Politeness and Politics
Slightly smaller chunk, no name for her yet!
“What about her?” the novice said, looking rudely straight at Warda, determined to regain some sort of authority on the steps of her home.
“She’s with me,” said the girl, “it wouldn’t do for me to run around on the streets on my own now, would it?”
“Tiraza, what is going on?” came a voice of clear authority from behind the novice. Tiraza did her best not to wince, but she couldn’t help flinching just a little.
“A child and her... nanny, wishing to look into the Depths of Forever, o my teacher. I am trying to send them away,” Tiraza replied, without taking her eyes from the pair on the threshold.
“If they have come without the token then they must leave, child, I am sure they understand.” The voice was now at the door and pushing it out so it was fully open. The girl, who it appeared for the sake of this conversation was Warda’s charge, quickly bowed her head and brought both hands together in front of her. With nothing holding her over-robe, Warda could see she was wearing an impossibly white dress beneath. She gazed at the rippling hems as she, too, bent her head in veneration. The woman now at the door was in robes of deepest purple, colour of midnight and magic. There was a chain around her slight waist, but whereas Tiraza’a was plain she had the whole lunar cycle picked out in fine silver pieces which placed the full moon at her navel. Her hair was long and white and fitted with a silver crown showing the full, crescent and first and last quarters. A sapphire sat in the full moon and the crescents cupped amethysts. A long purple train hung from her shoulders and two novices were bowed behind her. They hadn’t even earned their chains yet, and carrying the High Priestess’ train was the only way they would be allowed to see the Oracles and the midnight ceremony.
“O High Priestess of Vistara, Grandmother of Juhayna, Keeper of Secrets, I would not come here unprepared! See, I have learned of and sought and found the token of Vistara! In her holy name I implore you, allow me to attend the Midnight Ceremony! Let me take my turn with the Oracles! I have the gift! I will be able to tell you what you need to know!”
Warda again got the feeling that here was a child aged much beyond her years, or at least one with a talent for learning a script. From her position of polite reverence, she did not see Tiraza’s slightly sick look, nor the High Priestess’s look of surprise and intrigue as the girl held up her token for inspection. The Keeper of Secrets turned it over in her hands a few times before saying, “enter, child, and your guardian. We must start soon, and you have done what was asked.”
The High Priestess headed back towards the chamber which contained the Depths of Forever and currently most of the Daughters of Vistara, waiting to hear the testimony of the Oracles. A minute or so later she had gone far enough that her train bearers needed to move as well. Tiraza remained, holding the door open.
“Well, you’d best come in then, hadn’t you?” she said in the least inviting voice Warda had ever heard. Whether the girl noticed the tone or not, she said “thank you” very brightly and almost skipped over the threshold, the most child-like Warda had ever seen her. For her own part she moved in cautiously and with the slightest of polite nods to the novice, who just scowled. It was a long and frosty walk through the stone corridor to the chamber of tonight’s service, but Warda counted herself very lucky, as very few outsiders would ever see this sight. The Shar himself would dearly love to get his hands on it. The Obscurantists said it was a great well, and such a thing should be in the hands of the City, because if there was ever a drought, how would the city survive? But the Shar was a shrewd man and would not venture to rip out the heart of one of the beings so beloved and feared by his people. Not yet.
At early 20,000 words, I'm finely feeling at home with this story. Might help that I've written the creation story. My Gods had children! Well, more like they had stroppy teenagers, but you'll have to wait for that bit!
(Bowdy once again gets that eerie feeling she's taking to empty space...)
“What about her?” the novice said, looking rudely straight at Warda, determined to regain some sort of authority on the steps of her home.
“She’s with me,” said the girl, “it wouldn’t do for me to run around on the streets on my own now, would it?”
“Tiraza, what is going on?” came a voice of clear authority from behind the novice. Tiraza did her best not to wince, but she couldn’t help flinching just a little.
“A child and her... nanny, wishing to look into the Depths of Forever, o my teacher. I am trying to send them away,” Tiraza replied, without taking her eyes from the pair on the threshold.
“If they have come without the token then they must leave, child, I am sure they understand.” The voice was now at the door and pushing it out so it was fully open. The girl, who it appeared for the sake of this conversation was Warda’s charge, quickly bowed her head and brought both hands together in front of her. With nothing holding her over-robe, Warda could see she was wearing an impossibly white dress beneath. She gazed at the rippling hems as she, too, bent her head in veneration. The woman now at the door was in robes of deepest purple, colour of midnight and magic. There was a chain around her slight waist, but whereas Tiraza’a was plain she had the whole lunar cycle picked out in fine silver pieces which placed the full moon at her navel. Her hair was long and white and fitted with a silver crown showing the full, crescent and first and last quarters. A sapphire sat in the full moon and the crescents cupped amethysts. A long purple train hung from her shoulders and two novices were bowed behind her. They hadn’t even earned their chains yet, and carrying the High Priestess’ train was the only way they would be allowed to see the Oracles and the midnight ceremony.
“O High Priestess of Vistara, Grandmother of Juhayna, Keeper of Secrets, I would not come here unprepared! See, I have learned of and sought and found the token of Vistara! In her holy name I implore you, allow me to attend the Midnight Ceremony! Let me take my turn with the Oracles! I have the gift! I will be able to tell you what you need to know!”
Warda again got the feeling that here was a child aged much beyond her years, or at least one with a talent for learning a script. From her position of polite reverence, she did not see Tiraza’s slightly sick look, nor the High Priestess’s look of surprise and intrigue as the girl held up her token for inspection. The Keeper of Secrets turned it over in her hands a few times before saying, “enter, child, and your guardian. We must start soon, and you have done what was asked.”
The High Priestess headed back towards the chamber which contained the Depths of Forever and currently most of the Daughters of Vistara, waiting to hear the testimony of the Oracles. A minute or so later she had gone far enough that her train bearers needed to move as well. Tiraza remained, holding the door open.
“Well, you’d best come in then, hadn’t you?” she said in the least inviting voice Warda had ever heard. Whether the girl noticed the tone or not, she said “thank you” very brightly and almost skipped over the threshold, the most child-like Warda had ever seen her. For her own part she moved in cautiously and with the slightest of polite nods to the novice, who just scowled. It was a long and frosty walk through the stone corridor to the chamber of tonight’s service, but Warda counted herself very lucky, as very few outsiders would ever see this sight. The Shar himself would dearly love to get his hands on it. The Obscurantists said it was a great well, and such a thing should be in the hands of the City, because if there was ever a drought, how would the city survive? But the Shar was a shrewd man and would not venture to rip out the heart of one of the beings so beloved and feared by his people. Not yet.
At early 20,000 words, I'm finely feeling at home with this story. Might help that I've written the creation story. My Gods had children! Well, more like they had stroppy teenagers, but you'll have to wait for that bit!
(Bowdy once again gets that eerie feeling she's taking to empty space...)