"What!" Chessik could not believe her ears. "What do you mean he's gone?" She wasn't in the most pleasant of moods. It had taken her two days to descend the mountain and return to the conclave. She had just spent the last four hours with the council detailing her experience. Then she had come home thinking that Croreb would be waiting for her there. It had been nearly a week since they had seen each other. How could he forget she'd be home today?
Her mother was the first to defend him. "Now Chessik, calm down. He left a few hours after you did. He wanted to do his own journey, find his path for this life. You can't blame him for that. He had hoped to be home before you, but he isn't." Her talent for stating the obvious was beyond mortal powers, Chessik had told herself again for what seemed the millionth time. After all, though, it wasn't a total surprise that the committed of a future priestess would want to find his way. He might even join the Family himself and become a priest.
It was time to report to the High Matriarch. Chessik's parents walked with her up to the steps of the Sanctuary. As she pushed open the doors, she felt a sense of peace come over her. She felt as if she were coming home. Inside the Sanctuary were the histories of the Family as well as those of Chessik's people, the Anshik. They were mostly kept in the form of stone engravings. There were very few writings on paper, as it did not last very long. Mostly the paper writings consisted of Chalwa's spells that he had given to the Family over the years. They were kept in an ancient language and not to be put in the public eye.
Passing through the Hall of Histories, Chessik entered into the Inner Sanctum. There, sitting in a meditative position, she found the elderly High Matriarch. Sensing her presence, the High Matriarch opened her eyes and stood up with grace and ease that belied her age. Once they reached each other, the elderly sage embraced Chessik with a bear hug. The lines of age were very deep in the old worn face, but deep in those lines laid a wisdom that Chessik knew she would be listening to for many more years to come. As she looked down into the face of the woman she had thought of as grandmother for so many years, the High Matriarch motioned for her to sit down.
"I can see that your fast was very productive. Your inner strength has grown even greater than before. But something still troubles you. Tell me child, what is it?" The love of the elderly woman never ceased to surprise Chessik. She always cared about everyone.
"I don't know. Something doesn't feel right." Chessik searched her soul for the answer. "It almost feels like I'm being pulled somewhere else. Like I'm not supposed to be here right now."
"We each have our own path to follow, my child. If you feel that Chalwa is telling you to go somewhere, then go. Think not the why, simply follow the light." The High Matriarch's words ring true, Chessik thought. "But I don't know what to do. I haven't been told to go anywhere or to do anything."
"Then don't do anything. Sometimes the answer we get to our prayers is 'wait awhile'. The best thing we can do then is to wait and see what happens, but always listening for the nudge that tells us when to act." Chessik nodded as she took in this newest lesson from her oldest teacher.