In Stone

29: "I'm...dirty?"

29: “I'm...dirty?”

A crowd had gathered for the occasion. Caia, who was wearing a long dress that she had borrowed from Nyna to cover her asbused legs, was standing in the center of all those people. Except they had given her a wide bubble of space, none of them willing to come in too close. It wasn't as though they were scared, instead they were giving her cautious looks as though unsure of how exactly they were supposed to be treating her anymore.

Caspian was inside the temple with his uncle, and Elanil claimed that she didn't want to attend this ceremony, so Caia was left standing alone. Luckily she didn't need to find something to do with her nervous hands, they were pretty well occupied holding the long stone finger. It was almost like new now, restored by her careful hands to its former glory. Well, as much glory as a single finger could possess anyway.

Which was probably another reason no one wanted to come in too close. The holy statue was, after all, holy. Caspian told her that only the temple keeper was allowed to clean and touch it. Even this piece, broken as it was, was regarded highly. It was only because Caia was called by the goddess to do so that allowed her to carry it.

It was being returned to the temple today. 

Caia had spent the last few days alternating between not wanting to touch it and obsessively stroking it back to its former splendor. Usually she only did so when the urge to finish the goddess's statue came over her. She wasn't quite ready to return to the sculptor's shack yet. She didn't want people to hate her again by presuming that she had the right to touch that statue anymore.

A lonely horn blew through the morning, capturing Caia's attention. She lifted her head up towards the temple entrance where Garrik and Caspian waited. Garrik was wearing fine robes for the occasion, much more fine than anything she had ever seen him wear. Beside him, Caspian almost looked like a slob because he was wearing the same thing he wore all the time.

Seeing that suddenly made Caia feel much more at ease. Across the distance and over the people's heads, he smiled at her gently. She returned the smile with a bit of hesitation, but she did return it. Just having him near made her feel better.

Garrik held his hands up for silence that was already there. He looked out over the crowd, his face flushed with pleasure at what was going on.

“Friends,” he called out to them. “Today is a joyous day! After far too long, a piece of the holy statue shall finally find its home back in our temple.”

Caia tried not to fidget as she felt an entire crowd's worth of eyes turn to her.

“We also celebrate,” he continued, capturing their attention again, “that one of our number has been called upon by the goddess to do Her work. Caiahicks, of the land beyond the stones,” he looked to Caspian to make sure he had that right. He had not been told where Caia was from and that was the only answer Caspian was willing to give. He continued, “has brought us back this piece of our statue, of our temple. It is not large, but it is powerful in its meaning. She has also been charged with returning the rest of the statue. So if any of you see her walking into the forest, you are to follow and assist in whatever way you can. And woe to the one who attempts to divert her, for the goddess herself will see you punished.”

He looked out over all of his, his eyes hard with caution. Was that how they were spinning this? Caia thought to herself. She tries to kill someone, but the goddess takes the blame? 

“Caiahicks!” Garrik called to her, saying her name as though it was one word. These people didn't have two names, he probably thought that was her full name. “Come forward! Return the statue to its cradle here in the temple.”