Darkness carved in bone

Chapter 3

At first, Helen thought the tent was empty, not seeing anyone in it. The tent was dimly lit by a small candle at a table in the middle of the room, making the room feel dark and small, the outskirts of the tent completely drenched in darkness. She didn't dare touch anything but couldn't help but study all the foreign objects that the Volve had collected. Clutters of strange objects and beautiful tokens were scattered across the entire tent. Animal skulls were used as decoration and lavish boxes with intricate carvings stood stacked atop one and other. From one of the supportive pillars of the tent hung various exotic feathers, the one more colorful than the next and ornate metal containers. One container exhumed a white smoke that smelled strange to Helen, but as she inhaled the smoke a feeling of calm came over her. She glanced over a patch of skin where various moon glyphs were painted in intricate fashion. She didn't understand their meaning but relished the beauty of the carvings and swirls. As she studied a beautiful green stone an old woman appeared in front of Helen.

Helen was so startled that she nearly lost her balance and crashed into a small commode behind herself, her heart beating painfully in her chest. When she managed to calm her breath, she studied the old lady closely. She didn't look scary, but Helen was afraid of her. She had this big black bundle of hair that she had tried to tame in a burgundy shawl. Her skin was wrinkled to the extent that nearly no surface in her face was smooth. Around her neck hung different colored polished stones in leather straps, that framed in her midnight-blue dress.

"What do you want?" She asked in a cracked voice. She looked Helen over with a quizzical look, as if she couldn't understand what a Sòlung was doing outside in the dark

"I want you to read my fortune!" Helen said clearly as she put a golden coin in the old woman's hand. She knew she was overpaying, by a lot, so she wasn't surprised when the old woman's eyes widened when she recognized the value of the coin.

"I know that it is too much, but don't think me a fool for overpaying you." She nodded to the coin in the old woman's hand, "That is simply a statement on how important my question is."

The old woman's pale green eyes met Helens as she put the coin in her pocket and nodded for Helen to sit down at the table. Helen did as she was told, and the old woman sat down opposite her.

"What do you want to know?" She asked again in that crackled voice, but this time there was a certain kindness in her voice, which made Helen relax somewhat.

A shadow moved outside the tent, and made Helen jump in her seat. She could see the silhouette of a man, but he disappeared into the shadows almost as soon as he had appeared. The old woman didn't seem to be bothered by the person walking outside her tent, so Helen assumed it was nothing out of the ordinary. A howling wind made the tent ruffle and sent cold drifts of air inside the otherwise fairly warm tent. Helen had to unbutton a couple of buttons on her jacket to prevent herself from breaking out in sweats.

The old woman cleared her throat, obviously inpatient to do the job she had been payed to do.

"Ehm, yes. I want to know if I'll be happy if I marry the man I am betrothed to."

The old woman frowned as she looked at Helen, studying her face. Then she reached out for her hand, inviting Helen to volunteer her hand for a palm reading. Helen placed her hand gently into the soft palm of the old woman, her heart skipping a beat when the Volve grabbed hold of the hand and started studying it meticulously. She studied the lines of her hand under the light that stood on the table, twisting and turning her hand, making it cast playful shadows across the old woman's face.

She abruptly let go of her hand, as if she had noticed something in her hand, and instead of continuing the reading, pulled out a small leather pouch from a pocket of her dress.