The request from the Cultivator didn’t surprise her. She walked down the halls holding her required documents and Ids. She hadn’t tried to hide her decisions she’d helped and if the cultivator wanted to punish her she would accept that because she was sure she did help.

  Eleaza sat in a waiting area until she was called into the office. It was her first time that she remembered being in the Cultivator’s office. She knew she’d been once as a baby to be examined for any signs of improper mixed magics.

  “Sit.” The cultivator commanded sitting in a swirling wood chair watching her with tired grey eyes. Everything about him was grey and tired looking. Like he had trouble sleeping. Like he was sickly. She pulled out a healing candy and offered it. The Cultivator looked at it then looked at her his eyes softening and he smiled taking it.

  “You are helper through and through aren’t you.” He breathed with a soft sounding appreciation. Eleaza beamed and nodded.

  “Helping is my way.” She admitted with a simple shrug. He eased.

  “Tell me Eleaza why did you go outside our designated resources?” He asked. She explained everything in a detailed list because the cultivator was someone who could ask for any information.

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  “I didn’t have a way to help her with in our systems and it seemed wrong not to help her.” Eleaza explained. The cultivator listened and nodded through her story looking her over. He leaned forward and took her hand his touch cold.

  “You did very well following your roll as a helper. Just remember dear in the future that we have to look after out communities. The communities and the structure is everything.” He pushed with a gentle warmth that made her forget the cold hands. “Next time try to keep within our own channels my dear.” He insisted.

  “I can I do that. I’ll do more research into other solutions.” She insisted. And she would. Actually, she had been. She hadn’t yet found the right answer but there had to be.

  Leaving she felt like it had been a good meeting. The Cultivators requests weren’t huge or unreasonable.

  Arriving back at her apartments she found the young woman outside of her apartments. With a bag and a tear stained face that pulled at her heart.

  It might be better to tell her to leave.

  She staggered at the thought and shook her head.

  “Are you alright?” She asked softly. The woman shook her head.

  “I can’t stay with them. They’re trying to force my me to loose my child.” She hissed out gripping her stomach protectively.

  Send her to the home for trouble women. It wasn’t an unreasonable thought but the home for troubled woman was always so full and it was already so late in the day and this season with the chill most of the bed would be full already.

  “Come on. I have an extra room.” She told the woman who opened and closed her mouth and took her had. She led her to her grandmother’s old room. “You may stay as long as you wish.” Eleaza promised.