As they left the chamberlain they were both weighed down with piles of things. They set them on the bed when they got to the room, and then Malinda showed Alandra where to put her things. Her extra robe hung on one of two hooks within the narrow wardrobe. Below that was a drawer where her shoes belonged and where her foot coverings for training would be kept. Those had leather soles and knitted tops, like the indoor shoes she'd been taught to make. There was a trunk at the foot of the bed where her underlinen was folded, and her training clothes as well. Then Malinda helped her make her bed, and waited while she changed out of her dress and petticoats and bodice into the wrapped three-quarter sleeve top and knee length short trousers that went underneath her robe.
“When the weather turns cold, they will issue us wool underthings and a wool under-robe,” said Malinda. “but until then it stays with the Chamberlain, and HE can worry about moths, not us.”
Alandra giggled as they smoothed the linen cover wadded with cotton over the bed.
“I still feel as though I will wake up and discover I am home and must go feed the chickens.”
Malinda smiled. “Don't worry. Before long this will feel good and familiar and homelike. Um, I wasn't going to ask, but...do you have moonblood? Some girls come to it at your age.”
“As a woman?” asked Alandra. “No. My mother's did not come till sixteen, so she warned me that mine may come then as well.”
“Well, then, you won't need pads or belts just yet. But should it come, come to me, and we'll get you fixed up without getting any men involved.”
Alandra nodded, blushing a little. She very much would not have any men involved in those women's matters! Especially when they were hers.
Clothes put away and bed made, they stepped out of the door of Alandra's room when they heard bells ring.
“Time for the evening prayers,” Malinda said. “I'll leave you with the other Novices, for I must take my own place. Simply listen and learn. You'll know the prayers and be able to sing along soon.”
She was one of seven others, three boys and three other girls. They all were standing in the back of the room looking nervous, but they all smiled quickly at her. She smiled back.
The priest gave the opening chant...
“O You who are the Light of the Sun of Day, bless your children!”
“Bless your children, at the going down of the Sun!” responded the congregation.
"At the going down of the Sun, be ye not afraid!" sang part of the clergy there.
"Fear not the shadows of the evening, fear not the darkness of deep night," sang the other part.
"The night and the morning are Hers, midnight and noon, so why should we fear?"
"She is with us in our morning and in our evening, at all times, She is there."
Alandra watched in joy and awe. This. This felt like home in her heart. She listened and longed to learn so that she might sing her part, that she might remember as well that even in the darkness she is never alone. Her pain eased. She smiled as she listened to the service. She was not alone. She had heard the Voice of the Goddess at her adulthood, and knew that she was walking her right path.
She was happy at dinner, when they were permitted to talk freely, but not to get boisterous. It was a good pottage of beans with bacon, and well seasoned with herbs. There was good bread as well. It was not rich food, but it was good solid food, and she had enough for her appetite.
She noticed the gangly boy seated next to her was eating a second bowl.
"The master said that if I still hunger, I should ask for seconds, for I am growing fast right now," he said, between bites.
"Oh, that's good to know," Alandra said. "One bowl is enough for me now, but I know I'm not done growing yet."
"Tomar," he added.
"Alandra," she responded, and he smiled.
Finished, she followed the example of others as they took their bowl to the side table and put it on a tray, with their spoons into a long container on one side. One of the others took it and went out the door with it, and a second Novice followed with the remains of the pottage.
"You're new," said Tomar.
"I just came today, " Alandra said. "The Lady said I am Hers."
He nodded.
"As She did with each of us. We each take a turn fetching the food from the kitchen."
"Do we assist the cooks?"
"Not as Novices. They have us doing other things. Once we make our profession, then yes, we rotate round the different areas for the experience and to find where we are best suited to serve," he said. "I asked about that myself. Before we profess final vows, though, they want us to a certain standard of learning, physical fitness, and meditational practice. We all come in at different points, so we all have different amounts of being brought up to standards."
"That makes sense," Alandra said, nodding as they walked towards the common room.
"Lord Justice called me to be a Lawspeaker," he said, shaking his head slightly in disbelief, "so they are making sure I know how to write well and how to do land math, so that I may be able to set boundaries on land and have them be right."
"That's an important job," she said. "I know the town next to us had two brothers who fought for years over where the border for their land was. But there wasn't a Lawspeaker in the town, and so it got to where the one killed the other before the law came and settled it. We need more Lawspeakers."
"Yes, we do, even if I'm not sure that I'm the best person for the job," said Tomar in complete honesty. "Still, He called me, and I'll trust that He knows what He's doing."
"I am in a similar place," Alandra said. "I am called as a Healer and Mage and Priestess for Balance, but I don't know what that will look like."
"Mage school, probably, when you're old enough, since your power won't show fully till you're grown," said Tomar. "Balance...dunno. You'll have to go to that Temple and find out. Justice and Mercy here mean it's all sorts of Healers and Lawspeakers and clerks that are trained."
She liked Tomar. He told her they'd have a class tomorrow in the small room off the Library, and showed her where it was, before they were sent off to wash and put things in order before the lamps were put out. It was silly to burn lamp oil when it was dark; dark was time for sleep and resting bodies and minds. And she was tired. Bed would feel good tonight.
But that night, once the lights were out and the rustlings of people settling to sleep ebbed away, it came crashing in. This was not her familiar bed, in her room, at home. There was no sound of Mama singing the fire out, or of Papa bringing in a last load of firewood. She had no Mama, no Papa. No one. She buried her face in her pillow and wailed in pain and grief.
There were footsteps down the corridor, and an older woman in black opened the door and saw her. She sat down on the bed next to Alandra, and held her as she cried. More than that, she began to feel like home, like mama, even if not mama, and it was what her heart needed. The silent empathy poulticed the raw wound of her emotions.
"Th...thank you, mistress," Alandra said.
"What she did to you was terribly wrong, child," said the woman, her rich voice muted but still vibrant. "The tie between parent and child is to fade with time, yes, but fade of its own, as leaves fall from the trees. She ripped it out, and you are wounded."
Alandra nodded. Yes. She was wounded. Heart-wounded, deep. But to have it said aloud made it real, and if it was real, it could be dealt with. It wasn't a private agony any more.
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"Let's go and wash your face, my dear," she said. The woman washed her face as if she were a child, led her back to bed, and cast a Cleanse cantrip on the pillow, leaving it fresh and clean and dry.
"I will stay with you until you sleep," she said. The warm empathy washed over her again, and Alandra realized that yes, she wanted to sleep. She was very tired. The woman hummed gently, and the melody followed her down into sleep.
The next morning the woman woke her gently. "Alandra, 'tis time to rise and sing the Sun up," she said softly, her mind touching Alandra's with a gentle, soothing touch. It smoothed away the panic and helped memory of where she was and what she was now come to her without barbs and thorns.
"I am Sister Namira," she said. "Let us go wash and dress."
They walked over to the community necessary, exchanging murmurs of "Blessed Morning" with others in nightdresses and slippers. Much relieved, they walked back to Namira's room, where she efficiently dressed and opened up her bed to air. Then they went back to Alandra's room to let her dress.
"Oh, hair, don't be difficult today," Alandra said under her breath. Her heavy braid reached to her hips, and was not always easy to manage. Namira took the brush from her, hummed a bit, and undid the tangle.
"This," Namira said, "is why I cut my hair. No penalty to keep it long, but it's easier to just go at each New Moon and get it clipped short."
"At times like this," Alandra said, "I think about it." She tied off the braid and nodded, "I'm ready."
They parted at the chapel door, which Alandra expected. Namira wore the black of the fully professed Priestess, and had her place to stand. But as she found her spot among the Novices, Tomar smiled at her, and that helped a lot. And she knew this hymn! It was one of her favorites.
See the Sun comes on ruby waves!
Darkness,flee, for light is here!
She comes, the seekers for to save!
Know no sorrow, She is near!
Light, all-prolific, beautiful, divine.
To thee, as bright Lady, it belongs
All Faces of Thee, Light and Shadow combine
In Mercy, Life, Balance and Huntress find...
And then it was time for breakfast, which was oatmeal with honey, and oatmeal with honey was oatmeal with honey wherever you ate it. And that helped too.
After breakfast, they went into the yard and began to learn the way of the Open Hand. They began by practicing the first two movements, and while Alandra felt odd doing it, when she got that first sweep of arm and step together in her memory, it was Right. One of the other boys could not get it. He looked upset but resigned.
"I'm always really clumsy with anything like that," he said, depreciatingly. "Fall over my own stupid feet all the time."
"We none of us are good at it yet," she said. "It's our first day. I'm sure you will get it too. "She smiled at him, "I'm Alandra. Healer."
"I'm Aneirin. Law-speaker," he said. "I'll be better when we start learning things. I'm good at that."
"Maybe you can help me, then," Alandra said. "I am scared of all that I'll have to learn to be a Healer."
"You and me both," Aneirin said. "They want me to memorize the entire law code before I leave for my clerkship. The whole thing! And they want me to have good handwriting." He sighed. "I have awful handwriting."
"It's just your first day," said an older boy in Petitioner’s grey. He smiled in a friendly way at them. "As they say down south, how do you eat a whole ox? One bite at a time."
They both laughed, but as they headed towards their first class, they both realized the point. Yes. One bite at a time. That was doable.
The Abbot of the monastery had laid aside his staff of authority by the door, in its holder as he sat at his desk. He had the window open for the breeze, and his little dog was laying on his blanket in the corner, snuffling in his sleep, and undoubtedly dreaming about chasing treerats in the cloister. The Abbot had ordered his clerk to bring more chairs for the conference while he ate his morning bread and ale.
First to arrive was Sister Namira, a tall, solid, dark-haired woman in her late forties.
"Be welcome, Sister," said the Abbot. "You look a little tired."
"This matter kept me up at the midnight watch," said Namira. "But I have survived worse."
Following her closely was Brother Floren, Master of Novices.
"Where are your chicks, Brother Floren?" said the Abbot, gently teasing him.
"All newly arrived these two months, so they are all in class with Brother Zinos, to make sure they know the very basics. We've been able to test the two who arrived first, but not the other five."
"And the other five are?"
"The first two who came are Lawspeaker and Healer. The last four are a Lawspeaker, a clerk of the law at least, and three Healers. It's one of them that has the problem."
The door opened and in came Sister Calina, the leader of the Healers. She was in Healer's Green and a work apron and cuffs, which she was tucking into a pocket as she greeted them.
"I'm on duty this morning, but at least it's not The Day After, so it's possible for me to get away for a bit. What's going on?"
"One of the new Novices is soul-torn. And it's the one that Our Lady Of Balance chose, as Healer, Mage, and Priestess." Namira's voice was urgent.
"Oh, no!" said Calina. "She's not going to be able to heal with that!"
"Worse," the Abbot said, "I'm a low Fire Mage myself, as well as my Blessing to all the faces, and one of the things I learned is that it's much more likely that the Manna will cause more damage and ultimately warp if someone tries to use it when soul-torn. This has got to be fixed. What happened?"
"Her mother," Namira said. Her face looked disgusted. "I've seen it before as a mindhealer. There's some people who need mindhealing themselves, but they absolutely will not believe it. There is, after all, nothing wrong with them. It's the rest of the world that's wrong."
"Oh!" said the Abbot in comprehension. "I've encountered one or two of those. They are horrible for people to live around., You say her mother was one?"
"Oh, yes," said Floren, sighing. "I saw what she did. You know how most parents react to having a child chosen."
"Highest honor for the family; no dowry needed; path set in life, and no worries," said Calina, smiling. "People talk about everything to Healers. I was paring down a woman's corns yesterday and heard about all three generations of her family, and what she thought of them all." She laughed a little.
"It's why you take classes on mindhealing basics even if you don't have the Mind blessing," said Namira.
"Her mother's reaction was to scream and wail and throw a tantrum worthy of a spoiled noble's brat about how she wouldn't marry and give her grandchildren."
"Wow," said the Abbot. "Is that the upset in the main sanctuary that was table conversation yesterday?"
"That was it. And she had to be potioned into unconsciousness overnight, and sent home tomorrow as planned with a potion to quiet her mind, and two Priestesses to go there and back with her," said Calina, with annoyance. "I don't need to lose the services of one of the Healers for a week."
"Nor me of my mindhealers, but I want her out of here so she stops doing damage," said Namira. "Her next move would be to hang about here to try to convince her daughter to come home like a good girl."
"No," said the Abbot. "You made the right call. The daughter will do better with the mother well away.A triple call! I haven't heard of that for a long time." He frowned. "Some of the original adventurers, who worked with the Elves closely to free the area in Nisir were triple calls. Perhaps that's what's meant for this girl. What's her name, by the way?"
"Alandra," said the Master of Novices. "And she would have it put down as Alandra ne Devina."
"Well," said Calina, "I don't think we'd have an issue with her going back to her mother." She knew, as they all did, that taking the name of the Aspect that had called you as mother or father was common in the fully professed. To do that at ten years old, immediately after your call? Either it's a very strong call or parents she's ready to leave behind. She'd bet on the parents.
They all agreed.
"I have heard from other Temples that they are seeing many double calls and triple calls. The Gods may have heard our prayers for a solution, and are choosing Their tools to accomplish it."
The Abbot shrugged. "It is not for me to know Their plans."
"And she won't be able to do that if we don't heal this," said Calina. "She won't be able to learn the boundary that Healers have. We must set up barriers in our minds as we heal. we cannot get pulled in to the patient's pain and suffering."
"It is the same for mindhealers, to some degree," agreed Namira.
"What are your recommendation, Sisters?" asked the Abbot.
"For now, I want to move her and myself into the recovery room. If I sleep in the same room I can soothe her nightmares and help her as she wakes and goes to sleep. Those are slightly fraught times for even a Novice who has come willingly and in their own time.” Namira paused.
“She is friendly enough with the other Novices?" she asked.
"She is," said Floren. "They haven't been there long, but they chatter happily together at meals, and include her. It is a good sign. I'll keep an eye on her socializing. This is where we lay the foundation of the family of the Chosen, after all."
"She will not be able to touch her Healing Gift safely for a few years yet, since she's so young," said Calina. "In the interim, well, we teach all of them the healing of herbs and knife, at least to some degree, and that requires no gift, and is complicated enough to take a lot of attention."
"And that is a good thing,” said Namira. “She must not sit and ponder her pain; that keeps opening the wound afresh. To be kept busy learning the Open Hand, the herbs, and any basics that she does not yet know...that will help. I will further talk with her on a regular basis,"She sighed.
"She's been taught to be a good girl. Good being defined as "don't make mother angry." So she will have to learn to find her own voice and her own boundaries."
"We'll keep an eye on her," Floren said. "We've got a preponderance of Healers, and that always makes for a happier group. It's uncomfortable for them when people are upset, so they try to soothe and include, instinctively."
"Then we have a plan," the Abbot said. He looked over at his clerk.
"Meet at the same time next Moon?"
"I'll make a note of it," said the clerk.
"Go in blessing, Brothers and Sisters," the Abbot said.
"We go with blessings, father," they said, gathered themselves, and left.
