eusou and Eusou was part of me.¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    Arcas did and Priya stepped towards him, slipping her hand underneath his cloak and placing it over his heart. He trembled at her touch, leaning down and resting his chin on her head, breathing in her scent.


    ¡°Look inward, Arcas. Feel your heartbeat. Follow your breath. Do you remember what it felt like to be connected to Eusou?¡± Arcas nodded. ¡°That never went away. He is still there. He lives as you live. He breathes and you breathe. He loves as you love.¡±


    And she began to sing, her soft voice cutting through the tranquil night.


    I give life to Eusou in the Heights


    And to The Mother, our love


    I give life to all beings


    And to you my brothers and sisters


    I ask Eusou in the Heights


    For his help to illuminate me


    For his help to see the path


    And deliver me from darkness


    Priya stepped away from Arcas, taking his hand in hers. ¡°You aren¡¯t alone, Arcas. And you never will be.¡±


    ¡°Saying it does not take away how lonely I feel, Priya.¡±


    ¡°I know. There isn¡¯t much I can do for you tonight, but come by Tohki¡¯s in the morning.¡± Priya opened her satchel and rooted around, pulling out bundles of herbs until she found what she was looking for. ¡°Here,¡± she said, handing Arcas a small collection of stringy, dried roots and dried purple flowers.


    ¡°Do you just have these things with you all the time? You¡¯re turning into Tohki before my very eyes.¡± Arcas held the bundle up to the moonlight, squinting at it. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll help you sleep tonight and ward off any bad dreams.¡±


    Arcas held the bundle to his nose, sniffing. ¡°Eusou¡¯s balls! And I am supposed to eat this?¡±


    ¡°Grind up one of the roots and one of the flowers and mix it with some hot water.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Arcas tucked his hands back inside his cloak, looking back towards his house in the village. ¡°I should go. Thank you, Priya.¡±


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. At least, not tonight.¡±


    ¡°If you kill yourself, I will never forgive you.¡±


    Arcas laughed. ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Remember that feeling from your passage, Arcas. It will help carry you through the night.¡±


    Arcas turned to walk back to his house, offering her a small wave.


    Priya watched him go, a small sadness nesting in her chest.


    She could see the candlelight dancing through the windows of her house and her stomach grumbled at the thought of a nice, warm dinner.


    Priya began to walk, singing to herself:


    I ask, I ask


    I ask Holy Eusou


    To send me his Holy Light


    To illuminate my path.


    I ask, I ask


    I ask The Mother


    To illuminate my path


    On the path of Love

 Chapter 10 - For Unto Us

    Priya kept Arcas¡¯ secret, but aided him along the way.


    They talked, sometimes staying up past when the moon reached its zenith. Arcas shared how he was feeling, wrestling with the darkness, and Priya would impart some of her knowledge about the stillness that resided within.


    On some days, Priya would take Arcas deep in the woods and he would rage at the trees: kicking up snow, finding errant pine cones and belting their bark with them, swinging dead and dried branches at their trunks as hard as he could, laughing as they splintered sending shivers up his arms, or he would just sit and scream. Scream until his voice broke or grew hoarse.


    On those days, Priya would press a few stems and caps from Tohki¡¯s mushroom supply into his hand. They would sit, offering a prayer of thanks to The Mother and a prayer of strength for Arcas as he continued to journey through his dark night. And it would help. Afterward, Arcas would be more settled and grounded, and less irritable. He would joke and playfully tease Tohki and the other children instead of sharing the thoughts he was having of possibly hurting or killing himself.


    ¡°Why is it that he feels this way?¡± Priya asked Tohki late one morning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°Sometimes we feel sad without knowing why.¡±


    ¡°But the other men that went through the passage, they are not like Arcas.¡±


    Tohki looked up from the table. ¡°When someone in the village is troubled by something in their minds and hearts, it is difficult to understand why. I have known every child born in this village for the last fifty years. And I remember them. Arcas¡¯ was a troubled birth. Do you remember Serah¡¯s ewe and how its child was turned to the side? It was the same with Arcas. When it was time for him to be born, he was stuck. It was hard to turn him. He resisted. And I sensed great fear from him. But I don¡¯t know if that was the cause.¡±


    Priya sighed, gazing out Tohki¡¯s window. The deerskin that normally covered it to keep out the cold was pulled back, letting some fresh air to drift in. Priya caught a glimpse of Arcas as he ran to catch up with the other¡¯s leaving for the day¡¯s hunt. ¡°I wish I could do more to help him.¡±


    ¡°You are doing well, Priya. This is something where we can only treat the symptoms. It''s like a cough. We don¡¯t know why or what caused Ami¡¯s cough, but we can get her the right thing to drink to aid in her recovery. Will she develop a cough again? Probably next winter. It is the same with Arcas. The darkness will return and you will aid him as you have before.¡±


    Priya turned back to her work, grinding several herbs into a fine powder. She ticked off on her fingers what she had already added to the mortar. ¡°Tohki, do you have the Pennyroyal?¡±


    Tohki held up a jar full of tiny oval green leaves.


    Taking it from her, Priya added a spoonful to her mixture and continued to grind it. Priya added a thick scoop of beeswax into the mixture and began to knead and fold it until it pulled in the herbs, forming a thick paste. Holding the mortar to her nose, Priya inhaled the cool smell of the mixture. But there was something missing. Priya looked about twisting in her seat, looking at the shelves and the herbs that hung bundles from the rafters. Then she spied it: the flower Tohki had burned and blew into the ewe¡¯s mouth and nose. Breaking off several pieces, Priya ground and folded it into the mixture. She smelled it again and smiled.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Tohki asked.


    In reply, Priya took some of the mixture in her hands, letting the warmth of her palms loosen the beeswax, and began to rub it on Tohki¡¯s exposed neck.


    Tohki slapped her hands away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She touched her neck, bringing onto her fingers Priya¡¯s salve, and sniffed them. She looked questioningly at Priya, sniffing her fingers again. ¡°Interesting. Well, let''s see if it works.¡±


    They returned to their work. Priya kept looking up from her projects to see what Tohki thought of her salve, but Tohki didn¡¯t provide any hints, only humming familiar hymns under her breath as she was wont to do.


    But then Priya caught Tohki pausing her work, rolling her shoulders and moving her neck from side to side. Priya watched her, smiling.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s Mercy,¡± Tohki muttered. ¡°What made you think of that?¡±


    ¡°You mentioned Serah¡¯s ewe and I remembered how you blew it onto the ewe to calm it. I thought that if it could calm as a smoke, the flowers should be more potent.¡±


    ¡°Aye. It is. I would either double the recipe of the other herbs and wax or cut in half what you put in. For now, I am going to lay down and dream of spring.¡±


    Tohki pushed herself up from the table and hobbled over to her bed, laying down on it and closing her eyes.


    Taking a piece of thin bark that had been harvested from the white fire trees of the vale, Priya etched onto it with a piece of coal from the fire, the ingredients and portions she used. There was a roll of these collections that rested on the shelves; collections of herbal lore that had been passed down from Crone to Crone, the most recent ones bearing Tohki¡¯s scrawl. As Priya added hers to the roll, she felt a tingle of pride run up her back, turning his cheeks red.


    She was a Crone.


    Priya turned, wanting to share this moment with Tohki, but she was already asleep, emitting a soft snore.


    Smiling, Priya returned to her work, only to be interrupted a few moments later by a soft knock on the door.


    Pulling up on the latch, Priya opened the door, and there was Serah, a cloak wrapped tightly around her.


    ¡°Come in, come in,¡± Priya said as she waved Serah in.


    Serah stepped inside, breathing in the warm air, thick with the scent of medicines.


    Priya pointed to Tohki¡¯s sleeping form, lifting a finger to her lips to signal silence.


    Serah nodded, sitting down next to the fire.


    Finding a clean mug, Priya, with precise fingers, measured out a few of Tohki¡¯s warming herbs, and sprinkled them on the bottom before covering them with hot water.


    Serah pulled off her mittens and welcomed the warmth of the mug between her hands, breathing in the fragrant aroma. ¡°Thank you for this,¡± Serah said, her voice low and quiet so as not to disturb Tohki.


    ¡°You are most welcome,¡± Priya said, settling in next to her. She wrapped her arm around Serah¡¯s shoulders and leaned in, resting her head on her cousin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have missed you. And Zachael, too. But mostly you.¡±


    Serah laughed. ¡°And I, you.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°How have you fared this winter?¡±


    ¡°We have been well. Zachael and I have remained healthy, thank Eusou. We had a couple lambs get pulled away from the herd by wolves and killed. Aside from those losses, the herd is well too. The winter is long and their wool is thick. It will be a good harvest in the spring.¡±


    ¡°Those poor lambs,¡± Priya said, shaking her head. ¡°Was it the one I helped deliver?¡±


    Serah shook her head. ¡°No. That one is a feisty one. If the wolves came for it, I am sure it would have stood its ground and chased them off. She has your spirit, that one does.¡± Serah leaned back, looking about Tohki¡¯s hovel and then at Priya. Taking Priya¡¯s hand, she turned it over, tracing the lines and calluses. ¡°Has this path been good for you?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Priya said. ¡°I feel like I am more of a Crone with every day that passes. I am happy with my choice. It was the right path for me. Tohki has been a good and patient teacher and it has made her even more dear to me.¡±


    ¡°And how are Aaron and Anissa?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they are good. Papai has grown a little more round and soft this winter, but it is a good look for him. Our harvest was strong. No one has gone hungry. There has been abundance all around, praise The Mother.¡±


    ¡°Good. Very good.¡± Serah is quiet, but Priya can see the corners of her mouth turn upwards into a smile.


    ¡°What is it, cousin?¡± Priya asks, feeling a smile growing on her face.


    Serah turns to her, placing a soft hand on Priya¡¯s cheek. ¡°I am with child.¡±


    Tears pricked the corners of Priya¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, Serah.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Serah. I am so happy for you.¡±


    ¡°Aye. The vale will see another child carry forth our ancestors¡¯ vision.¡±


    ¡°How long have you known? How are you feeling? Did you walk here all by yourself?¡±


    Serah laughed at the flurry of questions. ¡°I am fairly certain I have known for a couple weeks. My blood was late and Zachael and I have been watching the days because we have wanted this child for a while now. But it wasn¡¯t until the last few days that I have felt a change upon me. That is why I am here. And yes, I walked, but I am only pregnant with child, not an invalid. This walk was a pleasant one and much needed, because I have come to see you, Priya, wise Crone that you are, for your aid.¡±


    Priya leaned forward. ¡°What is it? Are you¡ª¡± she pauses, thinking for a moment, ¡°¡ªis it spotting?¡±


    ¡°No. Dear Eusou, no. I feel sick. Mostly for a few hours in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon or evening. I need to eat to help the babe grow, but there are times that I just want to lay down.¡±


    ¡°Nettle, yellow-gowan, raspberry leaves and ceyaka,¡± Priya says, standing. ¡°The tea that you have has some yellow-gowan and ceyaka in it, so it should help, but raspberry leaves¡ª¡± Priya found the right jar and brought it back to fire, sprinkling a few in Serah¡¯s tea. ¡°Raspberry leaves will strengthen your child¡¯s container. And it will help with your birth, as well, helping you open up more naturally so that this babe can just slide through.¡±


    Serah laughed. ¡°I have never heard any of the other mother¡¯s say that their child slid through them.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they hadn¡¯t drunk enough raspberry leaf tea.¡±


    Serah wrapped her arms around Priya, holding her close. ¡°You may be a Crone, but you will always be my Priya.¡±


    ¡°There should be a celebration in the springtime.¡± Priya rested her hand over Serah¡¯s womb. ¡°This should be a celebration. Your child will be the first child since Ami. It has been six winters since she was born.¡±


    ¡°Aye. The vale feels smaller and smaller as each winter passes.¡±


    Priya leaned into Serah, giving her cousin a squeeze before standing back up. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a big batch of this tea. That way you won¡¯t have to make the walk as often.¡±


    ¡°But then I won¡¯t see you as often.¡±


    ¡°Tohki has said that the sickness only lasts a phase and a half of the moon¡¯s cycle. It is almost time for the new moon, so after the second full moon, the sickness should be over. Sometimes it does last longer and if it does, send Zachael into town to fetch us. And I will come and see you soon to check in. Drink as much as you need and if you run low, send Zachael into town. The baby is his doing, so he should do some of the work.¡±


    Serah laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to remind him of that as he rubs my swollen feet.¡±


    Tohki, in her bed stirred, slowly opening her eyes. They widened as they focused on Serah. ¡°Serah child.¡±


    Serah stepped to the other side of the hearth, kneeling down, taking Tohki¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°I am sorry if I woke you, Tohki.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Tohki said, sitting up. ¡°I had to rest my eyes after what your cousin did to me.¡±


    Serah looked back at Priya who was busy adding various herbs, dried flowers, and leaves into a deerskin bag.


    Priya shrugged. ¡°I was only experimenting.¡±


    ¡°And a good experiment it was,¡± Tohki said, reaching up to rub her shoulders. ¡°My back hasn¡¯t felt this loose in years. I feel like I could do the spring dance like I used to when I was your age.¡± She mimed putting her arms in the air, folding one and then the other in the makings of a bow.


    ¡°So, I shouldn¡¯t change the recipe?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Tohki replied. ¡°You most certainly should. That is powerful medicine you made, dear. My body is used to it. If you gave it to anyone else in the village, their limbs would flop around like a cooled gelatinous broth, and they would wonder what sort of magic you pulled on them.¡±


    Tohki walked over to her table, inspecting the collection of herbs Priya had pulled down for Serah¡¯s tea. As she pieced together Priya¡¯s recipe, her eyebrows arched. ¡°Serah?¡±


    Serah smiled. ¡°Yes, Tohki.¡±


    Tohki stuttered, ¡°You¡¯re?¡±


    Serah rested a hand on her womb, giving it a gentle rub. ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Well done!¡± Tohki explained, slammed the flat of her hand down on the table. ¡°I knew you two had it in you.¡±


    Serah laughed. ¡°It just took a bit of practice.¡±


    Priya shook her head at their frivolity, feeling her cheeks turn red.


    Tohi took note and Priya¡¯s embarrassment and jabbed a finger into her side. ¡°You cannot get shy about this, Priya. Such is the life of a Crone. If you can¡¯t laugh about what takes place in the beds of others, the first time a man comes to you and asks for aid on what hangs between their legs, you won¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Serah giggled. ¡°What would you do, Tohki?¡±


    ¡°If it is red and itchy,¡±Tohki said, ¡°it¡¯s a balm of beeswax, leaves from the walnut tree, sage that grows in the vale, and mugwort.¡±


    ¡°What is mugwort?¡± Serah asked.


    Priya pointed to a collection of leaves that hung drying from the rafters that were green on top and white underneath. ¡°In the grass by the lake you can tell that it is mugwort from its purplish stems and pointed tips.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Tohki said, gesturing vulgarly, ¡°if a man has problems in the bed, you can give him a tincture of pollen from the pine trees, antler velvet if you can find it, bark from the prickly ash bush, rosemary, and bit of spice from one of the pepper plants.¡±


    Priya shook her head, unsure what to say. She began to think about Arcas and if he came to her for aid and her cheeks blushed an even deeper red.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s Mercy, girl!¡± Tohki exclaimed. ¡°I have seen what lay between the legs of every man and woman in this vale and so will you.¡±


    Priya crossed her arms, glaring across the table at Tohki. ¡°If you had told me that I would have to do the same, I probably would have reconsidered this Path.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, cousin,¡± Serah chimed in. ¡°They are kind of fun.¡±


    ¡°Hag¡¯s teats, you two!¡± Priya said. But try as she might to be cross, the absurdity of the conversation hit her and she bent over the table laughing, soon gasping for air, tears rolling down her cheeks. When she finally composed herself, she nodded her head. ¡°If that is Eusou¡¯s plan, I accept it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tohki said, smiling. ¡°You can start by getting familiar with your cousin¡¯s. Not now, but we shall visit often to make sure this little one is growing well.¡±


    Priya folded the bag of the tea blend closed and handed it to Serah. ¡°This will last you a few weeks, but if you need more¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Serah interjected. ¡°I will send Zachiel.¡±


    Serah threw her cloak around her shoulders and stepped in her boots before bending over to lace them. ¡°Thank you, cousin.¡±


    Priya wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. ¡°I love you, Serah.¡±


    ¡°And I you,¡± Serah said and she kissed her on the forehead. ¡°And I love you too, Tohki. Thank you. Both of you.¡±


    Priya lifted the latch and opened the door for Serah, offering her a final wave before closing it. Turning to Tohki, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s next for me?¡±


    Tohki smiled. ¡°You did well, child. You are going to be a wonderful Crone after I pass.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to pass until I have a few gray hairs on my head.¡±


    ¡°Oh, child. I fear that it is closer than either of us want it to be.¡±

 Chapter 11 - Galia’s Passage

    But Tohki did not pass that winter.


    When spring came, the snow from the slopes, ran down, forming waterfalls that formed streams, that ran down to the brook that ran the length of the vale to the lake. It was a time of renewal and celebration as the first flowers in the vale began to bloom.


    And it was also time to celebrate Galia¡¯s passage.


    On the morning before, Priya met Tohki in her hovel. Pulling aside a blanket, Tohki revealed a small bundle of vines that had been cut into small, manageable pieces and a bag of dried leaves. Tohki handed these to Priya and together they walked to the House of Eusou.


    ¡°I have never harvested these with you?¡± Priya observed. ¡°Where in the vale do these grow?¡±


    Tohki smiled. ¡°That is another secret that only the Crones know. These vines and leaves do not come from the vale. When our ancestors came to the vale hundreds of years ago, they brought these medicines with them. We have kept them safe and secret all these years.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t we run out?¡± Priya asked?


    ¡°Aye,¡± Tohki said, nodding. ¡°Our supply is almost gone and when it is gone, the women of this vale will learn to take their passage by another route.¡±


    Tohki lifted the thick bearskin flap that hung over the opening of the sacred space, pulling it open.


    Priya stepped inside, setting the bundles of roots and leaves down and began to build the fire. She layered smaller pieces of wood, having some space between them so that air could pass through, and struck Tohki¡¯s flint several times before the sparks caught. Leaning down, she blew on them, coaxing the fire to life, before leaning larger pieces of wood onto it.


    Against the sides of the space, Priya retrieved three thin pieces of wood that had been bound at the top. As the fire grew, Priya set the wood over it, letting each piece spread out, forming an angular and stable shape around the fire. Priya wiggled it to make sure it would hold before hanging a large pot from it, letting it sit suspended over the fire.


    There was still some snow outside having not melted due to the shade the sacred space provided. Priya scooped the clean snow into a pitcher, bringing it back into the space and letting it fall into the pot, enjoying the satisfactory sound of it sizzling on the already hot iron.


    While the water steamed, Priya and Tohki began to work.


    Sitting opposite from each other, each had a handful of the roots in front of them, laid out on a tree stump. They began to clean the roots, scraping and brushing until the harder bark was removed. When Priya was done, she waited for Tohki. Then the two women picked up heavy, wooden mallets, holding them high above their heads, and as one brought them down on the vine on the stump. And as they rhythmically struck the vine, breaking it into smaller and smaller pieces, they began to sing.


    Eusou Eusou Eusou


    Eusou is here to witness you


    Eusou sees you at your strongest


    Eusou sees you at your weakest


    And he loves. He loves He loves He loves


    He loves all of what you are


    Eusou is the light in your darkest moment


    Eusou is your light if only you could see


    You and the Father are one


    Because you were made in his image


    You and the Mother are one


    Because she was always there to hold you


    Just breathe just breathe just breathe


    Just breathe just breathe just breathe


    Breathe it out but retain your strength


    Hold fast in what you are


    Priya could only hit the vine three or four times, before the mallet would feel heavy in her hand and she¡¯d have to stop, rolling her shoulder out. During these breaks, Priya would center herself, taking a deep conscious breath, pausing before raising the mallet over her head, timing it with Tohki and bring it down onto the vines. She began to learn that, as a tool, this mallet was heavy enough to do most of the work itself. Priya didn¡¯t have to use her strength to bring the mallet thundering down, but just let gravity do its work. But sometimes the mallet would land and the vine wouldn¡¯t splinter. Other times the mallet would land, crashing through the vine and sending unpleasant vibrations up Priya¡¯s arm. And sometimes, Priya would find an in-between stage where she wasn¡¯t certain how to bring the mallet down and her arm would tighten, forcing too much effort and causing her to pause again to rub the muscles that wrapped around her shoulder.


    It was a balancing act, sensing what the vine needed from Priya and what amount of force was needed in order for the work to be completed and the vine gave what it needed to give. When Priya would pause and center herself, she found herself more easily in the flow. But it was work; mentally and physically taxing.


    Gradually, the bundle of vines were broken down and once they were complete, their singing stopped and they set their mallets down. Tohki and Priya gathered the bits and pieces of the vines and added them to the boiling water. The water foamed as it accepted their offering. Tohki, taking a thick branch, stuck it into the pot, pushing the vines down in the water making sure they were fully submerged.


    Priya massaged the inside of her hand, stretching her fingers out. The pad of muscle underneath her thumb ached from holding the mallet.


    Taking the leaves, Tohki sprinkled them on top of the vines in the pot, giving it a final stir, before settling back in her seat.


    There they sat, praying and singing for several hours.


    The Mother is the vine


    We are the branches


    We are one


    We are as much part of The Mother


    As she is of you


    What we do,


    What we say,


    Must be done and said


    In the Spirit of Love,


    So there is no decay


    We must support our brothers and sisters,


    To see and witness their passage and their journey,


    So that if they falter, if they stubble,


    If they fall, if rot were to spring forth on their branch,


    To be there, to help them,


    To carry them, to offer respite,


    Food if they are hungry,


    Drink if they thirst,


    Clothes to cover them


    Shelter from the tempest within


    For if one branch withers,


    The withering will spread,


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    And the branches shall be cut away


    By the Harvester,


    Leaving just the vine


    To spring anew when the time is right.


    Be steadfast in your faith.


    Keep your eye on Eusou, on his Light.


    Let the powers of Babylon not hide his Light,


    But aid your study and prayers


    While they sang, Tohki would occasionally stand, poking the mixture with her stick, lifting some of the fibers out of the liquid to see how saturated they were. She would bend over the pot, wafting the vapors up to her nose, inhaling deeply.


    Priya would continue feeding the fire to make sure the mixture bubbled at a steady rate.


    It continued to cook down. When Priya would lean forward, looking over the lip of the pot as Tohki stirred, she could see that the mixture was becoming more and more thick.


    When it was finally done, Tohki struck the side of the pot with the stick invoking the Sun, Moon and Stars. She offered a prayer to The Mother, then nodded to Priya to remove the pot. Priya stood, straddling the edge of the fire and with gloved hands, grasped the handle of the pot, lifting it off the makeshift tripod and set it down away from the fire to cool.


    In the silence that followed both women sighed and stretched. Priya laid down on the ground, twisting to each side as her back gave off a satisfying crack.


    ¡°Well done,¡± murmured Tohki.


    ¡°Thank you, Tohki.¡± Priya paused before asking, ¡°How do you know when it is done?¡±


    ¡°I am centered within the stillness throughout, talking to The Mother and Eusou. They tell me when our work is completed. If you open your ears, they will speak to you, but you have to give your entire self to Eusou and The Mother, so that they can give their entire selves to you. Their consciousness is the life of eternity.¡±


    Priya looked at the pot, sitting silently in the corner. It looked so peaceful, yet vibrated energetically in anticipation of Galia¡¯s passage. ¡°Why is it that only the women drink this medicine?¡±


    ¡°There are powerful forces at play in the medicine, Priya. And men are attracted to power. They would chase these forces, trying to master them. That is why men eat mushrooms for their passage. It only shows them Eusou¡¯s radiant love and they see within that the power of their own love, free from the shackles of power and all that comes with it.¡±


    That night, Priya slept in the House of Eusou, guarding the medicine. Her dreams were peaceful, held closely in the embrace of The Mother.


    And she stayed there until Galia arrived for her passage. Her mother, Gal, was there along with Anissa and Asa. Tohki came in last, pulling the bearskin closed behind her.


    Priya had already built the fire and the air was warm.


    Galia smiled nervously at Priya.


    Wrapping her arms around her friend, Priya whispered, ¡°Have faith. Be strong. Be firm in your place and everything will be fine. I¡¯ll be there to catch you should you fall.¡±


    Tohki cleared her throat and Priya released Galia, stepping back to rest at Tohki¡¯s side.


    When the ceremony began, Tohki led the opening prayers as she did before, but Priya took over the role of serving the medicine to those that had gathered in the sacred place that night.


    Holding the clay serving bowl in one hand, Priya scooped the medicine into a wood cup. Given the ritual the day before, this medicine felt more familiar, but the thought of tasting it again caused a shudder to pass through her body. ¡°Mother, be with me,¡± she whispered, tipping her head back to drink swiftly.


    One by one she serves the other women, until Galia was last. Priya looked into Galia¡¯s eyes, centering herself in the stillness as she did. She felt a deep responsibility for Galia and her wellbeing during her passage. Eusou, watch over her. The stillness rumbled in reply. She felt The Mother guide her hand as she dipped the cup into the bowl, scraping the bottom just as Tohki had done, filling it to the rim.


    Galia took it with shaking hands. She offered it to the heavens, then drank it down in a single gulp. She closed her eyes, remaining firm in her place, and she didn¡¯t shudder or make a face at the taste. Not once.


    Priya smiled at her fortitude.


    Taking their seats, Tohki began to lead them in their hymns. They were more familiar to Priya now, having spent months humming and singing with Tohki as they prepared their collection of medicines.


    Song after song they called upon Eusou, blessing him and blessing The Mother, the harvest, their health, the sun and moon, and their home in the vale.


    Just as before, Priya felt the air around her become more turbulent as the ceremony went on; a tumultuous current of energy that buffeted her soul. But she stayed in her seat, remembering the lessons from her passage and rested her gaze on the flickering embers of the fire. It was familiar now and felt like she was welcoming back an old friend.


    Eusou Eusou Eusou


    Send your sword


    Let your Light


    Be my shield


    Mother, O Mother


    Send your love


    Let your Love


    Be my shield


    Then Tohki was silent, the hymns completed for a time and the women sat together in silence.


    Priya turned inward, centering herself as she focused on her breathing. Gradually, she became aware of The Mother. It surrounded her, completely enveloping Priya with waves of love, both externally and internally. Priya was awash and aglow in The Mother¡¯s love. Like her own mother, Priya felt the soft reassurances and tidings emanate from her. In her mind¡¯s eye, she saw how she had grown and changed over the past year. And she felt The Mother¡¯s pride in her. But there was also this deeper connection where she felt her own sense of pride in all that she had done and a deep love for herself, as well. She saw how she had grown from a little girl into a woman since her passage and it made her heart nearly burst with joy. She felt the peace flow from The Mother¡¯s Love and into her heart. It spread through her being, filling her being, taking away the burden of the past and leaving her with a sense of deep inner strength.


    It was beautiful.


    The Mother was beautiful.


    She was beautiful.


    But something changed. Suddenly and swiftly a dark energetic field swooped into Priya¡¯s awareness, shutting off this connection to The Mother.


    Priya¡¯s heart cried out at the intrusion. She reached out for The Mother, but the darkness stood in Priya¡¯s path, blocking her. The Mother was gone; seemingly fled from this new presence. Priya reached for Eusou, feeling for him in the energy field over the fire and within her self, but he wasn¡¯t there either. All that existed in this sacred place was this horribly dark energy.


    Go away, Priya thought. You are not welcome here.


    The energy pushed back and Priya felt her body tremble. She felt weak and felt that her best course of action was to leave the circle and lay down.


    Pushing herself up for her seat, Priya stumbled a few steps from the circle and laid down on the cool ground. As she exhaled, her breath shook. Away from the other women, Priya didn¡¯t feel the dark presence anymore, but her body was in a state of shock at the sudden and violent confrontation. Her legs and arms began to shake, rattling her core, and causing her hips and back to buck against the ground. Priya closed her eyes, trying to focus on her body, trying to still herself, but it was to no avail. Whatever the thing that had attacked her was, it had to run its course.


    When the shaking finally stopped, Priya lay on the floor, feeling dazed and exhausted, but reassured that during her time away from the circle, the darkness had not returned. Rolling over to her side, she pushed herself back up and walked, a bit more steadier, back to her seat.


    The other women, Galia included, were still resting in their seats with their eyes closed.


    As Priya sat down, Tohki opened her eyes and offered Priya a reassuring smile and then began to sing once again.


    Priya joined in and as the energy of the songs built, the dark energy appeared again. Priya raised her hands defensively. While it wasn¡¯t present physically, Priya felt that this small gesture kept it at bay. But it''s pressure on Priya¡¯s walls increased. Priya¡¯s hands shook from the force of it, her knees bouncing against the ground.


    She focused on the fire¡¯s embers, but it didn¡¯t help.


    She tried to focus on the words of the hymns¡ªletting the words pass through her¡ªbut it didn¡¯t help.


    On and on it went. Sometimes it would retreat and Priya would catch her breath between songs. But it would always return, hammering at her defenses.


    Priya felt weaker and weaker as the night wore on.


    When it came time to serve the second cup, Priya stayed in her seat. When Tohki gestured for to pour for the other women, Priya shook her head, mouthing the words, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t,¡± hoping and praying that Tohki could see the exhaustion and panic written across her face.


    Tohki nodded and began to serve. When she reached Priya, she paused, looking deep into Priya¡¯s eyes. ¡°How are you?¡±


    Priya breathed, offering her a shaky smile. ¡°Not very well.¡±


    ¡°What is happening?¡±


    ¡°There is something here that does not belong.¡±


    Tohki looked at her questioningly. ¡°Is it here now?¡±


    Priya closed her eyes, immediately feeling a humanoid presence made of the darkest night hovering to the side of her. She nods.


    ¡°Do you know what it wants?¡±


    Priya shook her head.


    ¡°Have you asked?¡±


    Priya shook her head again, but she felt in that moment a clear sense of what the thing wanted. ¡°It wants to hurt me and the others here. It wants to destroy everything we know and love and burn the vale to the ground.¡±


    Tohki nodded her head.


    Priya could see that Galia was watching her, worry etched across her face.


    Laying a hand on Priya¡¯s knee, Tohki said, ¡°Ask it if it would like to drink the medicine.¡±


    Priya closed her eyes and offered the medicine to the darkness. ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°It says that it is more powerful than the medicine. It would do nothing for it or to it.¡± Priya paused, listening. ¡°It says it is more powerful that Eusou and The Mother.¡±


    Tohki chuckled, then offered the cup to Priya. ¡°Then this is for you and you alone. This night is a test for you. Remain steadfast in your prayers and songs. And believe and have faith that Eusou and The Mother are more powerful.¡±


    Taking the cup in shaking hands, Priya looked at the contents that swirled inside. ¡°This cup is mine,¡± she whispered. ¡°This cup is for me and me alone.¡± Priya drank, draining every last drop before handing it back to Tohki.


    Saying a prayer to Eusou and The Mother, Priya settled herself into her seat and waited for Tohki to begin singing again.


    With every hymn, Tohki waged war against the darkness, setting up her defenses, forming a barrier in her mind to keep it at bay. When her walls were finally up and established, she could see, in her mind¡¯s eye, the darkness, now furious, wailing on the walls with its fists.


    When the ceremony ended, Priya felt weak and tired, but still made her way to Galia, hugging and congratulating her for completing her passage. Going to a corner of the sacred space, Priya laid down, closing her eyes.


    She could still hear the women talking as they broke bread, sharing it amongst themself, but she was no longer there.


    Behind her closed eyes, Priya hovered above the vale.


    She could see everything: Serah and Zachael¡¯s farm, the spring, her home, the village, the forest, the lake, the brook that stretched from one end of the vale to the other.


    All of it was burning.


    And in the center of the village lay the charred remains of everyone she had held dear.


    Something bad was coming.


    And try as she might, Priya knew she couldn¡¯t stop what was coming.

 Chapter 12, Part 1 - Strangers

    Priya was working in Tohki¡¯s garden, laying down seeds in the cold ground that would yield the next harvest, when word came that strange men were coming down the mountain towards the village.


    Kuji had spotted them when he was stalking a deer through the upper reaches of the forest near the treeline. At first he had thought that they were animals; perhaps mountain goats migrating through the mountain pass. But their patterns were different. The figures moved more carefully than animals and in more of a cohesive pattern. It was when the sun had reflected off the figures that Kuji was able to understand what they were and he left his hiding spot, running back to the village as fast as he could.


    There was an excitement in the village. It was an excitement that was laced with fear, though.


    Kuji had gathered the other hunters, including Arcas, in the center of the village. There was a nervous energy among them as they shuffled about, gripping their spears and axes, their long knives strapped to their waists.


    ¡°Where did they come from?¡± Arcas asked.


    Aiden and Samuel, Josif¡¯s oldest sons, stood amongst the other hunters. ¡°Should we fight them?¡± Aiden asked.


    ¡°We do not know why they are here,¡± Josif replied.


    Artamos strode through the hunters, batting down their raised spears. ¡°Calm yourselves. Do not act the fool.¡±


    Gal looked to Tohki who sat on a nearby bench, leaning into her walking stick for support. ¡°What does this mean, Tohki?¡± Gal asked.


    Tohki looked up at her, then out to where the forest met the footpath. ¡°I do not know. As old as I am, I have never known anyone outside of this vale. And the Crones before me never spoke of visitors. For as long as we have been here, we have only known ourselves and no one else.¡±


    Anissa spoke up. ¡°The old stories tell of a great war and famine on the other side of the mountains that our ancestors ran from. Perhaps, these are other survivors?¡±


    Tohki nodded. ¡°Perhaps.¡± She looked at the gathered hunters. ¡°Perhaps, we should ready ourselves to welcome them instead of preparing to chase them off.¡±


    Artamos nodded. ¡°That feels right, Tohki.¡±


    Kuji shifted nervously, gripping his spear, holding it outwards defensively.


    ¡°Boy!¡± Artamos barked at him. ¡°Enough!¡±


    Kuji let the head of his spear drop to the dirt, nodding his head in consent.


    Aaron and Artamos worked together to bring out a large wooden table and set it up in the center of the village. Everyone in the community ran about gathering offerings to lay on the table. The younger children ran down to the lake to gather flowers. Kuji and Arcas built a large fire, spitting a seasoned haunch of elk over it to cook. The apple harvest that had survived the winter was brought out and arranged on the table. A great pot was brought over to the fire and potatoes, onions, cabbages and carrots were chopped up and thrown in for a stew.


    The energy of these activities felt off to Priya. She was not sure that welcoming these strangers with open arms was the right decision. Was their coming foretold in the premonition she had felt during Galia¡¯s passage?


    Retreating to Tohki¡¯s hovel, Priya retrieved her pitchers for water. Tohki¡¯s supply of water from the spring was running low.


    On her way out the door she nearly ran into Arcas.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Priya replied, handing him one of the pitchers.


    They cut through the village center, rounding the House of Eusou. The spring ran from Priya¡¯s secret spot to the western edge of the village on the edge of the forest.


    ¡°Why do you think after all this time strangers have come to the vale?¡± Arcas asked when they were out of earshot.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Priya replied.


    She knelt down at the edge of the spring, dipping her pitcher into the clear, cool water. A squirrel hopped from one tree to another above them and the sudden movement caused her to gasp, dropping the pitcher into the water.


    Arcas touched her elbow. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I am just nervous. That is all.¡±


    Priya reached into the spring, retrieving the pitcher. It was heavy with water and she set it down on grass. Arcas handed his pitcher to her and she filled it as well. Her eyes kept darting to the trees, expecting these strangers to appear at any moment.


    ¡°They were high up in the mountains when Kuji spotted them,¡± Arcas reassured her. ¡°The sun will be high in the sky before they arrive.¡±


    Priya¡¯s throat tightened and she could feel pinpricks of tears in the corners of her eyes. Hanging her head, she rested her hands in the grass, digging her fingers into the cold soil.


    Run!


    The sound, the voice was all around her. In her head, in her heart, crying out from the earth beneath her.


    Images flashed before Priya of the vale burning. The ashy remains of everyone she knew and loved. The skeletal remains of Arcas, the bones of his hand stretched out to her; a plea for help.


    The dark entity who had revealed itself to her; overpowering Eusou and The Mother.


    Priya released her grip, rocking back on her heels, putting her hands over her eyes, and cried.


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    Arcas put his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Hey now. Priya, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know.¡± Priya¡¯s body shook with her sobs. ¡°I think that something bad is going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Priya tried to explain, but she could not. Everytime she opened her mouth to speak, her voice caught in her throat.


    Arcas cupped her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. ¡°I see you, Priya. I see you and witness you. All of you. I love you and will always be here for you to keep you safe. I will not let anything bad happen to you.¡±


    He released her face and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.


    Holding the hem of her shirt sleeve, Priya wiped her nose. She leaned into Arcas. ¡°I love you too,¡± she whispered.


    Tentatively, Priya closed her eyes and placed the open palm of her hand against the ground, awaiting the flood of images to arise again; steadying herself so that she might seek answers from Eusou and The Mother.


    But no images came.


    Centering herself, Priya slipped into the stillness. There was Eusou. His presence still burned inside of her. It was there, sitting, watching, and waiting with an air of anticipation. Turning her gaze inward, she found herself in the seat of her soul, sitting as Eusou was, gazing out towards the forest and the mountains that rose up around the village. Turning towards Arcas, she saw him as Eusou did: full of light and love, a golden, rose-colored aura tracing the shape of him; his eyes glowing. The village was aglow as well. As Priya watched through Eusou¡¯s eyes, the people of the vale busied themselves, preparing to welcome these strangers into their village. Stream of light trailed off Aaron, Anissa, Gal, Kuji, Artamos, and all the others that Priya called family. Pinks and pupils, golden oranges and yellows, blues and greens. It was a pure expression of love and care and hospitality, all in the name and spirit of Eusou and The Mother.


    But further up in the forest, through the trees where the forest grew thin and rocky, lines of red could be seen, arching through the air like ravens dancing, diving, and fighting.


    ¡°This is insanity,¡± Priya murmured. ¡°This is insane. We are insane. Why are we opening our arms to these strangers?¡±


    Pushing herself up, she ran back to the village, waving her arms. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± she called.


    Aaron caught her by the arms. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°Kuji was right,¡± Priya said, gasping. ¡°We should not be welcoming these strangers. They mean us harm.¡±


    Tohki hobbled up to Priya, pushing Aaron out of the way with her walking stick. ¡°What do you mean, girl?¡±


    ¡°The dreams. The visions I have had. This is what it was showing me. If we open our village to them, the vale will burn.¡±


    Kuji rested the butt of his spear against the ground, leaning against it. ¡°Priya, I do not like the idea of strangers coming into our village, but I only counted a few. Maybe only seven. I do not think they could overpower a village of twenty.¡±


    Artamos nodded. ¡°Kuji is right. Besides, if we look like we are ready for a fight, they will fight and more than likely some of us will die. If we welcome them with the love of Eusou and The Mother, then that is what they will see, and if they did come down from the pass with anger in their hearts, perhaps that love will turn their intentions.¡±


    Tohki took in a slow deep breath. ¡°Artamos is right. But so is Priya. We do not know if they have love or knowledge of Eusou. We shall welcome them, but we will be on our guard. We will not let wolves in to eat our flock.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Tohki,¡± Priya said.


    Tohki motioned for Kuji to come closer. ¡°Take Arcas, Aiden, Samuel and some others into the woods. Watch for these strangers. Signal when you see them and come back. Let us know when they are close.¡±


    Kuji nodded. ¡°I will, Crone.¡±


    Arcas set down the pitchers of spring water onto the banquet table and picked up his spear.


    Priya turned and looked deep into his eyes. Be safe.


    Arcas nodded as if he could hear her silent plea, then followed closely behind Kuji and the other men, before disappearing into the woods.


    Priya rested by the fire while the rest of the village prepared a welcoming feast for the strangers.


    The sun had reached the tip of the western peaks before a call came down from the woods and Kuji, Arcas and the other hunters emerged.


    ¡°They are near!¡± Kuji called.


    ¡°What is their intent?¡± Tohki asked.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Kuji replied.


    Arcas stopped next to Kuji, catching his breath. ¡°There are seven of them. Six are wearing leather and these strange shiny plates on their bodies and heads. Those have long knives strapped to their waist.¡± Kuji holds out his hands, showing the long length of those knives; three times bigger than the ones those in the vale carried. ¡°They have these strange, long, thin reeds hung over their shoulders with a string hanging loose from them. But they also carried these feather-tipped branches. Straight branches with the bark shorn off. They hang off their backs in little satchels.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Aiden said, chiming in. ¡°Each has around forty of those branch things.¡±


    ¡°Weapons, I think,¡± Kuji said. ¡°I am unsure of their purpose.¡±


    ¡°Who was the seventh person?¡± Tohki asked.


    ¡°I am unsure,¡± Kuji said. ¡°He was dressed in black; long black robes. No metal. No leather on him. He carried a staff, though. And on the staff hung an image of Eusou, the hanged man.¡±


    Tohki nodded. ¡°They are of Eusou. See, Priya, there is nothing to fear.¡±


    But Priya nerves were not calmed. Turning her eyes inward, she rested in Eusou¡¯s seat, and she saw the lines of red near the edge of the forest. ¡°They are almost here,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Here! Here!¡± Tohki called. The villagers gathered around her. ¡°The strangers come! Let us welcome them with open arms! Let us share with them the love of Eusou and The Mother!¡± Tohki began to sing and the villagers began to join in.


    Listen Listen


    Silence Silence


    I Am I Am


    Silence Silence


    I Am peace


    I Am the stillness


    I Am the wind


    I Am the waves


    I Am the forest


    I Am the garden


    At the edge of the forest, the strangers appeared. First came the man who was dressed in black. His hair was cut short and he was clean-shaven, which made his features look even harsher with his prominent hooked nose and angular face.


    In his hands he held a staff. He held it upright with both hands and carried it so that the bottom never touched the ground. On it, held forward for all to see, was a carving of the visage of Eusou with his hands bound above his head, hanging from a tree.


    Behind him, in rows of two, the other six came. They had the strange reeds held in front of them. Priya could see that the string was now strung between the two ends of the reed, drawn tight. And held in place by their fingers, pointed down to the ground, were the feathered sticks.


    They were armed. They were ready to kill.


    And yet, Tohki and the other villagers continued to sing.


    I Am the sun


    I Am the light


    I Am Love


    I Am your love


    I Am your peace


    I Am your truth


    I Am you


    I Am your courage


    I Am your strength


    I know I know


    I am I am

 Chapter 12, Part 2 - Strangers

    When their voices faded, the leader, the one dressed all in black, brought down his staff with a heavy thud onto the packed dirt. He raised his free hand in greeting.


    ¡°May the Holy Father and the Imperial Master¡¯s light be upon you.¡± The man¡¯s voice carried through the village. It was deep and resonant, but lacked warmth.


    Arcas shifted in his place next to Priya, tightening his grip on the shaft of his spear.


    The man smiled. ¡°Fear not, children of God. We come in peace.¡±


    Tohki, hobbled forward. ¡°Welcome to our vale, servants of Eusou. I am sure your journey has been long. Come. Sit at our table. Share in our food. Drink from our spring.¡±


    Gal and Anissa, taking the pitchers from the table, brought the spring water to the strangers. The man in black accepted the first cup, bowing his head in thanks. He took a long sip, sighing and smacking his lips in delight.


    As Gal and Anissa offered the armed men cups of water, they cautiously lowered their weapons, accepting their hospitality.


    Slowly, the other villagers began to bring offerings to the strangers. Cooked meat was sliced off the sizzling elk haunch and brought forward on wooden platters. The vegetable stew was dished into bowls.


    The strangers accepted the food, relaxing in the hospitality of the vale. The stringed reeds were eventually put away, slung over their shoulders.


    Kuji abandoned his spear, leaning it against the frame of a nearby house, and the other hunters did the same. All except Arcas. He kept guard next to Priya who fidgeted nervously, casting her eyes this way and that, like a cornered deer.


    The man in black, once he had his fill, began to make his way through the village center. Thekla and Ami ran by him and he lifted his hand in blessing to them, smiling. As he grew closer to Priya, she began to see that as often as he smiled, his smile never fully reached his eyes. His eyes never shined or twinkled or the skin around them creased. His smiles always stopped short of allowing warmth to enter his expression.


    When he reached Priya and Arcas, he paused to greet them. ¡°May the blessings or our Lord Father, the all-powerful and ever-living God, be upon you.¡±


    ¡°And with you,¡± Priya intoned, her eyes not leaving his face.


    He accepted her gaze, studying her while completely ignoring Arcas.


    Arcas cleared his throat, drawing the man¡¯s eyes toward him. ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°Why, we came across the mountain,¡± the man replied. ¡°We came from a land flowing of milk and honey. The land sings. It nourishes us as we live our lives in servitude of the one true God.¡±


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Priya asked.


    ¡°To bring you the Good News.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Arcas questioned.


    ¡°That while we are sick and unclean and unworthy of God¡¯s love, that his fountain of mercy waits for us. While we are blind to the radiance of his eternal light, he will wash away our defilement, bring the light to the blind, enrich us, and clothe our naked souls.¡±


    ¡°We are not unworthy of Eusou¡¯s love,¡± Priya said.


    The man leaned on his staff, bringing his head close to Priya¡¯s. ¡°Oh but you are, child. We are all unworthy of God¡¯s love. We are sinners and our sins are many and great and we deserve every curse that God should rain down on us. You should tremble in fear and pray for his mercy. But I am here to bring you that mercy.¡± He held up his hand in blessing, intoning, ¡°Merciful Father, take away this girl¡¯s offenses and sins. Purify her in body and soul and make her worthy of the holy of holies. Wash away her guilt. End the evil of her evil thoughts. Aid her in the rebirth of her better instincts. So be it.¡±


    He rested his hand on top of Priya¡¯s head and she trembled in disgust.


    Gripping his staff, the man in black left them.


    Priya¡¯s stomach churned and she ducked behind one of the houses to wretch in the bushes. Wiping her mouth, she sat down, her back against the house, watching the man in black make his way through the village, pausing to extolling his evil blessings.


    Arcas sat next to her, resting his spear across his knees. ¡°I do not like that man.¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± Priya muttered. ¡°There is something off about that man and the others with him. I believe we have let the wolves in.¡±


    Acros nodded. ¡°So, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°I do not know.¡±


    Priya watched the man in black stand over Galia, offering her the same blessing he had just offered her. If blessing was the right word for it. Was it a blessing to be told that you were not worthy of Eusou¡¯s love? What was this sin that the man told her she was full of? How could she be full of sin when she lived every day to be of service to the people of the vale, Eusou and The Mother?


    Tohki was standing, laughing and talking to one of the armed strangers. With her walking stick, she tapped the man¡¯s chest that was covered in a shiny material and it made a dull ringing sound, much like the pots they used for cooking.


    ¡°Why do they have those coverings on them?¡± Priya asked.


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    ¡°Protection,¡± Arcas said. ¡°It could easily turn aside my spear.¡±


    Priya pointed to the stringed reeds. ¡°What do you think it is they wear around their shoulders?¡±


    ¡°It is a weapon of some kind. The hewn branches look like tiny spears. They are projectiles and somehow work together.¡±


    ¡°I do not trust them.¡±


    ¡°So I have gathered.¡±


    Frustrated, Priya pulled the bind from her hair, shaking her hair loose. ¡°Why is it that Tohki is welcoming them with open arms? Does she not see the risk? I can understand the childrens¡¯ fascination with them, but is she as smitten as they are? Who pulled the wool over her eyes?¡±


    ¡°Tohki is wise and a trickster of a Crone,¡± Arcas said. ¡°I am not so sure anyone has pulled wool over her eyes.¡±


    Priya pushed herself to her feet. ¡°I need to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡±


    Priya shook her head. ¡°Keep an eye on the strangers. If anyone leaves the village center, follow them.¡±


    Arcas nodded in agreement. ¡°I will.¡±


    Tohki had moved closer to the fire, holding her hands out to it to warm herself. ¡°Hello, Priya.¡±


    Priya stepped beside her. ¡°I do not like this.¡±


    Tohki is quiet for a moment, turning slightly to the closest armed stranger who was turning over apples on the feast table, trying to find the juiciest one. When he found the one he desired he snatched it into his palm and bit into it, leaving to talk to one of his comrades.


    ¡°I do not like it either,¡± Tohki whispered. ¡°But I do not know what to do. They are armed with weapons we do not have and their vulnerable areas are protected by metal. Even though we have welcomed them into our community, they have not laid down their weapons. If we move against them, some of us will die and it is not a risk I am willing to take.¡±


    ¡°What if we incapacitated them?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Priya pulled her satchel forward, opening it and drawing out a handful of the mushrooms she would give Arcas.


    Tohki covered Priya¡¯s hand with her own. ¡°Put those away. You cannot use medicine as a weapon.¡±


    Priya closed her satchel, hiding the medicine inside. ¡°What if we waited until they slept?¡±


    ¡°I do not think we would be able to catch them unaware. And even if we did, then what? Slit their throats? Spear them through the chest? Gut them like a fish? Is that the way of Eusou? Is that how we show his love? While I do not trust them, I do not know they will cause us harm.¡±


    Priya pointed towards the man in black. ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°Cleric Ingolf?¡±


    ¡°Is that his name?¡±


    Tohki nodded. ¡°Aye. He considers himself a holy man.¡±


    Priya sniffed. ¡°Is he? He does not seem very holy to me.¡±


    ¡°His vision of Eusou is very different from ours.¡±


    ¡°How can it be? Doesn¡¯t Eusou reveal himself the same to everyone?¡±


    Tohki nodded. ¡°Yes. But only if people are wise enough to see and witness his revealing. And even then, people can witness his revealing and decide that they want to believe differently. There were old stories passed down from Crone to Crone from the old world and how the clerics of old kept Eusou¡¯s presence a secret. His love had to be earned and the only way you could earn it was by feeling that you were unworthy, less than, lowly. So that the clerics could forgive, bestow Eusou¡¯s blessing, and raise you up. And it was always for a little price. Trade a small coin or a large coin and you would receive Eusou¡¯s blessing.¡±


    ¡°The Cleric told me that I was a sinner.¡±


    ¡°Then he is cut from the same cloth as the clerics of old.¡±


    ¡°What did he mean by ¡®sin?¡¯¡±


    ¡°By their definition, a sin is whatever they want it to be. It¡¯s a way of controlling and keeping people in line. Call it a sin, make someone a sinner, make them feel unworthy of Eusou¡¯s love. But then for a trade of a coin and a prayer they would raise you up again. In Eusou¡¯s eyes, a sin is that which pulls your focus away from Eusou. Nothing less. Nothing more.¡±


    Priya watched Josif¡¯s youngest daughters with Cleric Ingolf. They were touching the gnarled wood grain of his staff, pointing to the image of Eusou, hanging from the top of the staff with his hands bound above his head. ¡°What happens if they teach others that they are no longer worthy of Eusou¡¯s love.¡±


    ¡°Then we bring aid like we always do,¡± Tohki said softly. ¡°It is just like when we heal a cough or bandage a wound. When the hurt is caused by words, sometimes it takes more time to heal. But we shall see.¡±


    Clerif Ingolf banged his staff onto the packed earth again. Everyone turned to him, the conversations in the village center drawing to a close.


    He cleared his throat, raising his free hand in blessing.. ¡°On behalf of the Almighty Father and the Imperial Master, I thank you for your hospitality this evening. The blessings of God be with you. We hope to stay and learn from you and we hope that we can show you, in return, the Light of God, so that you might be saved from your sinful and pagan ways.¡± He gestured towards the House of Eusou. ¡°May we stay in your holy house and rest for the night?¡±


    Priya looked at Tohki, shaking her head, but Tohki was already nodding.


    ¡°Aye, you may,¡± Tohki said. ¡°May Eusou bless you.¡±


    Cleric Ingolf coughed into his hand. ¡°God already has.¡±


    ¡°Tohki,¡± Priya whispered out of the side of her mouth. ¡°The medicine.¡±


    Tohki raised her hand, stopping the cleric in his tracks. ¡°Let my apprentice ready the space for you.¡±


    The cleric nodded and Priya walked as calming as she could to the House of Eusou. Lifting the flap, she ducked inside, going to the corner of the room where the medicine that had been prepared for Galia¡¯s passage sat. She went to go pick it up, but paused. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt the presence of The Mother settle into her. Guiding her hand, The Mother opened Priya¡¯s satchel and removed an empty tincture bottle. Dipping it into the vessel, Priya and The Mother filled it, before stoppering it and putting it back into Priya¡¯s satchel.


    And, just as suddenly as she had appeared, The Mother was gone again.


    Lifting the medicine with both hands, Priya left the House of Eusou. She turned to go to Tohki¡¯s hovel, but the cleric was there, along with two of the armed strangers, their hands resting on the long knives on their belts.


    ¡°What is this?¡± the cleric asked, pointing at the serving vessel in Priya¡¯s hands.


    ¡°It is our medicine,¡± Priya answered.


    Cleric Ingolf was silent, watching and studying her. Then, with a careful finger, he dipped it into the vessel, coating it with its contents. He raised the finger, covered in the medicine to his nose and sniffed it, his nose wrinkling at the acidic scent. Sticking the finger into his mouth, he tasted it, his eyebrows raising.


    ¡°Sacrilege,¡± he whispered. ¡°Oh, you poor child. You poor sinner. You poor heathen.¡± Raising his voice, he turned to the rest of the village who stood watching. ¡°You poor heathens! I have come to save you. To save you from your pagan ways. This medicine you drink poisons the mind and turns your eye from God. I am here to save you.¡±


    Reaching out, he took the vessel from Priya. Priya looked at Tohki for direction, but Tohki shook her head.


    Helpless, Priya watched as the cleric took the medicine to the fire and threw it into it.


    ¡°I have come to save you!¡± Cleric Ingolf cried out into the night. ¡°I have come to save you!¡±

 Chapter 13 - Wolves In Sheeps’ Clothing

    Priya didn¡¯t sleep well that night. She stayed by the window, the deerskin covering pulled back, so she could watch the village from a distance.


    Aaron and Anissa tried to encourage her to sleep, but she shook her head. ¡°I do not trust these people,¡± she told them.


    ¡°I understand why,¡± Aaron replied. ¡°We have not had visitors to our vale for hundreds of years. It is a new experience and sometimes newness makes us uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that, Papai. It is the way the cleric talks about Eusou. He calls us heathens and pagans. Why does he think we need to be saved?¡±


    Anissa touched her gently on the arm. ¡°They do not know us. They do not understand our ways. We are as strange to them as they are to us.¡±


    But they could not sway her and now Priya kept watch, the rhythmic sounds of her parents sleeping providing some comfort.


    There was smoke rising from the opening in the roof of the House of Eusou. Reaching into her satchel, Priya fingered the jar that contained a small fraction of the medicine the cleric had thrown into the fire. The thought of his actions made Priya¡¯s heart ache. That was medicine that would have been used for the passages of other women in the village and now it was gone.


    A movement caught her eye and drew her attention to the forest. At first she thought that it might have been a deer, coming out of the woods to find water to drink at the lake or brook. But when she saw it move again, she saw that it stood on two legs. Her heart jumped. Was it the cleric or one of the armed men?


    The moon dipped out from behind a cloud and as its light lit up the vale, Priya saw that it was Arcas. He stopped at the footpath, watching their house.


    Priya wrapped a cloak around her and stepped outside, closing the door quietly behind her.


    ¡°Night, Arcas,¡± she whispered. ¡°My heart nearly stopped.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Priya. I did not mean to wake you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep. I couldn¡¯t. Not with these strangers here.¡±


    Arcas nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t either. Come with me.¡±


    Priya folded her arms beneath the cloak to keep them warm and followed Arcas into the forest. They walked deep into the forest, the trees and brush thickening around them before they turned north to circle the village. Together, they walked in silence. Slowly. Being careful where they placed each foot to ensure they made as little sound as possible.


    When the western edge of the village appeared, Arcas crouched down and Priya did as well. The village was quiet. While smoke still rose from each house, no other signs of life existed at that moment.


    Arcas and Priya snuck from tree to tree, before laying on their stomachs and crawling through the tall grass.


    The House of Eusou was finally in view. Arcas pointed to the entrance and Priya could see two of the armed men standing guard outside of it. They stood straight, their backs against the frame of the entrance. In their hands rested the reed with the projectiles resting against the string.


    Arcas tapped Priya¡¯s shoulder, motioning for her to watch. Picking up a small rock, he threw it as hard as he could towards the sacred space. It hit the roof, bouncing and rolling off it to the ground. At the sound, the two men spun towards it, pulling the string tight, aiming the projectile ahead of them. Rounding the corner, they saw the rock on the ground and relaxed the strings. They looked towards the edge of the village and Priya and Arcas lay flat against the grass, hoping and praying to Eusou that the light of the moon wouldn¡¯t give them away.


    But the two strangers didn¡¯t see them. They muttered a few words to each other, too low for either Priya or Arcas to make out, and then returned to their positions by the entrance. The hide pulled open and the Cleric emerged. He was still in his black robes, but his staff wasn¡¯t with him. He gestured to the roof, talking angrily at the two guards. The only words Priya could make out were ¡°accursed heathens.¡± And then, just as suddenly as the cleric appeared, he was back inside the House of Eusou with the hide covering the entrance.


    Tapping Priya¡¯s arm, Arcas pointed back towards the forest.


    Priya followed him, retracing their steps until they were deep into the forest and far from earshot.


    ¡°You were right,¡± Priya said. ¡°They are weapons.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Arcas scratched at light stubble covering his chin. ¡°They can aim and send the projectiles over long distances.¡±


    ¡°It would make hunting easier.¡±


    ¡°Easier, yes, but it does not allow our prey the dignity of the chase.¡±


    Priya nodded in agreement.


    ¡°What are Artamos and Galia saying about these strangers?¡± she asked.


    ¡°They keep telling me that I should trust Eusou. They have not done anything to cause us to distrust them.¡±


    ¡°Even after Cleric Ingolf threw the medicine into the fire?¡±


    ¡°¡®Our ways are strange to them,¡¯ Galia told me.¡± Arcas sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I do not believe in that line of logic. His actions were purposeful and measured.¡±


    ¡°We are taught to love ourselves, to love others, to love Terra, to love The Mother and Eusou. Is it his love that is making me guarded to these strangers? Or am I resisting that love? Is his love hidden from me because I am afraid? Is the lesson in this that love is not only necessary, but also a possibility, if only we are able to let go and trust in Eusou?¡±


    Arcas took Priya¡¯s hand in his. ¡°I am afraid, too. But I am afraid because this cleric says that he speaks with the voice of God, but I do not feel Eusou in his words.¡±


    Priya turned Arcas¡¯ hand over so that his open palm faced hers. His wrist rested against hers and with her free hand, she began to trace the lines of his palm as he watched her.


    Caught in the simple movement of tracing Arcas¡¯ callouses and creases, Priya whispered, ¡°When Galia had her passage, I had a terrible vision. There was this dark presence there and it was hurting me and fighting me throughout the night. I felt its hate and its maliciousness. I felt that it wanted to hurt me, the women there, and the entire vale. But the more I sat with it and the more I talked to The Mother, the more I felt that it wasn¡¯t a darkness that was separate from Eusou. I feel like it was Eusou, presenting himself as this dark presence so I could learn a valuable lesson.¡±


    ¡°What was that lesson?¡±


    ¡°The presence was more powerful than me, more powerful than The Mother, because I let it be. It said, ¡®I am the most powerful force here,¡¯ and I believed it instead of believing in my own strength and power. If I trusted in Eusou. If I trusted in The Mother. If I trusted in myself more, I would have been able to banish it faster than I did that night. If there is a parallel in my lesson from that night to today and these strangers, we should trust Eusou and our strength.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡± Arcas asked.


    ¡°That if we distrust these strangers then it is not without reason. We should hold firm in our feelings and our faith in Eusou. We should keep one eye on Eusou and one eye on the cleric. Ingolf¡¯s intentions will be clear soon. Either he or Eusou will reveal the truth about their presence here.¡±


    A crack echoed in the silence. A branch, snapping underfoot.


    Arcas pulled his hand from Priya¡¯s and crouched, looking through the branches and shadows.


    ¡°Fear not, children.¡± Cleric Ingolf stepped out from behind a nearby tree, his black robes brushing the forest floor. ¡°I bring tidings of comfort and joy for all that are willing to hear. Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Did you follow us?¡± Arcas asked, his hand resting on the handle of his knife.


    ¡°Did you throw a rock onto my roof to disturb my sleep?¡± the cleric asked in return.


    Arcas stands, crossing his arms in front of him.


    Turning to look behind her, Priya squinted in the dark, trying to see if there was anyone else hiding in the forest.


    ¡°It is just me,¡± Cleric Ingolf said. ¡°I went on a walk to pray and I heard you two conversing.¡± He is quiet, studying them. ¡°You do not trust me, do you?¡± Neither Arcas nor Priya reply. ¡°Why would you not trust a servant of God?¡± He leans on his staff, his eyes glinting in the moonlight as he waits for them to reply.


    Priya finally spoke, breaking the silence. ¡°I do not trust you because Eusou and The Mother do not trust you.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know that they do not trust me?¡± the cleric asked.


    ¡°Because they speak to me in my heart of hearts.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that it is them?¡±


    ¡°Because they are Love,¡± Priya replies.


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    ¡°Even love can put on a false face to deceive us. This Mother you speak of is a false god. There is no one except God. The Mother is a charlatan. A whore. This Eusou you speak of is a false prophet who once wore the face of God, but he is not God. There is only one true God and it is with His power that I speak. You have followed the darkness for so long, but I am here to lead you to salvation.¡±


    ¡°And where is this salvation?¡± Arcas asked.


    Cleric Ingolf lifted his staff, pointing to the peaks that stood illuminated against the moon¡¯s light. ¡°It is beyond the mountains, in the great cities that were once abandoned. It is God¡¯s kingdom, made manifest on this Earth. Where there is plenty of food to eat, clean water to drink. The streets are paved with gold and the people dance with peace and joy for the Lord¡¯s blessing.¡±


    ¡°But we are happy here,¡± Priya said. ¡°We have everything we need. We have fresh, clean water. We have all the food we can eat. We are happy. We are at peace.¡±


    ¡°What do you do, child?¡± Ingolf asked. ¡°What gifts do you bring to your village?¡±


    ¡°I have taken the Path of the Crone,¡± Priya replied. When the cleric cocked his head to the side, a questioning look on his face, she added, ¡°A healer. I am studying to become a plant healer.¡±


    Cleric Ingolf shook his head. ¡°Only God can heal. A woman¡¯s place is not to study the healing arts. It is for a man, for only a man can understand the mysteries of our physical forms.¡±


    Arcas laughed. ¡°If a man tried to be a healer, they wouldn¡¯t know what to do. Priya is good. So is Tohki.¡±


    Disdainfully, Cleric Ingolf looked at Arcas. ¡°And what are you, boy? The village fool?¡±


    ¡°I hunt. I help bring food to the village.¡±


    ¡°On the other side of the mountains, in the olden cities, cattle are bred for slaughter. No one goes without meat. Everyone has their fill.¡±


    Arcas shook his head. ¡°That may be your way, but that is not ours. We have followed Eusou and The Mother for hundreds of years since our ancestors settled in this vale.¡±


    ¡°God does not want you to toil in darkness. He wants you to see His Light.¡±


    ¡°His light shines down on us from the heights,¡± Priya said, her tone sharpening.


    ¡°Eusou is darkness, child,¡± Cleric Ingolf retorted vehemently. ¡°Your ancestors ran away from God. I am here to bring you back. You will not stand in the way of the salvation I am bringing to you.¡±


    Priya pulled on Arcas¡¯ hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Arcas released the handle of his knife.


    Holding out his hand, Cleric Ingolf beckoned them. ¡°Children, let me show you the Light of God.¡±


    Priya looked at Arcas warily. Settling her self into the stillness within, she saw Eusou still seated in the seat of her soul, watching. What should I do? she asked. But Eusou did not answer. Have faith, she told herself. Remember the lesson. Remember that Eusou and The Mother are more powerful.


    ¡°Lead on, then,¡± Priya replied.


    Cleric Ingolf turned and began to walk back towards the village. Priya and Arcas followed close behind.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arcas whispered.


    ¡°I am trusting Eusou.¡±


    The cleric was quiet as he walked, aside from the swishing of his robe against the forest floor and the quiet, rhythmic thudding of his staff.


    Priya and Arcas followed closely behind. Leaving the forest, they passed through the tall grass that they had in earlier, stepping over the spring.


    The moon still hung high in the sky and the village was quiet except for their passage as they made their way to the House of Eusou. Outside, the armed men stood, watching and waiting for the clerics return.


    When they saw him, two of the men stepped towards him, but Cleric Ingolf waved them off. ¡°I am fine.¡± He gestured to Priya and Arcas. ¡°These are¡ª¡± He pauses, turning back to them. ¡°I never asked your names.¡±


    Arcas raised his hand in greeting to the other men. ¡°I am Arcas. This is Priya.¡±


    Cleric Ingolf pointed toward Arcas. ¡°Arcas is a hunter for this village. And Priya is their healer.¡±


    The taller of the two men looked Arcas up and down. ¡°What is it you use to hunt?¡± he asked. ¡°All we saw when we arrived were spears.¡±


    Arcas nodded. ¡°Aye. That is what we use. We bless our food with a good hunt before we bring them down. We let Eusou see how worthy they are.¡±


    The other man snorted. ¡°Primitive.¡±


    ¡°And what do you use?¡± Arcas asked, pointing the strung reed that hung from the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That? Bringing the animal down from a distance, like a coward?¡±


    Cleric Ingolf raised his hands. ¡°Now, now. Enough of that. Ulan, why don¡¯t you take Arcas in the woods and show him how your bow works?¡±


    The tall man nodded. ¡°Aye, Ingolf.¡±


    Arcas looked to Priya. ¡°I am not leaving her alone with you.¡±


    ¡°I am a man of God,¡± Cleric Ingolf replied. ¡°She will be safe.¡±


    Priya nodded. ¡°I will be fine.¡±


    Ulan unslung the bow from his shoulder, hooking the string from one end to the other, plucking it and letting it vibrate. Ulan handed it to Arcas who weighed it, balancing it in his hand, turning it this way and that. Settling the wooded part in his hand, Arcas pulled on the string. It moved slightly, the wood bending with the pressure.


    Arcas nodded, pleased. ¡°How far away can you bring down an animal?¡±


    ¡°Forty or fifty paces,¡± Ulan said. ¡°Depends on the animal. In war, we would aim these into the sky and let the arrows rain down on our enemy. From any distance, these can be deadly.¡±


    ¡°War?¡± Priya asked. ¡°Is there not peace where you are from?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes people need to be brought to their knees before they can know God,¡± Cleric Ingolf replied.


    ¡°That does not seem like the way of a benevolent and loving God,¡± Priya said.


    ¡°You have lived in isolation from God,¡± Cleric Ingolf snapped. ¡°Do not question God or the power of which he has bestowed upon me.¡±


    Ulan gestured to Arcas. ¡°Come. I will show you how to shoot this thing and make a better hunter out of you.¡± He looked to the other armed man. ¡°Viggo, come with us?¡±


    Viggo looked at Cleric Ingolf for his permission. The cleric nodded and the Viggo began walking towards the forest.


    ¡°We will bring back some food for the morning,¡± Ulan said. He laughed. ¡°That is if his aim is any good.¡± He clapped a hand on the young man¡¯s shoulder, directing Arcas to follow Viggo¡¯s footprints.


    Arcas glanced behind him at Priya.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she whispered.


    Cleric Ingolf lifted the bearskin flap that hung over the entrance of the House of Eusou. ¡°Come inside and let us talk.¡±


    Priya ducked inside. Nothing much had changed inside the sacred space. A fire burned in the center and a pallet, presumably for the cleric, laid beside it.


    Cleric Ingolf entered, quickly followed by two of the armed men. The flap closed behind them. The two men stood by the entrance.


    Priya felt immediately on edge. She backed away, around the fire, until her back rested against the wall of the sacred space.


    The Cleric planted his staff in the dirt, letting the image of the hanged man face Priya. The firelight played with the symbol¡¯s features. As the fire flickered, Priya saw the hanged man, Eusou, the cleric¡¯s God, cry out in sorrow, open his mouth screaming, and call out for mercy.


    Cleric Ingolf unbuttoned his cloak, letting it fall to the pallet. Beneath it he wore loose black linens. Fingering his sleeves, he rolled them up past the elbow. His eyes were always on Priya, watching, observing, rendering judgment.


    ¡°Let me tell you a story,¡± he said. ¡°Many years ago, during the great wars, people, like your ancestors, sought to escape the death and destruction that awaited them in the great cities. They sought their own, peaceful gardens where they could grow and thrive. And they did. They turned their eye from God and turned it back to themselves. They became like gods. And they worshiped the land, calling it Mother.¡± He paused. ¡°Does this sound familiar?¡±


    Priya nodded.


    ¡°While they lived and thrived in their gardens, the world began to piece itself back together. The cities that were destroyed were rebuilt and those that lived there came back to God. Now, we are bringing God back to those that turned their backs to him. People like you. For the past ten winters, I have journeyed to these distant gardens, bringing them the Word of God. And sometimes we meet resistance; people that are too set in their ways. People that believe that they know God. People that do not see the sin that they wallow in; like swine wallowing in their waste. And sometimes an example needs to be made.¡±


    Cleric Ingolf¡¯s eyes grew hard and Priya felt her insides grow cold.


    His voice lowered as he growled, ¡°Take off your clothes.¡±


    Priya¡¯s voice caught in her throat before she stuttered, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Take off your clothes,¡± Cleric Ingolf repeated.


    ¡°No,¡± Priya said, crossing her arms defensively in front of her. ¡°My body is my own. It is my vessel to be of service to Eusou and our community.¡±


    Ingolf stepped toward her. ¡°Your body is not your own. It is mine to do what I will with it. I will show you the Light of God.¡±


    ¡°If you touch me, I will scream and I will bring the whole village down upon you.¡±


    The cleric shook his head. ¡°If you scream, my men will rain arrows upon all those you hold dear. You bring blood and death upon your people. Now, take off your clothes.¡±


    Priya ran from him, towards the entrance, but the armed men grabbed her roughly by the arms, pinning her arms to her sides.


    Cleric Ingolf came to her, grabbing a fistful of her hair, twisting her head to the side, then back. ¡°I have come to save you! Do you hear me?¡±


    Eyes wide, she nodded her head, complying so that they would stop hurting her. ¡°Please stop,¡± she begged. ¡°Please let me go.¡±


    She felt a foot connect with the back of her knee, causing her to buckle and fall to the ground. More kicks and fists rained down on her. She brought her hands up defensively, trying to cover her head, but they were batted away. The cleric grabbed her by the hair, holding her up, his eyes wide with rage


    His eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t look away.


    They were not the eyes of God.


    They did not look with her with love.


    They hated her.


    Cleric Ingolf¡¯s face was red and splotching. He spat in her face before throwing her to the ground. Priya¡¯s head bounced against the hard earth, pinpricks of light flashing in her eyes like fireflies. She tasted blood in her mouth.


    A hand held her face down as her arms were jerked behind her, a rope binding them behind her back. Her shoulder screamed in protest and she bit back a cry.


    Grabbing Priya again by her hair, Cleric Ingolf pulled her head back and stuffed a dirty cloth into her mouth. She moaned into it, unable to form words or call for help.


    She¡¯d never been bound before, had never had anyone hold her down before, had never felt pain like this before. A shiver of terror skittered along her spine as she bucked against the hands that held her down, twisting this way and that, trying to throw them off, but they were too heavy. Priya arched her back in a useless attempt to ease the pressure of the ropes around her wrists. Her teeth ground together.


    Then the pressure on top of her stopped. It was silent. Relief filled her as she felt the horror pass.


    But it hadn¡¯t passed. Rough hands gripped her around the waist, tearing and pawing at her trousers, pulling them down to her ankles. Her bare bottom prickled at the cold. She kicked out, hearing a loud grunt as she made contact with someone, but then a figure was in front of her, one of the armed men. He shoved her face back down into the earth, straddling her head while wrapping his hands around her waist, lifting her hips up. She felt cold hands on either side of her backside and then pain.


    Horror spread through her as she realized what was happening. Her face scraped against the ground as she fell limp, her body no longer her own.


    She felt warm arms wrap themselves around her soul and she retreated there, leaving her body where it lay as it continued to be abused by the man who claimed to have been from God.


    And there, within the deep recesses of her soul, far away from the mortal world, she lay in The Mother¡¯s embrace.

 Chapter 14 - The Song of Tohki

    When Priya awoke, she was alone.


    Everything hurt; her head especially.


    Her hands were no longer bound, but her right shoulder was twisted, hanging loose from its socket.


    She gagged, her tongue pushing against the rag that was still stuffed in her mouth. Reaching in, she pulled it out. Her throat clenched and nausea overcame her. Priya leaned over, retching next to the cool coals of what remained of last night¡¯s fire.


    Pushing herself upright with her good arm, Priya grimaced, crying out in pain causing her broken lip to split open, a copper taste filling her mouth.


    Leaning into the ground, Priya pushed her shoulder back into the socket until it popped. She cried out at the suddenness of pain and as feeling rushed back into her fingers. She massaged her shoulder and flexed her hand.


    She felt dirty. She felt unclean.


    She felt violated and abused.


    The inside of her legs hurt. Reaching down between them, Priya felt something wet and sticky, and when she brought her hand back into view, she saw blood on her fingertips. Her trousers were ripped and laying crumpled on the floor near the fire. Priya picked them up, shook them out, and gingerly put them back on.


    Shakily, she pushed herself up. First kneeling on the floor. Pausing, trying to gather her strength. Then, rocking back onto her heels, she stood. The room swayed and she pushed out her hands to steady herself.


    When the world stopped moving, Priya looked up through the opening in the roof. It was daylight. How late in the day it was, she did not know.


    Priya¡¯s cloak lay nearby as well as her satchel of medicines. She slid the cloak over her clothes, thankful for the warmth, and slipped her satchel over her shoulder. Opening the satchel, she reach inside, feeling the jar that held The Mother¡¯s medicine. She breathed a sigh of relief.


    Her other senses were beginning to come back to her and she could hear the village buzzing about outside. Above all of the noise, she could hear Cleric Ingolf above the fray, calling out the village¡¯s sins and their need for repentance.


    Anger brewed within her. She could feel his hands upon her again and she hated him for what he had done to her. While he spoke of God and holiness, he was not of Eusou and not a holy man. He was the darkness she had seen in her vision. He was the terror that rolled across Terra burning everything in its path.


    But she was stronger than he.


    Eusou was stronger.


    The Mother was, as well.


    Pushing the bearskin away from the entrance, Priya stumbled out of the House of Eusou. She raised a hand, warding off the bright light of the sun that only made her head feel worse.


    ¡°Cleric Ingolf!¡± she roared.


    Rounding the corner of the sacred space, she saw him, standing in the middle of the village, elevated on a small platform, surrounded by four of his armed men. The men¡¯s bows were held at the ready, an arrow held to the string, and several more planted in the ground in front of them.


    ¡°Ingolf!¡± Priya called again, her voice cracking. She spat blood onto the ground.


    Cleric Ingolf saw her stumbling toward him. ¡°See? See!¡± he called, gesturing towards her. ¡°This is where your sin has led you!¡±


    Priya must have made a horrible sight, because many of the villagers, ones she had grown up and had tended to over the past several months, gasped, backing away from her, covering their mouths in shock.


    Anissa and Gal ran to her. Priya stumbled into them, her knees buckling. She couldn¡¯t speak, but she screamed, pointing a shaking finger at the man who had violated her.


    ¡°Behold!¡± the cleric cried out. ¡°Behold the judgment of the Lord!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Anissa whispered. Her eyes took in Priya¡¯s bloodied mouth, the cuts on her face, the torn clothing. It was answer enough, but still she pleaded with Priya. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°You have been led astray,¡± Cleric Ingolf said, pointing to Priya. ¡°There are those amongst you who have led you away from the one true God. This one seems so pure and sweet but is nothing but a temptress and charlatan. A whore! A sinner of the filthiest kind!¡±


    Priya could see Kuji, Aiden and Samuel gathered on the far edge of the village center near Artamos¡¯ house. Where was Arcas? They were not armed, but Kuji was watching her, leaning over to Aiden and Samuel whispering to them. Aiden ducked into the butcher¡¯s house and Samuel looped around it heading to his house.


    Artamos, Josif, and Aaron were on the far southern side of the village center. Their arms were crossed, watching the cleric. They did not trust his words, that much was clear. Aaron caught Priya¡¯s eye and his brows arched in concern. Then his eyes shifted away from hers and Priya followed his gaze.


    There, next to the cold fire, lay a bound and gagged Tohki. Her hair was plastered to her forehead by a stream of dried blood that trailed down her face and her neck.


    ¡°Tohki!¡± Priya cried out, trying to pull herself out of her mother¡¯s grip. But Anissa¡¯s grip was firm.


    Tohki stirred, lifting her head slightly. Her eyes found Priya¡¯s and she offered her a weak smile.


    ¡°Only God can heal,¡± Cleric Ingolf intoned. ¡°Only he, through his ministers, can heal. These women have deceived you, working their magic and magic of the land upon you.¡±


    ¡°Let me go, Mamae,¡± Priya pleaded. ¡°Please. Mamae, please.¡± She fell to her knees, Tohki¡¯s name a whisper on her lips.


    ¡°I will make this very simple for you to understand,¡± the cleric said. ¡°Repent of your ways. Renounce the magic of these healers. Renounce The Mother. Bow to the one true God. Swear allegiance to the Imperial Master. And you will be saved. You will come with us across the mountains and join us in the ancient cities. There you will work to atone for your sins and the sins of your ancestors. Only then will you be free.¡±


    Artamos raised his voice. ¡°That is not our way. You have no jurisdiction here. This is our land, our homes.¡±


    A wicked smile stretched across Cleric Ingolf¡¯s face, making him look like a wolf; a hungry wolf who has just found his next dinner. ¡°This land is not your land. These homes are not your homes. This land is the Imperial Master who speaks on behalf of God. And it is by his decree that we are here.¡±


    Aaron spoke next, his voice shaking. ¡°And what if we refuse?¡±


    The cleric paused, turning his gaze so that it passed over every man, woman and child gathered. ¡°Then you will die.¡±


    Priya finally twisted out of her mother¡¯s arms and ran to Tohki.


    At the sudden movement, one of the four men raised his bow at Priya.


    Aaron ran towards her, his hands raised defensively, shielding his daughter.


    The man lowered his bow, stepping back into his place in front of the cleric.


    Rolling Tohki over, Priya rested her head in her lap. She brushed the hair from the Crone¡¯s eyes and pulled the gag from her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m here, Tohki. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Tohki¡¯s voice was strained. ¡°It¡¯s alright, child. It will be alright.¡±


    Priya began to pull at the ropes that bound Tohki¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Stop!¡± cried Cleric Ingolf. ¡°Do not release her. If you do, I will have my men fire upon you and you will die.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± Priya screamed at him. ¡°She is just an old crone.¡±


    ¡°She is a witch!¡± Cleric Ingolf spat. ¡°As are you.¡±


    ¡°She is no witch and neither am I. We are healers. That is all we are.¡± Priya hung her head, rubbing Tohki¡¯s hands.


    ¡°You are not healers!¡± Cleric Ingolf roared. ¡°You corrupt with your tricks and your wickedness. You are unworthy of God¡¯s love, both of heaven and of earth. You have surrounded yourself with sin and have become slaves of worldly pleasures. But I am here to save you. I am here to lead you back to God¡¯s Light. Renounce your sins. Renounce your worldly ways. Turn back! Turn back!¡±


    ¡°Leave us!¡± Artamos called. ¡°We welcomed you here with open arms; full of Eusou¡¯s love. You have spat on our hospitality, vomiting it out like a sick dog, and we rescind our welcome.¡±


    Cleric Ingolf raised his hand, twisting his fingers in the air, and one of the men pulled back his bow and let loose.


    The arrow thudded into Artamos¡¯ thick chest. He gasped, looking at the protruding arrow. Raising a hand, he touched the feathers and his knees gave out. Without uttering a word, he fell to the side, wheezing out a final breath.


    ¡°Artamos!¡± Gal screamed, running to him.


    A second arrow was fired and Gal fell still on top of her partner.


    People screamed, running forward. More arrows shot forward, dropping them in their tracks.


    The dogs of the village ran forward, snapping and baring their teeth. But they had never known violence like this, except for the hungry wolf they would occasionally chase off. And they were quickly shot down before they could reach the archers.


    Aiden and Samuel appeared from behind nearby houses with spears in hand, running forward, leaning back as if to throw, but the cleric¡¯s men were too fast and too deadly with their aim. An arrow ripped through Aiden¡¯s throat. He dropped his spear, stumbling as he clutched his throat, trying to stem the tide of blood that ran down his front. Samuel was shot in the leg, causing him to trip and fall. As a second arrow took him in the center of his forehead, he failed to rise.


    Kuji was behind them. He leaned back, launching his spear with all of his might. It took one of the archers in the chest, sending him catapulting back, knocking the cleric off his pedestal. Several arrows thudded into Kuji¡¯s chest and he fell, his eyes glazed over before he hit the ground.


    ¡°Stop it! Stop it!¡± Priya screamed. She used her body to shelter Tohki and she felt her father¡¯s arms wrapped around her, protecting her. But his body shuddered, his arms growing loose, and then he slid off of her. ¡°Papai!¡± she called, but she didn¡¯t dare lift her head to look.


    But then, all was quiet.


    The screams of terror at the sudden bloodshed turned to wails of mourning.


    Lifting her head, Priya saw Aaron laying on the ground next to her, an arrow embedded in his back, close to his spine.


    All around her the people she had grown up with and had known and loved were dying or laid dead. But there was no time to mourn.


    Hearing a moan near her, Priya turned to see Tahel with an arrow in his thigh. Tahel¡¯s hands were wrapped around his leg, holding it, but not doing much to help stop the bleeding.


    Pryia looked to the cleric and his men. They were crouched, in a defensive position, with arrows nocked and ready to fire again, with several more sticking into the dirt in front of them.


    She moved to Tahel slowly, her hands raised.


    ¡°Tahel, it will be alright,¡± she whispered.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Tahel nodded, whimpering.


    Examining the arrow, she saw that it was thankfully in the meat of his thigh and not embedded in the bone. It wasn''t deep and bleeding was minimal so it hadn¡¯t hit an artery. ¡°This is going to hurt,¡± she whispered. Grasping the arrow, she slowly pulled it out, making sure she didn¡¯t twist it. Tahel bit his lip, but didn¡¯t scream. Reaching for her satchel, she moved it to her front.


    Looking up, she saw one of the cleric¡¯s men watching her. It was the same one who had held her down while Ingolf had his way with her. Her stomach turned at the thought, but she pushed it down, letting it feed her anger instead. ¡°I am trying to help him, you fool!¡± Priya reached into her satchel, removing a bandage and several calendula flowers, holding them up for the man to see that she wasn¡¯t armed. She packed the flowers into the wound before wrapping it tightly, tucking the edge of the bandage underneath the wrap to hold it in place.


    Cleric Ingolf had found his footing again, standing up and brushing the dirt and brush that clung to his once pristine black robes. He pointed furiously at Priya. ¡°Don¡¯t let that whore work her magic!¡±


    Priya heard the creak of a bowstring being pulled taut, but she ignored it. Standing up, she glared at Ingolf, daring him to order his men to shoot her through. But he didn¡¯t.


    The bloodshed was centered in front of the cleric¡¯s podium. Anissa was safe. She was holding the hands of Damon and Thekla who were trying to go to their fallen brothers, Aiden and Samuel. Josif was off to the otherside of the village center, holding his youngest, Ami in his arms. Galia knelt crying over the fallen forms of her mother and father.


    Nearly everyone that had moved against the cleric and his men were dead where they laid.


    Asa hung on by a thread, resting with her back against one of the buildings, her legs spread out in front of her. One hand clutched the arrow embedded in her stomach, her blacksmith apron black with blood, while the other held firmly the handle of her ax.


    Priya knelt by her, inspecting her wound.


    ¡°I cannot feel my legs, Priya,¡± Asa whispered through clenched teeth.


    Priya lifted Asa¡¯s blacksmith apron and saw that the blood had pooled beneath her. She was bleeding out fast. ¡°I am sorry, Asa. I do not know how to fix this.¡±


    Asa gripped Priya¡¯s arm, pleading with her eyes. ¡°Do not waste your time with me. Give me something so I can pass peacefully. That is all I ask.¡±


    Priya reached into her satchel and pulled out a stoppered glass vial. It held a thick white viscous that was harvested from seed pods before they bloomed into vibrant yellow flowers. Tohki warned against its use. Only enough to coat the tip of a needle was to be used when someone was in pain. Priya held the vial up to Asa¡¯s mouth and let several drops fall into her mouth.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Asa said. ¡°May Eusou bless you.¡±


    ¡°May The Mother welcome you into her arms,¡± Priya replied.


    Priya sat with her until her eyes closed and her breath stilled.


    Who was left? Priya stood surveying the village center. Twelve lay dead, her father among them. Josif survived with his daughters and two of his younger sons. Anissa and Galia.


    But where was Arcas?


    Where was her dear friend?


    Where was the one that she loved?


    ¡°Arcas?¡± she called, her voice breaking. ¡°Arcas!¡±


    And then she saw him, down the footpath, coming out of the woods. Even at this distance she could see him smile; that wonderful golden smile. Slung over his shoulder were several rabbits and in his hand he held a bow.


    As knowing crossed his face, Arcas dropped the rabbits onto the dirt and began to run towards the village as Ulan and Viggo stepped out of the trees behind him.


    Priya runs to him, waving her arms. She points to the forest, shouting, ¡°Run! Run!¡±


    But Arcas sees her. He sees her torn clothes, the blood on her face and cloak and knows. He knows that something terrible has happened and he runs. And as he runs, he nocks an arrow, holding it against the string. He sees the cleric yelling, screaming and spitting, as he points at Priya, urging his men to stop her. He sees the bows raised and he looses his own. The arrow streaks past Priya, pointed towards the cleric, tearing a red, bloody line across Ingolf¡¯s cheek.


    Something catches his shoulder, pushing him forward, unbalanced. Arcas rights himself and continues to run. He reaches behind him and feels the protruding wood of an arrow in the meat of his shoulder. Momentary confusion crosses his mind. Who shot him from behind? Was it Ulan? Or Viggo? Moments ago they were laughing and teasing each other. Why would they shoot him? But his thoughts are stopped when two more arrows punch him through the front, hitting his breast and stomach.


    Arcas falls to his knees as Priya reaches him, catching him before he hits the ground. She cries out his name and to Arcas it is the most beautiful sound he has ever heard.


    The arrows are sharp and ugly. They should not be in Arcas. Not one so young and pure. He did not deserve to be cut down at a distance by cowards. He deserved a death fitting of his heart and soul.


    Priya touches his wounds, unsure how to stop the bleeding. There is so much blood.


    ¡°Arcas! Arcas!¡± she cries, brushing his hair from his face.


    He clutches her hand in his own. ¡°I am sorry, Priya. I am sorry I was not there to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Hush now,¡± Priya said, her tears falling onto Arcas¡¯ chest, disappearing in the spreading blood. ¡°What happened happened. They would have killed you then if you had stayed.¡±


    Arcas¡¯ breath shuddered. He licked his lips, a trickle of blood escaping, sliding down his cheek. ¡°I am glad I came to you those months ago,¡± he said slowly, his words measured. ¡°I am glad you told me not to end my life. And I am happy for the help you gave me. It is much better, dying in your arms instead of dying alone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to die, Arcas. I will find a way to save you.¡±


    ¡°Priya,¡± he whispered. ¡°Priya, Priya. I can hear Eusou calling me. I can feel The Mother¡¯s arms holding me just as you hold me now. It is my time. And I am ready.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Arcas.¡±


    ¡°And I you, Priya.¡±


    Arcas¡¯ eyes closed and he breathed his last.


    Priya cried. Her heartrending screams broke the silence that spread through the village.


    Rough arms grabbed her, dragging her away from Arcas¡¯ corpse. She fought like an animal, trying to tear herself from Ulan and Viggo¡¯s arms, but it was useless.


    They threw her at Cleric Ingolf¡¯s feet. He grabbed her by the hair, dragging her upright.


    ¡°Do you see?¡± The cleric gestured cruelly to the bloodshed in the village. His eyes were wide and bloodshot. The deep cut from Arcas¡¯ arrow made him look insane. ¡°This is what your paganish has wrought upon your people!¡±


    Priya spat in his face.


    Ingolf laughed, wiping the globule from his cheek. Rounding on her, he smashed his closed fist into the side of her face. Lights exploded in her eyes and she stumbled back dazed.


    ¡°If you move, I will have my men kill everyone else here. Do you understand? I will kill everyone and I will curse their remains so that they will never meet God, but will rest forever in the burning pits. Do you understand?¡±


    Trembling, Priya nodded her head.


    ¡°Good,¡± Cleric Ingolf said, smiling. He turned to address the survivors. ¡°I came to you with open arms. I came to you to save you and to welcome you into the warm embrace of God. And this is how you repay me? You could have come peacefully through the mountains with us and lived in the riches of the cities beyond. But you are hateful, vile creatures who do not know the love of God. An example must be made of you. You will not bow before your God, so I will break you so that you will learn to bend.¡±


    He signaled to his men and they began to move through the village center, stacking wood from their winter stores against the Spring Pole, a solitary tree that stood in the village center. In another moon¡¯s passage there the village would have gathered to celebrate the winter¡¯s passing and their gardens¡¯ new life. Strings were hung from the top and the boys and girls, many of which lay dead, would spin and dance while they sang. There, around a symbol of life, they stacked the wood. There, only a few yards away from where they had feasted together the night before.


    Cleric Ingolf pointed a crooked finger at Priya. ¡°This girl. This whore is mine.¡± Priya tried to run, but he grabbed her by the wrist holding her tight. ¡°I claim this girl. I claim her for God.¡±


    ¡°She is not yours to claim!¡± Anissa called, her fists balled at her side.


    By the decree of the Imperial Master, no woman shall be left to their own devices once they have come of age. This one has been learning and practicing magic,¡± he pointed at Priya. ¡°She thinks she can commune with your gods. She has channeled the evil one¡¯s lies for too long. She must be cowed and saved. Through the power invested in me, I claim her and her soul.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Josif¡¯s voice rang out through the vale. ¡°You cannot claim what has already been claimed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the cleric snarled.


    Josif set down Ami and released Thekla¡¯s hand, stepping forward. ¡°I am her husband and she is my wife.¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Ignolf asked Priya.


    Priya froze, her eyes wide, looking at Josif¡¯s kind face, trying to understand what he was offering her.


    But Galia, sweet Galia, saved her. ¡°Aye, cleric, it is true.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± the cleric gestured at Priya, a look of disgust spreading across his face. ¡°This whore is yours?¡± Josif nodded. ¡°This whore, who climbed into my bed last night? Who spread herself before me?¡±


    Priya bit back in fear as Ingolf¡¯s words made real the horrors of the night before. Feeling Ingolf¡¯s hand on her arm turned her stomach. ¡°I did not and you know it. You spread false lies. You say you speak with the voice of God, but you speak with the voice of darkness instead.¡±


    ¡°She lies,¡± Cleric Ingolf said. ¡°She has lied to you before about her medicines. She lies to you now.¡±


    Josif shook his head. ¡°Priya is my wife, but she is no whore.¡± He gritted his teeth, snarling at the wolf that stood before him. ¡°You took her from me. You beat her and from the looks of her, you raped her.¡±


    Wrenching her arm, Cleric Ingolf threw her to the ground. ¡°Very well.¡± He raised his voice to those that remained. ¡°But someone will burn tonight.¡± His eyes fell on Tohki¡¯s bound form.


    Ulan and Viggo went to her, grabbing her under her arms and lifted her up from the ground. Her toes scraped the dirt, trying to find purchase. When they did, she steadied herself, straightened her back, and looked at Ingolf.


    Where Priya expected to see hatred and vengeance, only love remained.


    Love poured out of Tohki as the two men hoisted her over the pile of wood. They bound her hands over her head to the Spring Pole, just like Eusou.


    Tohki glowed with love. She surged. It poured out of her like the wind; strong enough to tear through the vale, uprooting trees and men.


    But it did not uproot Cleric Ingolf.


    He stood firm. His back straight, his chin held high in defiance of Tohki¡¯s love.


    It was in that love that Priya saw Tohki¡¯s stillness grow until it fully enveloped her. Eusou, sitting in the seat of Tohki¡¯s soul, which filled every piece of her, looked out through Tohki¡¯s eyes and loved everything he witnessed.


    Walking to the smolder cook fire a few paces away, Cleric Ingolf bent down. He pulled a long piece of wood out of the fire, its tip still glowing with last night¡¯s fire. Slowly he walked to the pile of logs that surrounded the Spring Pole and he shoved his burning stick into the base of the woodpile.


    For a moment nothing happened. Then thin wisps of smoke began to curl up, growing larger and larger.


    Galia cried out in terror for what was to come. Anissa grabbed her, turning her face away.


    Josif watched in silence. Holding his daughters¡¯ heads, he buried their faces into his cloak so they would not see.


    Tohki held her head high and showed no fear. Only love.


    When Cleric Ingolf turned away, Tohki called after him, her voice strong and firm. ¡°Look at me! I was sent from the Power. I was sent from Eusou! I was sent from the one whom you call God. Look at me! Hear me! See me! Witness me!¡± The cleric finally turned to face her, his eyes full of malice and hate. ¡°I am the first and last. I am the honored and the despised. I am the whore and the holy one. I am the wife and the virgin bride. I am the bride and the bridegroom. I am the mother and the daughter. I was the barren one and the one with many children. I am the midwife and the one who cannot give birth. I am the mother, sister, daughter, father, brother, son of all. I am those who came before and I am all those who came before me. And I love. I love. I love. I love. I love. I love.¡±


    Her voice died out, drifting in the quiet wind that moved through the village.


    And in that stillness, Tohki raised her voice and began to sing.


    Eusou, what can I say about my soul


    that you don''t already know?


    What can I tell you about my heart


    that you don''t already know?


    I am not the one who is lost.


    I am the lost one who is found.


    I am not the one who is hidden.


    I am the hidden one who is revealed.


    Her song was a song to Eusou and it rose and soared as the flames around her grew.


    The rose says that I love you,


    Because I do not possess you.


    I love you because I am poor,


    And I am not rich.


    It is beautiful to love you in a world without love.


    There is more meaning in the smile of a rose


    Than in the sea, and in the nightingale''s song


    The rose is like a star that has fallen.


    The rose is like the heart that has fallen to earth.


    And it loves. The rose that is a heart, loves.


    I love. I love. I love. I love. I love. I love. I love.


    When the flames reached her robe, her song, her cry of love, broke off.


    Tohki did not scream or cry out.


    And through it all, her eyes never left Priya¡¯s.


    The eyes of Love.


    The eyes of Eusou.


    When Tohki¡¯s physical form no longer contained her spirit, Viggo, Ulan and the other men grabbed pieces of wood from the fire and walked about the village setting the various structures ablaze.


    No one moved.


    No one tried to stop them.


    It was inevitable.


    Priya had seen this happen in her dreams.


    The fire burned through everything Priya had ever known and loved.


    Tohki¡¯s hovel went up quickly. All the work. All the herbs. All the medicine they had made and stored. All the knowledge contained within those four walls. Gone.


    Priya¡¯s heart cried out when the House of Eusou collapsed under the hungry fire.


    One of the men walked down the path to Aaron and Anissa¡¯s farm and set it on fire. Priya could hear the animals calling inside their barn, their voices raised in panic.


    Through the crackling fire, the smell of burning wood and flesh, through it all, Priya could still hear Tohki¡¯s song echoing throughout the vale.


    I love. I love. I love. I love. I love. I love. I love.


    I love. I love. I love. I love. I love. I love. I love.

 Chapter 15 - The Scouring Of The Vale

    Priya sat next to Anissa and Galia on the cold, hard earth.


    She could still see the charred remains of Tohki hanging by her hands on the Spring Pole.


    All that remained of the vale¡¯s community had been herded on the far southern corner of the village, far enough away from the fire and smoke. There they sat, carefully guarded by the cleric¡¯s armed men.


    Serah, please do not come, Priya prayed, silently. Please stay away.


    But Priya knew that she would come; Serah, Zachael, and their tiny, unborn child. The smoke from the fires rose high. It would act as a signal, drawing them towards it.


    And then what?


    It wasn¡¯t clear what Cleric Ingolf intended for his captors.


    It was clear that what happened that day was not what Cleric Ingolf had intended. He spoke quietly to his men, gesturing towards his captives, then back towards the western slopes from whence they came.


    ¡°They are going to take us away, aren¡¯t they?¡± Galia asked quietly.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Anissa replied. ¡°That much seems certain. Though I am not sure how we will make the journey with only the clothes on our backs.¡±


    Josif held his two daughters in his lap. ¡°Eusou will provide,¡± he whispered.


    Anissa leaned forward, wetting the edge of her cloak with her mouth and using it to wipe some of the blood from Priya¡¯s forehead and cheek. ¡°Did that man¡± ¡ªshe gestured to the cleric¡ª ¡°did he have his way with you?¡±


    Priya trembled. She couldn¡¯t speak. Speaking and breathing it out into the world made it real. But she nodded and her mother pulled her close.


    ¡°He will pay for what he did to you,¡± Anissa said. Her voice was low, brimming with anger. ¡°Either in this life or the next.¡±


    Josif shook his head. ¡°Oh, he will pay in this life. I¡¯ll be sure of it.¡±


    Tahel and Damon, Josif¡¯s remaining sons, still too young for their passage, sat whispering with their foreheads pressed together.


    ¡°What are you two plotting?¡± Josif growled.


    Tahel¡¯s leg was still bound from the arrow wound. Gingerly, he and Damon scooted closer to their father. At the movement, one of the archers turned to watch. Seeing that it was just children, he spat on the ground, turning back to Ingolf.


    Damon pointed across from where they sat, near the blacksmith¡¯s forge where Asa¡¯s charred remains sat. ¡°If I make for the woods, Tahel and I could circle around to Asa¡¯s and bring back any weapons we can find.¡±


    Tahel nodded. ¡°He will be fast and sneaky. They won¡¯t catch Damon.¡±


    Josif leaned forward. ¡°Aye. They may not be fast, but their arrows are. They brought down ten of our own in a handful of breaths. You saw your brothers die. They still lay where they fell. Kuji too. And Arcas. They will cut you down, string you up, and gut you like rabbits. Do you want to die a fate worse than your brothers? Your brothers died quickly. I did not have to hear them scream out their suffering as I had to¡ªas you did¡ªwith so many of our friends.¡±


    ¡°Da, what about when it is dark?¡± Damon asked.


    Josif shook his head. ¡°When it is dark, they will be even more careful.¡±


    Noise. All of this noise. Priya could hear Josif as he whispered to Damon and Tahel, but it was just noise. Anissa whispering soothing sounds to her was just noise. The archers and Cleric Ingolf talking was just noise. Noise. Noise. Noise. What did any of it mean? What were these words? These plots? This guesswork of what might happen? It was an annoying fly, buzzing around Priya¡¯s head, trying to land, trying to worm its way in, trying to take her away from this noise so that she could settle again inside herself, reliving the moment when the cleric laid his hands on her. When her clothes were ripped off. When she was held down. When¡ª


    Priya tipped her head back and screamed.


    She screamed until she ran out of air, her voice breaking.


    Her scream reverberated down the vale, stretching its length and width, bouncing and ricocheting off the rocks and mountain peaks.


    And when the final echo sounded, it was quiet.


    The buzzing had stopped.


    But while the buzzing had stopped, there still wasn¡¯t clarity about what had happened.


    She had been raped. What hadn¡¯t been hers to give had been taken from her. It was taken from her in a cruel and brutal way by someone who claimed to be of service to God.


    Her teacher, dearest Tohki, had been burned alive. Her hovel where Priya had spent countless days and nights measuring and mixing herbs was gone. All Priya had of Tohki and of her hovel laid in her satchel and in her memory.


    The boy she loved lay face down in the dirt, dead. Arcas, sweet Arcas. She had saved him from himself. She helped him see the light and see the light that resided within himself.


    Her father, Artamos, Asa, Gal, Kuji, Aiden, Samuel and all the others had gone to rest in the bosom of Eusou.


    What was left?


    Her mother, her best friend?


    Josif, who now claims her as his wife? What does that mean? Even if Josif¡¯s claim saved her from Tohki¡¯s fate, why is she someone who had to be claimed? What did it mean to be his wife? Would that mean she would have to mother and raise his children?


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    What about her taking the Path of the Crone? To be a Crone meant that she took no man as her own and mothered no children. She was to be a servant for the village and the vale.


    Village. What village?


    What they knew and loved lay in ruins.


    Could they escape and make their way to Serah and Zachael¡¯s? Perhaps, but certainly the cleric and his men would follow. Certainly their logic would prevail and they would follow the footpath until they found their farm and that too would be burned to the ground.


    All they had were each other and the clothes on their backs.


    Josif stood up slowly, raising his hands to show the archers that he meant no harm. ¡°Ingolf,¡± he called.


    Ingolf turned to him, his hands folded at his waist, a look of disdain stretched across his face.


    ¡°Cleric Ingolf,¡± Josif said, bowing his head humbly. ¡°Our dead, our loved ones lay all about us. Can we follow our customs and give them the rest they deserve?¡±


    The cleric shook his head. ¡°These people came against me. Me, a servant of God. Sent here with the blessing of the Almighty. And they came against me. There is no rest for them. Let them rot where they lay.¡±


    Josif pointed to the still forms of his two boys. ¡°My children lay there.¡± He pointed towards Galia. ¡°Her brother, mother and father lay there. Please, give them the dignity of a decent burial.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± snarled Ingolf. His voice was cold and even. ¡°If you disagree, you are welcome to join them.¡±


    ¡°What is your plan for us?¡± Anissa asked.


    Ingolf looked down at her. ¡°I came to bring you the salvation of God. You have rejected it. I will bring you across the mountains to the great cities that lay beyond and there, living in the shadow of his radiance, the Imperial Master, there you will find God. Or¡ª¡± he paused, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. ¡°Or, perhaps, there you will die.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Galia asked. ¡°You took everything from us. How will we journey across the mountains? How will we make it to this great city you speak of?¡±


    ¡°If God is merciful, you will make it. And if you do not, then that will be a mercy in itself.¡± Cleric Ingolf turned his back on them.


    But Josif did not sit down. Holding his head high, he walked to the pile of wood that Tohki was burned on. Reaching up, he pulled at the charred ropes that bound her hands to the Spring Pole. Gently he laid her down on top of the pyre.


    Cleric Ingolf and his men looked on, but they didn¡¯t make a move to stop him.


    Josif dragged Artamos¡¯ large form to the fire and hoisted him to lay next to Tohki¡¯s body.


    Then came Aaron, Kuji and Asa.


    When he came to Arcas, Josif bent down to pick him up. Priya watched him, unable to cry anymore tears. But her heart cried out, mourning her friend.


    Kneeling down beside his son, Aiden, Josif brushed the hair from his face. Priya could see him whisper to him before he bent down, kissing him on the forehead. Then, he picked Aiden up, carrying him to the pyre and laid him down as well.


    He did the same with Samuel. Samuel looked like his mother with his soft round face, pale hair, and blue eyes. When he laid Samuel on the pyre, Priya could see that they were lain so that everyone was being held. It was a beautiful, peaceful sight.


    Going to the wood pile, Josif began to stack fresh wood on the side of the pyre. Just enough to provide some fuel for the fire to start burning. There were still embers hot enough in the center of the pyre. Josif stuffed dry hay in between the firewood and blew hard and deep until it caught. Smoke began to rise and the flames grew higher and higher devouring the fresh fuel.


    The smell of burning flesh filled the air. It was thick. It reminded Priya of when they would tan elk hide and the smell of the fat as it bubbled off.


    Priya wanted to turn away. She wanted to dissociate. But she couldn¡¯t. She, and the few other survivors, were all that was left and they would stand vigil.


    She was now their Crone.


    As broken as she felt in that moment, she knew that much was true. She had seen fourteen winters and if she was lucky she would survive to see fourteen more. She was broken, but she was not broken.


    What would Tohki do? Priya thought. If Priya had been burned and Tohki stood now in her place, what would she do?


    The answer was there.


    In the horror of the day¡¯s events, Tohki would turn her peoples¡¯ eyes back to Eusou. She would show them love. She would sing the old songs and show them love.


    So Priya stood, holding her head high, straightening her back and throwing her shoulders back. She stood against the dark smoke of the fire and acrid smell of her loved ones burning and she sang.


    Beneath the willow tree


    There was a child of the sun.


    He was a golden-haired angel of the summer


    Was lost to all but the night winds that whispered her name


    And cried for her.


    A night of tears was her dying


    And the song of the mourning sea.


    The first night of the winter solstice sun


    Takes a sip of the waters of the ocean


    And rests on the back of the midnight queen


    As she sleeps in her deep and starry room.


    She will walk through the snow


    With crimson fingers, red as the sun


    And a silver gown


    And the king¡¯s crown will shine


    On her silver hair.


    Her skin will glow like moonlight


    As she walks through her kingdom.


    And children who have fallen will arise


    And walk with her hand in hand.


    The people will wake from their sleep


    And the birds will go back to their trees.


    And the sun will rise


    And his hands will come to Terra


    And he will rest, he will rest.


    Terra will rest on her back


    And her breath will be like the winds that blow


    And she will sing with her mouth a song of gold.


    And in the air she will throw stars.


    And all the worlds will turn to her


    And she will hold them in her hands.


    And her name will be heard by the people of the land.


    The children will see the stars fall from her body.


    They will walk on the paths that the stars have made.


    And her blood will run like the sun.


    And it will be so red that all the trees and the snow


    And the sky and the earth


    And the sea and the mountains and the vale


    And the clouds and the sun and the moon


    And the wind, the wind, the wind


    And the wind will rest in her eyes.


    Then the land will rise to greet her


    And Eusou will make her his bride.


    He will cover her with flowers


    And take her away from the night and the trees


    And the forest and the lake


    And the mountains and the rivers


    And the wind, the wind, the wind


    And the wind will rest in her eyes.


    The children will dance through the night


    Till they are as warm as the wind


    And the wind will sleep in the snow


    And the frost and the cold will cover her eyes.


    Priya¡¯s voice carried the final note into the stillness.


    Beside her she could hear Galia sniffling. Tahel and Damon stood before their father and Thekla and Ami clung to Josif¡¯s hands. Anissa rested a steady hand on Priya¡¯s shoulder.


    Looking up, through the smoke, it was then that Priya saw her: Serah.


    As she took in the destruction and the burning bodies, Serah''s knees buckled. Zachael caught her, letting her fall to the ground, a soundless scream etched on her face.


    When Viggo saw them, he pulled back his bow. Zachael through his hands up and stepped defensively in front of his wife. Grabbing him roughly by the shoulder, Viggo pushed him forward. He was more gentle with Serah, lifting her to her feet and steadying her before guiding her to the survivors.


    Survivors, Priya thought. That is what we are. If we are to be more than that, it will be determined tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.


    When Serah and Zachael joined them, Priya put on the face of the Crone. She would care. She would provide aid. She will be a shoulder to cry on or hold those that needed to be held.


    But she would not forget what the cleric did to her or to her people.


    She would have her revenge.

 Chapter 16 - The Journey Begins

    The night was cold and long.


    Priya and the surviving villagers huddled together in a tight circle, leaning against each other, using their cloaks and body heat for warmth.


    The children and Galia slept in the center of their circle, but Priya and the others kept an eye on the rotating shifts of archers that kept watch.


    Priya was thankful when Serah¡¯s eyes finally closed. As she leaned against Zachael, Priya could see the tiny bulge of her womb through her cloak. Oh, sweet little one, Priya thought. I am sorry you are coming into a world where hate and pain exists.


    At times throughout the night, when the moon was at its peak, and everyone was quiet, Priya would turn inward, seeking that inner stillness. But it was hard. At every attempt, there would be a moment where she would come in contact with a block, a veil pulled over the space in which Eusou resides. And in that space stood Cleric Ingolf. She would feel his hands on her, the roughness of his touch, her clothes being ripped away, and she would pull back from it, opening her eyes, and studying her hands or the back of Anissa¡¯s head.


    Where was Eusou when she needed him the most?


    Where was The Mother?


    She could hear them call: I am here. I am here. I am here.


    But she couldn¡¯t find them.


    Priya felt abandoned.


    She felt alone in her suffering.


    Hanging her head, she let the tears flow, letting them fall to the ground to be absorbed into the dry dirt, disappearing from view. Why couldn¡¯t this pain disappear as easily? Could she not give her pain to Eusou as easily as she could give her tears to the earth?


    Priya tried not to shake with her anger or her terror, but sometimes it would be too much to hold in and her body would vibrate and Anissa would lean in, wrapping her arms around her.


    Why had Eusou abandoned her? Why had The Mother?


    I am here. I am here. I am here.


    But she couldn¡¯t reach them. The cleric and his cold, seeking hands were always there.


    It was only when she stopped trying and her eyelids closed from exhaustion that she was able to slip past the veil and find herself in the arms of The Mother.


    The essence of Eusou hovered above her. Like a kind and caring father, he rested the palm of his hand on her forehead.


    Why did you leave me? Priya cried out.


    My child, I didn¡¯t leave you. Eusou and The Mother spoke with one voice. I am you as much as you are me. I am in your soul. I am in your body. You have always known me. My will and destiny is your will and destiny. And the destiny of all creation is my will and destiny. I am you as much as you are me. I am you. I am me. I am. I am. I am. Let that be enough.


    When you cry, we cry. When you suffer, we suffer. When that man laid his hands upon you and struck you, he struck the god he worships. When he took you with force, he did the same to the god he worships. He saw that he was greater than my creation; greater than me. But even in all that, I still love him. He has chosen to reject my love and will live out his days in the pits of despair, the same pits that he believes that everyone else except him should reside in.


    He hurt you. He hurt me. But do not feel hatred for him. Feel pity. Feel love. Feel the love that Tohki gave as she burned. To love like that is sweetest of vengeances, because in the wake of such love, he will feel just how small he is. The anger inside of him that he feels consuming him will die out. And he will be transformed, if he chooses. That is what it means to love. To love means to transform; transform ourselves and others.


    Priya felt peace in that moment and slept, but not for long.


    When the sun broke over the eastern peaks, there was an air of dread amongst the survivors, only made worse from the lack of sleep.


    ¡°We leave within the hour!¡± Cleric Ingolf announced, his voice cutting through the cool morning air. ¡°You will gather what you can carry on your backs. Nothing more. We will reach the other side of the mountains before the sun falls.¡±


    Galia rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her brows pinched together in confusion. ¡°But where are we going?¡±


    ¡°We go to the great cities that lay beyond,¡± Ingolf replied. ¡°There, I pray, you will find your salvation.¡±


    Viggo and Ulan separated the group into pairs, with the exception of Josif and his younger children, Damon, Thekla and Ami. Priya and Galia were paired together as were Anissa and Serah. Zachael and Tahel were last, Tahel leaning against Zachael for support.


    In turn, each pair was guarded. The archers walked behind them a few paces back with an arrow nocked and their bowstring taut.


    Ulan went with Priya and Galia. As they passed the pyre, Galia turned away burrowing her face into Priya shoulder, stifling a cry.


    ¡°Come,¡± Priya said, holding her. ¡°Let us check Thekla¡¯s hovel first.¡±


    When they rounded what remained of the House of Eusou, they saw what remained of Thekla¡¯s humble home. The roof had collapsed, bringing down the walls. There wasn¡¯t much left. The fire had burned strong, perhaps because of the dry wood, perhaps because of all the dried herbs hanging from the roof.


    Where the wood had burnt away, Priya could see smashed jars and vials. Her heart clenched at the sight. She had retained a hope that there would be some medicines left. Something to tide them over on their long journey.


    The hovel still smoked, but there were no visible embers.


    A large piece of the roof hadn¡¯t burned up and Priya¡¯s hope soared. Carefully, her and Galia stepped through the ash. She slid her fingers underneath the food and when she didn¡¯t feel any heat, nodded at Galia to do the same.


    They strained, trying to lift the roof, but it was too heavy.


    With pleading eyes they looked to Ulan who stood guard.


    Frowning, he shook his head, looking to Cleric Ingolf who still stood in the center of the village. ¡°I cannot,¡± he said. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± asked Priya.


    And again he shook his head.


    ¡°How long will the journey be?¡± Priya inquired.


    Ulan sighed, scratching the hair behind his ear. ¡°It will be two full moons before we reach the outskirts of the city.¡±


    Priya pointed to the wooden roof that lay unmarred by the fire. ¡°The woman that you burned yesterday, Thekla, was a healer. You call her witch. You call her medicine magic. She trained me in those magics, as you call them. But they are not magic. They work. They heal. And they can help us on our journey. Two full moons is a long time to walk and any number of things may happen to us or to you.¡±


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    Ulan released his bow and held out his hand. Priya could see that it was red and blistered from the fire. ¡°Can your magic help me with this?¡±


    Priya reached into her satchel and found her vial of balm she had made for Thekla several moons ago. ¡°Aye. It can.¡± She stepped back through the ash. Rubbing her thumb¡¯s edge through the balm, she scrapped off some of the hardened beeswax. She massaged it with her fingers to soften it, then took Ulan¡¯s wounded hand in hers, rubbing the balm over the reddened and blistered skin.


    He grunted at the pressure of her fingers. When she was done, Ulan looked at his hand, a bewildered expression on his face. ¡°Thank you,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Can you help us?¡± Priya asked again.


    Ulan looked back towards the cleric and was about to shake his head again when a cry came from the other edge of the village. Viggo appeared from behind the charred ruins of Anissa and Aaron¡¯s house, guiding the stallion and mare by their leads. Anissa and Serah were close behind, clutching a few items they had saved to their chests. Cleric Ingolf turned his back, walking towards Viggo.


    ¡°Let us hurry,¡± Ulan said, stepping with Priya to the other side of the roof. He bent down, hooking his shoulder underneath the heavy wood and heaved, pushing it up a few feet. ¡°Be quick about it.¡±


    Priya ducked underneath, careful of the bits and pieces of broken glass. Everything was in ruins, but she saw something shine underneath the table that still stood. Crawling, she saw a few bundles of herbs that had some char but had otherwise survived the fire. She slipped them into her satchel, with a mental note to study them further. Underneath the table, though, was a treasure: a jar full of the mushrooms Tohki would give the men for their passage, small jars of raspberry leaves and ceyaka, and the charred remains of the recipes Tohki and the other Crones had gathered over the years.


    Picking up the collection of white fire tree bark that held hundreds of years of knowledge and clutching it to her chest, Priya crawled back out through the ruins.


    When she emerged, Ulan lowered the roof back to the ground, grunting as he did.


    Priya knelt on the earth, setting the collection of recipes down. Several of the outer layers had burnt. As Priya flipped them over, she could barely read the charcoal scratchings on them, and as she held them up to the sunlight they crumbled beneath her fingers. But there were still many that survived. Picking them up, she placed them inside her satchel, and looking inside she carefully maneuvered the jars and other free herbs that lay inside, making sure nothing would cause too much noise or break.


    A piece of her smiled, though she did not let it touch her face. Tohki lived on through her work. Priya would make sure of that.


    Priya and Galia walked through the village with Ulan close behind. There wasn¡¯t much left that was salvageable. They were lucky to find a few sheep¡¯s bladders that the hunters would use for their all day hunts to hold water. But their stores for food were burnt to the ground. They found a few apples and strips of dried beef and fish, but that was it. It wasn¡¯t near enough for a journey that would take two moons.


    ¡°We are going to die, aren¡¯t we?¡± Galia asked.


    Priya didn¡¯t know the answer and telling her to have faith in Eusou didn¡¯t feel like the right answer.


    Ulan shook his head. ¡°If you are strong enough to make it over these mountains, you will be strong enough to make the journey. The plains between here and the cities are full of life. We came here with very little. God provided. We will be able to hunt and have fresh meat. There is plenty of wood and grass for fires, as well.¡± He looked towards Viggo and the two horses. ¡°And now that we have horses, we should be able to carry more.¡±


    Priya nodded, running several paces ahead to Asa¡¯s house and forge. Kneeling down on the north side of her house, she dug her fingers into the dirt, unearthing potatoes they had stored for the winter months. They were large and round and still firm. She pulled them out one by one, setting them down next to her.


    ¡°If we can find something to hold these in, we can take them with us,¡± she said.


    Galia laid out a discarded cloak she had found. She spread it across the dirt and began to gather the potatoes into it, before gathering it up at the edges to make as a carrying sack.


    Priya gave a sharp whistle and the other survivors, spread across the village, looked up. ¡°The winter stores!¡± she called. ¡°Bring whatever survived the fire!¡±


    Josif and Zachael nodded and got to work digging.


    Soon there was an enormous haul, mostly of potatoes. They fashioned bags out of whatever they could find. They packed the vegetables in with dirt so that rot wouldn¡¯t set in.


    Taking all the sheep¡¯s bladders they could find, the women went to the spring to fill them, along with the water vessels the cleric and his men had.


    Boots were tightened and cloaks wrapped close.


    Bags were loaded onto the horses along with whatever water they couldn¡¯t carry and they were ready to go.


    Cleric Ingolf¡¯s voice cracked like a whip, urging them forward.


    Zachael and Josif led the horses and the rest of the village followed their steps with the armed men and Ingolf following last, a constant threat at their backs.


    They cut through the village, heading east, stepping over the spring and then entering the forest. Occasionally, Ingolf would shout directions to Zachael and Josif. ¡°Turn left,¡± ¡°Turn right,¡± or ¡°Go between those trees there.¡±


    Priya, Serah, and Anissa helped with the younger children, urging them on or carrying them when their legs grew tired.


    Occasionally, Priya would see familiar plants and would veer away from the group and, as discreetly as possible, harvest with a quick prayer of thanks.


    The sun was high in the sky by the time they had passed through the forest and reached the base of the mountains. Ingolf¡¯s directions were precise though and Priya could see the makings of a path up towards the distant peaks. It cut north, then cut back onto a ridge continuing south for a while, before it cut back again. There was a pattern to it, but as Priya looked up, her neck straining, she could see the chaos to it as well.


    ¡°Migratory patterns of elk and mountain goats,¡± Josif explained. ¡°They would pass this way each year to get to the vale where there was fresh water and food for the winter.¡±


    While the horses'' hooves managed the traverse well, there were sections that were too steep for Priya and the others. The loose rocks scooted out from underneath their feet and they would stumble, sliding back a few feet. The cleric would use his staff to aid him in the hike up, but the villagers and the archers would scramble up, using their hands, a few feet at a time.


    Priya thought many times of kicking down the loose rocks onto the archers below her, but thought better of it. Who knows what the avalanche of debris might cause and even if it did its job and incapacitated the archers and the cleric, they would have to go back down the same way and would there be a safe path anymore? Would the strangers be injured and still able to cause harm as they passed them? Priya was sure that others thought the same. It was written on their faces as they looked back at those that climbed behind them.


    When they reached the top, they stood in awe of the view before them. For so long, all they had known was the vale: the familiar grasses, the tall pine trees of their forest, the brook, the lake and the spring, the wild animals that would roam there, the fruit trees, their gardens, Serah and Zachael¡¯s herd of sheep. All of that stood behind them and what stretched before them was full of newness and anticipation.


    Part of Priya had thought that the cleric had lied and that what lay beyond the mountains was desolation. But there was life beyond the mountains.


    Down past the rocky slopes, trees spread out far and wide. From a distance they looked exactly like the pine trees from the vale¡¯s forest. The mountainous terrain turned into rolling hills. Further on, Priya could see a wide body of water, snaking its way through the landscape. Birds flew, swooping and diving, calling to one another. This was a land that was full of life; full of Eusou and The Mother.


    The path was clearer on the other side; seemingly cut into the side of the mountain. There was no more crawling and scrambling as they weaved their way down, further and further, abandoning the larger rocks and boulders for small patches of grass and then small, wind-blown trees that grew larger as the air grew thicker.


    The wind blew and with it came the familiar scent of pine trees. They could hear the call of birds now. Small rodent-like creatures popped up around the rocky outcrops, chirping at them as they passed, surprised by the intrusion.


    Priya kept looking for signs of human life, but there were none; not even visible from the higher elevations. If she had known such beauty and wonder had existed outside the vale, perhaps she and Arcas could have crossed over and gone exploring. But there was a reason why, for hundreds of years, no one left the vale. Months ago, Tohki had told a story about the world burning. Priya had seen it in her visions, as well.


    It wasn¡¯t until they were deep into the forest on the other side of the mountain that Priya began to see signs that perhaps Tohki¡¯s story was real. Long dark grooves cut through the forest floor; cracks in the earth, deeper than Tohki could see. At the base of trees, she could see the darkened color that fire leaves behind and further on there were the skeletal remains of ancient trees either fallen on their sides or upright. When they walked past them, Priya touched one and it was hard as rock, calcified and hardened over time.


    Even when the sun set, the cleric kept them walking. No one complained, because they didn¡¯t know what their complaint would gain them.


    Finally, when the moon was high, they reached an opening in the forest; a clearing surrounded by a band of trees. Near its edge, Cleric Ingolf called a rest.


    Josif and Zachael released the horses to graze in the nearby meadow.


    Ingolf had Priya and Galia gather on the empty sheeps¡¯ bladders and had them follow Ulan to a nearby brook to fill them. The water was clean and pure. Once the bladders were full, Priya dipped her hands into the cool water and splashed it on her face, flicking some at Galia playfully.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Ulan said gruffly. ¡°Let¡¯s get back.¡±


    When they got back to the camp, a fire was already roaring and the archers had a few small creatures cooking and sizzling over the flames.


    They ate in silence and just as they had the night before, the villagers huddled together to sleep. At least this night they were close to a fire.


    Sleep found them swiftly and they dreamed about what lay before them in this new world, mourning those they had left behind.

 Chapter 17 - The Work Of A Crone

    The next morning, the survivors rose and began to gather their belongings, loading what they could on the backs of the two horses.


    Tahel was limping. The leg that had taken the arrow would not bend and he was dragging it behind him.


    Priya laid a hand on his shoulder. ¡°May I take a look?¡±


    Tahel nodded and Priya helped him sit down. She rolled up the leg of his trousers. The bandage she had used was stained red, but dry. ¡°Did the wound open on our journey yesterday?¡± she asked. Tahel nodded. ¡°You should have told me.¡±


    The boy looked toward the cleric and his men. ¡°I did want to get in trouble or left behind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Tahel,¡± Priya said softly. ¡°Do not fear.¡±


    Priya carefully unwrapped the cloth bandage. When she reached the final layer, she poured some water from her sheep¡¯s bladder onto it to help loosen it so it didn¡¯t hurt when she removed it. Still, Tahel winced slightly when it was pulled away. The wound was red, puffy and hot to the touch.


    Reaching into her satchel, Priya pulled out and laid on the ground several herbs and plants. Some were dried. Some were what she had gathered the day before as they walked.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Turning she saw Cleric Ingolf standing behind her, his staff raised as if to ward her off or possibly strike her.


    ¡°His wound is infected,¡± Priya explained. ¡°I am treating it.¡±


    ¡°Not with your magic,¡± Ingolf snarled.


    Priya sat back, looking at him. It was hard. HIs visage would shift before her, flashing back and forth between an angry, hateful man who had raped and whom she hated with every fiber of her being and a scared, hurt child that would strike out when he lacked understanding.


    ¡°And what is it that I am doing that you call magic?¡± Priya asked.


    Cleric Ingolf to the herbs and plants laid out before her. ¡°When you don¡¯t place your faith in God¡¯s will and turn to the earth for healing.¡±


    Priya looked at him calmly, seeing the scared, hurt child in his reply. ¡°We do not see that the earth and Eusou are separate. It is his creation, after all. How can he be separate from it?¡±


    The cleric didn¡¯t answer her question, but instead told her, ¡°As long as you are in my care and under my watch, you will not use your magic.¡±


    ¡°Do you not see his wound? If it isn¡¯t cared for, he could lose his leg.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tahel cried out. ¡°I will lose my leg.¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Priya told the boy. ¡°You will not lose your leg.¡± She looked at the cleric. ¡°Because I will treat it using the medicine I know.¡±


    Cleric Ingolf dug his foot into the ground to kick dirt onto the medicines, but Priya blocked him, protecting the medicines with her body.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she yelled, drawing the attention of the others. Priya lowered her voice. ¡°How would you treat something like this?¡±


    The cleric paused, looking at the wound. ¡°We would cut it and let the infection bleed out. And we would pray to God.¡±


    ¡°Are any of your men injured?¡± Priya asked him.


    Ingolf stood up and looked over at his men. ¡°A few burns. A few scraps.¡±


    ¡°You treat your men as you will and I will treat my people as I will. And we will see who is right in the eyes of Eusou.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Cleric Ingolf muttered and he stepped away.


    Priya looked at the herbs and plants in front of her. Pulling off a fresh orange flower bulb, she stuffed it in her mouth and began to chew it, mashing it into a fine pulp. Spitting it out into her hand, she began to mix a handful of other herbs, forming a thick paste. Holding it over Tahel¡¯s leg, she offered a prayer to The Mother before packing it into the wound. Tahel sucked in air at the sudden pressure and pain, but he did not cry out. When she was done, Priya pulled out another cloth bandage and wrapped it around his leg.


    Seeing Josif watching next to the horses, Priya called him over. ¡°See to it that Tahel rides on the back of the horses today. The stallion is strong enough to carry him.¡±


    Josif nodded and slipped his arms underneath Tahel to pick him up.


    ¡°Let us be off!¡± Cleric Ingolf called and they began that day¡¯s journey.


    As they walked, they followed the path that was cut through the woods. As before, Josif and Zachael led the horses. Tahel rode the stallion as Priya had ordered and the rest of the survivors followed behind.


    Looking up, Priya saw the tall shadow of Ulan next to her. He didn¡¯t say anything, but unwrapped his hand showing her the burn. It looked better than the day before. The burn blister had dried forming a thick callus on his hand, but it was still red around the ages.


    ¡°Please,¡± he whispered, looking back towards Ingolf. ¡°I heard what he said, but your medicine works. I need my hand. It hurts and is stiff.¡± To demonstrate he opened his fingers as wide as he could, but they didn¡¯t straighten, remaining curled instead.


    Priya reached into her satchel and removed the balm, gently rubbing some into his palm.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ulan said quietly.


    He continued to walk next to her. When Ami stumbled on a rock in the path, he caught her before she fell, swooping her up and over his head, resting her on his shoulders.


    Priya turned, bewildered by his kind actions, but all he offered in return was a shrug, causing Ami to bounce upward, giggling in delight.


    ¡°How did you find us?¡± Priya asked.


    Ulan is quiet for a moment. He points at the path beneath them. ¡°It was these. We had heard stories from the great fall and burnings of the great cities about people who left, crossing the mountains to find peace. As the cities were rebuilt, people began to explore further and further out until they found these old footpaths; the ones closer to the cities were overgrown, but further out, where the soil was more rocky, the paths were more visible.¡±


    ¡°But why now?¡± inquired Priya. ¡°Why after all this time?¡±


    ¡°Those that left were looked at as cowards. They escaped the fires and famines. Those that stayed rebuilt the cities over time. They rebuilt our civilization, carving out the rot and ruin that was caused by the collapse, and pieced themselves and the cities back together. Ten winters ago, the Imperial Master decreed that all those who had wondered and lost should be brought back to the cities, to work off their debts.¡±


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    ¡°What debts?¡±


    Ulan sighed. ¡°Your ancestors left. My ancestors stayed and rebuilt. Now many feel like they are owed their due from the work they and their ancestors did in rebuilding the cities and the world beyond the cities. The Imperial Master sent out his clerics and his army to find those that left to bring them back to the cities to be our labor.¡±


    Priya¡¯s mouth hung open in shock. ¡°Labor? Do we have a say in this?¡±


    Ulan shook his head. ¡°No. You are the third settlement I have found. One was on the distant plains, several moons journey from the city. The other was similar to yours, but built higher in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°You have been at it a long time,¡± Priya whispered.


    ¡°Aye,¡± muttered Ulan. ¡°Five winters now. Whenever we bring in a new settlement, we stay through the winter, then leave again. Sometimes we are lucky and find people to bring back to the city. Other times, these trails have led to abandoned and forgotten settlements, the remaining survivors¡¯ bones the only sign that they were ever there.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a family?¡± asked Priya.


    Ulan nodded. ¡°A wife. And a boy. Near that one¡¯s age.¡± He points towards Damon.


    ¡°Do you miss them?¡±


    Ulan¡¯s head dropped. ¡°Aye. But this is the way. One day, all the settlements and villages will be brought under the rule of the Imperial Master and I will be able to rest.¡±


    Ami fidgeted on Ulan¡¯s shoulders, signaling that she wanted down. Reaching up, Ulan grabbed her underneath her arms and set her down. She ran forward, grabbing Thekla¡¯s hand.


    Priya looked behind her and the cleric and Ulan followed her eyes. ¡°Does he have a family?¡±


    Ulan shook his head. ¡°No. It is the order of the Imperial Master that no cleric would have a wife or children. Their bride is God. Their children are their flock.¡±


    ¡°Was he as cruel as he was with us as he is to others that you have found?¡±


    Ulan looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice even further. ¡°Aye. He is a cruel master. I am afraid of him. Most everyone else is as well. There was a rumor that one of his soldiers had begun studying the old gods with one of the saved and Ingolf had reported him to the Imperial Master. The soldier was hung from his heels until he died.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡¯s Mercy,¡± Priya muttered.


    Priya and Ulan continued to walk in silence for the rest of the day.


    Along the path ran a rivulet, full and splashing with runoff from the winter¡¯s snowmelt. As they passed out of the forest into a meadow, new growth had sprouted near the water, reaching out towards the sun.


    Anissa and Serah went by the water and pulled up small green onions and garlic, adding them to their supply.


    Priya found a patch of wild clover and bushes of rose hips. She harvested those with a swift hand, sharing the rose hips with the survivors. She offered a few to Ulan.


    ¡°What are these for?¡± he asked, staring at the red seed pods.


    ¡°They will help keep you healthy,¡± Priya replied. ¡°They will ward off any sicknesses and keep us strong on our journey.¡±


    Ulan nodded, putting one between his teeth and bit through it. His lips pursed at the tart aftertaste, but he put the rest in his mouth, muttering a thanks.


    And on and on they went until Cleric Ingolf called a rest for the night.


    Josif lifted Tahel off the horse and Priya checked his wound. It was less red and hot and hadn¡¯t opened again on his ride, so Priya left it alone. ¡°Take it easy tonight,¡± she told him and Tahel nodded.


    When the archers returned with a fresh kill and a fire was started, Priya and the other survivors fell into their routines from the night before.


    Priya and Galia filled up the sheeps¡¯ bladders with fresh water and returned with a few more wild onions and garlic bulbs. They put them on rocks near the fire¡¯s edge to slowly cook until the meat and root vegetables were ready for consumption.


    They ate, they slept, and the next part of their journey was ahead of them.


    On and on it went, day in and day out.


    As they came down out of the higher elevations, it began to get warmer. Cloaks weren¡¯t needed through the sun¡¯s high points of the day. The sun felt warm on Priya¡¯s face and was welcomed.


    Springtime was a time of renewal and Priya saw evidence of it everyday: tiny plants sprouting in the earth, deer wide with child, birds returning to their nests with worms to feed their young. And she saw renewal within the survivors of their village as time wore on. Josif and Zachael walked a little bit straighter with each day, their heads no longer hung low. Serah and Anissa talked and laughed throughout the day, breaking into the occasional song praising Eusou and The Mother. The young ones always ran ahead, breaking off the path, exploring a bit before coming back covered in dirt.


    Tahel¡¯s leg had finally healed. While he still walked with a small limb, he had the same sense of endurance that he had in the vale. He no longer rode the stallion, but instead walked next to his father.


    Serah¡¯s baby was growing well. Her womb stretched out further and further with each day. Thank Eusou she was no longer sick from the baby. It kicked healthily and didn¡¯t mind all the walking Serah was doing. As they walked, Priya kept gathering the various leaves, seeds, and flowers that made up the tea. Priya remember how they would aid the baby when it came time to come into the world and every night she made sure Serah drank a cup.


    Further and further they walked.


    The new discoveries they found each day made the vale a distant memory.


    Priya did not talk to anyone about what Ingolf did to her. There were times where she wanted to tell her mother, but the words dried up in her mouth. She knew Anissa knew. She saw it in her eyes and she felt it in her touch when Anissa would wrap her arms around Priya. She also knew that Serah knew. Priya would catch Anissa and Serah whispering and see the look Serah gave her: pity, sadness, despairing.


    She wanted to, but what point would there be in putting it into words? What did she seek by doing so? She felt their sadness. She felt her own too.


    Over and over again she examined what she felt and how she felt about it. And time and time again her perception shifted. The cut on her lip had healed. The bruises had faded. But she could still feel his hands and the shock and pain when he first thrust himself into her. And she hated him for it. She burned with hate. In those moments, nothing else existed except that hate. And it scared her. It was in those moments that she felt most distant from Eusou and The Mother. Whenever she sat in the seat of her soul, looking out with the eyes of Eusou, she could see what Cleric Ingolf was and when she saw the fear in him, it made her understand him a little bit better. But the hatred would stream in and she would find herself seeking the comfort of Eusou and The Mother again. There wasn¡¯t a balance she could strike. She could not hate as herself and love him as Eusou told her to do. It couldn¡¯t be done. But she tried to find the balance.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Ulan told her one day as they were walking through a meadow still following the trail.


    Priya let her hand run through the tall grasses, their tassels tickling her palm. She looked up, meeting Ulan¡¯s eyes. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About what Ingolf did to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Priya says and is quiet, unsure what to say.


    ¡°It should not happen, but it does.¡±


    ¡°Why does it happen if he is to take no wife?¡± Priya asks, her tone sharp and quick with anger.


    ¡°Power. Control. Fear. To make people bend. Most settlements we find don¡¯t want to leave, but they have to, and so with every one we find, Ingolf finds someone they hold dear and breaks them. Mostly women, from what I hear. Some boys.¡± He pauses, silent for a moment, before adding, ¡°I hate it.¡±


    ¡°So, I am not the only one?¡± Priya asks.


    Ulan shakes his head. ¡°No. And when we leave next spring to find the next settlement, there will be another just like you.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop him?¡± Priya asks.


    ¡°He acts with the authority of the Imperial Master.¡±


    ¡°But the Imperial Master told him to take no wife.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t take them as his wife. He just takes them and then burns them alive. At least he didn¡¯t do that to you?¡±


    Priya looked behind her, catching the cleric watching her. ¡°I¡¯m sure he would still like to.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t though,¡± Ulan replied. ¡°If he moved against you, the rest of the village would revolt and he would return to the great city empty handed. At this point, he needs you.¡±


    Priya shifted the sheep¡¯s bladder she carried and took a long drink of water. ¡°I have a half dozen ways to poison him in here.¡± She pats her satchel. ¡°It would be easy to kill him and the other soldiers. But as much as he needs me, we need you now. You burned down everything we had and loved. We need to go to the cities with you and make our lives there.¡±


    That night, gathered around the fire, Priya looked on as Cleric Ingolf sloppily hacked off the hand of one his soldiers. The burn it had sustained at the village had festered and even though Ingolf had cut it many times to drain the oily, milky yellow discretion, it never healed.


    Ingolf picked up the severed hand by one of its digits and threw it into the fire. ¡°This is God¡¯s will!¡± he cried before retreating to his sleeping pad.


    Viggo and Ulan held the man down while the other soldiers cauterized his wound with fire.


    The next morning, one by one, the other soldiers came to Priya for help with their various burns, cuts and scrapes.


    When Priya was able to catch Cleric Ingolf watching her as she applied salve to one of his men, she flashed him a smile.


    You should have burned me when you had the chance, you son of hell.