Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 137958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 690(@200wpm)___ 552(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 690(@200wpm)___ 552(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
She shook her head at me.
My mother turned to Julia, another of her lieutenants, handing her some papers.
“When we return to The Enchantments, this must be discussed,” she murmured. “We take in so many Airenzian, it’s becoming difficult. Shelter. Food. Training in the craft. Finding ways for them to be of service to the Sisterhood. I’ll want you all together in order that we can decide how to carry on.”
“Melisse, as you know, has elected to be with Elena after Firenze,” Julia reminded my mother.
“I’ll speak with her before we take our leave,” Mother replied. “This way, we will know her thoughts.”
The flaps opened, and Julia drifted away as all eyes went there.
G’Seph of the Go’Doan came through followed by a slight man with straw blond hair, also wearing the pristine white of the Go’Doan robes. The second man had a gold filigree belt that said he was a Go’Ar, one of their learned priests who did missionary work, unlike Seph, who was a Go’En, a high priest.
“Seph,” my mother greeted, pushing up from the pillows to take her feet.
I felt my mouth get tight and my gaze again went to Melisse.
She repeated the shaking of her head.
I understood her wisdom. I’d grown up with it. And she’d taught me much, including the fact that we had two eyes, two ears and only one mouth for a reason.
Watch.
Listen.
And then make your decisions or carry forth your acts.
But even though I’d spent a year in Go’Doan, learning Triton history and advanced ways of healing, and there were a number of the Go’Doan I liked, I still did not trust some of them.
Specifically, Seph.
I could not explain exactly why.
It wasn’t that I was not fond his people felt it imperative to their religion to send missionaries wide in an attempt to convert others to their ways, and I did not understand the import of this.
Believe what you believed, and discourse and even debate of it was often enjoyable, and was apt to sometimes create converts, but the practice of diligently attempting to recruit others to believe your beliefs I found a mystery.
But it was their way and they believed in it, so it was not for me to say anything about it. Simply show them the respect of understanding their ideals but stay true to my own beliefs and leave them to who they worshipped and what they did.
It was also not the fact that in their temples across the various realms, they required weekly tithes, many of which were not kept in the local places but sent to the city-state, which was rather magnificent with its gold domes and tidy streets. Though, it was true that was this not only due to the duties they received from its worshippers, but also the cost of the education they offered to students.
This was again not my business. If their followers wished to do this, it was their coin. And the truth was, Go’Doan learning and healing was the best in all the lands (though the Dellish would argue that in regards to education), and their talents with diplomacy could not be questioned. They did provide many services.
And every being had to eat.
It wasn’t even the fact that their gods seemed critical, often disapproving, and of what they disapproved, malevolent. If a follower did not toe the line, their punishments were severe.
They had three: Go’Bedi, the god of obedience, Go’Vicee, the god of service and Go’Chas, the god of faithfulness.
Though it seemed to me, Go’Bedi got the most attention.
But again, if that was what spoke to them, the path they wished to journey in their lives, it was not for me to say.
Importantly, outside of their arts of healing, their skill with diplomacy, their scholarly ways they shared well beyond the gold domes of Go’Doan, they were known to provide safe harbor in their temples, and if needed, arrange safe passage to those who required it.
And a goodly number of those were Airenzian women.
Mostly, I didn’t trust some of them because their priests were oftentimes unnerving.
And my mother was a queen. The queen of a great nation. She was also ill, even if her stubbornness would not allow her to speak of it and she tried to hide it.
But we’d just been riding over desert dune and plain now for some weeks, and I knew she was weary, even if she tried not to show it.
Therefore, she should not rise for anyone, especially not a Go’Doan, and especially not in her state.
But she did.
And because she did, Melisse and I did as well.
One thing was good about this. Serena was not there. She was in her tent some ways away enjoying the Firenz servants that had been sent to attend our camp and she had far less patience for all Go’Doan (and, well, anybody).
“Ah, it is a miracle, the beauty and strength of the Nadirii Sisterhood just an hour outside the burning wall of the Fire City,” Seph remarked, coming forward and taking both my mother’s hands in his in a way I found too familiar. “Whoever would have thought this would come to pass?”