"I haven't, yet. But tell me, are you to live with me? How does that work?"
"Males don't move in with his mate unless invited to do so, but do spend as much time as they can with them. Women with many mates tend not to live with them all; only her favorites and children. Or just her children."
"I'd imagine it gets crowded if all were to share a roof in that sort of situation." I replied as I pondered what my future held regarding Cleve and domestic matters. It made my heart quicken at the thought.
"That, and just for harmony's sake, people need space. Many men opt to keep their own home and space for when they wish for solitude."
"That makes sense." Although I prefer how I grew up with both my parents sharing home and hearth.
Cleve busied himself with tasting and seasoning the soup before dishing it out into wooden bowls. He placed the bowls on the counter, hopped over the counter, picked up the bowls and called to me from over his shoulder. "Follow me."
I swung my legs over the counter and dropped to the floor as Cleve walked through a curtained archway and into a brightly lit room with a table in the center. Four chairs were around the perimeter, while two more chairs rested against the wall inlaid with aurastone.
"Is this your surgery?" I asked, taking in the brightness and emptiness of said room.
With a half-smile, Cleve replied, "Only when needed. Otherwise it's where I feed people."
I sat at the table and he placed a bowl of soup before me for gracing me with a spoon. Chicken simmered with vegetables and greens, while cloud-like dumplings floated on top. The rich golden broth flavored with herbs danced on my tongue. There was a bright flavor I couldn't place; tart yet tempered, it gave the soup an overall lightness to it despite the hearty ingredients. "This is very good. What is this tartness I taste?"
"Yellow leemon. There's also garlic and a wee bit of ginger in the broth."
"This is the best tasting thing I've eaten since I've come here. Thank you." I couldn't stop eating it, spoonful after luscious spoonful. The dumplings took on the flavor of the broth and I found myself full before finishing the bowl. It bore no resemblance to the thin, watery gruel that served as soup in the Mih'Noushi village.
"I am gratified you like my cooking." Satisfaction shown in his eyes.
"I do. I also hope you'll cook for me in the future."
With a wide grin came his flirtatious reply. "I'll always be happy to cook for my mate."
"I'm sure you will."
"You doubt me?"
"Not at all. I saw that smug look of satisfaction you wore while I shoveled your soup into my face."
"You say that as though its a bad thing. I assure you, such looks means I'm doing well and acknowledging my abilities while admiring your devouring of my humble offering."
"You had babies crying this afternoon with your abilities." I scoffed at the memory and his tone of intense satisfaction.
"Are you suggesting that if you were a baby, you wouldn't cry at the display of pure marvel most would never see outside war?" He almost sounded offended by the very notion.
I laughed at the tone he used, as though it was a given he'd make babies bawl. "I say no such thing. I do find it funny that you take pride in making babies cry. Are you secretly a meanie?"
"Maybe I am." He replied. "Maybe that's why I don't want you anywhere near the Tears of Gahtri for the foreseeable future."
I looked him deep in the eye. "Do you think there would be any benefit for me to take that potion?"
He stared just as deep into my gaze. "I do not know. The Great Crone seems to know, and maybe her visions are playing out before her eyes regarding you. I just don't know and I don't want to guess. However, I do know that continued shock isn't good for one. You would be setting yourself up for a longer road to recovery if you rush into indulging the whims of the Elders. I worry about that."
"I appreciate your concern, but I get the feeling that I'll have to take it eventually. From my point of view, I'd rather just get it over and done with instead of fearing what will happen and letting it build up for however long until I muster the courage do finally take it."
He nodded his understanding. "I admire your tenacity. And maybe your experience will be better than mine was, since you'll be taking it under different circumstances. Mine was consumed in preparation for receiving the Embers of Sylvianeti. I was under it's effects when the ritual started and so I associate it with pain on all levels of being."
My jaw dropped. "How much pain have you gone through?" The words fell out of my mouth before I realized I spoke them aloud.
He didn't answer immediately. "More than I care to admit. But luckily it's in the past. I could ask you the same and guess the answer. Gah, a pall has fallen over us."
"Have you a suggestion for levity?"
"Besides myself? Yes, I do. Wait here." He gathered the bowls and ducked out of the surgery before returning with two cups and a small leather pouch in his hands. Sitting back down across from me, he set down the cups and opened the pouch to fish out two tiny dried cream colored mushrooms. "One for you, one for me."
I picked up the small mushroom and held it up to study it. "You're telling me that this little thing brings mirth?"
"Indeed it does. More than one, mirth becomes an adventure. More than three, and one can transcend the energetic realms and mingle with the gods. Another of the Mother's gifts to us. It's traditionally used in a tea to bring joy to the drinker. We use it to help heal non-physical hurts; those of the mind and spirit. If you're determined to take the Tears of Gahtri, then may this humble mushrump serve you well tonight."
"So I'll feel happy after taking it?" I asked. "How do I consume it? Just eat it?"
"The good feelings will last far past tonight. You just eat it and wash it down with the leemon water." Cleve popped his mushroom into his mouth and chewed away. "It tastes like old sunflower seed."
"Why do you call it a mushrump?"
"Because in sufficient quantities, it'll make you think your rump has turned to mush."
"Apt name." I ate mine, and Cleve was right. It did taste like stale sunflower seeds. The water, tart and refreshing, helped wash it all down.
"I thought so. Can I ask you something?"
With a nod from me, he continued. "What do you think of this, everything, so far? Is it hard to acclimate?"
His words had me drawing in a deep breath before answering. "If I don't think too hard about everything, no, it's not hard. It's actually easy to be lulled into a sense of belonging here. I like Ninian. I like the sense that I have more opportunities here, than back home. That's something I didn't think I'd say a week ago. Not quite sure how I feel about that."
"As I said, you're in a place of transition. Take the opportunity to find what you want to do with yourself, and build on that. Do you have any idea what you want to do?"
I bit my lip and replied. "I want to learn healing herbs and incorporate them into my ales."
"Medicinal ale?"
With a nod, I elaborated. "Yes. I'm thinking herbs to invigorate, herbs to nullify pain, herbs to relax. Different brews, of course."
"Fermented potions... I like this idea."
"Is there anything of the like here?"
He shook his head in the negative. "Only what healers make on demand; there is no already made concoction available. Well, with the exception of the Mother's Waters, but it's best for surface wounds."
"Would there be a market for such brews?"
With a look of thoughtful contemplation, Cleve replied, "Hunters might be interested. You can always make small batches and you can sell them from my shop or in the market square. If you're successful, you can get your own storefront. I'll be happy to aid you crafting ales with medicinal uses."
I gave him a smile. "Anything else you can teach me besides herbs and archery?"
He leaned back in his seat and gave me an indecipherable look before replacing it with an easy smile. "There's many things I can teach you. Anything specific you want to learn?"
I pondered for a moment before asking, "Is there magic women can do besides the Blot?"
"I knew you'd ask about that sometime since every time you've seen mana being used you get really excited. Didn't think it'd be this soon, though. You wish to learn to wield mana?"
I nodded. "If I can. Does everyone have the potential?"
"More or less, yes. Regardless of where one is, mana is all around us, swirling like rivers of energy. Some places have more mana, so it's like a deeper part of a river-- one mustn't cross it unless one knows how to navigate it's currents. One must become sensitive to the feel of mana before they can use it. One can't learn to swim without understanding how water feels and affects them. I will say this about that damned potion... after taking the Tears of Gahtri, one is able to see mana. A side effect deliberately cultivated."
Excitement rang through my being. "Well, I don't want the potion right now. Maybe some day, but I think I'll take your advice and wait. It makes sense. Aside from that, how can I enhance my sensitivity?"
He leaned forward to rest on his elbows and queried with a serious look upon his face, "Let me ask you this first; why do you want to learn?"
I thought about his question a good long minute before answering. "Life is about choices. Whatever we do, where ever we go, choices dictate the path. Sometimes we get put into situations that don't offer many choices. I feel that if I could learn, that would give me more choices than what I would have without knowing magic. If I must walk a path not of my own choosing by being a Prize Found High, then I want tools to give me more choices and opportunities."
Cleve gave a short nod of understanding. "Fair enough. If you want to learn, then I will aid you. But I would caution you; for now, at least, it may be best to not inform the Elders of these lessons. I know the old Crone has plans for you not of your own choosing. The Crone ordered I give you my all or nothing, so I will aid you however I can. A part of the training to wield mana is to learn what your endurance is for it; and so I warn you that it will be intense and uncomfortable." It looked as though he had a bright idea, as the next thing he said was, "Ahh, hold on, I'll be back in a moment."
He arose from the table and wandered back into the main room of the apothecary shop. I heard a door-- not the shop's entryway-- creak open and the sound of footsteps going up some stairs. Cleve's steps wandered overhead, before tracing their path back to the the table where I waited.
As Cleve sat back down, he held out a rounded golden crystal as long as my thumb. Carvings etched the surface. "This will help you. It's a practice stone."
I took it from his outstretched hand and asked, "What do I do with it?"
"Breathe deep. Picture in your mind's eye that you are standing in a lake of energy, and by your will and thoughtful intention, that the energy rises to fill the runes carved upon the stone. This is how you direct the energy. You see it happen in your mind, and your energetic body carries through what you pictured. It takes practice, and you must feel light in spirit."
"Light? What do you mean?"
"The strongest magic comes from joy. When our spirits are light, joyful, and grateful, our energy is high. Higher our energy, the easier we can wield mana, as we attract it with our energetic resonance. When we feel low and energy heavy, it's difficult to direct mana, as the energy that surrounds us here resonates best with lighter emotions and feelings. It's like digging a ditch. Water flows with more ease than mud when given direction."
As he spoke, I tried picturing in my minds eye standing in a vast lake of energy. And in my mind, I dug a ditch through the energy, to the markings on the stone. Pictured each of the runes bathed in this energy, covering and filling the crystal. But nothing happened, so I tried again and again, yielding the same result. "What happens to the crystal when energy is directed correctly into it?"
"That's for you to find out by achieving it. Think of something happy when you direct the energy. You need that lightness. The mana won't move by force of will alone."
Closed my eyes and thought about what I could use to lift my spirits. Family? Not so much. Gristam? Not anymore. And then Cleve's voice cut though my thoughts. "Frowning isn't going to help. Ah! Think about when you received the phoenix feather earlier. See is that helps."
Did as he suggested, pulling forth the memory of witnessing a dragon hand me a golden feather and how amazing it was to witness Cleve's magic. With this thought firmly in my mind, I pictured a stream of the energy lake wrapping around me before snaking it's way down my arm and into the etchings of the stone. I let the feeling of marvel at being so close to a dragon envelop my heart and travel down my arm in tandem with the energy stream. As I let the sensation wash over me, tiny little sparks started to flicker within the stone. "Cleve, look! I'm doing it!"
Surprise lit up his face and he smiled. "Well done. Now picture the stream of energy widening, so more flows into the stone."
I did just that, and the flickering within the crystal turned into little pops of colorful light into the air above the stone nestled in my hand.
"You've just completed the first step. The next step is to try to keep all the lights within in the crystal. So now, envision the runes on the stone as a boundary, and that the stream of mana you direct into the crystal must stay within the runes and not leak out. This is much harder to accomplish and when you leave, take the crystal with you to keep practicing when you have some time to spare." By now, Cleve had a funny grin on his face. "Once you get that mastered, I'll give you more exercises for controlling mana. Don't push yourself to frustration, though. Lighter the mood, better the results."
Excitement radiated from every pore in my body. I had evidence I could control mana, and thus I could pave my own path in life. "Are you satisfied at my progress?" I asked, wondering what had him so jolly. These exercises must be child's play to him. But then the thought that I too, can call upon the energies and change things bubbled up and I couldn't wipe the smile off my own face.
Cleve shrugged his shoulders. "Baby steps are important, but time will tell what your limits are, and whether you'll be able to increase them. Do you know what kind of magic you wish to learn? I cannot recommend the path of Sylvianeti to you. But crystal magic, working with elements and elementals, or portals and shields are options worth pursuing. And as Hunters are a male-only magic, I can't recommend that path either."
"What are elementals?" I never heard of such a thing.
"Elementals are spirits which inhabit elements, or can take on an element to interact in the physical plane. An example, if I were to work with the element water, I could manipulate it; stop, direct, and shape flowing water. I could turn it hard as stone to walk upon, or have it devour all in it's path. However, if I worked with a water elemental, such as a mermaid, I would give it a request to carry out, and it would do so, using water as the medium. So, if I could control a stream's worth of water, an elemental could control a sea's worth. Their mastery is second to none. To work with elementals, one must build a relationship with them or give them an offering for their efforts, and their service does not come cheap. In some regards, working with elementals is the hardest kind of magic to master since it's dependent upon the will of others who aren't fond of humanity in general. Although rare, there are exceptions."
Mermaids? I had heard of them in stories as a child, but I thought they were just that: stories. "Mermaids are real?"
"Oh yes. They are very real, and they are for lack of a better word, temperamental. Their moods shift faster than the tides."
"I'll have to give thought as to what I want to learn. Ninian suggested that if I wanted to learn of the Gods to ask you to teach me."
"That's an easy enough lesson. Hardest part is choosing which one to start with."
"Which is your favorite god, Cleve?"
"Officially, I favor them all. But when I was younger, it was the Mouse," he said with a small smile. Felt like his gaze judged my reaction.
All I felt was curiosity. "Mouse? Why is that? You are hardly small and scampering. Have you a tail and big ears hiding?"
With a chuckle he explained, "One would think the Mouse is a lesser god. In the forest, one of the most unassuming. The Mouse is plentiful, even if not seen. And because of this, the Mouse is dependable. When hard times come and the greater animals go hungry, they all turn to the Mouse to save them. The Mouse supports and nurtures others, ultimately giving its life to keep another alive. The Mouse doesn't seek attention, but once seen by others in need, not easily forgotten. The Panthers, Owls, Snakes, Eagles, Wolves, Hawks, Foxes, even the River Lizard when young, rely upon the Mouse for staying alive at some time in their lives. Without the Mouse, the others have no foundation of balance in the forest of life."
I considered his words before asking, "Why did that one hunter and the Crone call you Mouse?"
"I was called that by many, starting with my father and those who held him and his opinions in high esteem. Kanos is one such person. A reminder that I would not be accepted by any of the greater gods, if I were to become a Helmed Hunter; that the only God to accept me was the Mouse." He spoke with no emotion. "When I turned thirteen, I decided to become a priest of Sylvianeti. None would dare mock me if I survived the training and initiation, and I was right."
Before I realized it, my hand snaked out, extended a finger and booped him on the nose. "Aww, look at us," I giggled. "Mouse and Squirrel."
Cleve gave me a side eye with a smirk. "I see you are feeling the mushrump."
I felt light. Bouncy. Giggly. Silly, even. "Is that what this feeling is? I have a yearning to go outdoors. Can we do that?"
In answer, Cleve stood up and said, "Of course. Do you want to return to the feasting grounds?"
Shook my head. "Too many people. I want tall trees, if not forest."
He thought for a moment. "Do you want to break some rules?"
Curiosity piqued, I asked, "What kind of rules?"
"If you want to irk the Crone, we can climb the Mother's Belly. Or if you prefer less adventure, we can wander toward the boundary."
"How close is the boundary? Just around the mountains?"
"It stretches half a day's walk from the Mother Mountain. It's forest, for the most part. Some farm land, too. But I can take you to where I grow herbs, if you want a wee walk."
The thought of herbs didn't stir me like the promise of forest. "Any trees we can climb?"
He looked at me with a peculiar expression and said, "You are a squirrel, alright."
Stuck my tongue out at him. "Your mushrump makes me feel squirrelly. Don't hold it against me."
His face flushed red at my words. "Oh, I won't."
I pondered him for a moment, pushing away odd thoughts and musings to focus on what I wanted to say. "Do the mushrumps not affect you the same way?"
"The first time is always the giddiest. It'll last a while and fade. Subsequent intake of mushrumps will be more mellow and less giddy. Enjoy it while it lasts. So, have you decided?"
"Yes, I decided. I decided I want to climb trees." Held up my hand to emulate paws, and tried sounding like a squirrel. Ended up sounding like a squeaky door instead.
Cleve covered his face and muttered, "Please don't do that."
I stopped, puzzled, and asked, "Did I offend your mousy ears with my attempt at speaking squirrel?"
He slowly drew his hands away from his face and said rather soberly, "I can't handle that level of cuteness. Stop being adorable. I am begging you."
I sat in shocked silence. I knew he liked me. But adorable? "Are you okay? Do you have a fever?"
With a grimace, Cleve replied. "Fever? No. I feel fine. But I am quickly finding out what my limits are toward you."
His words incited a fever-like flush to wash up my neck and face as I replied, "You say that like it's a bad thing."
He snorted. "It is a bad thing. Until you are born from the Mother Mountain, you are but a child in the eyes of the tribe. Doesn't matter if you've seen twenty-five winters or more; you're still considered a child. And so I find myself tempted by the adorable display. Thus, please feel free to growl in anger. Frown. Break the spell you've woven around me."
My heart thundered at his words and the husky tone used. "Is that the mushrumps talking?" It still puzzled me how he could find me so favorable when I've been nothing but irritated and sleep deprived. Whiny, even. Unsociable.
Cleve drew in a deep breath. "Mostly no; those are my words and feelings. Mushrumps just remove some inhibition, like when you touched my nose earlier. Normally, you wouldn't do that."
My mind swirled with various thoughts, until one tumbled like a leaf on the wind, right out my mouth. "Well, fine then. Are we going for a walk or not?"
With another flick of his hand, a portal opened before us, showing forest as dusk fell. He stepped through. "We are." Cleve held out a hand and I grabbed it and stepped through to his side.
"Show me some climbing trees." I demanded gently, as I looked around the towering forest.
He kept hold of my hand and pulled me forward. "This way." We winded our way through thick woods until we happened upon a clearing. A stone path led to an open meadow cultivated into a garden lush with flowering plants. Shrubs, vines, bushes and small trees all grew vigorously in the perfumed air. "This is the apothecary garden, or at least the things that grow well in a garden. Some plants can't survive outside the forest proper. But this isn't what I want to show you tonight. Follow me."
We walked through the highly scented garden and into oddly silent woods, until we arrived at out destination. I looked up, and saw a humongous oak tree. The lowest branches only a mere thirty feet overhead. From the tree I swung my gaze toward Cleve and back to the tree. "So... we levitate to climb it?"
Cleve only smiled, grabbed my hand, and led me to the tree's backside, where metal rods as long as my arm had been inserted into cuts into the trunk, and as the tree healed, encased the point where metal and tree met, holding them firmly like a ladder. "We use this to climb."
He led the way up and I followed behind. We bypassed the lowest limbs and made for the crown, well-hidden from the ground. There, a platform awaited with a magnificent view of the sky.
"Who built this?" I asked, amazed. A railing made of wattle and logs was waist high to Cleve, but almost chest high to me. Standing there, I could see glittering in the distance illuminated by waxing moons and twinkling stars, the ocean stretching as far as my eye could see. I had heard of it, but never did I think I would ever see it.
"I did, when I was much younger. It was a good excuse to work off some anger I had toward my father. I've reworked and improved it as the tree grew and distorted the platform. Only my grandmother and sister knew of this hidey-hole of mine."
His words inferred that this was a special place to him, and I, one of the selected few to know about it. That realization gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Moving from the railing, Cleve shifted to the center of the platform and sat before laying down with his arms crossed to cradle his head. "Maybe one day you can see the Roqberd Aerie for yourself."
His voice drew me to his side and I mimicked him to look at the wide sky above. "What's that?"
"Along the ocean are tall cliffs with trees growing out the sides. It is there that the roqberds nest and raise their young."
"It wasn't the breeding grounds that caught my attention. Never thought I'd see the ocean. It's so beautiful with the sky above it."
I didn't move my head, but it felt like Cleve was frowning. "I'd like to take you to see it sometime."
Shook my head and said with a tinge of sadness, "You can't leave the mountain."
He sighed. "Guess that's reason enough for you to take other mates. They can do the protecting, should the need arise."
"And what would you be doing at such a time?" I asked with a laugh in my throat from the absurdity of me having multiple mates.
"Staying by your side, making sure you stay out of trouble and harm's way, of course."
I rolled my head to the side to look at his profile. "Why do you assume I'd be getting into trouble?"
"Why do you assume you wouldn't be getting into trouble while roaming a forest known to house excursions of Renmaegus warriors?"
Didn't have much of a rebuttal to his question. "Point taken." The dream vision I had of the ransacked village flashed in my mind. If true, then I've seen firsthand what the Renmaegus do when given a chance. Still, though, the thought of multiple mates sat uneasily with me.
"Don't sound so dejected. Life is an adventure. Embrace that and it'll make everything in the future more tolerable. It's when we think something can't happen to us for whatever reason, that we set ourselves up for misery."
"You spent a lot of time thinking about that, huh?"
"More than I care to admit," Cleve replied before asking in return, "What do you spend your time thinking about?"
As my initial giddiness from the mushrumps faded, I remained silent as I mused his question. "At first, escape. Getting back home and to those left behind. Now, there's a lot that I think about. My future here versus my future at home, assuming I'd even get there. What assimilation into the Kaeldish means, especially now that I know the whole land was once Kaeldish. Makes me reevaluate all I was told growing up, and then hearing the other girl's stories of their homes... I've had the realization that I'm but a small tadpole in a pond, ignorant of the world outside the pond, and I find myself in wonderment that I've gotten to see this much... And then there's you."
"Me? Good things, I hope." Came his teasing reply to tickle my ears.
"For the most part, yes, very good things. I didn't expect to meet someone like you. We feared the men in armor, fearsome warriors who stole girls to feed to their giant. To find out the giant is but a mountain, and that we may leave it if we choose, paints things in another light. Makes me wonder about our Elders of the Mih'Noushi, and why things are the way they are there. I thought I'd be a blood sacrifice, but I've been given more freedom here than at home. If the whole land was once Kaeldish, then me easing into life here... is that how it was supposed to be? And that the invaders destroyed it all but for here? The last bastion of How It Was Supposed To Be?"
"But the mountain has little to do with me, personally. Am I that different from the Helmed Hunters?"
I smiled. "You, as you are now, yes. You strutting your peacock feathers in the ring this morning, much more fearsome than the Hunters." I gave a little chuckle. "I saw a mighty dragon and it had no inkling to eat me."
It was his turn to chuckle. "That's not wholly accurate, nor inaccurate, but we'll save clarification for another day."
I rolled my head to look at him, and even in the moon-lit dark, I could see the flush of red staining his cheeks and ears. "You're thinking of something inappropriate, aren't you?"
"Do you really want me to answer that right now?"
Don't know what took hold of my tongue and shut down my brain, but audacity echoed through my being. "If you can without violating your vows."
He rolled over to lay upon his stomach, his chin propped up by both hands. "It's the doing part that violates the vows. You must be treated with honor, and to fulfill that, I will answer your honest request. You want to know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking the first chance I get after you become Kaeldarna, a freeborn Kaeldish woman, I want to bring you here, strip you bare, kiss every inch of you, and make you mine with the night sky as witness. I want to kiss you breathless, unable to speak in anything other than pleasurable moans, and make your toes curl in delight as you melt in my arms. I think about how you must taste, and that I want to find out as soon as I can. That's what I think about."
My mouth went dry as he spoke passionately of pleasing me, his words and tone pouring over me like warm honey. "I...uh...wow. Is that a mushrump thought or a daily one?"
"Daily is inadequate to describe how you consume my thoughts." His quiet declaration made my heart thump. "Mushrumps make it easier to say, but ever since I first saw you, I knew you were special."
"You don't even know me."
"I like what I do know, and I look forward to learning more about you."
My giddiness had faded away from the sobering thought that Cleve would pursue me no matter what path I take. "You make it easy to like you." That was as close a declaration I could give him.
"What do you think about? Aside from me being easy to like, that is."
"In general or do you want to know something specific?" I asked back.
"Me, specifically. You don't open up easily, nor would it be expected, given how recently you were brought here."
I frowned. "The way my people are raised, we try not to speak of misfortune much, as it only provokes spirits of the dead from resting at peace. But since my mother died, that was pretty much all I wanted to do. Aside from my aunt, I'm fairly sure the village is glad to be rid of me. I festered with anger from my father's death, my sister being taken, and then my mother... It's a wonder they didn't banish me, for I surely upset the spirits."
"I don't think they minded much," Cleve replied. "Vengeful spirits would make themselves known and torment your daily existence. That doesn't seem the case with you."
With a deep sigh, I replied, "That may be, but something still feels a bit off about it all. It's like I feel a calm that isn't mine. I should be thinking of every way to get back home, but when I do, I just stop myself from going down that pathway. I don't like it."
"Take a deep breath and realize that right now, all you have to worry about is making it out the Mother Mountain tomorrow. I have little right to ask but please promise me you will try."
There was something in his voice that bade me to reply, "I promise. I'm not ready to give up my life yet."
His hand sought mine and gave it a quick, gentle squeeze. "Thank you."
"That request sounded a bit more than personal," I replied. "Do you think I wish for death?" The warmth from his now-removed hand still burned on my flesh.
"No... but as much as Tributes are needed, it is miserable to see someone wishing for death. Thank you for choosing life."
A small frown worked it's way to my lips. "You don't need to thank me."
A deep chuckled rumbled through his chest. "Yes, yes I do. Have you given any thought to your new name?"
"None whatsoever. Until the Crone mentioned it earlier, I didn't know we get new names."
"It's believed to help make assimilation into the tribe easier. New life, new name."
"Do some keep their own names?"
"Of course. Your sister did. Regardless of how they exit the mother mountain, one may change their name if they choose."
"Did...did you know her?" The words flew with hesitance out my mouth before I could clip their wings.
His face scrunched up a bit before he answered, carefully choosing his words. "I did, but not as well as my sister did-- they were fast friends. I first met Kallon when her escort brought her to my shop for healing. After that, I spoke briefly with her at the feasts, but she made it clear she had eyes only for her mates. It was a three-way tie for her hand, and all three tried to sway her towards exiting the Mother Mountain. I never asked the details of how she and my father became mates, but they held each other in very high esteem. She changed him, made him softer, to the point he thanked me for learning to heal, when she was suddenly struck down by... an ailment. Part of me wishes she exerted her influence on him much earlier in my life, because everything changed when she got here. Then afterward, she and I shared small talk and the like regarding our holy duties. She was named Seer of the Gods because her ability to enter trances was unlike anything I've ever witnessed. But she had her mind and heart set on trying to have a normal life with her mates rather than the duties she had thrust upon her by the Enclave and others. She was strong and forthright, and Gaelid Kael shall miss her greatly."
/end...
for now.