AUTHORS NOTE:

Archer1eye: Never underestimate a thief. I might send you a pm about how my coming out was, it felt anticlimactic at the time… but later news broken to me was… difficult. Oh, don't think that he doesn't think for himself… not for a second. The Easthavian culture however, is that the Mothers have ALL of the authority when it comes to daughters and Fathers have ALL of the authority when it comes to sons. He might have deep seated religious issues, but he's also a traditionalist at heart, so he IS conflicted… and very confused as to why his wife doesn't have any problem with it, although he is used to her lack of care for traditions (as much as she goes along with them.)
Also: I *have* revealed Sharein's parents names waaaaay back in chapter 2 (although chapter 17 has a mention)… but weirdly enough Easthaven is kind of like the puritan America of "The cauldron". She refers to them as Mother and Father and everyone else will refer to them as Master and Missus Askilain.

Slyksylva: Read and find out ;-)

Havok22: Thank you SO much for the review. Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter 52

9th Day of Middle Spring 768 n.c

I went back inside and pretended to go to bed and sleep, but I wore my trousers and shirt still. After a short while I got back out of bed and creeped out of the house. I paused once I was out a ways, crouching and waiting to be sure that Illith did not wake and was not following me once again. The door did not open, so I began my trek towards Shard's clearing. I paused and watched again once I had entered the treeline but again saw nothing out of sorts. Luna was either missing or hidden behind clouds and the forest was darker as a result. I used Dancing Lights to illuminate my path. The forest was silent, not even the hoot of an owl. I didn't hear the burbling of the creek until I got right up next to it and then the sound of it rushed in as if I had been deaf and only just regained my hearing. Once I crossed and took a few steps away the burbling noise stopped so abruptly that I turned around expecting the creek to be suddenly dry. It was not. I brushed it off and continued walking, making the clearing in good time. Shard was there, dressed normally but still just as pretty. She spotted me immediately and held her finger up to stop me.

I stopped and waited patiently.

She glided forward and we embraced briefly, before she said quietly, "you must undress, there must be nothing hidden from She Who Hides All. You must walk forward and kneel at the altar, call out to Tenebrae and tell her why you're here," she paused and whispered in an irreverent manner, "she already knows you're here and why, so you needn't be too loud."

She continued, "once she has answered, you will offer up blood on the altar and plead with Tenebrae to take so that she may give. Then you will repeat the prayer that I will say and it should all be done."

She stopped and smiled before spinning right around to face behind her, pointing out into the forest, "come out Mother!"

My sharp intake of breath drew Shard's attention back to me, I should have known better. If someone can steal a King's crown then surely they would be able to follow me without me realising.

Mother ruefully walked out into the clearing and made it opposite the altar, "what's going on here? You're not planning on saying your vows without, at the least, me and your sisters present?"

"No," I replied, "not yet," even though I considered this to be a next step to get closer to Shard, with knowledge that we could get married my determination to dedicate myself to Tenenbrae had not waned.

"Sharein is going to dedicate herself!" Shard piped up happily. I groaned at what was to come and Shard looked back at me quizzically.

"Dedicate?" Mother choked out, "to a God?"

"Goddess actually," Shard corrected.

"Which?" Mother questioned painfully.

"Tenebrae," Shard replied simply.

Mother screeched out "what?" Then rushed over to me, "Sharein, do you realise what you're doing? You'll be forever tied to her, doing whatever she wants! The Gods are not to be messed with, not to be played around with on a whim! It's a lifetime of dedication!"

"I know what I'm doing Mother, it's what I want," I replied, my voice sounding pleading to my ears, "I won't be just dedicated to her, I'm going to be her chosen!"

"Her chosen?" Mother whispered, collapsing down to sit on the ground, she whispered what I thought was "chosen of darkness?"

"It's a little late to be worried about me being forever tied to a Goddess anyway," I whispered to myself but Mother must have caught some of it because her head shot up and she stared at me.

"What did you say?" she asked.

I looked at Shard, thinking 'can I tell her?' She nodded at me.

"I'm able to become Tenebrae's chosen because Shard was away for me pleading my case," I said carefully.

"You said that you were away visiting your Mother," Mother accused Shard, who smiled in return.

"I was!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"But…" Mother began and I could see her working through the implications of that.

"If you're…" Mother said to herself, "and… Then that means…"

"Shard's a Goddess," I said, "kind of, sort of."

"Technically I'm a part of Tenebrae, not like her left pinky toe part, but a part of her power," Shard explained.

"I'm going to need a bit to think about this," Mother said.

"I'd expect so," Shard said brightly, "but I need to start the ceremony now. Would you like to watch? It's actually good that you're here as you'll be able to help Sharein get home."

I wasn't sure Mother actually really heard and understood what Shard said, but she allowed Shared to direct her a short distance from the altar.

"Get undressed now," Shard instructed me and I did so, leaving all of my clothes piled on the ground. Although it was middle spring, the air was a bit chilly and I felt goose bumps rise on my arms.

Shard waved me forward and I approached the altar, knelt down and called out mentally, 'Tenebrae, I am here to dedicate myself to you!'

'Good,' I heard a mysterious femenine voice reply, in the back of my head, 'rise and dedicate yourself to me.'

I stood up and Shard cut both of my palms with her triangular knife. She took my wrists in her hands, and turned my palms over to be pressed onto the top of the altar. A burning began, the altar felt like it was as hot as a fire! No, not the altar.. My blood, my blood was on fire! It was burning back up through my hands, up my arms and throughout my whole body! It was agony, pain beyond belief. It was hard to concentrate, but I felt gently a nudge from Shard almost lost among the pain flowing throughout me and I recalled her instructions.

'Take so that you may give!' I called out, screamed out using all of the pain inside me to make my mental call as loud as possible.

And just like that… the pain was gone. I felt Shard rub my back in sympathy and a glance showed that Mother was looking at me with worry and concern, arms still stretched out towards me as if she were about to rush forward.

Shard began chanting, strange unknowable words that I was somehow able to repeat. With each word repeated I felt an echo, a pulse from inside of me. The pulse of my magic. With each word the pulse grew stronger and stronger still. Until finally, just as she finished, as I finished it burst out. It was the same feeling as if I were casting a spell, but instead of travelling down my arm it burst out from every part of my body, an explosion of magic shooting off into the distance in every direction! Once it had shot off, I felt it… an echoing pulse from all around me. I confused it with the magic inside of me at first, until I realised that it was external to me, not internal. It was coming from all around. No, not all around… not where there was light, only shadow… only darkness. It pulsed in return and I could feel every one of them, getting greater and greater until they stopped. Until everything stopped and there was blackness. Nothing but darkness. There was no sound, I could see nothing.

'It is done,' a voice whispered in the back of my mind.

"It is done," echoed Shard from beside me.

"Sharein?" Mother said pleadingly, sounding frantic, "Sharein, are you alright?"

I turned around towards the direction of the voice, towards Mother, "I'm alright Mother," I said.

I must have overestimated the direction, for Shard turned back back a little bit and Mother gasped, "your eyes! Your eyes are black Shar, your eyes are black!"

"I'll have to take your word for it," I said with a smile as I reached out tentatively towards Mother, carefully extending my hand slowly.

It was grasped, by who I assumed was Mother and I felt a hand come up to rest against my cheek. I jerked my head back at the unexpected feeling, but once I realised that it was a hand and a hand most likely belonging to Mother, I leaned into it.

"She's blind?" Mother asked, "You're blind?" Obviously to me the second time.

"Yes," I heard Shard say, "Tenebrae takes her sacrifice in return for great gifts."

"How long will she be blind for?" I heard Mother ask.

"Well, normally dedicants lose their sight for a year entire," Shard said and Mother screamed, "what?"

Shard huffed amusedly, "normally dedicants lose their sight for a year, but Sharein is the first and only of Tenebrae's chosen so she decided that the year wouldn't be necessary."

I could picture Shard's amused smile and Mother would have to have a frustrated look.

"How long," Mother said slowly and deeply.

"A tenday," Shard replied and I smiled.

"Well, that's better than I was thinking!" I exclaimed.

"Better than? Did you know this was going to happen?" Mother asked of me exasperatedly.

"Yes," I answered, "well, not how long of course. I was kind of expecting something closer to a year."

"Sharein!" I heard Mother say, she didn't sound very happy.

I felt a familiar arm wrap around my waist to clasp my hip and I reached out an arm searchingly to wrap around Shard in turn.

"We'd best get you off home Sharein, it's going to be a long tenday and the sooner you get it started, the sooner it will be over." Shard whispered.

"Are you coming?" I asked and there was a long pause. I wondered if Shard and Mother were having some sort of mental argument. I didn't think that Mother would be too happy with Shard at that moment, all things considered.

"As far as the edge of the forest at least," Shard said, at length.

I didn't hear any further discussion, but was happy that Shard was coming most of the way at least.

They helped me get dressed back into my clothes. Both of them. That was interesting and slightly eye opening. It was a stark reminder of how much help I would need from others while I was like this.

Together they guided me. It was difficult to begin with, until I realised that Mother would probably be having trouble in the darkness and I cast Dancing Lights. That's when I got my first shock. I could see it! I couldn't see what it illuminated, but I could see the ball of black light! Although, not so much the black light part of it, but the ball of purple lightning. I even pointed right at it and Mother confirmed that it was there! I wondered whether I could actually see it, despite being born or whether it was my own mind filling in its location through my magic. It didn't really matter in the end, because it wasn't like it actually showed me anything except its own location in relation to me in an empty sightless void. Mother and Shard ensured that I didn't trip on any roots, but it was difficult to walk without any idea of the height of the surface I was stepping onto. Any hole was unexpected and any slight mound was something that I could trip on. We did make it, after what felt like an eternity, to the edge of the forest. I felt their lack of movement at the same time, their hands holding my arms no longer moved forward and I stopped.

There was a pause and I looked to my right, in the direction of Mother and to my left towards Shard.

"It is time for me to leave you, my love," Shard said, "for now."

I broke my hand from Mother's gentle grasp and felt for Shard with both hands. One hand grasped the material of her dress and a gentle squeeze (and an abrupt cough from Mother) informed me of exactly which part of Shard I had found. I felt around until I grasped her in a hug and we came together slowly in a goodbye kiss. Well, a kiss at least that perhaps went on longer than socially acceptable. To be honest, I had forgotten for the briefest of moments that Mother was there, until at least, she coughed again.

"Thank you." I whispered to her, bringing one hand up to caress her cheek.

"No," Shard whispered back, "thank… you."

I felt a slight wetness on my thumb, where I was caressing her cheek under her eye. Was she crying?

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly, concerned.

"Nothing's wrong my love," she replied, "I'm happy. I'm so wonderfully, eternally happy."

We kissed again, shorter that time so as not to risk another reminder from Mother.

Mother helped me walk back to the house and the whole way I felt like something was missing. Something external. We had almost reached the door when I realised with a start that I could feel Shard's presence. I could feel her missing from next to me.

Mother must have taken my start for an indication of some sort, because just before we entered the house she said to me, "we will talk about this Sharein. All of this. But not tonight, in the morning after I've thought through it all. We will talk."

"Yes Mother," I said contritely.

She helped me inside and helped me get changed and into bed.

Before she left, I felt he kiss me on the forehead and whisper, "I love you Sharein."

I closed my eyes and wondered at the complete lack of difference that made and thought, before I fell asleep, that all was right.