Managing Anger, Part III
The next day, Sirshi skipped the Sun Welcoming Ceremony. Olmgra wouldn’t want her there anyway. She met Kurgm, Aonva, and Roshil at breakfast, where she said very little.
“Glad you could make it,” Kurgm said.
She nodded, paying more attention to her food than to them. After they’d finished, they made their way to the castle gates.
Sirshi looked around for signs of Ekla. She was not in the mood to see her today.
“We aren’t being followed today,” Roshil said. “I checked.”
In spite of everything, Sirshi managed a small laugh. She decided Roshil wasn’t bad, despite the uneasy feeling Sirshi got from looking at her.
They left the castle. Kurgm nodded to the guards as they passed. Each of them presented the baubles that marked them as apprentices as they passed.
Sirshi didn’t remember the last time she’d been to the city. She actively avoided any chances of running into her parents, so she had never made a habit of leaving the castle. Besides, what was the point? Everything she wanted was in the castle.
“How’ve you been?” Kurgm asked her.
“Fine,” Sirshi replied. She didn’t want to explain any of what had happened with the statue, assuming Roshil hadn’t told them already.
“The forge is nice,” Roshil said, taking attention away from Sirshi (for which she was grateful). “Unless people shove your projects into a furnace.” Growling, she added, “Shove her into a furnace.”
“What happened?” Aonva asked.
“Udra happened,” Roshil growled.
“That woman in the forge yesterday?” Sirshi asked.
“Yeah. While I was gone, my work that I had secured, like I’m supposed to, ended up in the furnace.”
“Why were you in the forge, Sirshi?” Kurgm asked. He wasn’t accusing her, he wasn’t suspicious, he sounded interested. Since when were people interested in her?
“The temple wanted some statues polished,” Roshil said. “Something about a ceremony next month.”
Roshil had lied to her friends. Did she do that for Sirshi? Why? She didn’t want anyone to know about the statue, but she hadn’t expected Roshil to lie for her.
“That’s the Flower Blooming Ceremony,” Kurgm said. “It’s always amazing.”
“I’ve read about it,” Aonva said, “but I’ve never been to one. What’s it like?”
“Everything’s decorated in bright colors,” Kurgm said. “We greet the sky, and welcome back the flowers. There are flowers and plants all over the temple. Then we go outside and plant flowers in the temple garden, and all speak about that for which we’re hopeful this season.”
While he was talking, Roshil dropped back and whispered to Sirshi.
“Master Grund told me you’d appreciate it if I didn’t tell anyone. Our official story is that we were polishing the statues.”
Sirshi smiled at her. She decided then that maybe she and Roshil could be friends.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” A silly grin came over Roshil’s face.
They walked around the city, treading over the dirt roads. They stopped at a few shops, but couldn’t buy anything. They each had a small amount of spending money, which they had to save for lunch.
Shortly after they’d finished eating, Sirshi spotted a boy walking around with a cane. He had bandages wrapped around his eyes, and looked like he must’ve come from Alforn. But that in itself wasn’t as significant as Roshil’s reaction when she spotted him.
“Oshal!” Roshil sprinted off toward the boy, leaving the rest of them behind. The boy had just enough time to turn around and smile before Roshil tried to knock him off his feet with a hug.
“I’ve missed you so much!” She wrapped her arms around him, apparently attempting to squeeze the life out of him.
“I’ve missed you too,” he said.
Aonva and Kurgm caught up with the two of them, while Sirshi lagged behind. She didn’t know what was going on, but she wasn’t sure she cared. She’d had her fill of people time already. Roshil had friends outside the castle, big deal. Lots of apprentices did. Although if she and Roshil were supposed to be friends, should she care?
“I’m Apprentice Aonva. You must be Oshal. I’ve heard a lot about you. Good things, of course! But not too much, not like your sister talks about you all the time or anything like that.”
Did she say “sister”? Was this boy Roshil’s brother? Siblings didn’t get along that well, did they?
“Where’s father?” Roshil asked, looking around the marketplace.
Oshal raised his head, then pointed behind them. The four of them turned and saw a man coming out of one of the shops. Sirshi couldn’t figure out how he’d done that. There was no way the boy could see through the bandages. The way he never turned his head, he must’ve been blind. Was it some sort of spell that let him know where his father was? Was he a weaver?
“Hello again, Apprentice Kurgm,” Oshal said. “You’ve been feeling better.”
“I have, thank you. How about you?”
“I’m wonderful. Thank you for asking.”
Oshal turned his head to her, and furled his brow. Before he could say anything, another voice interrupted.
“There’s my girl!” The man ran over to them and swept up Roshil in a hug. Sirshi’s father had never been that happy to see her in her life.
He looked at each of them.
“Apprentice Kurgm, good to see you again.” He took Kurgm’s hand and shook it. “And who’s this young lady?”
“Apprentice Aonva.” Aonva bowed politely. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” He shook her hand next. “Apprentice Kurgm said ‘inseparable’, I think. I’m glad she’s made friends.”
Aonva turned her gaze to the ground as the man turned his to Sirshi. “Last but not least?”
“Apprentice Sirshi.” She hesitated, then remembered she needed to bow. “Nice to meet you.”
He grinned at her. “Nice to meet you. I’m Daylarl, Roshil’s father.”
Roshil started talking to Oshal so fast that Sirshi wasn’t sure she could keep up. When she dragged Aonva into it, Daylarl chuckled.
“Are you Master Ekla’s sister?” Daylarl asked, turning to Sirshi.
“Half-sister.”
Daylarl nodded as if he understood. He couldn’t possibly understand what it was like.
“It’s not easy having someone like that for an older sister, is it?”
It wasn’t only his face that said he understood, but his voice. How was he doing that? Did he really understand?
He nodded to Roshil and Oshal, still chatting away with Aonva. “Oshal was born early. Roshil wasn’t a year old, but she knew he was sick. She was always by his side, even growing up. But Roshil doesn’t make friends easily. Even before… well, the other children didn’t like her. But they liked Oshal. He could be friends with anyone.”
Sirshi figured there was a point to this, but Daylarl was taking his time getting to it.
“Even then, she didn’t stop looking after him. He knows that’s what she does, because he can sense it. It’s not always obvious to everyone else, though.” He turned his gaze to Sirshi. “Ekla can be a bit much, but I know she loves you too.”
“She doesn’t care,” Sirshi snapped. “Everyone loves her because she’s so perfect. All she does is lecture me. I suppose I should be grateful she pays attention at all.”
Anger rose inside her again. She could see the statue in the Meditation Room, its hand on the floor. With all the focus she had left, Sirshi willed herself not to be angry again.
“What’s your apprenticeship?”
“Priest.”
“Oh, what temple?”
“I’ve finished my first round of rotation. I’ve been offered a place at the Temple of the Rising Sun.”
A grin spread over Daylarl’s face. “The Goddess Olmgra. Deity of hope and light.” He winked at her. “Good choice.”
His words caught her off guard. No one had ever taken an interest in her like that. No one had told her she’d made a good decision… ever.
“Thanks.”
“She’s good at it, too,” Kurgm added.
“I’m just carrying things now. Doing chores, helping with the ceremonies. The Flower Blooming Ceremony is soon, and I was chosen to assist.”
Sort of.
“Congratulations,” Daylarl said with a smile. “They have a lot of ceremonies, don’t they?”
“It’s to celebrate the end of the cold season, the hardest time of the year. Then to welcome the new warm season, when the flowers return, and the light of the world with it. There are also celebrations of the end of hard times. Olmgra teaches us to take joy in even the smallest victories so that we don’t take them for granted.”
Make today a bright day.
She looked at both of them and saw interest on their faces. They cared? Since when did people care what she said? Or were they just pretending so they could make fun of her?
“Her temple here is beautiful,” Daylarl said. “Not as flashy as Rendlok’s, but he’s the god of architecture, so you know they’re just trying to impress him. Sometimes simplicity is its own perfection.”
She nodded, not sure what else to say.
Before she could think of anything, Roshil nearly tackled her father.
“How’ve you been?” they asked each other at the same time.
“Keeping out of trouble,” Daylarl replied. “Those protests a few months ago weren’t as bad as they could’ve been. Especially after His Majesty came out of the castle to talk to everyone. It turned into a big town hall meeting.”
“Everything worked out,” Oshal said. He turned his head to Sirshi. “It usually does in Skwyr.”
Did he know about the statue? Had Roshil told him? No, she wouldn’t have. Would she?
Oshal smiled at her. His smile wasn’t big and goofy like his sister’s, it was soft and kind. She knew then that he wouldn’t judge her, not for the statue, not for anything.
“Thanks,” she said, still not sure what to make of him. No one had ever been so nice to her as they were all being.
“Master Grund’s great!” Roshil exclaimed, breaking the silence. “I’ve been learning a lot, and he made me this!” She held up her wrist. There was a small disc attached to it, with an insignia of a flower engraved on it.
“And you’ve made friends,” Daylarl said, grinning back at his daughter. “Which is important to parents, you know.”
What parents? Not my parents.
She exchanged glances with Kurgm. Maybe Aonva had nice parents. She glanced at the girl, but Aonva was looking around the street. Sirshi wasn’t sure if she’d heard Aonva speak at all that day.
At least Roshil and Oshal had a nice father. Looking at the three of them, they were so happy. And as the day went on, they all smiled and laughed with her, Aonva, and Kurgm. Sirshi felt for a little while that being friends with Roshil had somehow made her part of their family.
For the first time since she’d broken she statue, Sirshi began to feel happy.
All will be well.
It was one of the first mantras she’d learned at the Temple of the Rising Sun. As they all bid farewell to Daylarl and Oshal, Sirshi believed it.