Skwyr Court

TheOnesWeLove

Oshal stood outside the entrance to the apprentices’ rooms. He tapped his walking stick while he waited for his sister and her friends to arrive. Getting a little impatient, he followed her thread and checked on her.

“She’s awake,” he said to the empty corridor. “That’s a good sign.”

The thought of being in the castle with his sister still filled him with excitement. It helped to distract him from worrying about their father. Was he alright on his own? Was he worried about them? He’d been worried about Roshil for the past seven months. As Oshal’s thirteenth birthday had approached, Oshal felt his father’s worry growing. He’d sensed it many times before, but for almost six years, their mother hadn’t been there to quell it.

Oshal turned his thoughts to his sister’s friends. As he did, one of the doors to their rooms opened.

It’s a magic door, so you can’t leave your room without the bauble.

Oshal felt the small orb in a pouch on his belt. He’d learned quickly to keep things in the same place so he’d be able to find them again.

“Good morning, Oshal.”

A wave of anxiety and fear hit him as Aonva walked out. Her mind was a constant storm, a torrent of emotion and a gale of anxiety threatening to toss her aside. She seemed calm enough on the outside, so Oshal never mentioned it to her.

“Good morning, Aonva. How did you sleep?”

“Alright. Are you still planning to go to the Flower Blooming Ceremony?”

“I am.” He followed the threads connecting him to Sirshi and Kurgm. “Sirshi and Kurgm are already there.”

“Good.” A brief flicker of sun broke the storm, but it was swallowed soon after.

“Roshil will be down shortly,” he said. “She’s always been a little slow to rise.”

“I’m usually the one waiting for her here. She always makes it, but it’d be nice if she could move a little faster. I keep worrying we’re going to be late for breakfast, but today I keep reminding myself that it is early, and the ceremony will be before breakfast. Well, not exactly before, but there will be time for breakfast later, unless Master Kaernin needs something from me earlier, but I don’t think he would, he knows I’m going to the ceremony, and he never forgets anything, at least he’s never forgotten anything I’ve told him, but he hardly speaks, so how would I know if he did, but I…”

Aonva stopped talking and took a breath. The storm had developed into a hurricane, tossing her about like a rag doll thrown by an angry child.

“Master Kaernin will look out for you,” Oshal said before she could start talking again. “No need to worry.”

“Of course not. You’re right. Thank you.”

The storm quieted down, and Oshal knew he’d said the right thing. Despite what his sister seemed to think, he didn’t always, so it was nice when he did.

“You’re welcome.”

He smiled at her, but it didn’t help her as much as it did Roshil or their father. Oshal checked on Roshil again, just in time to find her leaving her room.

“Good morning, Roshil.”

Roshil’s excitement went off like a volcano, hurtling her toward him. She stopped herself before she knocked him over, but her hugs could still feel like a snake trying to crush him.

“Good morning!” she said before letting him go. “Is this everyone? Are the others already there? Good morning, Aonva!”

“Morning,” Aonva said in a quiet voice. She was still afraid, but the storm had died down completely, leaving only dark clouds in its wake. It was still in contrast to the explosion of bright excitement from his sister.

“We’re the last ones,” Oshal said.

Oshal smiled at how happy his sister was. She’d been like that ever since he’d arrived the previous day, a stark contrast to the attitude to which he’d grown accustomed. Normally his sister was miserable, dark, dreary, and angry. But here in the castle, she was happy, and he was happy she was happy. It was all he’d ever wanted.

The three of them set off toward the Temple of the Rising Sun. Aonva led the way, with Roshil walking slower to stay with Oshal.

“I’m fine, really,” Oshal said. “I can follow you two.”

“Do you start with Our Lady Grand Weaver today?” Aonva asked.

“I do. It’s strange calling her Master Durwey now. She’s nice, I think. It’s hard to tell. She says I’ll learn how to conceal my emotions from other weavers like she does.”

According to Master Durwey, that day’s lesson would be learning to tune out other peoples’ emotions, which was fine with Oshal. She’d told him other weavers had to learn to listen to the threads; he’d always been able to hear them too well, a fact of which he was reminded when they reached the temple.

The moment they stepped through the door, the usual tingling feeling was accompanied by a wave of emotion. Joy, fear, hope, love, even a little anger met him like a swirl of hundreds of paints on fire. He stepped back, recoiling from the sudden onslaught of emotion.

“It’s okay,” Roshil whispered. “We don’t have to stay if you don’t want.”

“I’m fine.” Oshal smiled as he adjusted to the sudden input. “It caught me off guard, that’s all.”

As they walked inside, not only did the noise fade, but the emotion changed. Whispers broke out around them, and any positive emotions were replaced with anger, discomfort, and fear. Oshal frowned as he felt it.

“What’s going on?” he whispered.

“Why’s everyone staring at us?” Aonva asked.

Oshal sensed Kurgm in the crowd, one of the few people not upset in some way. He came over to them, just as confused as they were.

“Glad you three could make it,” he said.

“Where’s Sirshi?” Roshil asked. Her happiness was replaced with anger and frustration. Oshal sensed her in front of him, keeping herself between him and the other people.

“She’s ready for the ceremony,” Kurgm said. Oshal heard his feet move. In a louder voice, he said, “Is something wrong?”

“What’s she doing here?” one person asked, an older woman by the sound of her voice. If Oshal couldn’t sense her hatred, he could’ve heard it in her voice.

Oshal sensed Sirshi enter the main chamber.

“You made it,” she said. Her happiness didn’t last long, giving way to confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Someone allowed that girl in here,” the woman said. Murmurs of agreement came from the crowd.

“I invited her,” Sirshi said. She moved next to Roshil. “She’s my friend.”

A lump formed in the pit of Oshal’s stomach. They were talking about Roshil. Why were they so angry at her? What had she done?

“I should leave,” Roshil said. All the bright happiness she’d felt dried up and faded away, leaving her empty.

“You don’t have to do that,” Sirshi said. In a louder voice, she added, “You’ve spent the past month cleaning and fixing the statues here.”

Pointing that out didn’t make matters any better. People became concerned instead, and no warmer toward Roshil.

“I’ll go,” Roshil said. “Thanks for inviting me, but… I know when I’m not wanted.”

Oshal felt anger boiling up in Sirshi’s mind. For a moment, he wasn’t sure she’d hold her temper, but Roshil acted first.

“I’m not worth getting angry over,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”

Roshil turned and started out of the temple. Oshal and Aonva turned and followed her. A few moments after they walked through the door back to the castle, Kurgm walked in behind them.

“Don’t you want to stay?” Aonva asked.

“Not if they’re going to treat my friends that way,” he said. “Sirshi said she’ll talk to Master Moudren so that never happens again.”

“It will,” Roshil said, her voice devoid of emotion. “That’s what people do.”

Oshal was used to Roshil’s pessimism, and like every other time he’d felt it, he hoped she was wrong.

#VolumeOne #TheOnesWeLove

The four of them walked in silence to breakfast. Their collective gloom cast a shadow around them. Oshal couldn’t feel anything else. He forced himself to stay positive, but he didn’t say anything. Knowing Roshil, talking about it would only upset her.

Their silence persisted through breakfast. The din of emotion from the other apprentices and their masters didn’t do much to drown out the sadness his sister felt. She poked and prodded a few pieces of food, but hardly touched any of it.

What saddened Oshal most was the thought of how happy she’d been when he’d arrived the previous day. Her cheerful demeanor had stuck with her, and he’d thought for a moment that she’d be happy in the castle. But she wasn’t happy anymore. It wasn’t unlike their first few days in the court. People stared at them, often uncomfortable around them. Their father insisted it was because they were new, but Roshil had insisted on staying inside after that. She’d always been treated differently, and had decided it was best to avoid people.

As breakfast ended, Master Durwey fetched Oshal. Like the previous day, he couldn’t feel much from her, but for a brief moment, he felt a flicker of discomfort from her, the same as he’d felt from everyone around them. He ignored it and bid farewell to his friends. Kurgm wished him well on his first day as an apprentice, Aonva softly corrected that to first full day, but his sister said nothing. While Oshal wanted to stay with her, he knew he’d have to go. Hopefully she’d be feeling better at dinner.

Master Durwey led him out of the great hall. As they moved away from it, the emotions of the other people in the castle faded away.

“Most of your time will be spent with me,” she said. “There are classes: history and social structure, both of Skwyr and the other kingdoms; science and mathematics; language studies, including Arcane. As a weaver, it won’t be as important to learn magic, but you’ll need to know a basic message spell, so you will need to learn Arcane. Special accommodations will be made, of course, given your condition.”

“It’s the same teachers I’ve had, isn’t it?” Oshal asked.

“Yes, of course. They’ll be familiar with you by now.”

Oshal couldn’t sense how Master Durwey felt, but he was familiar enough with how people reacted when they first met him. They were always flustered and uncertain around him. Most people were curious about him, since the bandages around what used to be his eyes were a giveaway that something had happened to him.

As they walked, Master Durwey would point out places, only to remember that Oshal couldn’t see. Despite her apologies, Oshal wasn’t bothered by it. He missed being able to see sometimes, but more often than that he wished people would stop treating him differently.

“You will have someone to escort you around the castle,” she said after the fourth time she apologized for pointing to something he couldn’t see.

“I can find my classes from the teachers, but my sister would be happy to walk with me if she needed to.”

“Your sister is not responsible for you here.” While he didn’t sense it from her, he heard anger in her voice. “I am. Unless you have class, I will be walking with you wherever we need to go.”

“But—”

“That’s the end of it.”

Oshal had intended to say that he didn’t need anyone to walk with him. He didn’t know when Roshil would need to walk with him at all. But Master Durwey continued on.

“It’s clear by your abilities that you don’t need to learn to sense others’ emotions, but instead that you need to learn to control it.”

“Crowds are difficult.”

“They can be at first. After we teach you control, you’ll need to learn to mask yourself from other weavers. You can already follow threads to other people, so we’ll also work on sending emotions along the threads.”

Oshal had learned about many of the abilities of a weaver after his parents had found out how easily he could sense emotions. After his mother had explained it to him, his first question had been about Roshil. She’d always been so lonely, he wanted to know if he could make her feel happy.

“You have to be responsible,” his mother had said. “Don’t assume that you know better than anyone else what’s best for them.”

They walked through the castle until they came to a stop. Oshal didn’t sense anyone around them, so they weren’t at another room. He waited for Master Durwey to tell him where they were, rather than waste time asking.

“Today we’ll start by isolating you from people,” Master Durwey said. “We’re going to go out into the forest and sit alone for a time. This should give you a break from the noise.”

Oshal nodded. He used to think that one day he would grow used to the constant noise, but he never did. The feelings of others always swirled around him. He always knew how his father and sister were feeling. At least, he had, until Roshil had gone to the castle. It’d been a long seven months without her, but he was with her now, so she’d be okay. They both would.

He followed Master Durwey. A tingle spread through his body, causing him to jump.

“It’s alright. All the doors do that. You’ll have to get used to it. It’s why you never want to lose that bauble I gave you.”

Oshal knew the bauble was in one of the pouches on his belt. Everything was always where it was supposed to be, so he could find it later. He wondered if Roshil had lost hers. She wasn’t always organized, getting too caught up in her latest project to notice when something was wrong. He knew why she was like that; it helped her shut out everything else. He liked her that way, rather than being sad all the time.

The ground underneath his feet turned from stone to dirt. The echoes of voices were replaced by the ruffling of leaves. He didn’t sense anyone else outside with them. The noise of emotion faded away as they walked farther from the castle.

“How’s your head?” Master Durwey asked.

“Much better, thank you.”

“Good. We’ll be walking back and forth a few times. When you’re inside the castle, find this feeling again. It will keep you grounded in yourself. It’s also a good first step toward masking your own emotions from other weavers.”

Oshal nodded while studying how he felt. Calm, peaceful. Nothing else in the world was a problem. He could still sense a few threads, but he knew whose they were. One of them was Roshil’s, another was their father’s. There were a few with which he was becoming more familiar, those of his new friends.

Then there was his thread. The thread Oshal didn’t dare touch. The one he hoped he never had to follow. Despite reassurances that its owner couldn’t track it back to him, it still scared him.

“Are you alright?” Master Durwey asked.

Oshal focused on the other threads, on the calm noises of the outdoors. It was peaceful here, and he loved it.

“Good. I’m glad you’re learning. It won’t be perfect, and it’s always possible to lose control when you feel strong emotions.”

Oshal wondered if that’s what happened whenever Master Durwey was around Roshil. Why did everyone seem to think there was something wrong with his sister?

The wind rustled the trees as they walked into the forest. He heard sounds of animals flitting from tree to tree. There were no threads, and not much in the way of emotions. His mother had told him that animals feel emotions differently than humans do, which is why weaving didn’t work on animals.

Then he sensed something else. Something human. Something human in the trees.

“That’s probably one of the druids,” Master Durwey said. Oshal heard her whisper something. After a pause, she took his arm.

“We’re going back to the castle now,” she said in a low voice. “Don’t make any sudden moves.”

He sensed confusion and fear from the other human, but it quickly changed to anger. It grew into a chorus of screeching and shouting animals, threatened by something new.

Or angry people, threatened by someone different.

He remembered the feeling of so much negativity concentrated toward his sister. He didn’t want anyone to feel like that, nor to feel how his sister had felt.

Oshal gathered his thoughts before the rage could overwhelm him. Everything else dropped away, leaving only he and that thread.

“Don’t be afraid. We’re friendly.”

The anger faded away, leaving curiosity in its wake, like when a dog sniffed his hand.

He smiled.

“My name’s Oshal. What’s yours?”

“Apprentice Oshal, stop. Return to the castle at once.”

Oshal had learned early on that only select pieces of information could be gleamed from the threads. Emotions, a sense of location, but also basic facts about a person, like their name and gender. That’s why he knew the other human was a boy.

And a word came into his head: Nourd.

Nourd stayed in the trees, motionless. Lady Durwey grabbed Oshal’s arm.

“Now.”

Nourd was confused, curious, but more afraid than anything. The moment Lady Durwey began leading Oshal back to the castle, he fled.

As Oshal walked back to the castle, his thoughts stayed on Nourd. He could still sense the thread that led back to him, but he wanted to know more. Had Oshal’s kindness helped? It didn’t always help, but it was nice when it did.

“You are not to go into the forest without a master accompanying you,” Lady Durwey said. “There’s a reason for that. We don’t know who or what that was, apart from human and not from the court.”

“His name is Nourd.”

“I’m glad you’re capable of picking that out of the thread, but you shouldn’t introduce yourself to every passerby. There are dangerous creatures out there.”

“I know.”

Master Durwey stopped walking.

“Of course, you do. That was foolish of me to say.”

As they walked back through the forest, it wasn’t the dragon that came to Oshal’s mind, but the people from the temple. He liked Nourd already, at least enough to want to know more about him. Nourd had listened to Oshal; he’d been curious about him. But the people at the temple had already made up their minds about him and his sister. Why couldn’t people listen?

#VolumeOne #TheOnesWeLove

“How was your first day?” Aonva asked at dinner. With Kurgm and Sirshi still with their respective masters, it was only Oshal, Aonva, and Roshil at dinner. Roshil was feeling better, at least enough that she wasn’t miserable anymore.

Oshal concentrated on the forest. The peace and quiet. The birds chirping as they returned for the warm season. The rustling of the leaves. As he did, the white noise of emotion slowly faded away. He could focus on his sister and Aonva.

“I think I made a new friend.”

Oshal explained what had happened in the forest. After he was finished, he sensed his sister’s skepticism, which he still preferred over misery.

“I’m no expert,” she said, “but I don’t think that’s how friends work.”

“Was everything alright?” Aonva asked. Her worry came through clearly, in both her voice and over her thread.

“We were fine,” Oshal said. “I don’t think he meant us any harm. He was confused about why we were there. I think he was more scared of us.”

“What did Lady Durwey say?” Aonva asked.

“That we’d go back later after she talked with Grand Master Gorkle.”

That calmed Aonva a little. Oshal was starting to think she was always worried about something. In particular, she seemed worried about Roshil. Before that morning, Oshal had thought there was nothing about which either of them needed to worry, that Roshil was a lot happier in the castle than she’d ever been in the city. Now he wasn’t sure.

“So long as they take good care of you,” Roshil said.

“They are.” Oshal smiled to reassure them both. Everything was fine. “What about you two? How were your days?”

“Quiet,” Aonva said. “Master Kaernin doesn’t say much. It’s important not to waste words, he says, since words hold power, and we should be responsible with it. I’m not very good at it, though. I keep getting nervous and talking too much.”

Judging by her rising anxiety, Oshal figured that was happening again. It was like a storm kept forming inside her head. Dark clouds rolled in over a once peaceful sea. Aonva herself was on a boat trying to reach the shore, but the waves tossed her boat away before she could ever reach it.

“That’s okay,” Oshal said, hoping to calm the storm. “I like it when you talk.”

“See?” Roshil said. “It’s not just me.”

The storm in Aonva’s head died down, although the sun didn’t come out yet. It was still there, waiting for her to drop her guard. In an instant, the storm could reform, and she hadn’t reached the shore yet.

“What about you?” Oshal asked his sister, hoping to avoid talking about that morning at all.

“I’m learning how to knit socks. I don’t know why now, rather than during the cold season when we could’ve used them.”

“Nights get cold sometimes, so I think we’ll still want them.”

“He’s right,” Aonva said. “Actually, it won’t be until the hot season when it’s warm at night, and heat typically leaves the body through the feet, so until then, it might be nice to have something like that.”

“I don’t know how long it’s going to take. Master Grund just says ‘It’ll take as long as it takes.’”

Oshal laughed at her impression of Lord Grund. The more time he spent with her here, the more convinced he was that she was happier here. He only wished she could’ve been this happy at home.

He turned his thoughts to the people around them, following their threads. Sure enough, there was still a sense of discomfort like there’d been when they’d arrived at the temple. In fact, it was like that almost everywhere Roshil went. Aonva didn’t feel that way, and he was sure Kurgm and Sirshi were fine. But people around them were uncomfortable with Roshil. Why did everyone act that way? Did Roshil know about it?

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He realized he’d been frowning and quickly smiled. “Nothing.”

An overwhelming sense of hatred passed by them, and he heard Roshil growl at it.

“Monster,” the hatred said as she passed.

Oshal felt his efforts at cheering up his sister falling apart. The sunny meadow of happiness was blocked out by dark clouds swirling around a volcano.

“Who was that?”

Roshil’s own anger died down, but it didn’t disappear altogether. “Master Udra. She likes to walk by and call me a monster sometimes.”

“Why?”

“Because I look different.”

“So?”

“Not everyone’s as nice as you.” Roshil’s anger rose again. “Some people don’t care who you are, they only care what you look like. Everyone hates me here. The only people that don’t are usually sitting with us.” Something else entered her mind. It felt like an echo booming through the mountains. Pride, respect, even a little awe swirled together in Roshil’s head. “Some people don’t, but they’re the exception.”

The storm grew inside Aonva. Her fear and anxiety mixed with guilt and love. Her boat was still tossed by the sea, but she wasn’t alone on it. Oshal recognized the feeling from his father, usually before he tried connecting with Roshil.

Roshil wanted to push them all away. Oshal was familiar with that particular feeling from her. It’d always followed her father’s attempts at connecting with her, and preceded her running to her room.

“Please don’t go,” he said.

“We’re not allowed to leave the great hall before dinner’s finished unless a master is with us,” Roshil said.

“Why does everyone treat you like that?” Oshal asked.

He heard her lean in closer from across the table.

“They treat me like that because that’s what that dragon did to me. It made me a monster.”

A shadow of fear came over her. It fell over her mind, blocking out the smallest light of happiness. He sensed that thread, always calling to him to follow it into the darkness.

Oshal reached through his own fear and offered his hand to his sister.

“You’re not a monster. You’re my sister. They’ll see what I see in you one day.”

“No they won’t. It’s a curse. They can’t.”

Before Oshal could respond, the end of dinner was called. Everyone stood up and waited. He reached out and felt the threads of the officers getting farther away. Once they’d left, everyone else filed out of the great hall.

Roshil was cursed. That’s why everyone treated her that way. His sister would never be happy, and he couldn’t change that. He couldn’t change the way anyone felt about her. No matter what he did.

#VolumeOne #TheOnesWeLove

Oshal didn’t sleep much that night. He spent most of it thinking about what he could do. The answer “Nothing”, always in his sister’s voice, wouldn’t leave him alone. He’d tried talking to her about it after dinner, but, as he’d feared, she’d gone straight to her room. She wouldn’t talk to either he nor Aonva about it. He wished there were someone else. Master Durwey was nice, but she didn’t like Roshil. He didn’t know where to find Master Ekla, Lord Velal was probably too busy, and their father was back at home.

Every time he thought about giving up, he remembered how happy he’d found his sister. And he remembered Nourd. Oshal had changed his mind for a moment, causing him to stop and hesitate before running. It made him more determined to find a way to help his sister.

He remembered how Roshil had felt when saying everyone hated her. There was someone else that didn’t, someone that loomed over her. Was that Lord Grund? He was always in the forge. Oshal could probably find him. But without someone guiding him, he didn’t know where to find the forge. He didn’t have a connection with Lord Grund, apart from him being Roshil’s master. Oshal was sure one day he’d be able to follow a thread through someone else, but he wasn’t good enough for that yet.

What else could he do? If Lord Grund knew how to help Roshil, then Oshal decided he’d have to figure it out. Perhaps Kurgm or Sirshi could help. He didn’t think he could separate Roshil and Aonva for long enough, so it’d have to be one of them.

His bauble made a soft ringing sound. It was waking him up earlier than it had the day before, he thought. He knew it wouldn’t stop until he got out of bed, so that’s what he did. Sure enough, once his feet touched the ground, it stopped making noise. He slowly moved about his room, feeling his way around. He washed, then got dressed. He picked up the bauble, then followed the threads for his friends. They were all awake, moving around their rooms, except for Sirshi and Kurgm. They were waiting in the corridor outside their rooms.

Oshal walked out of his room. Three distinct emotions hit him at once: nervousness, anger, and frustration. Once he walked out, the frustration turned to happiness.

“Good morning, Oshal,” Master Ekla said. “Apologies, Apprentice Oshal.”

“Good morning, Master Ekla. How have you been?”

“Fine.”

When she didn’t say anything else, Oshal greeted Kurgm and Sirshi, the sources of the nervousness and anger, respectively.

“Morning,” Kurgm said.

Sirshi stayed silent, although contained anger emanated from her. Oshal remembered how she’d felt when he’d first met her and the topic of her sister had come up and decided he shouldn’t try to get either of them to talk.

Aonva was the next one to come out of her room, and panic immediately took hold of her.

“What’s going on? Is everyone alright? Where’s Roshil? Did something happen to her? My bauble went off early, so something’s happening, right? It only does that when Master Kaernin needs me to start early, but I don’t see him here. Is he coming later?”

“Breathe,” Kurgm said, his nervousness changing to focused confidence, with sparks of happiness fluttering around it.

“Everything’s fine,” Master Ekla said. “I was sent to fetch the five of you.”

“Why? Did something—”

“Nothing’s happened. You’ll find out the rest when we get there, but no one’s in trouble.”

They waited in silence, although it felt like anything but to Oshal. Anger from Sirshi, panic from Aonva, concern from Kurgm, and impatience from Master Ekla all filled his own head. He concentrated on the forest, following Nourd’s thread. Nourd was moving through the forest, and although Oshal couldn’t sense anything through the thread, it helped him to calm down.

He sensed something from his sister’s thread and found that she was leaving her room.

“She’s here,” he said as the door opened. He knew he didn’t need to say anything, but it had always made Roshil smile when he knew someone was coming to their house before they could knock on the door.

His sister was half on guard, half excited, although excitement usually followed her seeing Oshal, Aonva, or Sirshi.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Follow me,” Master Ekla said. “All of you.”

“Obviously,” Sirshi muttered.

Both of them took deep breaths, then the six of them started off down the corridor. Ekla led the way, with Kurgm and Aonva not far behind her, followed by Oshal, Roshil, and Sirshi, who stayed as far away from her half-sister as she could.

“Are…” Kurgm said after a few minutes. He stopped talking, but Sirshi finished his thought a moment later.

“We’re going to the temple,” Sirshi said. “Why are you bringing us to the temple?”

Once again Oshal sensed anger from both Sirshi and Ekla. The two of them weren’t that different, but he got the feeling that pointing that out would cause problems.

Ekla didn’t answer her question.

“I had half a mind to storm out of the Flower Blooming Ceremony yesterday,” Sirshi said to Roshil, keeping her voice down. “But I couldn’t do that to Master Moudren. Those people…” Her anger boiled up again, but she quelled it.

“You remind me of our mother,” Oshal said. “She would get upset when other people would treat Roshil differently too.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“You’re welcome.”

Ekla seemed like she was going to say something, but decided against it. Both of them were good at containing their feelings for one another. Oshal was proud of them both.

Focusing on them helped distract him from the growing sadness his sister felt. As they drew closer to the temple, it grew until it was hard to ignore.

They walked into the temple and were greeted immediately by Master Moudren, causing Sirshi’s anger to fall away.

“Good morning, Apprentices Sirshi, Kurgm, Aonva, Roshil, and Oshal.”

The five of them stood at attention. Master Moudren emanated kindness and optimism, a constant source of hope.

“Master Ekla, you’re welcome to join us.”

Discomfort came from Ekla, who had not walked through the temple door. It was strange to think she felt anything other than confidence or, occasionally, anger.

“No, thank you.”

“Afraid you’ll burst into flames?” Kurgm asked.

Sirshi stifled a laugh, then cleared her throat, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Something like that,” Master Ekla said. “I’ll be seeing you.”

As she left, the last traces of anger Sirshi had felt disappeared. It was one of the first times Oshal had been around her when she didn’t feel angry. It was nice to feel her that way. He hoped she did more often.

“I want to apologize on behalf of the Temple of the Rising Sun, for the way you were treated yesterday. After Apprentice Sirshi told me what happened, I spoke with everyone before they left. Apprentice Roshil, I hope you can forgive me and this temple. The work you have done for us is remarkable.”

“Um… yeah.” Roshil’s sadness had been replaced by confusion and a little embarrassment. “Of course. I… When Sirshi asks, I’m happy to help.”

“I’m pleased. At the end of the ceremony, everyone in attendance plants a flower in our garden, whispering their hopes for the new season, so Olmgra may hear them and help them come to be. I’ve set aside spots in the garden for you four.”

“Isn’t it a little dark out?” Kurgm asked.

“I asked Master Ekla to fetch you early because I wanted to have the chance to invite you all to this morning’s Sun Welcoming Ceremony. It won’t take long, and it will give you time to eat breakfast afterward.”

“Unless your master intercepts you on the way out,” Kurgm said.

“Of course.”

Roshil’s sadness returned like a wave to the shore.

“No one wants me here.”

“I want you here,” Sirshi said. “And if that’s not good enough for everyone, then that’s their problem. You’re my friend, you’ve done more for this temple than some of the priests, and you’re nice enough if people would take a minute to get to know you.”

“That’s what I keep saying,” Oshal said, sensing his sister’s mind changing.

“They’re right,” Aonva said, her voice hardly audible.

“Apprentice Roshil, even if you don’t accept my invitation, I will still ask that you do us the honor of planting a flower.”

“If it means that much, I guess.”

“The flowers don’t only represent the planter’s hopes,” Aonva said, “but the act of planting them shows faith in Olmgra. A blooming garden in one of her temples is a sign of prosperity of the temple itself. I’ve been reading up on the temple, and it’s really quite fascinating. This is one of the oldest temples in the court. Whenever a diplomat visits the temple during the warm season, they’re asked to plant a flower for the same reason Master Moudren’s asking us to. Maybe not the same reason, it’s not like we’re that important or anything, or at least I’m not, but…”

Aonva seemed to shrink as embarrassment took over. She took a step back.

“I’m glad you’ve taken such an interest in the temple, Apprentice Aonva,” Master Moudren said. “Master Kaernin must be proud if you put so much effort into your studies.”

Aonva made sounds that sounded like “Thank you,” or possibly an imitation of a mouse, it was hard to tell.

They all followed Master Moudren through the temple.

“Now I know who to ask when I have questions,” Kurgm whispered to Aonva.

“I feel awful, it sounds like I must think this is purely symbolic, but I don’t really think that, but I… I… I don’t really know, but—”

“Your intentions were good,” Master Moudren said from ahead of them, causing Aonva’s embarrassment to rise. “That’s enough.”

“So don’t worry about it,” Kurgm added.

A mixture of emotions flooded Aonva, and all of them felt pink. Oshal didn’t know why, but that specific mixture of happiness and embarrassment always felt pink. Flowers bloomed in her head, and the sun broke through the clouds. It didn’t last long, but it was nice while it did.

They stepped through a door and into the open air. It was still cold, and Oshal couldn’t feel the sun. If there was one thing he missed seeing, apart from his family, it was the sunrise.

“I’ve got some chores to attend to before the Sun Welcoming Ceremony,” Master Moudren said. “If you’ll please excuse me. Apprentice Sirshi, would you please perform the flower planting in my stead?”

A sudden burst of panic erupted from Sirshi.

“I… Of course, Master Moudren.”

Master Moudren left, and Sirshi handed them each a bit of dirt, held together by something that felt like netting. The other three helped Oshal over to a spot in the garden. They all placed their newborn flowers in empty spaces in the ground.

Oshal bent down, cupped his hands over his mouth, and whispered into the ground.

“I hope my sister can find happiness.”

With help, he stood back up. He felt panic from Aonva, and uncertainty from Roshil, but Kurgm was happy. Oshal focused on that as Sirshi spoke up.

“Walk into the new day with the light of Olmgra at your back.” Sirshi paused. “That works a lot better when there’s light. This is supposed to be done in place of the Sun Welcoming Ceremony, but…”

“It’s fine,” Kurgm said. “That was perfect.”

“This part’s pretty easy,” Sirshi said. “I’d… I’d like it if you could all stay for the Sun Welcoming Ceremony.”

Oshal turned toward Roshil. It was up to her; this was all for her.

“I’d like to,” she said quietly.

“Great,” Sirshi said. “There are some spare mats in storage. It’s not long, like Master Moudren said.” Her voice took on an edge. “And if anyone has a problem with it, then that’s their problem.”

Unlike the previous day, Sirshi was determined not to let anyone stop them. At that moment, Oshal was too. He had friends, and he would ensure his sister was happy. Maybe there would always be people who didn’t like her, but he could change their minds. He was sure of it. And even if he couldn’t, they’d always have their friends.

#VolumeOne #TheOnesWeLove