SaDiablo Hall, Dhelman, Kaeleer, Friday Fandom Time
No, you must stay. Stay and wait for the message. You will be needed.
Tersa's parting words as Karla had left the cottage. And Karla had listened, staying at the Hall and waiting for...something. Anything. Some kind of message, though she hadn't known from who or about what.
And then, today, that message had come.
Morton
"I'm sorry, Karla," Morton said softly, holding her hand. "I wish...I wish I had something more to offer you. But there it is."
Karla
Karla nodded and absently patted Morton's hand, still reeling from the news. "It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine," she said too quietly, and her voice sounded lost and distant. "Ender tried to warn me about what might happen if I went around offering the Queen's Gift...it was an act of defiance he couldn't ignore."
Morton
Morton couldn't argue that, but he could mitigate it some. "He's been planning this for longer," he offered. "I think you just...moved the timetable up. But it's official now. Black Widows are now an outlawed caste. Belonging to the Hourglass is punishable by death."
Karla
He'd said those words several times and yet Karla still found them as hard to comprehend as when she'd first heard them. She stared blankly at their clasped hands while she tried, once more, to make sense of them. A caste. An entire caste forbidden by his command. Black Widows were the highest of all female castes, save for Queens, respected, revered, and, yes, even feared. And now in Glacia, they were outlawed.
Just like in Terreille.
"He's going to kill every Black Widow in Glacia?" she asked. "And the people are just going to let him?"
Morton
"There have...already been deaths," Morton admitted reluctantly. "You don't understand, Karla. He's had years to turn people against Black Widows, spreading rumors and lies and Darkness knows what else." He rubbed his eyes; exhaustion carving lines in his face that made him look years older. "People are frightened. They're willing to put stock in lies to make them feel safe. In Sidra alone, two witches were stoned to death. The girl didn't even belong to the Hourglass. She was a Healer taking care of her elderly aunt. But people knew the older witch was a Black Widow and just assumed..."
The Provinces and villages outside of the capital were freer of Hobart's influence and beliefs, but there had been violence even there.
"But no, not every Black Widow is under a death sentence," he continued. "Coven members can come forward and prove their allegiance to Glacia and those that do will be allowed to continue to work their Craft. Well, some of it."
Karla
Karla didn't want to know. But she had to. Her voice shook a little as she asked, "How do they do that?"
Morton
"A demonstration of their loyalty." Now Morton wasn't even looking at her. "By removing their snake-tooths and poison sacks."
Karla
And she'd thought she couldn't get anymore horrified. "But the only way to do that is to remove--" She looked down at her right hand, where her own snake-tooth rested.
Morton
"The finger, yes." At least down to the first knuckle. Morton didn't tell her that they were also required to wear the grisly token around their necks in place of their hourglass pendants.
Karla
"Have any--"
Morton
Again, Morton didn't need her to finish that thought. "Some," he said. "They're guaranteed protection from official persecution, but..." But that left a lot of unofficial persecution for them to fear. Those that willingly removed their fingers usually got it from both sides.
Karla
Karla was silent for a long time. "I have to do something," she said finally. "I can't sit idly by and let this happen to my people."
Morton
Morton successfully managed to keep the relief off his face, but couldn't keep it from his psychic scent. "Do you know what, yet?" he asked.
Karla
"No," she said, a steely coldness in her voice. "But I will."
[NFI, NFB, OOC is love!]
Tersa's parting words as Karla had left the cottage. And Karla had listened, staying at the Hall and waiting for...something. Anything. Some kind of message, though she hadn't known from who or about what.
And then, today, that message had come.
Morton
"I'm sorry, Karla," Morton said softly, holding her hand. "I wish...I wish I had something more to offer you. But there it is."
Karla
Karla nodded and absently patted Morton's hand, still reeling from the news. "It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine," she said too quietly, and her voice sounded lost and distant. "Ender tried to warn me about what might happen if I went around offering the Queen's Gift...it was an act of defiance he couldn't ignore."
Morton
Morton couldn't argue that, but he could mitigate it some. "He's been planning this for longer," he offered. "I think you just...moved the timetable up. But it's official now. Black Widows are now an outlawed caste. Belonging to the Hourglass is punishable by death."
Karla
He'd said those words several times and yet Karla still found them as hard to comprehend as when she'd first heard them. She stared blankly at their clasped hands while she tried, once more, to make sense of them. A caste. An entire caste forbidden by his command. Black Widows were the highest of all female castes, save for Queens, respected, revered, and, yes, even feared. And now in Glacia, they were outlawed.
Just like in Terreille.
"He's going to kill every Black Widow in Glacia?" she asked. "And the people are just going to let him?"
Morton
"There have...already been deaths," Morton admitted reluctantly. "You don't understand, Karla. He's had years to turn people against Black Widows, spreading rumors and lies and Darkness knows what else." He rubbed his eyes; exhaustion carving lines in his face that made him look years older. "People are frightened. They're willing to put stock in lies to make them feel safe. In Sidra alone, two witches were stoned to death. The girl didn't even belong to the Hourglass. She was a Healer taking care of her elderly aunt. But people knew the older witch was a Black Widow and just assumed..."
The Provinces and villages outside of the capital were freer of Hobart's influence and beliefs, but there had been violence even there.
"But no, not every Black Widow is under a death sentence," he continued. "Coven members can come forward and prove their allegiance to Glacia and those that do will be allowed to continue to work their Craft. Well, some of it."
Karla
Karla didn't want to know. But she had to. Her voice shook a little as she asked, "How do they do that?"
Morton
"A demonstration of their loyalty." Now Morton wasn't even looking at her. "By removing their snake-tooths and poison sacks."
Karla
And she'd thought she couldn't get anymore horrified. "But the only way to do that is to remove--" She looked down at her right hand, where her own snake-tooth rested.
Morton
"The finger, yes." At least down to the first knuckle. Morton didn't tell her that they were also required to wear the grisly token around their necks in place of their hourglass pendants.
Karla
"Have any--"
Morton
Again, Morton didn't need her to finish that thought. "Some," he said. "They're guaranteed protection from official persecution, but..." But that left a lot of unofficial persecution for them to fear. Those that willingly removed their fingers usually got it from both sides.
Karla
Karla was silent for a long time. "I have to do something," she said finally. "I can't sit idly by and let this happen to my people."
Morton
Morton successfully managed to keep the relief off his face, but couldn't keep it from his psychic scent. "Do you know what, yet?" he asked.
Karla
"No," she said, a steely coldness in her voice. "But I will."
[NFI, NFB, OOC is love!]