Chapter Two
Moonstream, Dedicate Superior of Winding Circle, looked at the girl brought in front of her. Cassiopeia Danoite was an orphan, as far as anyone knew. The girl herself would not say. She had been brought to the temple community by a woodcutter who had found her roaming in the forest. That was the name she gave him, but no matter how far Moonstream searched, she could not find references to a Danoite anywhere. The closest that she found was the translation of the name, "of the night" it meant, in an ancient unused dialect. And it seemed to fit the girl. Dedicate Staghorn had told her how the girl kept on running off at night and climbing to the roof-tops. Moonstream was surprised that such a slight, quiet, innocent-looking girl could give off so much trouble. Though her reputed age was twelve, she looked more like she was ten, and a scrawny ten at that. But she didn't act like she was ten or twelve. She had no wishes to play or to socialize with the other girls her age, and she showed almost no emotion. Her strange deep silver eyes met Moonstream's squarely, half-hidden though they were by the black hair barely touching her shoulder blades. Moonstream sighed. She wished Niko was here, and not in Summersea with Sandry, visiting Duke Vedris. He would not be back for at least three days, as he was helping the Duke recover from his terrible heart attack. If it was an emergency, he could be called back. She made a decision. It could always be reversed, but she thought she had the right idea. She called Dedicate Staghorn back into her office.
"Take her to Discipline," she said, naming a cottage by the north gate. Dedicate Staghorn bowed and led the girl away.
They cut through the paths instead of taking the long, spiral roads. Cassie was under the impression that the dedicate wanted to be rid of her as fast as possible, hurrying them along. She spent the time wondering what Discipline was. A punishment was what it sounded like. Maybe a place where they enforced the rules more heavily. Whatever it was, she hoped that it would be better than it was at the dorms. Maybe the people would be easier to get along with, and leave her alone. That was all she wanted, to be left alone. They stopped in front of a small cottage with whitewashed stone walls and a thatched roof. Two smaller buildings rested on either side.
A door opened and a woman stepped out. "To what do I owe this visit to?" she asked congenially.
"This is Cassiopeia. Moonstream sent her here." Dedicate Staghorn dropped the bundle she was carrying and left, hurrying away.
"Welcome to Discipline, Cassiopeia. My name is Lark," the woman said, motioning her into the door.
"It's Cassie," Cassie answered, and stepped inside.