Chapter 4: A Destiny That has to Wait
Shandra got back to the castle, the trees were casting shadows on the walls. The shadows danced as the breeze moved the branches and the leaves rustle and it is music to her ears. She rushed through the kitchen door. She saw one of the priestess cleaning from lunch. The smells that lingered were sour like yeast but also sweet, oh that is honey. Her mouth started to water but sadness started to set in. She missed lunch. Now she had to wait till dinner. She rushed to the library. 'Finally I made it' she thought. She loved the library the smell was like no other. The books smell of leather, musk, and linen. Though she loved the forest's sights and sounds but the library had its quiet. She came here to think or study. The High Priestess was in her usual corner, sitting in a plush chair next to a table piled with books and a candle for light. She made her way to her. She sat on the pillow on the floor and grabbed a book. 'So how was the your morning?' Shandra flipping through the book she had picked up answered 'it was good, what is our lesson today.'
This was her favorite book, a book on all kinds of plants. Plants from long ago and herbs that they still use. She has even put some notes in this book as well. She knew each page back and forth. She has secretly taken some seeds from some of the pages and grow them in her hidden garden. She loved to grow plants that petiole have not seen in centuries. There was a flower this on the pages that she has been wanting to plant and grow and be able to write more about it. There was just a single name, Moon Flower, a drawn picture, it looked like a very simple drawing, and 4 seeds on the page. She thought what could it really look like and what was so special about it. Could it make medicine? Could it make tea? Was it just pretty to look at? She took one of the seeds making sure the high priestess did not see. 'I will plant this later' She thought to herself.
Her lesson was on the moon phases and how it differs from solstice to equinox. How their blessing worked with the waxing and waning of the moon. This lesson made Shandra look at the crescent moon that most of the priestesses had on their forehead. A dark red crescent moon that it's tips pointed to the sky and the thicker part of the moon was on the bottom. She thought it looked like when the priestesses have their arms up reaching to the moon. She wanted to do that but she was too young. She had to learn more, focus her mind more, be more mature. Thinking this made her face scrunch and contort. She wanted to do all those thing now.
The High Priestess laughter brought Shandra out of her own thoughts the fog of jealousy dissipated. 'What are you laughing at? Did you find another mistake?' High priestess smiles and said 'Oh it is just you and your face. So serious. Was the herbs you were looking at displeasing you.' 'No I was wondering when I can go though my coming of age ceremony?' I know I am too young I can not help that, my power is not refined enough but I am bored. 'You have to wait till you are 10. You will be the youngest to date. We usually take girls at 13. You know this. You need time to be a child.' There it is again that anger Shandra always has to shove down. She can picture herself with an overwhelming amount of linen in a truck and she is trying to close it. All of her weight is pushing the top it won't move, it is pushing back. She shivers with horror how is it pushing back. I can not hold it any more. And the truck throws her off and spew cloth al over. She blinks and looks at the High Priestess and yelled 'I want to start learning the path now!' It shocked Shandra to hear those works come out of her mouth. Her gaze went to the High Priestess's eyes, they were smiling, no anger, no malice, no fury. It almost looked amused. She smiled and put her book on the table and motioned Shandra to come closer. She did as she was told, no words were needed. The High Priestess took Shandra's hands in her's 'I know waiting is not fun and you think it is all fun and freedom once the path is finished but it is more like a path in the forest that leads to a maze.' With these words Shandra could feel her anger draining from every part of her body. She look down with a deep breath looked back into the High Priestess's eyes and slowly spoke her words came to her from the calm of her mind. 'Thank you High Priestess, for your calming touch and words. I guess I do have a long way. I will study hard and make you proud.'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone