Methalda and the Abbess

[Temple of the Everlight, Village of Uriham]

 "Methalda, a moment of your time please". The wizened monk called from the meeting rooms. 

 "Aye, venerable one. Coming." What does the abbess want with me this time? Ugh.... 

 "I'm here.""Child, you have just passed your twenty-second summer?" 

 "Yes, master.""Yet you've chosen not to pass through the Refuge of the Sacred Gems?" 

 "The ascetic life of a monk doesn't call to me, master..." 

 "Aye, I misspoke. That rite must be taken voluntarily. Yet, have you thought about your future? You're here at the temple several times a week. You occasionally volunteer to serve at our ceremonies. The devotees speak well of your services entertaining the children while their parents pray, and praise your medical talents..." I started to space out. Where was she going with this? A sparrow hopped on the windowsill. 

 "Focus, child. Or, rather, is that the reason you're not willing to become a monk?" 

 "I'm not a religious woman, master. I enjoy the community." 

 The abbess chuckled, smiling- yet her eyes went icy cold. "Indeed... Alas. You would have made a fine candidate for Way of Mercy. So, if your path is not with the inner temple... yet you're not settling down with a mate? I've seen several young men look at you with interest–" 

 "I have no intention of being a simple housewife, master.""Don't interrupt me, child. You're one of the more intelligent laymen. Your knowledge of the scripts is... wanting. But you seem to understand their underlying mercy, values. You can read the language of Sarenrae as well as any inner temple initiation. Alas, such wasted talent, to be able to read so many languages... Common, Celestial, Abyssal–" 

 "and Gobl–" I began to quip, catching myself. The abbess and I fell silent for a moment. Much of the community would much rather pretend the Goblin Pamphlet Incident of Year 23 never happened. I'm fairly certain that the abbess had not suspected me as a source of those flyers. She sighed, continuing."...With your grasp of the languages and your intelligence, you would have made a fine researcher of scripture. You spend your day doing odd jobs around this temple, yet you remain uncommitted to the... regimented aspects." 

 "I apologize, master. I do respect the Everlight." 

 "Yes, that I can tell." Her eyes warmed. "Perhaps you would do well to visit the grand temple of our faith. Decide for yourself if your future is with the inner temple, or as a lay devotee. Either way, you're welcome back at any time. I trust you'll help out as you have, while staying here. I have instructed Sister Yor to pack your belongings and provide you with a small stipend. Fetch yourself a Healer's Kit from the storerooms." 

 "Thank you, master. Light be with you." 

 "Light be with you, child. Oh, one more thing, a small boon for your journey..." The abbess reached out and put her palm on my forehead. She began chanting, the language was familiar, yet the tempo was all wrong, and the structure was... odd? The chanting kept increasing in speed, until a flash of pain exploded in my forehead, and all went dark....When I awoke, I was in my bed in the temple quarters. 

Sister Yor nodded at me, gesturing at my packed belongings. I closed my eyes for a moment, a prayer forming in my mind –yet an awareness of Sister Yor's elderly frame still remained? This was... interesting. 

 "Abbess has given you a blessing of alertness", Sister Yor said in his raspy drawl.

It was time to take my leave.

Image credit: spearwoman by Junq-Jeon