Choices and Consequences

Chapter 4

"Look to my ring and I will know. What does that even mean?" I wonder as I walk back home, spinning the ring on my finger. The small golden band with a small ruby set in it, the most simple and delicate design, but also so complex.

Not getting anywhere I drop my hands and walk into the house going straight to the kitchen, knowing that is where I will find my mother.

"There you are Ahna. I was worried about you." mother explains as she wraps me into a hug. I melt into her arms and return it. When I pull back from the hug I look at mother and can barely contain my excitement. "What is it Ahna? You look like you have something to tell me?"

"I'm an apprentice!" I squeal, "Aresia has approved of my choice and I have passed initiation! Can you believe it?" I hug my mother again, tighter this time.

"Ahna," mother whispers, "I'm so proud of you. What would you like for dinner, anything you'd like to celebrate your new apprentice-hood."

***

"Mother, I'm going for a walk. don't worry," I hastily say as I see her eyes widen, "I'll be back by sundown, I promise."

"Ok, just be careful Ahna." she shouts as I run from the house into the surrounding trees. In no time I am at the outskirts and in my tree, my back pressed against the trunk.

"What am I doing?" I ask myself running my hands through my hair, sighing at the same time.

Pushing away from the tree I walk around some more, never straying over the border to the unknown.

After a while I look down and notice that my ring is glowing. Curious, I wander around and watch as the glowing grows faint the further into the community I am and stronger the closer to The Edge I am.

"What does this mean? Aresia told me to look to my ring. Does that mean I should follow it? Because I can't. It leads past The Edge. No one goes past The Edge. Ever."

Returning to the center of the community I look around for Aresia. Of course, the last place I look just so happens to be where she is; in the training ring.

Seeing me approach she finishes her practice and motions for me to join her. Taking my sweater off and placing it on the bench I walk out in my t-shirt and cargo pants.

"What brings you down here Savahna?" She asks when I am close enough to hear her. Even though I have just watched her practice for the past hour, she is hardly even changed her breathing.

Taking a breath I look down and start explaining. "It's about my ring, it started glowing." Finishing in a whisper I watch as Aresia looks around and when no one is watching pulls me after her into her office.

Silently I watch as she paces the room in front of me. "When did you notice this?" She asks, her voice barely above a whisper in the quiet room.

"About two hours ago. I came straight here once I found out."

"Where?"

"The Edge." I whisper, to her hurriedly explaining myself. "I didn't go over, I just go to this side of the line, but I never cross it. I swear on my life. I swear-"

Cut off by her hand I stop speaking and look up at her. "It's okay Savahna, I understand." As I continue to look at her, I must have shown confusion on my face. Slowly she removes her hand and sits down to explain.

"There is a prophecy about a young female warrior. In the prophecy it mentions a ring glowing in her presence. It is said that the ring only glows when it is with this warrior and when she is on the right path. What that right path is, no one knows for sure, though everyone that has heard the prophecy has some speculation on it."

Aresia stops and runs her hands through her hair, pulling it out of the braid as she does. Cautiously I ask her the only thing on my mind at the moment, "Prophecy? What prophecy? Why have I never heard of this before?" Near the end I am out of breath, absolutely speechless by this revelation. "I can't be this female from the prophecy, can I?"

"Look Savahna, I don't know how else to tell you this, but you are this woman we have been waiting for. Atheno and I have been watching you since you were a child. We had suspected that you were her, but until you made your choice, we hadn't known for sure."

Watching her all this time, I run my hands through my hair. "If Atheno had been part of this, then their speculation might actually be correct." I think to myself, wondering how long Aresia's predecessor had this speculation and how he thought that it would be me. "Aresia, how did you know that it was going to be me? Out of all the females in the community, why choose me?"

"Savahna, we didn't choose you. The ring chose you." Pausing, Aresia continues pacing her office, never stopping for more than a minute. Sighing she goes to the door and calls over another warrior. Whispering into their ear, she closes the door again and continues her pacing.

A knocking on the door interrupts her pacing and she goes to open the door. Not even looking at who it is, she turns around and goes to her desk, "Close the door behind you." She tells.

I watch as Atheno walks into the room, then goes over to sit in a chair by the desk. "So, Savahna," he starts, "from what I understand you are the woman from the prophecy. Am I right?" Looking between me and Aresia, he waits for an answer.

Eventually I speak up, speaking my mind. "I don't know, I didn't even know there was a prophecy, never mind know if it's about me." Calming down, I fall down into a chair and rest my head in my hands, keeping my eyes on the floor between my feet.

Chuckling to himself, I can feel Atheno watching me from across the room. "In that case, would you like to hear the prophecy so you can better understand it?"

Lifting my head I look at him as I ponder his question, wondering if I should hear it or not. Thinking it over I nod my head.

"Keep in mind Savahna, a prophecy is an accurate prediction of the future, though it may seem like nothing at the time, it can drastically change your life. Everything in the prophecy will come true, no matter what you say, do or think, it will still happen the way it has been predicted. Are you sure you can handle this responsibility?" He asks me, worry in his voice as he warns her about the prophecy.

"I can handle it." I assure them with no hesitation. "Please, I need to hear it."