\u201cWhy are they growing corn there?\u201d Qara wondered aloud. They were standing on the west bank of where the Lesser Bariad split out north, away from the Great Bariad. The town of Musmahwa was nestled within the fork, on the east bank on the lesser and the west bank of the greater. This meant they had to cross the Lesser Bariad, and although the river looked calm and was not much wider than the Big Bolt, it was definitely too big and too deep to bring a horse across.<\/p>\n
Lightning was still breathing heavily, and Orvi was rubbing the side of his neck. \u201cI don\u2019t\u2019 know,\u201d he answered at last.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe corn\u2019s on this side of the river,\u201d she said, redundantly. \u201cSomebody has to cross the river every day, just to grow his corn. That\u2019s stupid.\u201d The telltale yellow stalks had not yet emerged, but both Qara and Orvi knew corn plants when they saw them. \u201cDo you think there\u2019s a bridge farther north?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d He patted the unicorn\u2019s forehead. \u201cSorry buddy, I guess we\u2019ve still got a little farther to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey!\u201d Qara shouted. \u201cHey you!\u201d<\/p>\n
A man had emerged from one of the many huts by the river. They were small domes, made of hardpacked clay. Orvi thought his own chamber at the Mother\u2019s House was larger than what he saw. He had thought a monk\u2019s life was an austere one, but he was starting to wonder. It made him think of Brother Hesiud.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey you!\u201d she shouted again.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Yvmal,\u201d the man called back. He was tall and lean, wearing a grey shirt and mud-colored pants that hugged his boney frame. His scarf, also mud-colored, was wrapped around his entire head except his face, which was square and lined.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey Yvmal!\u201d Qara shouted. \u201cHow do we get across the river?\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed to the hut next to his. \u201cRhanga has a raft ready. I\u2019ll get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, Yvmal!\u201d She turned and smiled at Orvi. \u201cThat was easy. Isn\u2019t it weird that they just have rafts ready? It shouldn\u2019t be that hard to make a bridge, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Orvi had turned to look back over the fields they had covered. Lightning had carried them far and fast, though he was exhausted from carrying two people. He wondered what had happened to Podger, and Qara\u2019s horse. \u201cWhose horse was that, that you rode to\u2026 to\u2026\u201d They had spent eight days together on the unicorn\u2019s back, but had spoken very little.<\/p>\n
Qara\u2019s normally buoyant demeanor fell slightly. \u201cI borrowed him from Girad Imsek. He\u2019s rich, he owns three other horses. He\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yvmal emerged from his neighbor\u2019s hut with a small raft of woven wave-grass. It was dense, with thousands of stalks folded and woven together tightly. It was not wood, but it did look very secure. It was light, too. Yvmal carried it over his head easily. \u201cBe careful with this, all right? Rhanga will need it soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you just gonna throw it to us?\u201d Qara shouted. The river was at least thirty feet across.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh,\u201d Yvmal paused. \u201cGood point. We don\u2019t usually\u2026 I\u2019ll just\u2026\u201d He moved to a small patch of shallows and set the raft in the river to test the current. Then knelt onto the raft and started paddling himself across with his hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such a small raft,\u201d she said to Orvi. \u201cI don\u2019t think he could even fit, if he lied down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The current was light, but Yvmal still wound up a ways downriver before he reached their side. He gestured for them to stay put and carried the raft back up to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWill that thing fit all of us?\u201d Qara asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd our horse?\u201d Orvi added.<\/p>\n
Yvmal raised a finger sagely, then hesitated. \u201cAh. Good point.\u201d He hummed a moment before pointing north. \u201cLet me take you to the Holy Bridge, it\u2019s about a mile north.\u201d<\/p>\n
They took turns carrying the raft as they went. \u201cSo, how come there\u2019s no bridge at the fork?\u201d Qara asked. \u201cThat seems like an obvious place for one, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we have to keep the river clear, don\u2019t we?\u201d Yvmal answered obviously.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight, right,\u201d Qara agreed. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d said Yvmal. \u201cFor protection, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Orvi was leading Lightning when he asked, \u201cBut wouldn\u2019t a bridge on the Lesser Bariad be okay? I mean, Zalja isn\u2019t going to attack from the west, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not talking about Zalja, kid. I\u2019m talking about\u2026\u201d he glanced around. \u201cWhat are you kids doing here, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n
Orvi jumped at that. \u201cRight! Sorry, we need to speak to the senator at once, and we need to see the Mother\u2019s House. Is it on the Holy Bridge?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no, it\u2019s in town. Who would put a Mother\u2019s House on a bridge?\u201d<\/p>\n
Qara and Orvi shared a look. \u201cSoooo why is it called the Holy Bridge?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe monks ask the Mother to bless it daily, to repel\u2026 to keep it safe. It might be holier than the Mother\u2019s House by now, it\u2019s so blessed,\u201d he added laughing.<\/p>\n
They looked at each other again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you need to see the senator?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
Orvi felt bad, frighting a man who seemed so paranoid, but it had to be said. \u201cWe\u2019re from Shafinah. A band of Zaljan soldiers came into town a few days ago. They tried to burn the Mother\u2019s House.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yvmal stopped at that, nearly dropping the raft. \u201cNo! Why? No, not again. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t try to burn it,\u201d Qara objected. \u201cShe only did that to get us to back off. She wanted inside for some reason. She was trying to get something, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInside?\u201d Yvmal mused, walking again. \u201cBut there\u2019s no valuables inside the Mother\u2019s House. There\u2019s maybe a handful of holy relics, but those wouldn\u2019t mean anything to a heretic. To a Satariai, I mean. From Zalja.\u201d He was starting to pick up the pace, and his long legs made it hard for Qara and Orvi to keep up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know what she wanted,\u201d Orvi said, panting. \u201cSenator Potem brought some guards and chased her off before she could do\u2026 whatever she wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh!\u201d Yvmal slowed again. \u201cSo the danger\u2019s gone, then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know where she is,\u201d said Qara. \u201cThe senator went to East Gate, but she\u2019s sending people to all the other major towns too, just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust in case?\u201d he asked, speeding up. \u201cSo these Zaljans, they could be anywhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, there\u2019s only seven of them,\u201d Orvi added. \u201cSo they\u2019re probably all going to the same place, wherever it is. They might just try to run back to Zalja.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh,\u201d said Yvmal, slowing. \u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr maybe not,\u201d Qara added. \u201cShe has a famous dad that burned one of the Mother\u2019s Houses, so maybe she\u2019s trying to do something like that. Maybe. I mean, not burn it, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA famous\u2026\u201d Yvmal sped up again. \u201cA famous father who\u2026 Was it Ybril Ro Kheer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it!\u201d Qara exclaimed. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he burned our Mother\u2019s House!\u201d Yvmal said, breaking into a run, the woven raft bobbing over his head as he went.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh yeah. My dad said that was Musmahwa, didn\u2019t he? Wow, he is really hoofing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yvmal was hopping and sprinting down the river, and the raft slipped from his hands and tumbled into the river. He only ran faster after that, vanishing up the light incline toward the bridge.<\/p>\n
Orvi and Qara watched the raft float by as they stopped to catch their breath. \u201cI wonder what Rhanga needed that raft for,\u201d said Qara.<\/p>\n
Orvi was unworried. As they watched the raft disappear down the Lesser Bariad, he felt like a fist that had been gripping his heart had finally unclenched. \u201cWell. They know,\u201d he said. \u201cTomorrow, we can go home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHome? Don\u2019t you wanna look around this place? Don\u2019t you wanna find out why they just have rafts sitting around, or why it\u2019s crazy to build a Mother\u2019s House on a bridge?\u201d<\/p>\n
Orvi started leading Lightning up the river again. \u201cI have to get home,\u201d he said. \u201cI have to tell the monks. I have to tell them what happened. To Brother\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh. Okay.\u201d He could tell Qara was disappointed, but she did not press him. \u201cBut hey! We made it, right? Yvmal\u2019s probably found the senator already, with those giant beanpole legs of his. We saved the town!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Orvi agreed, smiling in spite of himself.<\/p>\n
Just then, they heard a beautiful, clear cry up above them, and saw a flock of four rainbow herons flying southerly toward the town. They turned in a wide circle and came to rest on one of the buildings, roughly east of where the children were standing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat must be Quelizad\u2019s House,\u201d said Orvi.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy? Is she the Mother of Birds or something?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Quelizad\u2019s House was the most beautiful building Orvi had ever seen. It sat atop of a very light hill that seemed to have rolled up just to support it, glistening green shortgrass spread all over. A large garden rested before the House, surrounded by a gate of wrought iron with bars that curved gently into shapes that did far more to beautify than to repel. Inside were bushes twice the height of a person, clipped and cut into the shape of warriors, dancers, magicians, and herons. A path down the center of the garden was lined with blossoms of every color Orvi could name any many more he could not.<\/p>\n
The House itself was as symmetrical as Liliq\u2019s House, but that was all they had in common. The first floor was made of brick, but not the red brick of Mu May that had built many of the homes in Shafinah. These bricks were bigger than a person\u2019s head, painted a deep purple. Purples were rare, so the paint had chipped in some places to reveal the brick was grey underneath. The first floor was topped by a great balcony terrace of wooden planks that ran all the way around, and Orvi saw a monk standing up there looking down on them; her long hair was a strange honey color, and her face made his heart beat faster. She wore loose, flowing robes of light violet with a fabric belt of deep blue. She saw him and smiled; Orvi blushed and looked away.<\/p>\n
The second and third floors were made of pine. The second floor had almost as many openings as it had walls, but what walls were there were painted a deep blue like the monk\u2019s belt. The third floor was forest green with no openings at all, not even windows. The roof, also green, was a sharp four-cornered steeple, and at its pinnacle was a wrought iron structure that split into eight curving branches. The rainbow herons they had spied earlier had alighted on four of them, their black beaks preening their peach plumage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s really tempting the All-Mother,\u201d Orvi said, pointing at the metal structure and trying not to look at the monk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is?\u201d asked Qara, \u201cthe birds?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe metal,\u201d he said as they approached the gate. \u201cLightning could strike that, and set the whole Mother\u2019s House on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOhhhhh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d think they\u2019d learn,\u201d he grumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut wait,\u201d Qara objected. \u201cIf the All-Mother wants to burn the House down again, won\u2019t she just do it? No matter if there\u2019s metal up there or not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, yes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what difference does it make?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the birds,\u201d Qara added innocently.<\/p>\n
The gate swung open lazily, and they took their time down the blossom-lined pathway to the front of the Mother\u2019s House. As with Liliq\u2019s House, there was a doorway but no door. By the time they approached, a monk had appeared to great them.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreetings,\u201d they said, \u201cI am Sister Uliemm. Welcome. You look to be from Shafinah, am I correct?\u201d They were very tall with large hands, but they gestured delicately when indicating Orvi. Like the monk on the second floor, Sister Uliemm wore robes of violet with a blue belt, which on closer inspection both looked to be made of satin. Their face was powdered lightly, with a faint pink shading around their eyes. They were almost as tall as Brother Hesiud, and something in the arch of their eyebrows was intimidating, but when their red lips parted in a bright smile, Orvi felt at ease again. Like Orvi, their head was shaved smooth.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah!\u201d Qara belted out. \u201cWhat\u2019s with your hair? Do you have lice too?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sister Uliemm\u2019s eyes widened briefly before considering Orvi\u2019s head. \u201cAh. I take it you are not looking to join our order then? I see your hair is already starting to grow back. May I have your names, please?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Qara Fishmonger, and that\u2019s Orvi. He\u2019s a monk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA pupil,\u201d Orvi corrected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see,\u201d the Sister nodded. \u201cYou must be nearing your confirmation day, am I correct?\u201d<\/p>\n
Orvi looked at his feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he already passed it,\u201d said Qara<\/p>\n
Sister Uliemm\u2019s face lit up at that. \u201cWhy then you are a monk! A novice is still a monk. Greetings, Novice Orvi.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I mean, the day passed. We were traveling here. When the day passed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sister\u2019s face crinkled at that. \u201cOhh. I am so sorry, Orvi. I should have been more observant.\u201d They cast their arms wide in self-recrimination. \u201cAnd here I am, interrogating you at our door like criminals. Please come in, Pupil Orvi and Qara Fishmonger. Come in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sister called over a boy about Orvi\u2019s age, already wearing purple robes and a shorn head, and ordered him to tend to Lightning. With that, Uliemm swept behind them and placed a hand on each, ushering them inside.<\/p>\n
The first floor did not have as many windows as the second, but there were braziers every eight feet or so. Most of the braziers had modest fires burning in them, with grates set atop to prevent spills, even though the floor was stone, covered in lush rugs of various muted shades. A few of the braziers, though, had small lumps of magic glowing in them. \u201cIs that Fool\u2019s Fire?\u201d Qara asked.<\/p>\n
Sister Uliemm\u2019s laugh was deep and from the belly. \u201cNo, Qara. I promise you, we are not fools. That is some lesser fire a wizard left us while passing through from Gharqah. There are only a few left, you can see, but when they are gone we will make do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re so much brighter than the fire,\u201d she observed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Uliemm sighed, \u201cthey are a blessing. I hear lesser fire is very common. Rat magic, some call it, it is so common, yet we will soon have none. We have sent a novice or two to Gharqah over the years for study, hoping to retain our own wizard, but they never return. I suppose the love of crystals in the earth overpowers even the love of Quelizad. But, Satar shaped us to obey our passions, not our institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s an institution?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA wise question, Qara Fishmonger,\u201d they answered with another bright smile. \u201cI pray you never find the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
They had reached a stairway at the end of the great hall that made up most of the first floor, and from there they climbed up. The difference was palpable. While the first floor was dim and sleepy, the second floor was bracing and sharp, like the chill of an early spring breeze just after the sun crests the horizon. There were doors everywhere, windows anywhere that lacked a door, and almost as many monks. They all wore the violet robs and blue belts and painted faces, though less than half had shorn heads, and even the handful of pupils Orvi saw wore robes, though theirs were pink with undyed rope belts. He tried to look for the honey-haired woman had had spied on the balcony, but he had no luck.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you looking for?\u201d Qara asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust, nothing, I\u2026 just looking at all the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a busy day, yes,\u201d Sister Uliemm agreed blithely. \u201cThe full moon is tomorrow night, and we of Musmahwa hold celebrations every full moon. And of course, it is nearing midday, when Brother Benfra and his novices must bless the bridge. Come.\u201d They ushered the children into a small room with a chair and table made of pine. The Sister bid them to wait there, then returned a minute later with two stools. \u201cSit, sit\u201d they asked. Everyone sat. \u201cSo, what has urged you to delight us with your company?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow come you bless the bridge every day?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Wait,\u201d Orvi interrupted. \u201cWe came here to warn you. Our town was attacked, or, well, not attacked, but\u2026 visited\u2026 by some Zaljan soldiers. They were trying to get into the Mother\u2019s House. The senator went to East Gate to warn them, but we thought we should warn all the Mother\u2019s Houses, just in case. It was Ro Kheer\u2019s daughter. Divine Commander Ybril Ro Kheer\u2019s daughter,\u201d he added. \u201cThe one\u2026 the one who\u2026 who\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Sister Uliemm nodded to him, smiling, then turned to Qara. \u201cThe bridge is blessed every day to repel evil spirits. Devils. It is believed they cannot pass running water, so the shallows of the Great Bariad are no concern, but the Lesser Bariad is deep here, so a bridge was needed.\u201d They smirked, almost sheepishly. \u201cExperts are unsure on whether the devils can cross over<\/em> running water, so we bless the bridge each day.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence followed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat devils?\u201d Qara finally asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe devils that first chased us out of Yaalk, back at the beginning of time.\u201d<\/p>\n The Yenai had supposedly all migrated out of the Cradle of Yaalk millennia ago in the Sear Age. From there, they settled along the Great Bariad, which was born when Satar struck the earth with lightning, opening a geyser from the Undersea to quench the thirst of the pilgrims and lead them to the shores. The Zaljans, the Khabarese, even the Yaalkese who eventually traveled back up the Bariad to the Cradle, were all descended from those first Yenai.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we left the Cradle because of devils,\u201d Orvi balked.<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d the Sister said with sincere curiosity. \u201cAnd why do you feel we left?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, because\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d they asked, by all signs genuinely interested in his opinion.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, because\u2026 it\u2019s hot\u2026 in Yaalk,\u201d he suggested weakly. \u201cIt\u2019s cooler. Here.\u201d<\/p>\n Sister Uliemm nodded, enlightened. \u201cAhh. Yes. It is hot in Yaalk. Or so I have heard. I have never been to Yaalk. One wonders how our ancient ancestors, without the benefit of magic or even the guidance of the Mothers, might have divined that Yena was cooler than Yaalk, but perhaps that is merely one of the mysteries of the world. It is certainly no more ridiculous an idea than devils. I have never seen a devil either. But then Yaalk is real, I think, so perhaps I must think devils are real as well.\u201d They shrugged. \u201cThank you for these thoughts, Orvi. Regardless, as far as Musmahwa is concerned, the answer is devils, and they wish us to bless the bridge each day for their protection. If we did not, someone might well tear down the bridge, and then we would have to cross ten more miles north just to get across the Lesser Bariad. Hardly convenient for the corn and wheat farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, how come you grow corn on the west bank?\u201d Qara asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe soil is better,\u201d they shrugged. \u201cAnd of course, it is more difficult for the Zaljans to burn a field on the far side of a mighty river. Speaking of which, now that you have had some time to sit and rest, I hope you will permit me to sway our conversation toward Pupil Orvi\u2019s news about these Zaljan soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n Orvi repeated the tale of the Zaljan soldiers, and how they had nearly burned down the Mother\u2019s House with greater fire, and how they had fallen into the Big Bolt. Sister Uliemm nodded attentively, but did not comment until he had finished.<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds like there is no particular reason to fear they might come here,\u201d they concluded. \u201cDid they have any writ with them? Any declaration of war?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh! I forgot. No, no they didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n They nodded again with another faint smile. \u201cAnd you say Yvmal has run to Senator Vishtim to warn him?\u201d<\/p>\n Qara and Orvi shared another look. \u201cWell,\u201d he hedged, \u201che went somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Qara, I have a favor to ask you. Would you please find Sister Rissell and bring her here? She has long hair the color of honey, and wears robes like mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay!\u201d Qara bolted off at once.<\/p>\n Sister Uliemm placed their elbows on the table and stared at Orvi. \u201cPupil Orvi, I hope you will forgive me, I feel there is more to this story you have not told me. It seems strange to me, that Shafinah would send a pupil and a fisherman\u2019s daughter alone across the Plains of Inish Aiva, even if these Zaljans are unlikely to visit us. Is there anything more you may have forgotten?\u201d<\/p>\n Orvi flushed and stared at the floor. He did not know why he had not mentioned Brother Hesiud, but now that the time came, he found he could not form the words.<\/p>\n Sister Uliemm seemed almost to read his thoughts. \u201cWas there another on your journey? A monk perhaps?\u201d He nodded. \u201cAnd you were separated?\u201d He nodded again. \u201cI see. Can you tell me what happened to this monk?\u201d He stared at the floor. \u201cI understand. I hope you will be able to tell me more before you depart, if you are willing.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a few seconds of quiet before Qara reentered with the honey-haired monk named Sister Rissell. Uliemm asked her to find Senator Vishtim and warn him about the Zaljans, in case Yvmal had become \u201c\u2026 distracted.\u201d In a voice like birdsong, Rissell agreed and was gone.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d Sister Uliemm spread their hands wide. \u201cIt would seem your mission is complete. You were very brave and resourceful to come, but I would feel better if you allowed me to arrange an escort to take you back to Shafinah. In the meantime, our full moon festival is tomorrow, and I have no doubt the senators would love to thank you for your courage. Would you consider spending a day or two here with us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the festival like?\u201d asked Qara.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, there are cakes and dances and mock-battles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in!\u201d she shouted. \u201cLet\u2019s do it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOutstanding,\u201d said Sister Uliemm. \u201cQara, might I convince you to enjoy our gardens for a few minutes, perhaps retrieve your unicorn? I wish to speak with Orvi a little longer, and then we will arrange rooms for each of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Qara danced out of the room. Again, Uliemm\u2019s demeanor became more sober.<\/p>\n \u201cOrvi, I understand your spiritual journey through the secrets of the Mothers is very personal to you, as it is to each one of us. Yet it seems to me that you may have been guided here for a purpose. I wonder if you would consider receiving your confirmation here, with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Orvi felt a brick drop in his stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not asking you to join the House of Quelizad,\u201d the Sister hastened to add, \u201cthough you are entirely welcome. You could be confirmed here with us, however, and return to Shafinah as a novice to continue your studies with the Mother of Fish.\u201d<\/p>\n A strange feeling came over Orvi. Although Sister Uliemm seemed entirely sincere, even respectful, something about the way they said \u2018Mother of Fish\u2019 made him feel something that Captain Behfa\u2019s mockery had not. \u201cThere are rainbow herons perching on the top of your House,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey often do. Avatars of Quelizad. It is a blessing, if I am not mistook.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you notice how their feathers are the same color as the Zaljan flag?\u201d<\/p>\n The Sister\u2019s nod suggested they had not noticed this. \u201cI see. Yet their feathers are also green, and blue, and purple.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut mostly peach. How do you know that\u2019s not a sign? Of\u2026 something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is a wise question,\u201d the Sister smiled. \u201cI pray you never find the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWhy are they growing corn there?\u201d Qara wondered aloud. They were standing on the west bank of where the Lesser Bariad split out north, away from the Great Bariad. The town of Musmahwa was nestled within the fork, on the … Continue reading