Prologue chapter 3

Summer 729 Berin province

The day was hot and humid, not a single soul stirred in the sleepy little village. Crickets chirped lazily. The village Berin lay deep inland on the main continent of kotina and was closely surrounded by several swamps and lakes. It had hot and extremely humid summers and short mild winters. In fact someone who grew up used to the change of seasons would not call this a winter at all. And the lack of winter and wind was what Marared missed the most. On the island even on hot days the wind had brought a bit of relief. And her homeprovince of Dyffrin had always been cold and windy. Here there was nothing, the small church was wooden and ramshackle and it didn’t provide any shelter against the elements. A stone building would keep you cooler during hot summer days, but the wood was just damp and smelly and only shielded her from contact with the direct harsh sunlight. She wiped a cloth over her face. It was three years now since he had been banished here, and in all that time she hadn’t had a communiqué from the island at all. No visits and no messages. She had been dropped here with a cantankerous old priest and left to rot. That was how Marared viewed it at least. She had barely had time to say goodbye to Raya. Her friend had told her were she was going, back to her hometown. Mara had tried to write to her via the village priest but she had not heard from her once. It seemed as if even Raya had lost all interest in her.

Several times she had thought about given up and renouncing her calling, it would bring disgrace on her familyname but it wasn’t too late for her to return to her former life and find a husband. Once she had even packed her bag and stood ready to go home back to her father, but that humiliation was too much for her. She wouldn’t give the priest the satisfaction of breaking her. If this was her punishment for speaking her mind, she would take it. And so far she had. She had done father Ylans hard labor for him. Working like a common village girl. He was old, and could hardly move any more. This meant she took care of him, fed him and washed him. On top of all the menial labor she tended to most of the church business as well. Not that was much here in Berin. The church served Berin and the other small villages in a circle of twenty miles. Berin with it’s ninety inhabitants was the largest village around. The people around here were farmers and homesteads were far flung. A Saturday service would not attracted more then one hundred people at a time. They were a hardy people these swampdwellers, nobody called a healer before they tried to deal with it themselves. Many a time Mara had yelled at them in frustration as she watched women die in labor or elderly people perish because her help was called in too late. The priests were also trained in basic medical skills and it surprised Mara how much she could actually help with.

In spite of her duties Marared did have a lot of time to spend on her own regardless of taking care of Ylans. And the old man wasn’t all bad. He had a vast store of knowledge and he took pleasure in sharing it with her, if he had one of his good days. He thought her more about medicine and best of all he tried to teach her patience. Ylans was the one who made her see the joy in doing these common chores and caring for the commoners. To look after a sick child, or a dying old woman. At first she hated it, and hated them, now she took pleasure in them. She got to know the names of all the villagers, the family relations and feuds and what was important to them. And slowly she even began to earn their trust. The young woman was more proud of that then she would have thought possible a few years ago.

“Sister! Sister!” A small boy came running through the low bushes towards were Marared was washing her and Ylans clothes in the brook. She straightened and walked a few paces towards the boy.

“Easy, Caspar.” She said with a gentle smile. “Calm down, and then tell me what’s wrong.” She admonished the boy. He was a good lad, Shelley’s eldest, but highly exitable.

“It’s the father, sister.” The boy gulped for air. “He’s mighty sick, sister and he wants you.”

Marared nodded. Ylans was getting weaker and he grumbled a lot, but she didn’t think he was dying yet.

“Tell him I will be right back, Caspar. After I finish the washing.” She said calmly.

But the boy shook his head. “He wants you now, ma’am.”

Marared sighed. “alright I will be right there.” She said with a smile practicing her lessons of patience.

The boy raced off with a grateful smile. Caspar was fond of the old priest, the boy liked the old man a great deal and he used his spare time to help out around the church. Ylans was teaching him to read and write. Not many of the youngsters of the village were interested but he was an exception.

Marared reached the small church two minutes later. Caspar stood in the dooropening urging her on.

“I am here, Caspar.” Mara smiled and then entered the church. “Father? Father, it’s Marared.”

She only heard a groan in response, and she walked over to were the priest was resting.

“Father are you okay.” She asked gently. She bend over him. The old man was pale as a sheet and he had trouble breathing. Marared was getting a bit frightened now.

“Father?”

Ylans held out a gnarled hand and gripped her shoulder harder then she would have thought possible.

“Me…medicine.” He managed to get out.

She nodded. Normally he had it close at hand, but he must have forgotten it today. “I’ll get it." Marared hurried of, running to the shelve were he kept his reserve portions. There was one more full bottle there.

"I have it, father." She called out and then went to the small workbench to mix the needed amount of drops with some water. Marared prayed fervently that the old man would hold on just a little longer. Her fingers trembled as she worked as fast as she could. The boy, Caspar, was still there watching everything she did.

"Here I am father." She said a little later as she knelt down by the bed. Gently she lifted his head with one hand and held the mug to his lips so he could take small sips.

"That's it." The girl murmured softly. "Drink it all down. There you go, father. You will feel better in a minute."

She lay his head back down. "Go now, Caspar." Marared said to the boy. "And thank you for your help, father Ylans needs rest now."

The boy grinned at her calm and sure tone and hurried off; glad he could have been of service. Marared just sat down and waited till the old man felt better. At first his breathing was shallow and ragged, she had noticed that more often lately. The periods the medicine helped him were getting shorter and he had been trying to prepare her for a time he would no longer be there. Marared found it difficult to contemplate this. How ever much she hated being cooped up in this village, she was learning from him and it had become a sort of home for her. It was a strange realisation for her to realise that.

"Mara." His voice was no more then a whisper and Marared had to kneel next to the bed to hear him.

"Yes father." She said taking his hand. "Can I get you anything, anything at all?"

"Ah Mara." His bony fingers carressed her hand. "Beautifull girl. Beautifull, smart, headstrung girl."

Mara laughed, no longer afraid of him touching her. She even took his hand and brought it to her cheek as a final gesture of reconciliation.

"It's time you moved on from here."

Now she frowned. "You know that is impossible father. The priests send me here to punish me, and most likely to forget all about me." She said it gently, accepting it. Serving this people was not such a bad life after all.

"No, little one." Ylans said. "Gwenllian send you here to learn."

Mara gasped. They had never talked about the highpriestes. And Mara hadn't seen her since that private interview in which she had defied Gwenllian and destroyed her new career once and for all.

"High priestess Gwenllian dislikes me, father." She said grufly.

The old man chuckled. "Ah the young, they see everything so clear-cut no grey, just black and white. You had an argument and so she must dislike you? How wrong you are, Mara, how very wrong." He took a few seconds to gather strength.

"You see, Gwen and I were good friends once. Very good friends." A smile touched his lips as he thought of those days long gone by. "We were also the radicals in the church. And you know how little patience the church has with radicals."

She nodded dumbstruck at how well Ylans had known the high priestess and had never talked about her once.

"Gwen learnt to adapt early on. She didn't like it, nor has she ever lost her principles. But she knew that to make a difference she would have to do it from within the system, not the other way around. I… couldn't. It caused a rift between us that lasted for many, many years. But finally I realized the wisdom of her ways. She has achieved so much, subtle little things that she could not have done had she remained a rebel like me." He coughed a little.

"By then, I was too old and set in my ways to leave here. But Gwen started sending me pupils. Fiery young people who had shown promise but who had too much fire in their bellies. You have learnt a lot during your time with me, my dear. You still have a temper, but you have learnt patience and humility looking after a sick old man. I hope it will be enough. You were the last of my pupils and the most gifted. I would hate to see that gift go to waist my child." Gently he touched her cheek. “Such a beautiful one. Your time here is done, you have learnt all you can from me.”

Mara was too stunned to speak, not knowing what to make of this. Hope warred with disbelief in her heart. Could he be right about the highpriestess? Would there still be hope for her in the hierarchy.

"Father." She touched his hand with her cheek. "I don't want you to die."

She heard him chuckle again. "How you loathed me in the beginning. It's my time, child. You and I both know that. It can't be stopped. It won't be long now. But before I go, you must promise me a couple of things."

She looked up at him through tearfilled eyes. "Anything."

"The villagers are going to ask you to stay. They like you. But you must not. If you do you will not leave here for the rest of your life, like I have. I have written letters for you. I want you to go to the castle of lord Tarlan. He's a decent sort and he needs a priest. Serve him well and you will be on your way up. He is a young lord and might go far. You make sure you go with him." The old man urged her.

Mara nodded trying to keep her tears down.

Ylans smiled once more. "You will get there, my girl. You will."

She leaned forward and embraced him, letting the tears fall freely now.

Two hours later Marared walked out of the hut. She had stayed with Ylans till the end. He had gone quietly without a struggle. Before the end he had told her again were to find the letters of introduction he had written for her. And to see that some goodbye letters were delivered. Especially to Gwenllian.

Now she swallowed her tears away staring into the sunlight, why did village life go on like nothing at all had happened. It all seemed so unfair to her. Like he was forgotten already.

"Sister?" Caspar called out with a soft voice. "Is the father alright?"

Tears stung her eyes again. "No." She said. "He died."

The boy looked at her and then his eyes began to tear. Funny enough it helped Mara to keep her own pain under control, she kneeled down next to the boy and took him into her arms.

"He died peacefully, Caspar. Remember he was an old man, it was his time." The boy just sniffed some more and she comforted him.

"Are you going to be our priest now, sister?" He then asked.

'No Caspar." Mara had kneeled down next to him. "father Ylans asked me to do something for him. To go to Lord Tarlan and serve him. But I will send a letter to the Island asking them send you another priest as soon as possible. Your needs will not be forgotten."

The boy nodded. If Ylans asked it was enough for him. "I will go and tell my parents.” He said quietly.

Mara staid behind on her own. She would stay here until after the funeral. That would give her a few things to get things in order for these people and then she would start the long trek to Tarlan's keep.

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