©2016
The years rolled by. The Fenelar Phoenix came back every standard year. Each time it came Andriel would sew Rasha a new dress. She was told to give the old one to someone who would appreciate having it, on another planet. Rasha enjoyed walking through the markets on different planets to find a girl to give her old dress to. She would usually stand around with her father, in case the girl's parents said that she could not have it. She told them that the girl had paid the same price she did for it, so she had the right to keep it. They asked her what she paid for it. She told them that she had the look of appreciation, it meant something to her. That was the price she paid when it was first given to her. But now she has outgrown it, so it needs a new home. Most parents would let their daughter keep it when she explained it like that.
The Clan Mother told Kreen it was time. Her three charges were starting to show the signs that they were entering puberty. It was her responsibility to invite them to the next Bonding Ceremony. This was something she has dreaded ever since she met Krillgan. A boy becoming a Sister. She could only hope he would mess up somehow, and not be able to bond with them. If he was able to bond successfully with everyone, it would prove that he is the important one mentioned in her great aunt's prophecy, not her. She would no longer be important, she would just be another Sister. She did as she was told, and invited them to the next Bonding Ceremony. She also made sure that Mother Andriel and Father Chitrah knew, because she heard that this was one part of becoming a Sister that they were not pleased with. Maybe they would intervene and force him to back out. Mother would have to listen to them.
The day came, and no one intervened, much to Kreen's disappointment. The Singing Mountain Clan holds their Bonding Ceremony in two different locations, depending on what time of year it is. In the coldest months they have a secondary temple in the forest that receives a lot of sunlight, so it is quite warm even on a cold evening. Tonight's Bonding Ceremony was being held in the main temple, where it is always chilly, even more so when you have no clothes on.
The Clan Mother prefers the main temple for the first bonding ceremony, because you cannot stand by yourself for very long. You have to get close to everyone else just to stay warm. The Sisters would constantly move around allowing the Sisters that have been standing on the outer edge of the group into the middle where they can warm up. Mother likes it, because it forces the Sisters to look after one another for their own wellbeing. They undress in the anti-chamber, before proceeding into the temple. When Krillgan walked into the temple, Kreen started to complain to the Sisters around her about how he was staring at them. Mother was close enough to remind her that everyone stares at their first Bonding Ceremony, then she told them to look at her daughter and look at her niece, they are both staring just as hard as Krillgan. This can be an emotionally hard time for children, to be exposed to so many mature naked female bodies at one time. Where the only naked bodies they have seen up until now is their own, and any infant that a mother would be bathing. Kreen wanted to defend herself,
"But look at where his hands are. He is trying to keep himself covered up."
"Look at where Ludia and Diennu have their hands, they are also covering themselves up, but in a different places. (Ludia and Diennu had covered their chests, as well as their secret place, because that was where they were the most different from all the Sisters.) Kreen has it been so long ago that you have forgotten your first Bonding Ceremony."
Kreen, remembered very well. She was tall and lanky, her own instructor made fun of how lean she was, saying that they needed to tie her down, so she would not be blown away in the wind. She did not know at the time that she was only teasing her. She really loved her, and wanted her to be strong. She cried at night because she felt so ugly when they teased her. It was the Clan Mother and her sister Butashe that spoke kind words to her on her first Bonding Ceremony. They told her that someday soon, she would look just as beautiful as her mother. The Clan Mother went up to the three children. She told them that it was not polite to cover yourself with your hands at a Bonding Ceremony.
"You are here so that we can accept you as you are. We can't do that if you hide any part of yourself from us."
Diennu spoke up, "But Aunt Amblin-Elu, you're so beautiful, even without your clothes on, and we are not."
"Diennu, thank you for your kind words. You have always been so beautiful in your heart. This is what all the Sisters want to see. As far as your body is concerned, one day you will look so much like your mother, that everyone will think that you are sisters, not your mother and myself."
All the Sisters were heard to murmur. A prophecy at a first Bonding Ceremony, this is a very good sign for all three children.
"Ludia, you are my daughter. So the way you see me now, is how you will look in a few years."
"Krillgan, don't worry, you will not look like your mother."
This caused many of the Sisters to giggle, especially the two standing beside him.
"Your father is a smart handsome man. You have big shoes to fill."
A lot of the Sisters took it as a pun, on Father Chitrah being a cobbler.
Mother told them to stand with the other Sisters so that they don't get cold. The Sisters opened a gap for them so that they could come in and warm up. Krillgan tried so hard not to touch anyone's body except Ludia and Diennu, because he was afraid that they would take it the wrong way. So they ended up sandwiching him between them, so they could all stay warm.
The ceremony started with grandmother sharing first. She was the oldest of all the Sisters, and many of the young Sisters did not know her name, because everyone had called her grandmother for years. Which is the way it should be. In a few years she will become an elder, and then they will need to learn her name. But then it will be new and fresh to them, easier to remember. She shared what she has experienced since her last Bonding Ceremony. By the time Diennu and Ludia had their opportunity to share, they understood that they were allowed to share the same experiences, they just had to share it from their heart. So the Sisters knew how it affected them.
When it was Krillgan's turn. (Mother had kept him for last.) She asked if he would share how it happened that he could heal by touch, because he wasn't born with it. The Sisters encouraged him to tell them, because only a handful knew his story. Mother was very pleased at how well this Bonding Ceremony went.
Andriel and Chitrah were sipping tea, waiting up for Krillgan. They asked him how the Bonding Ceremony went. His face went dark, so they knew he was embarrassed, he also did not know how much of the ceremony he was allowed to share. He told them that the Sisters were nice to him. That the Clan Mother encouraged the three of them. He was happy that Diennu and Ludia, stayed close to him, it made him feel more comfortable, and they asked him to share how it happened that he could heal by touching.
Andriel and Chitrah were happy with their son's response. They had both decided, that now that Krillgan knew what a naked adult female looked like, it was important to have Chitrah start teaching him the traditions. They would begin tomorrow morning. That evening they gave him a cup of tea, and asked him how the rest of his day went. Krillgan enjoyed telling his parents, what he and Diennu, and Ludia, did through the day, because he got to enjoy it again, all over.
The next morning at breakfast, Krillgan told Ludia, and Diennu that he would not be able to go with them in the mornings, because father was going to start teaching him their traditions. They asked him, what traditions were? He told them that this is where he finally gets to learn about all those things they would not tell them when they were younger, like sex and stuff. Ludia and Diennu asked, if this was because he had been to a Bonding Ceremony? Krillgan told him that he thinks so.
After breakfast, the two girls ran to their mothers, who they knew were together, and asked them when they would start teaching them their traditions, because they have been to a Bonding Ceremony, just like Krillgan. They asked the girls, what were they talking about? They told them that because Krillgan was at the Bonding Ceremony last night, father was going to start teaching him their traditions. The mothers asked their girls, what are traditions? The girls said that they did not know, because no one had taught them yet. Both girls had their arms crossed because they thought their mothers were holding out on them. So the mothers, with their girls in tow, went to find Mother Andriel to see if she can enlighten them.
They told Mother Andriel that their girls are under the impression that they should be taught traditions now, because they have been to a Bonding Ceremony, only they don't know what they are. Andriel was able to figure out what was going on. She asked the girls if this is because Father Chitrah was starting to teach Krillgan his traditions. The girls both nodded yes. Andriel asked the women if they have any traditions to teach the girls about relationships and motherhood, the wedding night, and sex. The mothers looked at each other. They admitted that they don't have traditions about those things. Usually the only time anyone talks about that stuff is just before a wedding. Andriel was shocked. How did they expect the girls to have a good understanding of what a good relationship is? How will they know the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour? That's like sending someone in to a fight with a blindfold on, and telling them to keep their eyes open. The mothers said that people just seem to learn those things. Andriel said that they are probably learning from their own mistakes, which can cause irreparable damage. They need to learn from the mistakes of those that have lived before them, so they don't repeat them, and destroy the person they love.
Both mothers were thoroughly embarrassed. What Mother Andriel said made sense, and they would be the first to admit that they could have used some help, especially at the beginning of their marriages. They asked Mother Andriel if she could teach their daughters her traditions, especially if it would help keep them from making some of the mistakes they did. Andriel agreed, she could teach them her traditions while Father Chitrah taught Krillgan his traditions.
The girls were ecstatic. They sat themselves on the floor, at mother's feet in the Seamstress shop. The other seamstresses had been listening in on the conversation. As soon as the Clan Mother and her sister left. They approached Mother Andriel and asked them if their girls could also come learn from her. Andriel looked at the seamstresses, some of them are grandmothers. What girls could they be talking about? She told them to go get them. They would wait. It wasn't long before every eligible young lady in the village was coming into the Seamstress's shop, including some young Sisters.
Andriel quickly realised that they were not going to have enough room. She suggested that they go into the dining area. It was a good thing that her mother had taught her how to project her voice, so she could be heard at a clan meeting.
In a matter of days, every woman in the village was coming into the dining room in the mornings. To hear what Andriel was talking about. After each morning session, some of the older women would asked her advice concerning a relationship problem. Mother Andriel would always take them back to the Seamstress's shop and had an elder accompany them, in case it was something more serious than she could help with. Some of the women approached Father Chitrah, asking him if he could teach their young men his traditions like his wife was teaching the young ladies. He told the women that his clan teaches their traditions in a different manner than his wife's clan. In his clan, a father teaching his son the traditions, was a time of bonding, a time where they go from being just father and son, to being good friends. To have someone else come into that time, could destroy what they are trying to create. The women were sorry to hear that. He did tell them that if the fathers were interested, he could teach them in the evening after dinner, so that they could start teaching their sons. The women were agreeable, now they just had to convince their husbands.
The Clan Mother was quite surprised by how many people where interested in learning the traditions, especially the women. She talked to the elders about it. They had all started sitting in on Andriel's morning session, and a couple had started listening in on Chitrah's evening training sessions. They told Mother that the teaching was sound. It was something they should have started doing generations ago. They could have avoided many of the problems they encounter today. She asked them if this is something she should be doing as Clan Mother, or should they be following the traditions of Andriel's people, and have the elders do it. They told her that for the women, having an elder teach the girls when they reach the age of puberty, until they enter a lasting relationship was good. But for the men, Chitrah's way of having the fathers' teach their sons, was best. This was not a teaching that a boy reaching puberty, would want to be taught by an old woman. Mother accepted what the elders told her, she would let things be as they are right now. She even planned to sit it on a couple of sessions. Her Sisters told her it was worth it.
Traditions are not something that can be taught in one session, or a few days. It takes years, including repeating sessions. It is about respect, and love. About appreciating, and being appreciated. About arguing, and not killing your partner in the process. Knowing that other people see things differently than the way you do, and that their way can also be a right way. It's about taking the time to listen, and not be quick to jump to conclusions. It's about how sex is a tool to help build a relationship, but can also be used as a weapon. It is about how relationships are built, they don't just happen. It takes years to build a good relationship. It only takes seconds to destroy it.
Life changed for the three in other ways. They found they had less time to play together because they were being trained in other ways. Amblin-Elu and Butashe had the responsibility of teaching them to read and write basic. After they showed they were proficient in this, they would then be taught the Kwa symbols, and their various meanings. Their textbook, the clan's book of Knowledge and Wisdom. Once they learnt to read basic, this book became much more interesting. They found the entire history of the clan was in the book. Ludia and Diennu read out loud the stories they were taught as little girls, only there was more detail. They better understood some of the stories, thanks to the things they learnt from the traditions.
They came across one story that involved Ludia's mother when she was Kreen's age. It was Krillgan's turn to read, so the two girl's had to be patient while he read it to them.
Krillgan had often wondered why the Nightsisters never made copies of the silk flags the Sister's wore, when they were on patrol, or when they went to town. The flags were visual symbols of the Sister that was wearing it. They were also used to help with transmission of messages. If a Sister felt she needed to watch a situation, but not approach until she had sufficient support. She would hand one of her flags to a militia member and send them off with a message. The first Sister to encounter the militia member knew right away that the militia member was speaking in the Sister's name. She had to decide whether to help the Sister and send the Militia member to find more backup. Or to take the message herself and run with it. Because she could deliver the message faster. It would take very little effort on the Nightsisters part to destabilise the clan's communication system. He and father were always talking strategy when they were playing Hutt Wars. He remember asking his father about it. His father told him that it is a simple strategy that could generate confusion, but was useless on its own, it had to be done in conjunction with another tactic with a specific goal in mind. He also explained that the Nightsisters would have trouble getting a hold of the spider silk, because there are only three clans that produce it, and none of them would ever trade it to the Nightsisters, no matter what they were offered. The Nightsisters would have to steal it to get it. Chitrah was sure that there was an agreement among the clans, that if spider silk was stolen, the Singing Mountain Clan needed to be notified, because they would be the obvious target.
In this history, the Nightsisters had stolen some spider silk, but only enough to make three flags. The Singing Mountain Clan responded by not allowing any single patrols. That way if a message was sent, the militia member would be carrying two flags from two different Sisters. The Nightsisters had come up with a plan to humiliate the Singing Mountain Clan, by embarrassing the daughter of the Clan's Mother. They had a Nightsister that they thought looked like Amblin-Elu. So they made up three flags with her colours and symbols. They thought that their impersonator could ride up to the gate and be let through, then ride on to town creating havoc in Amblin-Elu's name. What the Nightsisters did not know was than Amblin-Elu was one of the Sisters sent to guard the gate. So when the imposter came up to the gate. The other Sister asked her to wait at the first landing on the trail down from the gate, and someone would come down to verify her flags. The first landing was within bow shot range for the militia. Amblin-Elu swapped her two outside message flags with her Sister so that the militia would know who was who. She had a simple plan. She had a huge upland Rancor. The imposter was on a swamp Rancor. She would get her Rancor to hold the swamp Rancor, and turn them. So the Nightsister would have her back to the gate. She would be engaging the Nightsister in combat, while the militia made a pincushion out of her back, including her arms and legs. The militia was not supposed to shoot, until she had given them the signal. She hoped to get the Nightsister to start bragging about what it was she was planning to do, as her. When the gate opened, and Amblin-Elu came through it. The Nightsister knew that she had been made. She had no choice but to face the real Amblin-Elu and fight. Her Rancor could not outrun the Rancor that the real Amblin-Elu was riding. Amblin-Elu's Rancor did as instructed, rather than fight the little Rancor, it seized its arms to keep it from fighting. Than it slowly turned the Rancor until its back was to the gate. Amblin-Elu pretended to be a poor fighter, to let the Nightsister think she could win. She even allowed the Nightsister to cut her left arm at the bicep. The Nightsister started to boast about what she would do once she defeated her. They knew she was a virgin, and was supposed to be a virgin when she married, in order to later become the new Clan Mother, when her mother perished. So she was instructed by her Nightsister Mother to go to the town, pretending to be her. She was to seduce as many men as she could, and failing that, she would rape a few.
The girls made Krillgan stop there, they knew from what they were taught in the traditions, that women could be raped, but they had never heard of men being raped. (They had forgotten a lot of what they heard when the former slaves of the Nightsisters shared what it was like to live as a slave, because they did not understand it.) They asked their mothers about that. Amblin-Elu spoke for both of them. "When you use sex as a weapon, than anyone can be hurt by it. It would be very easy for a Nightsister to overpower a man. It would be harder to force the man to have sex with her. Most men's horns of manhood will not get hard in a situation like that. She would have to do something, whether it was to force him to drink a potion, or stimulate him in some way to make his horn hard. Usually it would require some combination. But the end result is, that she would be forcing him to have sex with her, and that is rape."
The girls asked Krillgan to continue. When Amblin-Elu knew what her plan was supposed to be. She signalled the militia, and started fighting properly. The Nightsister knew that she was in trouble, when Amblin-Elu cut open her right cheek, and kept her engaged so that she could neither move, nor defend herself against the arrows that were penetrating her back. When Amblin-Elu was satisfied, she smacked the Nightsister in the face with the butt end of her fighting stick. Breaking her nose and knocking her out. Amblin-Elu found the potion, that she was planning to give to the men that she seduced or raped. She knew that the potion has a different effect on women than it does on men. There were also medicinal plants growing near the gate, but she did not know what they were or what they did. She picked some and crushed their leaves into the potion.
The oil from the leaves did react with the potion. She made the Nightsister swallow the new concoction. She then stripped her of all her clothing. The swamp Rancor was told that if he attempted to move, her Rancor had permission to disembowel it and eat it.
After having removed all her clothing, Amblin-Elu took the Rancor dung that the Swamp Rancor had so generously provided, and rubbed it into all the wounds that the Nightsister had. She tied the naked Nightsister to her Rancor, so that her raw back would be rubbing against the Rancor's rough hide. To secure her, she had to tie the Nightsister with her arms and legs spread apart, or she would have fallen off. She did not think it was possible to humiliate a Nightsister sexually more than she had already humiliated herself. She probably would have been proud to display everything she had to the world.
The Nightsister started to come around, by the time she was secured. The strange potion had made her incoherent, with little control of her physical body. But she could feel pain. The swamp Rancor was instructed to walk past both villages before proceeding to the Glass Mountain, and was let go.
After Krillgan finished reading. Everyone looked at the Clan Mother.
"Mother, how could you do such a thing?"
Amblin-Elu told her daughter that it was easy. She had to remember that the Nightsister wanted to shame her and embarrass the clan. She wanted the men in the town to believe that they had either slept with or been raped by the daughter of the Clan Mother of the Singing Mountain Clan. They would of course tell all the other clans, before it could be proven that their claims were false.
By rubbing Rancor dung in her wounds, there was a good chance that her wounds would become infected before she reached the Glass Mountain. Because they have no healer. The only way they could stop the infection was by cauterising all her wounds.
The children wanted to know, what cauterising meant. She told them that they would have to take a piece of metal, usually a sword, knife or dagger. Then heat it until the tip is red hot. Then touch the tip to the wound after it has been washed clean, to kill any infection in the wound. It would be extremely painful, and permanently scar her for life, including the gash on her cheek. It would be impossible for that Nightsister to try and impersonate her again. It was also intended as a warning to the next Nightsister that might try it.
Amblin-Elu told them that they found out from the slaves living in their main village, that a Nightsister happened to be in their village when the Swamp Rancor came by with the naked Nightsister on his back. "She stopped him from continuing on to the Glass Mountain. She told them that if their Mother had seen her like that, she would have killed her on the spot. She cut her down off the Rancor, and had the village women wash her carefully. She had them make a hotter than normal fire in their bread oven, and stuck the tips of two daggers in the oven. The whole village could hear her scream every time the Nightsister touched a wound with one of her daggers. None of the village felt any pity for her. She was one of the Nightsisters who was involved in the rape of the village women. The Nightsister told them before she left that they were responsible for washing her and feeding her, until she was well enough to make it back to the mountain on her own. If she did not survive, the Nightsister pointed to three children. She would come back to take them to the Glass Mountain to live there permanently as their household slaves. We gave the villagers a salve that they could put on the heat scarred wounds, to keep them from becoming re-infected."
Ludia asked her mother why none of that was written in the book, because the way it is written now, she looks like a monster. Mother told her that what gets written and what doesn't get written, is up to the Clan Mother at the time, and the elders. She does not have the authority to go back and rewrite it, so that she looks better. The children were actually surprised. They thought the Clan Mother had the authority to do almost anything.
They had read a story earlier about two young Sisters fighting over a young man. The young man told them that he does not want to be shared by them. He had told each one secretly that she was the woman for him. A Bonding Ceremony was coming up, and the Clan Mother had to try and get this resolved before the ceremony. She went to go speak to the young man in question. To see if this issue could get resolved. She saw the young man, talking to a group of young men. She made herself invisible, and approached them to hear what they were talking about. She heard the young man boast about how he has both young ladies wrapped around his finger, they will do anything for him. They had both already surrendered their virginity to him. The ironic thing was that he did not really like either one of them, they were too gullible.
The Clan Mother was furious when she heard all this. She went back to her home and grabbed her sword. She did not bother making herself invisible the next time she approached the group, they saw anger written all over her face. She grabbed the young man by the force and lifted him up in the air telling him that he deserved to die. He told her that she made him do it. The Clan Mother asked him who made him do it. The young man said he did not know, he had never met her. She talks to him by crows and lizards, and promises him all sorts of wonderful things, if he will only do as she says. The Clan Mother ran him through with the sword. As he was dying she spoke to him.
"You fool. It was a Nightsister talking to you. The only thing she was going to do to you, was to make you her sex slave. I just did you a big favour, by killing you before she actually got her claws into you."
The Clan Mother cancelled the next Bonding Ceremony. She had the young man's companions tell the two young Sisters everything the young man said about them. The Clan Mother thought they would not believe her if she told them herself. She declared a month of morning, because the innocence of their clan had been violated. She let the young man's family say goodbye to him, but would not allow them to cremate him. Saying his body was tainted and had to be thrown into the ocean, as if he was a Nightsister. The two young Sisters were so angry and upset, that they went through the whole area around the village, killing every crow and lizard they found. They became the best of friends because of this, and were able to find a young man that wanted to be with both of them. In the girl's eyes, the Clan Mother was able to murder someone for the sake of the clan.
They asked Mother about that. Amblin-Elu first corrected them. What the Clan Mother did was not murder, she had executed a judgement. As Sisters they will be required to execute judgements, but on a much smaller scale. They have to look at a situation, and evaluate what is right and what is wrong, then determine what is fair and best for the clan, and execute it. The young man was on the verge of tearing the clan apart, just for his own amusement. Amblin-Elu believes that the punishment he received was fair for the damage he had done.
Krillgan also agreed, he told the girls that if the Clan Mother had not done what she did, and only kicked the young man out of the clan. It was possible that he could have helped the Nightsister recruit the two young Sisters, making Nightsisters out of them. The two girls shivered at that thought.
Amblin-Elu than told them that she cannot rewrite anything in the book without approval from the elders, in case it shows disrespect for the person who first wrote it into the book. She told them that if they look at the story again, they will see that grandmother did include all the facts. She was also conscience that this was her daughter that she was writing about. She did not want to colour it in, in case other Sisters reading it, felt that she was showing her daughter favouritism. Since every Sister has the right to read the book.
The two girls asked their mothers if grandmother was a nice person. The two sisters looked at each other. Amblin-Elu let her sister know that she has her permission in answering this question. Krillgan noticed that they were both holding hands. Butashe told the girls that their grandmother was a very fair Clan Mother, well respected by all the clans. At home she always let them know that she loved them, and was proud to see them becoming the women they were. She looked at her sister with tears in her eyes, "and we both loved her very much." The girls asked why they don't talk about her more often. Both mothers reached out and touched their daughters, "We should, shouldn't we." Both girls nodded their heads. Amblin-Elu started by saying that you know she was a powerful force user, by the fact that both of her daughters are also force users. Normally it is only the first born. They both started sharing stories from their childhood.
They had forgotten that Krillgan was still there. He knew that this was a special mother–daughter time, so he got up and made them all a cup of tea. After that he went home, he would have loved to stay and hear the stories. But it was probably best if the girls shared it with him afterwards.
It was Ludia's turn to read the histories. But when she saw the hand writing she guessed what it was about, and passed it to Diennu. After one quick look, it was passed to Krillgan. He asked the girls why they both passed on reading. They could both read better than him. Ludia asked him, if he recognised the handwriting? He said it looked familiar, but he could not say who wrote it. Ludia told him that it is her mother's handwriting, this is where her telling of the clan's history begins. Which means that she must be writing about how grandmother passed away. Now Krillgan understood why they both passed on reading it out loud.
"The Nightsisters have one Dathomirite sword, they call it Soul Eater. No one knows how long they have had it, or what clan they stole it from." Krillgan was sure that the clan it was stolen from knew it was gone, they just were not willing to admit it to the others. "The sword is possessed, in that the Nightsisters had trapped a darkforce demon in the sword, many generations back. They say that the demon traps the souls of the people killed by the sword, and uses their force energy to make itself stronger. This in turn strengthens the person who controls the sword, giving them access to more dark force energy. The Nightsisters' Mother felt so much power when she held the sword, that she thought herself invincible. The Nightsisters had tried many schemes, to try and undermine the Singing Mountain Clan, but almost all of them were defeated by the Sisters of the Singing Mountain Clan. The Nightsisters' Mother felt that their Clan Mother was a big reason they had been consistently beaten. So in frustration she finally challenged the Clan Mother of the Singing Mountain Clan to a duel. The challenge was sent through the Council of Mothers, so the Clan Mother of the Singing Mountain Clan had no choice, but to accept. Even though everyone told her that she was being set up. She acknowledged that it was probably a setup, but the honour of her clan does not allow her to refuse. The rules were simple. On the day that the Clan Mother agreed to, they would meet at the bottom of the pass in front of the gate. They were only allowed to bring two Sisters with them. The Clan Mother set a date, but did not tell anyone in the Clan what that date was. On the date she had agreed to for the duel, she had sent both of her daughters to be far away from the gate. The two daughters suspected their mother might do that, so they had a Sister they trusted hide herself at the gate. So as soon as she saw the Clan Mother go through it, she was to come and find them. Everyone guarding the gate knew she was there, and why she was there. So they kept her presence hidden from their own Mother. When the Clan Mother reached the bottom of the pass, with the two Sisters she had chosen. The Nightsisters' Mother accompanied by two Nightsisters rode up to her on a Swamp Rancor. The Nightsisters' Mother told her that it could hardly be considered a fair duel, if they both fought from the back of Rancor with such a huge difference in height. The Clan Mother agreed, and told her that she was willing to fight her on foot. The Nightsisters' Mother suggested that the sandstone quarry would be the best place to have a foot dual. Without thinking, the Clan Mother agreed."
"The Nightsisters had started experimenting for a number of years, to try and mimic the Singing Mountain Clan's Ranger's ability to make themselves appear smaller than they were, by using the dark side of the force. They had placed a number of these Nightsisters at strategic points in the sandstone quarry, along with a number of archers. The Nightsisters were to use their new ability to mask their presence, and that of the archers. So that the Clan Mother and her two Sisters would not know they were walking into an ambush."
"When the Nightsisters' Mother thought she had the Clan Mother where she wanted her. She suddenly attacked with force lightning. A typical Nightsister move. The Clan Mother was ready and had surrounded herself with an air shield, as had her two Sisters. It was the Nightsister next to the two clan Sisters that ended up being hit by the force lightning attack. The Nightsisters that had been hiding, jumped to the aid of their wounded Nightsister to try and keep the clan Sisters from helping their Mother. One of the clan Sisters instructed the clan Rancor to attack. So they easily dispatched the three swamp Rancor and came over to help their bond Sisters."
"The Nightsisters' Mother was surprised at how skilled her opponent was. Not only was she able to maintain a great defence from her attacks, but she was also able to deflect the arrow attacks. Finally one arrow managed to graze the sword arm of the Clan Mother. It wasn't a deep enough cut to injure the arm muscle, but it was deep enough to deposit some poison. The Clan Mother was grateful that it did not graze her left arm, which would have placed the poison closer to her heart. It did slow her arm movement down enough that she was grazed in her left leg by a poison tipped arrow, hindering her movement. By this time the archers had run out of arrows, so they all ran away."
"The Nightsisters' Mother felt that she now had enough of an advantage that she could now break through the Clan Mother's defence, and give her a death blow. Amblin-Elu was the first daughter to arrive at the top of the escarpment, overlooking the quarry. She saw the Nightsisters' Mother knock aside a slow sword defence by her mother, and impale her mother in the gut. The Clan Mother responded to the jubilant Nightsisters' Mother, by hitting her with force lightning. Momentarily stunning her, allowing the Clan Mother to plunge her sword into the heart of the Nightsisters' Mother. To make sure she was dead, the Clan Mother sent a blast of force lightning down the blade of her sword into her opponent's heart. Causing her to spasm, and to fall over backwards. The Clan Mother fell to her knees while her daughter raced down the small trail to her. Her other daughter showed up and started following her sister down the trail."
"When the Nightsisters saw that their Mother was dead, they launched a flurry of attacks, as if they were trying to get to her. What they were really after was the Soul Eater sword, which was still in the Clan Mother's belly. One of them grabbed it, and pulled it out. Than they all disappeared."
"When Amblin-Elu reached her mother, her mother asked her to forgive her for being selfish, and foolish. She told her daughter that she was the Clan Mother now, and that their Sisters need her. The Clan Mother put her right hand on her daughter's shoulder, "I don't want you being as good as me. I want you to be better than me, because you are." When Butashe arrived the Clan Mother put her right hand on her shoulder, "Your sister needs your strength now, just as she always has." With those words, the Clan Mother passed away."
When Krillgan finished, he looked up and saw that Ludia and Diennu were crying softly, holding each other's hands. Then he noticed that both their mothers also had tears in their eyes, and had an arm around each other. The girl's thanked Krillgan for reading it for them. Then they turned to their mothers.
"Does this mean that grandmother's soul is trapped in that sword?"
Amblin-Elu answered, "We know that part of her is trapped in that sword, but not as much as the Nightsisters would want us to believe. Or she would not have been able to appear to so many of us, warning us that we were being sent a healer."
Ludia and Diennu remembered that their mothers had snuck them into that special meeting, where the Sisters shared their dreams and visions about the coming healer. They were not supposed to be there, because they had not yet started their training. But none of the Sisters who knew that they were there complained. In fact they helped to keep their presence there a secret.
Butashe said, that it may be because the Nightsisters pulled the sword out of their mother's belly, before she passed away from the death blow. So only part of her soul was captured by the demon.
The next question was, how do they set her free? Mother told them that there was prophecy, at the same time as the visions and dreams, that soon a strong force user, skilled as a warrior, would come and claim Soul Eater as their own, setting all the souls free. The girls both looked at Krillgan. Mother warned the girls that the word soon in prophecy does not mean the same thing as if they were using it. Soon could mean 100 years from now. So it could be one of their children, or even grandchildren, that would have the honour of setting grandmother free.
Things were not smooth sailing for Krillgan. There were a couple of Bonding Ceremonies, where the horn of his manhood was obviously hard at the end. Kreen used those opportunities to complain to the other Sisters that he was not there to bond with them. He was there to ogle their bodies. Some of the Sisters teased him, asking which one of them had done this to him. He had noticed grandmother smiling at him. So he looked at the ground and said it was grandmother. This caused the Sisters to laugh. Grandmother said that the boy obviously appreciated a mature women. One of the Sisters asked her when she had last been with a man. Grandmother started to say, "Why just last month." The other Sisters asked her to stop. They did not want to hear about her sex life. They thought that she was going to say that she was with a man just last month. What she was going to say was that just last month, she had asked herself the same question. The truth was, that Krillgan was stimulated by the changes he could see happening in Ludia, and Diennu's bodies. They were also aroused by the changes happening in his body. Only nobody but their mothers noticed.
There was a young man in the village that was attracted to Kreen. He was slightly younger than Kreen. He had heard that Kreen did not like Krillgan, and thought he could make points with her by making fun of Krillgan. He thought it was a safe thing to do, because Krillgan could not defend himself. If he used the force on him, it would definitely look bad to the Sisters. Now Kreen actually liked Krillgan, she would have loved to have him as a younger brother. She just did not want him taking her place in the prophecy, and leave her feeling unimportant. This is why she had not bonded with him, and kept giving him a hard time at the Bonding Ceremonies. The young man started making fun of him, by saying things like, "So you want to be a sister. You don't want to grow up and be a man." The two boys that were with him would snicker.
One day Krillgan stood up to him. He told him that he felt sorry for him, because he did not know what he wanted to be. His two companions have already shown that they want to do their part in helping the clan. Krillgan knew that they were both apprentices. But the boy trying to make fun of him, had not selected any career.
"Right now you are doing nothing to help the clan, yet you expect the clan to look after you. You are not a baby, but you act like one. It's almost as if you're the one afraid of being a man."
The young man told Krillgan to take it back. Krillgan looked at him and told him that the truth hurts, doesn't it. The young man stepped towards Krillgan and told him to take it back or he'll.
"You'll do what, cry like a baby. Here is someone more your size."
Erin happened to be walking by. Krillgan knew that father had already started training him in the martial arts, and he was doing quite well.
"Erin, will you protect me from this bully?"
"Sure cousin, I'll protect you."
The young man took a kick at Erin, like he was some insignificant little thing. Erin easily avoided the kick, sweeping his other leg out from under him. The two guys that had been with him, laughed at him, because someone half his size was able to take him down so easily. They also liked what Krillgan said about them, how they were already contributing to the clan. It was hard work, but they liked it. But this guy was lazy. They did not want anything more to do with him. The young man thought that the whole world had watched this little kid make him fall flat on his behind. He believed that Krillgan had used the force to help his cousin. He would take care of this little guy when his cousin was not around to help him.
Ludia came up to Krillgan, and told him off. What he just did is very dangerous for Erin. Now that guy is going to want to get revenge. Diennu also agreed. Krillgan told them that they are right, and he was sorry. But he saw no other way out of that situation. Now he needs their help to keep an eye on Erin. To make sure that the guy does not ambush him. The girls told him that it was a good thing for him that they like him and his family. So they will do what they can to help Erin.
Now Kreen was wondering what the three of them were up to. She still considered them her children, and her responsibility. So she followed them following Erin.
A few days later, Diennu spotted the young man pick up a rock and sneak up behind Erin. To club him on the side of the head. Diennu used the force to tell Erin to duck. He moved his head just in time, and felt the air blow over it. He landed a double drop kick into the chest of his assailant, pushing him back. Then he got up and started yelling, "Help an older boy is attacking me." Just like his father taught him. The young man dove at Erin, wanting to grab him and silence him. Erin was able to avoid being tackled by him, and managed to land a chop to the back of his head. A Sister rushed over when she heard the call for help, and happened to see Erin strike the boy in the back of his head. She started scolding Erin for using his martial arts skills on the boy. But Kreen ran up and told the other Sister that Erin had done nothing wrong, he was only protecting himself. She described what really happened from the time the young man picked up the rock, until she had shown up to stop it. She even picked up the rock that he had tried to club Erin with. The other Sister went pale, a blow with this rock on a young boy's head could have killed him. This was attempted murder.
Kreen had told the other Sister that the reason she saw the whole thing, was because one of her friends had pointed the boy out to her a few days back.
When she saw him pick up the rock, she wondered what he was up to. The other Sister told Erin that he could go on his way, while she and Kreen literally dragged the boy before the Clan Mother. Kreen was visibly shaken when she found out that this all happened because of her. Because the boy thought she hated Krillgan.
The boy told Mother that he did not want to kill Erin, he only wanted to hurt him, because he humiliated him in front of his friends, and now they won't talk to him anymore. Mother told him that he humiliated himself with his foolish talk. That's why they won't talk to him anymore. They saw that Krillgan had pointed out the obvious. This made the young man feel even worse. Now she had to decide what to do with him. She let the two Sisters watch over him.
While she was gone, Kreen told the boy that she does not hate Krillgan, she actually likes Krillgan. Much more than she does him, and his foolish antics. The young man just wanted to find a rock he could crawl under and hide from the world. Mother went to all the trades' people to see if there was anyone who wanted to take the young man on. All of them said that he has no drive. He is useless to them. The only one who said they could use his help, was the lady in charge of the kitchen. She was also a close relative of his. She thought his parents were too soft on him, he needs to learn to appreciate the value of hard work. So Mother agreed to turn him over to her care. When she went back, to tell the young man his fate. She let him know that they would be watching him. If he did not show that he can help the clan, because of what he did, almost taking a boy's life, she would have no choice but to kick him out of the clan. This judgment scared the young man, and his parents. They would make sure that he was up first thing every morning, to do what he could, to help out in the kitchen.
Most of the Sisters had gathered at their special training area. The ones who had just received their new dance outfits from Mother Andriel had ridden their Rancor, because they did not want to damage them. They were all so excited, even their Clan Mother was there. The Sisters in their dance costumes were going to represent the Singing Mountain Clan at a special gathering at the Red Hills Clan. There were going to be dancers representing all of the Clans. This was the first invitational dance meeting. The Sisters wanted to show off how they looked in their new outfits when they danced, and the other Sisters all wanted to see.
The Sisters who would be dancing when their guests arrived, to go visit the Singing Mountains were a little jealous, because their costumes were not ready yet. The Clan Mother had told Mother Andriel that the dance outfits for the Sisters going to the Red Hills Clan meeting had first priority. Right in the middle of one of the dance routines, a Purbole shows up, and runs up to the Clan Mother, and falls on his knees before her. "Please protect us Great Mother. Some swamp Rancor have been chasing us all the way from the southern swamp. They want to eat us. If they find our nests we will all perish." Amblin-Elu knew that this was serious. The Purbole have paid her tribute every year, in nuts, since her daughter, niece, and Krillgan, first encountered them. Mother Andriel was able to make enough nutbutter for all the villages, to last most of the year. A lot of the children and a few of the adults have grown quite fond of it. The tribute was to keep Rancor away from them. Because the costumed dancers were the only ones there with Rancour. Mother ordered three of the dancers to take their Rancor up into the trees and intercept the Swamp Rancor, and turn them back. The dancers complained that they brought nothing to change into. Mother reminded them that they were intercepting Rancor not Nightsisters. The costumes might have more of an effect on them then their armour would. The dancers did as they were ordered. It took a lot of manoeuvring to get up into the trees without letting a stray branch touch the outfits. They would be devastated, if they accidentally scratched or tore their new outfits. The hardest part was not to lose any feathers. They can get brushed off so easily.
When they encountered the swamp Rancor, one of the Sisters asked them, what were they doing in Singing Mountain Clan territory? The two Rancor looked at each other. They told her that they were hunting. The Sister asked them if they had permission from her Mother to hunt in their territory. The Rancor admitted that they did not. The Sister than asked them, what were they hunting? They said that they were chasing Purbole that were eating fruit off of trees in the swamp. She asked them why they did not catch them when they had them in the swamp. Why come all the way into someone else's territory. The swamp Rancor said there were too many of them running in all directions, it took a while to find the trail of one and track it. The Sister told them it was too bad that they had their chance and lost it. Here the Purbole pay tribute to their Mother so that they do not get eaten. If they do not turn around and go back to their own territory, then they will be attacked and be eaten by their Rancor. The younger Rancor complained to the older Rancor that it was hungry. The older Rancor smacked it. "Better to be hungry than to be eaten" The older Rancor spoke to the Rancor the Sisters were riding, then turned and left. When they were sure the Rancor were leaving, they returned to the training area and reported to Mother. Letting her know that the two swamp Rancor are mother and son. Mother asked the Rancor what the swamp Rancor said to them. The Rancor told her, that she said that they must be proud to have such accomplished hunters ride them, "That wore trophies of their kills." The Rancor started laughing, and so did the Sisters.
Andriel had been sharing the traditions of the ceremony of the wedding night, and then started talking about the special foods they eat, to help them prolong that night. She had arranged with the kitchen staff to take over the kitchen after dinner, to show how to prepare the different dishes, and what the function of each dish was, so that they can tell their groom what to eat, because they both want that night to last as long as possible. She told them about the dishes that needed to be eaten right away, so that they don't get sick later. She let all the girls and the ladies that were present finish those dishes off. Now all the ladies from the village were present, because they knew that it was about special food preparation for weddings. Andriel told them that she keeps a supply of nuts hidden in the cave to be used on special occasions. She only let the girls taste small samples of the other dishes. At the end of her demonstration, Andriel took what was left over, to take home to share with Chitrah. Now the kitchen staff knew that Andriel prepared most of those dishes, once every twelve months. They had never asked her what they were for. They always assumed it was for some special ceremony that she and Father Chitrah conduct in their own home. Now they knew how special that ceremony was. The women all wanted to make some, and try it for themselves, to see if it really worked the way Mother Andriel said it would. They raided her secret stash of nuts, and made all the dishes that did not need special storage.
That night Krillgan took, Erin and Aliyanna for a sleepover with Diennu and Ludia, at Butashe's home. Butashe enjoyed hosting the children. She knew that Mother Andriel and Father Chitrah liked to have this one night alone, ever twelve months. Sometimes the children slept at her house, sometimes they went to the pirate ship and slept there. She knew that Erin preferred the pirate ship, because he always found something new he could take apart and put back together. Butashe preferred that they stay at her place, because Aliyanna would sleep with her. Ludia and Diennu, would share a bed, and Krillgan and Erin would sleep together. Butashe missed having Diennu sleep with her, because she said she was getting too old for that. So it was a special treat to have Aliyanna sleep with her. She did not feel lonely at night when the child was with her.
The next morning the Clan Mother is woken up by a loud knocking on her door. She knew it must be urgent if they are willing to risk waking her. When she opened the door, she found the young man she had assigned to work in the kitchen. He looked panicked. He told the Clan Mother that none of the kitchen staff had reported for work that morning. Soon the children would be up, and there would be no food for their breakfast. Amblin-Elu instructed him what homes he should go to, to wake an elder.
"Tell them this is an emergency."
Amblin-Elu went to wake the rest of the elders. She let him have the nice ones in the morning, she took the grouchy ones for herself. When she told them the situation, grumbling and complaining, they came to the kitchen. They knew it was already too late to try and start baking bread for breakfast, but they would need to bake some anyway for lunch. So they needed flour. They asked the young man where the grinding stones were. He told them that they don't make flour by hand anymore, they make it all in the mill. Another elder suggested they make porridge, it was always nice to have in the mourning. They asked the young man where the large mortar was kept to pound the grain for porridge. He told them that they use the mechanical pounder to flatten the grain for making porridge. The elders took one look at the contraption, and told him never mind, they will find the old mortar themselves. One of the elders lifted a sack of grain, and asked the young man to lead the way to the mill. The young man stared at her. She just threw that sack of grain over her shoulder like it was nothing. It normally takes two grown men to lift it, and they put it on a hand cart to take it to the mill. The elder snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"Lead the way son, this grain is not going to grind itself."
He led the way to the mill, checking that she did not fall over on the way. Now he had never operated the mill by himself, but he had seen it done a number of times. He hoped he remembered what to do. He instructed the elder to place the grain in the feeding hopper. He engaged the lever that started the upper millstone to rotate. He instructed the elder to place the fine cloth sack inside the grain sack she just emptied, so that they can use it to catch the flour as it exits out of the lower hopper. When the sack was in place, he opened the upper hopper to start feeding the grain. Soon flour started to fill the sack. When no more flour came out of the exit hopper, he disengaged the upper mill stone so it ground to a halt, and he closed the upper hopper. The elder said she could have made it faster herself. She forgot to close the sack before picking it up, so when she grabbed it, she ended up covering herself in a cloud of flour. The young man tried really hard not to laugh. He even had tears coming out of his eyes. The elder looked at him, "I've made a proper mess of myself, haven't I."
All he could do was nod his head.
"I'm so pale, maybe the others won't notice."
Now he could not help but laugh, and so did she. She grabbed the sack of flour by its mouth keeping it closed. She told him that she would meet him in the kitchen, she was going to take a shortcut. She jumped over the stream rather than walking all the way down to the bridge. The other elders had a good laugh when she showed up. The elder that wanted to make porridge, found the large mortar and the pestle for pounding the grain. She had flatten enough grain to start making porridge, but not without the other elders telling her not to pound so hard, because she might break it. Then they would have to use Father Chitrah's machine. Two elders decided to make dumplings, using the flour that the elder just brought back from the mill. One would make them, and then cook the dumplings in boiling water. The other wanted to make a sauce from honey, berries, and new ale, to go with them. The elder that was covered in flour decided to make flat bread. People can either pour some of the honey berry sauce on them, or they can wrap it around sliced meats and cheese. Amblin-Elu decided to start preparing the bread for lunch. They told the young man to put a large container on the stove to boil water for tea. Then to fetch some cooked meats and cheese so that they can slice it up.
Whenever they needed something, they would ask the young man where it is. He learnt not to go get it, just to point it out, then duck if he was between the item and the elder. The food was ready by the time the children started showing up. But it was not what they normally have, and it was in big pots, not in bowls like they normally have it. They were reluctant to try it, even though they were hungry. Than Krillgan, Ludia, Diennu, Erin, Aliyanna and Butashe showed up. Butashe started putting porridge into bowls for the little children. Then putting some syrup on top. She warned them that it was very hot. She told them to stir the syrup into the porridge first to sweeten it. It was okay to blow on the spoon if it was too hot. Krillgan wanted to try the dumplings with the syrup on them. When he said that it tasted good, other children were willing to try it. Ludia and Diennu tried the sliced meat and cheese wrapped in the flat bread. The elder had to make more syrup, because the children were putting it on almost everything. Krillgan took the big pot of tea, and took it up to the temple, placing the pot in the ice cold water to cool it down so it would be comfortable for the children to drink. The children even put some hot syrup into the warm tea to sweeten it, and give it a berry flavour. All the children were able to find something to eat that they liked, and were able to fill their bellies before going out to play. After they were done, the older children started coming in, the ones between eight and thirteen. They would be called teenagers on other planets, because of the difference in the length of a year. Around mid-morning when the elders had started cleaning up. The adults started coming in, the women where giggling like young girls, when they compared their experience from last night with their neighbours. They were all in a good mood, until they saw the angry looks on the elders' faces. The adults who were supposed to be working in the kitchen that morning turned bright red when they realised what they had done.
The Clan Mother wanted an explanation, on why no one but the young man had shown up to work in the kitchen. The lady in charge of the kitchen asked if he knocked on their doors. He told them that he pounded on all their doors but no one responded. The one man whispered to his wife, "I told you I thought I heard someone pounding on our door, but you said to ignore it, and it will go away."
The young man said that out of frustration and concern, he went and knocked on the Clan Mother's door. Then the two of them woke up the elders. The lady in charge of the kitchen, told the Clan Mother that Mother Andriel had made a special food presentation after dinner as part of her teaching on her traditions. "We have seen her make the dishes a few times before, but last night she explained the purpose of the various dishes. They were dishes that a bride to be, would make in preparation of her wedding night, for her and the groom to consume at certain intervals through the night. So that they would have more energy through the night, and be able to prolong their experience together. We all wanted to try it, to see if it really worked, if you eat the foods in the order she suggested. Well it worked better than any of them expected. They probably fell asleep when they should have been getting up." The Clan Mother was furious, she told them that they all acted like immature children. She forbade them from making the foods from Mother Andriel's traditions, except for feast days, and weddings, when proper arrangements can be made so that the little ones do not go hungry. They narrowly avoided a major disaster this morning. If it wasn't for the young man working in the kitchen, the children would still be waiting for their breakfast.
One of the adults asked, what about Mother Andriel making her dishes? The Clan Mother said that obviously she knows how to be responsible. As you mentioned, she has been making these dishes for a long time, and there has never been a problem. She has also made arrangements for her children to be looked after. Her children had a sleepover at Aunt Butashe's home, along with Ludia, and Krillgan. There is no need for this ban to apply to her or Father Chitrah.
The adults were downcast, they had a good thing, and they abused it. They told the Clan Mother that they would abide by her wishes. When the other villages heard about this ban, they wanted to know, what these dishes were, and why they were banned. When they were told it was part of Mother Andriel, and Father Chitrah's traditions, the heads of the villages had to inquire what these traditions were. Then they asked why this was not being taught in their villages. The elders had to approach Chitrah to get his permission to sit in on his sessions for the fathers, so that they could learn them, and teach the fathers in the other villages. They also told Andriel that they were going to start teaching her traditions to the girls and women of the other villages. Except for the cooking part, when they were ready, she would need to come out and teach them. Andriel told them that the traditions are taught and re-taught. A girl can be taught them about four or five times before she actually marries. It ended up, after discussing it with the Clan Mother that an elder ended up moving to each of the villages. So that she could carry on with the continuous teaching. It was also arranged with Chitrah, that he and Krillgan would have to go to each of the villages, to teach the massage part of his traditions.
One time when Krillgan took Erin and Aliyanna, to the pirate ship by Rancor cart. They found out that Aliyanna, was a beastmaster. Because all the beastmasters where in the farming villages, and Andriel was not willing to send her little girl to another village. Krillgan was given the responsibility of making sure that she was communicating properly with the Rancor. Amblin-Elu hoped that eventually she would be one of the regular members of the caravan crew.
One morning Ludia and Diennu were surprised when Krillgan did not join them for breakfast. He always showed up, even if it was just to say he would not be joining them. After breakfast they went to the cobbler's shop. They found Father Chitrah, but no Krillgan. When they asked father about him. He said that he thought Krillgan was with them. He had hoped that they could have the morning to talk about the traditions, but when he left the house early, he assumed that he had something important to do with them. He asked them, that when they found him, to let him know that he would like to talk to him. He rightly assumed that they would keep looking. He told them that there was no anniversaries or birthdays coming up, so he would not have snuck off to make anything. With a twinkle in his eye, he said that Krillgan only had three girlfriends, and two of them were looking for him. They both were embarrassed because he knew he was talking about them.
"Father Chitrah, you know that we are only good friends. (Pause) Wait a minute, who's the third girlfriend?"
"Rasha of course. But she is not due back with her father for another couple of months."
They felt better when he said Rasha. She was a good friend. The adults let them postpone their commitments until after she left with her father. So the three of them could spend all their time with her.
When father first mentioned a third girlfriend, they wondered whether a non-force user village girl had caught his eye. For a moment, they both felt jealous. They knew that father liked to tease them. So they each gave him a kiss on his cheek, so the other cobblers watching, would tease him back for them.
They checked all of their usual hangouts, he wasn't there. For some reason, Ludia thought that they should check the woods where they slept when they had that challenge from Mother. None of them had been there since. There was Krillgan, sitting right where they had slept. Knees up, elbows on his knees, face in his hands. They think they heard him crying. They came up to him, telling him that they looked all over the place for him, and father wants to talk to him. He did not even look at them, he told them to leave him alone. He also told Ludia to tell her Mother that he won't be coming to the Bonding Ceremony tonight. The girls knew that this is serious. They both left Krillgan, and ran to Mother. They told her all that happened, including Krillgan not even looking at them. Mother asked them if any of the village boys were teasing him, like they did before. They both told her no, he would have told them something like that. She asked if they saw any crows or other scavenger creatures, around him. They told her they did not notice, but they also did not look. Krillgan was always better at spotting creatures then they were. Mother asked them where exactly they found Krillgan. Then she told them not to follow her.
They didn't, they went straight to Father Chitrah. They got him out of the cobbler's shop. Then told him they found Krillgan, and the reception he gave them. They also told him that Mother was on her way to talk with him. He asked them if they could take him to Krillgan. They told him that they were worried that he would never ask. When they approached the woods, Chitrah told them that it would probably be best if they did not come into the woods with him. He may need to speak to Krillgan privately. Now they brought him here so that he could help them find out what was going on. But if it would help Krillgan, if father talked with him alone, they would want that.
When Mother found Krillgan. She went and sat down beside him. She told him that she had heard that he did not want to come to the Bonding Ceremony. He must have quite a good reason, if he was going to miss the Bonding Ceremony. He had to tell her what it is. Krillgan told her that it was very personal, and very embarrassing. Mother told him that that did not matter. As Clan Mother she was required to hear it. Krillgan asked her to lean towards him. He was even too embarrassed to say it out loud. When Mother heard what he had to say, she wanted to start laughing, and she wanted to hug him. She did neither, she knew that they would both hurt him. She did tell him that it was not a good enough reason for him to miss a Bonding Ceremony. The Ceremony is about accepting each other just the way they are, no matter what is happening to them.
Krillgan was upset, "They will all laugh at me."
Mother admitted that they might, this is not a condition that most women are familiar with. But if they do laugh it is not because they want to hurt him. It is because they don't know how to react. They still will be willing to accept him.
"But Kreen won't. I doesn't understand why she stopped liking me?"
Mother assured Krillgan that Kreen still likes him. She just has some issues in her life that she has to deal with. Unfortunately his being in the Bonding Ceremony has forced her to have to deal with them.
"Just remember that she is still Kreen. We have to trust her to make the right choices."
Krillgan finally agreed to come. He can't hide forever. Mother had noticed that Chitrah had been standing a discreet distance away from them, allowing them to talk in private. Mother asked him if it was okay for her to tell his father what is wrong, he is waiting in the woods to talk to him. Krillgan told her it was okay for her to tell him, he wasn't going to run away. Mother was glad to hear that he still had a sense of humour. She patted him on the shoulder when she got up, to try and give him some reassurance.
She told Chitrah what was wrong with him. Chitrah told her that the same thing happened to him when he was Krillgan's age. His father helped him deal with it, so no one else in his family knew. Mother was happy that at least Chitrah knew how to try and help his son. Chitrah went and sat down beside his son. He put his left arm around him and drew him close to him. He told his son that it was okay to cry. So Krillgan, cried on his father's chest. He asked his father why this had to happen to him, on a Bonding Ceremony day. Chitrah told him that he did not know why. Things were much easier for him, when it happened to him. Krillgan asked him to tell him about it. He told him that his father noticed, he had come down before breakfast, and was already working at his workbench.
"Something similar must have happened to him. Because he brought his breakfast over to my workbench, and shared it with me. He told me not to worry, just to do a good job with the work that was given me. My brother noticed that Father was getting up and getting things for himself, that I as the youngest apprentice, would normally be required to get. He got angry with me and told me to stop being so lazy and get up and get father's stuff. Father spoke sternly to him. "Achram! This is still my workshop not yours. If I chose to get up and get something for myself that is no concern of yours. Do not presume to do my job for me. When this is your workshop, then you can order around your apprentices however you choose." Achram apologised to father. He was actually surprised that father stood up for me. Father kept bringing over stuff for me to do, and taking away the stuff I had finished. When lunch came, father told mother that I was excused from coming to lunch, because I had too much work to do. With everyone else in the kitchen, it was a good time for me to take a bathroom break, without anyone seeing me. I had been holding it for most of the morning. When I went back to my workbench, I found that mother had left my lunch there for me. I don't know if father secretly asked her, or if she did it on her own. I was famished, because I had only shared father's breakfast that morning. I ate it as quickly as I could. The plate was empty when mother came back for it, and I was able to thank her. Just before dinner time, my father came and piled a whole bunch more work on my workbench, and told Achram that I would not be joining them for dinner. Now Achram was confused, he wondered if father was punishing me for something he did not know about. After they finished dinner. Father told Achram that they should leave me alone in the workshop. They should go upstairs to relax. After they left the kitchen, Mother brought me my dinner and asked me if everything was alright between me and father. I told her that father has been looking out for me all day. Not to worry. She sat with me as I ate. She told me that sometimes she does not understand what my father was doing. I told her that when I grow up, I hope I can be as nice to my son, as he is to me." With that he pulled out a porridge cake, since he knew that Krillgan had missed breakfast, and it was already after lunch. He apologised to Krillgan that he wasn't able to bring him something to drink. He asked him if there was a nice stream nearby, where he could go get him some fresh water. Krillgan told him where he could find a stream.
When Mother left the woods she asked the two girls to accompany her back to the village. They need to leave Father Chitrah and Krillgan alone for now. They asked her if Krillgan was going to be alright. She told them that she expected he would be. They asked her what is wrong with him. She told them they would find out when Krillgan comes to the Bonding Ceremony tonight. The girls felt better knowing that Krillgan would be coming to the Bonding Ceremony. Now they were very curious about what was wrong with him.
They found Krillgan in the anti-chamber to the temple, where they undress and leave their clothes until after the ceremony. He was just sitting on a bench fully clothed, leaning forward. He told them that Mother had promised to get him, when it was time to go in. They studied his face very closely, and could not see any blemishes, so they knew that that was not the problem.
When the time to start the meeting came, Mother came and got him. He followed Mother into the temple, and the Sisters noticed that he was actually hiding behind her. She called for everyone's attention. She told them that they have a Sister that has encountered a problem that no Sister has ever encountered before.
"Krillgan is so embarrassed that he did not want to come to our Bonding Ceremony. I had to remind him that we are obliged to accept everyone just as they are, no matter how embarrassing it may seem. I was surprised to find that Krillgan's problem is more common than I thought, amongst young men going through puberty. The horn of his manhood has been hard all day."
She made Krillgan stop hiding behind her. He came out and stood beside Mother. Ludia and Diennu had to put their hands to their mouths to stop themselves from giggling. Mother assured everyone that this was not a permanent condition. He should be back to normal soon. One of the Sisters commented that she knew some men that wished they had that problem. Another Sister replied, "Don't you mean that you wish your lover had that problem." This caused most of the Sisters to laugh, except the first Sister who turned quite red. Even Mother smiled as she tried to bring order back to the assembled Sisters. She reminded them that discussing their love life was not part of the Bonding Ceremony. Then she told Krillgan to go stand by Ludia and Diennu like he normally does. Krillgan again tried being careful, not to touch anyone as he made his way through the crowd. He was a little surprised by how many Sisters reached out and touched his shoulders as he went by, just to reassure him.
Mother was pleased with how well the Bonding Ceremony went despite its unusual beginning. When they went to the anti-chamber to dress, Kreen noticed that Krillgan's horn was no longer standing erect. She asked him what was wrong, don't her girls interest him anymore, and she started fondling her mountains. Which had the desired effect on Krillgan's horn. Many of the Sisters thought that Kreen had gone too far, and looked at Mother to discipline her. Before Mother could do anything. Krillgan went up to Kreen. Because he was shorter, as he was still growing, he put his head between her mountains, and hugged her. This move surprised everyone, especially Kreen. She later confessed to her close friends how erotic Krillgan's fur felt on her naked body. Kreen tapped him on his head and asked why he did that. He looked up at her face with tears in his eyes. So she knew that she hurt him, which made her feel bad.
"You are important to me, and I love you!"
Kreen finally realised that she did not need the prophecy to be important to people. She knew how Ludia, Diennu, and Krillgan looked up to her. She almost lost their respect with the way she was behaving. Even the Clan Mother had appointed her their instructor, before she knew about the prophecy.
"I'm sorry I hurt you Krillgan. I love you too little Sister."
Then she ruffled his hair, because she was afraid to hug him back. Everyone heard her call Krillgan little Sister. A term of affection that the older Sisters use when talking with younger Sisters to give them encouragement. It was like a dark cloud had suddenly been lifted off of the group.
After Krillgan turned to get his clothes. Kreen looked at her mother, who smiled back. Her heart skipped a beat, mother approved. Then she looked at her grandmother. She did not smile, she just nodded her head. Kreen could not remember if she ever saw her grandmother smile, but she knew that grandmother thought she did the right thing. When Krillgan came to where his clothes were, both Ludia and Diennu gave him a hug, they were so excited for him. Krillgan had a big smile on his face, and politely asked his two friends if they can save the hugging until after they were dressed. He did want his horn to go down at some time. This was their first indication, that their bodies affected him. They looked at each other and smiled. They always thought that Krillgan stood near them because he wasn't interested in their bodies, it was a safe place. Know they knew that this was not true. He stood near them for the same reason they stood near him. They felt comfortable being near each other, despite the tension they felt in their bodies, being so close. They were no longer little girls. Now they started to feel like women.
The Clan Mother waited until the next Bonding Ceremony to make sure that everyone was bonding. At the end of the ceremony, she told all the Sisters that they would have a special meeting the following day. She asked Krillgan that he not attend, because they will be talking about Mother Andriel and Father Chitrah, she wanted her Sisters to be able to speak freely, and there was a small chance he might be offended by what some of them might say or ask. She was trusting that Ludia and Diennu would be able to fill him in later, about the things they will be discussing.
"If you have any questions after that, I will be happy to talk with you, because we do not want to hide this from any Sister, especially you."
Krillgan was curious about what they would be discussing now, after they have been living with them for so long. He arranged with Ludia and Diennu where they would meet up after the meeting, so that they can tell him what was said about mother and father.
When he saw other Sisters but not Ludia and Diennu. He suspected that something might be wrong. He went up to the temple to see if they might be there. The temple looked empty, but he could hear crying in the anti-chamber. When he looked inside he could still make out Ludia and Diennu, because of his Chagrian vision, even though it was so dark. He entered and saw that they had been hugging each other. He asked them if everything was all right. They both made room so that he could sit between them. They both leaned against him, each holding an arm. Ludia told him that Mother finally shared her whole dream with them. When grandmother appeared to her and told her about the healer that was coming.
"Grandmother also told her about the two adults that were bringing the healer. That they were special. They have the Mother Spirit, and Father Spirit, of Dathomir in them. She had to make sure that no one from the clan harmed them in any way. Because if they were harmed, the Force would punish the clan. Mother told us how she came across an old recipe for a potion in the book of Knowledge and Wisdom. This potion was supposed to make alien species appear more human. She wanted Mother Andriel and Father Chitrah to blend in better to our community. So she ignored the advice of the elders and gave the potion to them anyway." Krillgan remembered that day very well. "Mother told us that by doing so she had caused Mother Andriel to lose her baby that she did not know she had. This brought their whole clan under a curse. She told all of us that it was her fault that our fathers are dead." Both of his friends put their heads on his shoulders and cried. "Then she told us she was very sorry. She let us come in here to cry. So we did not hear what they said in the rest of the meeting." Krillgan asked them if Mother was blaming mother and father. Ludia told him, "No way! They had forgiven her for giving them the potion. If they had known about the curse they would have tried anything to stop it, even though they couldn't. It was out of their hands." Krillgan asked them if they heard anything else. Diennu remembered, she said that mother and father cannot know anything about this, because they would feel extremely burdened about us, and would stop being mother and father to us. Nobody wants that, we all love them. We want them to be happy. Krillgan wanted them to be happy too. He asked them, why Mother waited until now to tell everyone? They said they did not know, they were in here crying. Krillgan suggested that they go see Mother. They told him that they were okay, and got up to go with him. As they were walking Krillgan asked them not to blame Mother, because she was trying to do what was best for everyone. Even he did not know that mother was pregnant. Ludia and Diennu knew that he was very good at knowing when mother was pregnant. He could sense it with other women too. He told them the details of the day that Mother gave the potion to mother and father. How it hurt them both, but especially mother. It was only when Mother saw how much mother was bleeding, that she realised that she had been pregnant. He told them how pale Mother became. She took off her cloak, so that no one could see mother bleed, and she sent one of the Sisters for the material women use when they go into their moon cycle. Both young ladies had experienced many moon cycles, and knew what Krillgan was talking about. Ludia and Diennu knew that Mother would not have hurt them intentionally. They also knew that she was a woman of action. So this was not the first time that she had done something without first thinking it through.
When they arrived at Mother's, they saw that Butashe was also there, and that her eyes were red from crying. She asked the two girls if they had forgiven Mother yet. They both nodded their heads, so she came over and hugged them both. Then Mother went and put some water on to boil for tea. After everyone was seated, she asked them how she could help them. Krillgan told her that Ludia and Diennu did not hear anything more of the meeting, after they went into the anti-chamber to cry. He was curious why she waited until now to tell everyone what had happened. Mother told him that she wanted to tell them, especially her sister. Maybe because she wanted her sister to beat her up, since she had caused the death of her husband, and left her daughter without a father. "I know that I wanted to beat me up. But I could not risk this knowledge affecting how the Sisters bonded with you. I needed to be sure everyone had actually bonded with you of their own free will first. Rather than them feeling that they had to. Which they now know that they did. Krillgan let that sink in before he asked the next question. He asked if there was anything else that they missed. Mother asked them what they had already shared with him. Mother looked at her sister and sighed. She told them that the only other information they had missed, was when one of the Sisters asked what would have happened if not everyone had bonded with him. "I told them that the elders and I had set a time limit. We knew that anyone who had not bonded with you by that time, had chosen not too. I would have had no choice at that point, but to kick them out of the clan. Because they had put themselves ahead of the clan, and would be a dangerous disruptive element. Which was not acceptable for a Sister of the clan." Krillgan asked her, how close were they, to reaching the time limit? She told him that she will give him the same answer she gave them. "Close! Very close!"
After this, their training changed, according to what area they would be specialising in. The Singing Mountain Clan is the only clan that breaks their Sisters into one of three categories. Rangers, Warriors, and Healers. All other clans have only two categories. Warriors and Healers, with some Warriors also classified as runners. Diennu because of her superior stealth capabilities was being trained as a Ranger, under direct supervision of her mother, who was in charge of all Rangers. Ludia was being trained as a Warrior, as had her mother. She would be training with Kreen, but not under Amblin-Elu. Even though she was considered the clan's best Warrior. There were a number of capable warriors that she would be training under. Her overall training would be supervised by the elder Hm-Shassa, who supervised the training of all Warriors, including Amblin-Elu. Krillgan would be training as a healer, under the supervision of Amblin-Elu. Even though she was trained as a Warrior, after she became Clan Mother, she asked to be trained as a healer as well, because she understood how important healers were to the whole clan. Even though it was harder for her to learn, since she had no natural skills. She persevered, and is considered one of the clan's better healers. More importantly, she is considered their best trainer for healers, because she can help healers in the areas where they are not naturally gifted.
Now they still needed to be trained in the four basic elements. Butashe was the top trainer for air. Amblin-Elu was the trainer for earth, because warriors also needed to know the sub category of rock, and she was the best in this category. There were no Sisters that were strong in water or fire, so whoever Hm-Shassa considered was available to teach it, would be the one to do it.
So the way their day was now structured. After breakfast Krillgan would go to Chitrah for instruction. Now Chitrah did not teach his sons just the traditions, but he also taught them mathematics. Chitrah taught geometry to all the apprentices, but he taught algebra and calculus only to his sons, along with physics. He taught Krillgan, because he believed at some point in his life he will need to leave Dathomir, for Kindell's prophecy to be completely fulfilled. Since he was a natural pilot, his knowledge of math could only help him. He taught Erin, because of his natural mechanical ability, and because he enjoyed helping Grimm and father with the maintenance and repair of the Fenelar Phoenix, whenever it was on Dathomir. Ludia and Diennu would go to mother for training in the traditions in the morning. She would also teach them in design, from armour to dance costumes. Because of her knowledge in Togruta dances and her self-defence training, she was also in demand to help the Sisters with their dance choreography. Something that Ludia and Diennu found that they also had to help with, because Andriel was poor at demonstrating what she was talking about, but they seemed to understand. In the afternoon they would be involved in the training of their discipline. The only time they would train together was when they were trying to master one of the four elements. After dinner they had their own time. They found that they would each share the knowledge of their discipline with their friends. They did not know that Mother and the elders were hoping that they would do this. This helped them reinforce their own training, as well as learning about the other disciplines. Ludia found that she needed Kreen to help her demonstrate some of the Warrior stuff she was learning. Krillgan found that mother was very helpful, when he was trying to share some of the stuff he had learnt. This was because Andriel had a strong chemistry background, which helped her with the use of dyes in clothing. Her knowledge of teas came from a strong interest in biology. Chemistry and Biology are two sciences that are important to healing sciences. So she was a big help to helping Krillgan understand what he had been taught, and to help him share it with Ludia and Diennu. If Diennu was having trouble sharing something, she could always count on her mother to help her. Because Andriel was so good at helping Krillgan learn. Mother would quite often invite her to join them if they were doing something that did not involve the force. Another thing that Krillgan learnt through his healing training, was not to be quick to put his hands on someone, without knowing first what was wrong. For instance if he touched someone with a compound fracture, that did not have the bones set properly. The bones would start healing in the wrong position. They would have to be re-broken, which can be very painful, then set properly, before he could touch them to heal them. Krillgan relied on the scanning feature of his father's computer, when he was not sure what he was seeing with the force. Elder Yma, who actually oversaw all the healers, found it was a handy tool to have. The hardest thing for a healer was to see clearly inside someone using the force. Sometimes your own mind would distort what you are seeing. Sometimes you are seeing properly, but you cannot understand what you are seeing. When you have Chitrah do a scan, than more eyes can look at the same thing, and figure it out. This helped them all out in diagnosing and treating different types of cancer. This also helped them to understand what gallstones and kidney stones looked like. Those were two things that were usually very difficult to see with the force, when you have never seen them before, because they usually had multiple crystal layers, and no symmetry.
They were able to master air and earth quite quickly because of the excellent instruction. Amblin-Elu told them that it takes a lot of experience in the earth element before you can start using rocks. You have to feel the force interact with the rock. She picked up a rock using the force, than she fashioned it into a solid rock shield. After she let it go, her students were surprised that it did not return to being a rock, but instead crumbled into a pile of rock dust. She reminded the students that this is always the sacrifice a rock makes when you use it. It can never be put back the way it was. To learn the water element they went to the very interior of the mountain ranges. The pass leading to the valley they needed to connect to was just beyond where the pirate ship had landed. At the far end of the valley were hot springs. The springs ran into a number of pools before exiting into a shallow lake. It was only the elders that enjoyed sitting in the hottest pools. The cooler pools were preferred by everyone else. They were still quite hot. You could still see the steam coming off of them even on a hot day. On a very cold day the steam was so thick it looked like a fog. Sisters were allowed to bring family with them when they trained, because the shallow lake was warm. Children could play in it for hours, and not get too hot or too cold, since they were always going in and out of the water. The valley was fairly barren, so Saurian fliers did not even fly over it, looking for food. So when you go to the valley, you bring your own food. If you are going to be there an extended period of time, you arrange for food to be brought to you at regular intervals.
No one in the Singing Mountain Clan had ever heard of swimming outfits. Except for the special outfit they wore in the cold water of the lake they did their final training exercise. So when they decided to go into the water, they simply removed all of their clothing. Andriel and Chitrah were not happy to hear that. They did not want Erin to see all the naked young ladies that Krillgan would be training with. They told the Clan Mother that this was not a bonding ceremony, so there was no reason that everyone had to be naked. Andriel showed her the swimming tunics she had made on Manaan. She told her that she was willing to make something similar for everyone that was going.
If it had been anyone else, Mother would have simply told them that they did not need to go. But this was Mother Andriel and Father Chitrah who were asking. So she agreed to let them do what they think is best. When the Sister who was asked to be the instructor heard about this, she went to Mother and protested. She thought that wearing any kind of clothing, would be too restrictive in their movements. Interfering with her ability to train the young Sisters properly. Mother took the easy way out, and sent the instructor to talk to Mother Andriel. This scared the Sister, because she had remembered the warning that Mother had given them about hurting Mother Andriel or Father Chitrah. The Sister had found her to be a nice lady to talk to, and she even had a dress that Mother Andriel had made for her. It was her favorite, and she wore it every feast day, always getting nice compliments. But she was afraid to argue with her. What if she hurt her and brought a curse down on her clan like Mother did. So she went to Krillgan, to ask his advice.
Krillgan remembered the bathing tunic he wore on Manaan. He also agreed that it would probably be too restrictive, but he did not want all the young ladies being naked. It was hard enough being naked with them in the Bonding Ceremony. At least it was not very light in the temple, and when they were talking and sharing, he rarely saw more than a Sisters shoulders and head. It was only when they were undressing and dressing that he saw their bodies. He was also worried that in the water it would be much harder to avoid accidental contact. He preferred that they wear something. He told the Sister this. She was a little surprised by this, because every man that she has been with, has always wanted to see her naked. Krillgan reminded her that he was there to train, not to flirt. A naked female body can be a distraction. Krillgan told her that the best way to talk to Mother Andriel was to be honest and open, the way she would talk with a Sister with whom she had a disagreement. He promised her that she would listen. He also said that he would come with her and support her. Because he also did not want their movement restricted. She was surprised by this, considering what he just said about wearing clothes. She had hoped that she could talk Mother Andriel into letting them train naked. Now she realised that that would not happen. So they now needed to find a compromise where everyone could be happy.
They found Mother Andriel in the seamstress shop. The Sister was surprised that Krillgan disappeared just after they found her. She entered the seamstress shop by herself and told Mother Andriel that she needed to talk with her. She was the Sister charged with training the young Sisters in mastering the water elements. She had just been informed that they would be required to wear some form of clothing. At that moment she heard a knock on the door.
The Sister was confused by this. Why didn't they just walk in like she did? When a young seamstress answered the door. She saw Krillgan with Father Chitrah asking for permission to come in. That is when the Sister realised that men were not allowed in without permission. Even Father Chitrah who was married to the head seamstress.
She was surprised that they were both there to support her. This was quite a surprise. Since they were told that they were not allowed to be naked anywhere in a public place, in case they offend Father Chitrah. Father Chitrah told his wife that the tunics she made them on Manaan were fine for just bathing in, like they did on Manaan, but they were not good for moving around in the water. Chitrah told her that he was hoping to take advantage of this trip to learn how to swim. He is Chagrian after all.
Mother Andriel recognised the mini revolt for what it was. She promised them that she would come up with a better design. So that they would be comfortable wearing it in the water. She told the Sister that she would need her help to do it.
Mother Andriel knew about the outfit that they wear in cold water. The Sister objected, she said they would overheat if they wore it in the training lake. It was not like regular clothing, it was more like armour against the cold water. Still Mother Andriel insisted that she bring one, and then they can talk about what is restrictive, and what is not.
When she brought an outfit, Mother Andriel thought it looked like it was way too small for her. She wondered if this was intentional. She asked the Sister to put it on. The Sister was not sure she heard her right. She asked if she wanted her to put it on in here. Mother Andriel asked her what was wrong. Was she afraid of revealing her body? The Sister told her it was not that. She would need a tub of water to soak it in first. She was worried that she would get everything in the room wet while she puts the outfit on. Mother Andriel had not been told of this. Now she knew why the outfits were all pretty much close to the same size. They would stretch when wet, hugging the body. There would be some restriction to movement. But not as much as she thought, since the outfit would stretch. She still needed to see her in the outfit. She informed the Sister that they would hold up material around her to prevent her from getting everything wet.
They brought a large tub of water into the seamstress's shop. The Sister placed the outfit in the tub, then went out to find a Sister to help her get in it. The old seamstresses showed Mother Andriel the fabric they use to make the outfits from. It was very loosely woven fabric, it would have some stretch when it was dry, even more when it was wet. They told her how they layered it to try and provide some heat protection from the frigid waters. Andriel understood the theory. She did not think it worked very well. She felt that water would still flow very easily between layers, so if you moved quickly. All the water your body just warmed up would be left behind. She watched the Sister put the outfit on. She noticed the little bumps that quickly formed all over her body as she did, because they had not bothered to warm the water up after hauling it out of the stream. She asked the Sister about that. The Sister told her that she was used to it, since she has done the training a number of times, and the water from the lake feels even colder after they soak the outfits in the lake before putting them on. Mother Andriel asked her how much the suits help them. The Sister told her that she tried going across the lake without it once. She did not get very far before she knew that she was getting too cold, and had to go back. With the outfit, it is more bearable. Especially for the first part of the trip. But by the time you get half way, it feels like it's no longer helping. Then it is a race to get to the other side of the lake before you start shaking so much from the cold, that you lose control of your body altogether. That has happened a few times. Fortunately the other Sisters still had enough strength, so they could drag the Sister paralyzed by the cold, to the shore. Mother Andriel asked her why they do it, if it is so dangerous. The Sister told her that this was a big part of the reason. Being able to stare death in the face and survive. The other reason is to watch a sunrise and a sunset over the Great Desert. You can see most of the Great Desert from the cliff face at the far end of the mountain lake, where it spills over the edge to the Great Desert below. To see the desert first hit with sunlight, and the colours of the sky interact with the sand, is breathtaking.
Mother Andriel asked if there was an easier way. She told her that once a Sister is sufficiently skilled in the water element, she can form water shields on the surface of the water, and walk across. But she has never known a Sister to reach that level of ability, until after she has made the cold lake walk. The Sister helping her, tucked in the first overlapping flap that covered most of her back. She took the outer flap and brought it completely across her back the other way and tied it off at its anchor points. To Andriel this made sense. This way you give extra protection to the back and kidneys. She asked the Sister to demonstrate the movements that she does underwater, and to tell her of any restrictions she feels. After the Sister went through a number of movements. Andriel thanked her, and helped unfasten the outfit, since the other Sister had left, once it was on. What they did not know was the outfit was acting like a giant wick. Drawing up water from the tub. It also had a large surface area, so it was using the heat energy from the Sisters body to evaporate the water.
By the time the Sister had climbed out of the suit, she was shaking violently. Andriel dried her quickly then hugged her to herself to share her body heat with her. She told one of the seamstresses to run to the kitchen which was a short walk away, and to get a hot cup of tea for the Sister. In the meantime Andriel had grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around both of them. The Sister told her through chattering teeth that this is how they have to warm up at the end of the walk, but the person you are trying to warm up with, is just as cold as you are, and there is no one there to make tea until after they have warmed up. She was grateful for the hot tea, and tried to remove the cloak. Andriel would not let her, until after she had finished her tea, and had stopped shivering. After the Sister dressed, she showed Mother Andriel how they use the force to get as much of the water that is in the suit, out. Because wringing it out by hand is not good enough. It reminded Andriel of putting the wet nerf wool through Mrs. Grimshaw's hand wringer, where you had to crank the wool through. Because Andriel had seen the movements, and knew where the restrictions occur, she had some ideas for possible designs for swimming suits. Now she had to figure out what materials to use. She cut out pieces of fabric, about the size of a stretched hand, and placed them in the tub. She let them soak in there for a while. While she sat down and quickly sketched all the designs she could think of. Then she looked at the designs, to determine if they would cause any restriction to movement. She was planning on using materials that did not stretch when immersed in water. What was the purpose in wearing an outfit, if it was just going to stretch and slip off, once you entered the water? She finally settled on a design that she hoped would be accepted by everyone. She would have a sleeveless blouse that would only go down to the diaphragm, for a top. For the bottoms she made some shorts with a drawstring. They would both be made out of a heavier material than a regular blouse and be darker in colour. She wanted them to be slightly loose. So they would not trap heat against the body in the lake where they trained. She invited the instructor over to try it out. She also wore her old bathing tunic design, so she could see what Andriel had originally intended. The Sister put it on, then moved around. She felt no restriction to her movement. The Sister asked her, why the top was open at the bottom? Mother Andriel told her that it was to allow the water to flow freely around the body so that they do not overheat while training. She also told her not to bend over to pick things up when not in the water. Then Andriel dropped something and asked the Sister to be a dear, and pick it up. When she bent over and the blouse partly covered her face, leaving her mountains fully exposed, she understood Mother Andriel's warning. The Sister asked her what Krillgan will be wearing. Mother Andriel told her the exact same thing. The design was for all Sisters. Now she knew why the bottoms were designed the way they were. They will look alright on a young lady. They will look much better on a young man. Mother Andriel suggested that she walk over and show her Mother the design. If she approves, then the seamstresses will start sewing them for everyone that will be going for training. The Sister asked Mother Andriel, if she was serious about her walking through the village looking like this? Andriel asked her, what was wrong with that? The Sister told her that she felt naked, thinking about how everyone would look at her. Mother Andriel asked, if that was not the point? She was the one that wanted to walk around naked by the water. The Sister told her that that was different, there was something about being next to a lovely pool of water that makes you want to take all your clothes off. Andriel told her that she never had that feeling. So the Sister did as she was asked. She was sure that every guy in the village, was peeking through every doorway and window, to have a look at her.
She told Mother, that this was Mother Andriel's new design for swimwear training wear for all Sisters. Mother had her turn around. Then she knocked something off her desk, and asked the Sister to be a dear and pick it up. She bent at her knees, and not her waist, and told Mother that Mother Andriel had already tricked her into picking something up for her. Mother asked her, what Krillgan would be wearing? The Sister said that Mother Andriel had designed it for all Sisters. Mother liked that. She asked the instructor if there was any reason why they should not approve it. The Sister told her that she has felt no restrictions to her movement. She feels naked walking around the village like this. So that means that she will be next to naked in the water. If the top becomes too much of a problem being so open at the bottom. They can always get Mother Andriel to add a drawstring or ribbon, so they can tie it off. Mother agreed and told her that she can tell Mother Andriel to make them for all the Sisters doing water training, and anyone else that was going, that wanted to go in the water.
Mother Andriel had already selected the material she was going to use for Chitrah's swimsuit. She was going to make his top a little tighter, just like she was for Krillgan's swimsuit. Only she found a nice blue material to use for Chitrah. It was very close to the colour of his skin. From a distance, he would look like he was naked when he had his outfit on. She'll find out how the Sisters liked being teased.
