28 December 2012
The Sisters sat on their heels at the campfire. The woodpile made a low crackling sound as the azure flames slowly ate into the sweating logs and released a peculiar fragrance that somehow reminded Dionys of juicy apples. She stared into the white core and felt as if the rays were dancing for her.
She had trouble focusing her thoughts; This place filled her with feelings of calm and anxiety at the same time. That couldn't be a good sign, she thought. This village seemed strangely familiar. She couldn't remember passing through it on her pilgrimage to the Seráfs, yet, she had no problem finding her way around the erratic roads inside.
No lights or sounds came from the houses on the other side of the fence, made with flimsy sticks. All she could see in the hamlet's direction was a black void - but it was there - along with it's people that the bandits had ravaged.
"High Sister, could you tell us anything about the them? How dangerous are they?"
Mourning the broken silence, Dionys sighed and glanced at the young girl on the other side of the bonfire. She must've just become a Sister, she thought. Her name was Sian, or was that the one they called Tiona? She had decided to learn the names of those in the unit but it was proving to be harder than expected.
The older girl next to Sian swallowed a piece of her apple and spoke. "Why would the Mother send her own guard if there wasn't something special about them? I heard from a man in the village that it's a group of Furian soldiers who deserted to the Cloudrealm."
One of the girls were sharpening her crescent blades. "I have always wondered what it would be like to stand face to face with a Furian in battle," she said.
Now Dionys remembered; that one was Tiona. They were all so young and eager but none of them had been suitable to become a High Sister, yet, was she any different from them? In the training grounds, Dionys had been as proud and impudent as them.
It should've been you, Pinai - she thought - You were the one worthy of being the next High Sister, not me. What I trained for years to master, you grasped after a few weeks. To think of all you could've accomplished if they had only let you perform a joining.
"Well, if they really are Furians, you will find out soon enough," the older girl said and took another bite of her fruit. The juice sprinkled over the fire, making it sizzle.
Dionys had to stop this quibble.
"Control yourselves, you are Cloud Sisters. Gossip should not concern you. We know nothing about the bandits. Our Cloud Mother sent me because she wanted to be sure the bandits would surrender."
She stood up.
"Go to your beds now and sing to Aiel for an easy road. We rise early with a long day ahead of us. I take first watch."
The Sisters obeyed in silence and dispersed to their tents.
Dionys was alone with the bonfire.
From the dead air erupted a weave of frail singing coming from the tents. All the individual prayers converged into a lush unity of discord.
Dionys raised her head at the mountain of Celes. It's luster made it possible to make out the contours of the mountain line. About a hundred furian years had passed since she was there and bonded with her Seráf. That had been a calling of peace; Now she came with hostile intentions. It was almost as shameful as the bandits residing there. The sooner this undertaking would be over, the better.
Dionys - The High Sister (part 5) • Opuss № I