The Elevated Tree

03 Apprentice

  I fumed in my head as I kept passing the watering can up and down the herb trough near the Lodge.  I can't believe I'd got stuck with an assignment so mundane. The day had started so well too.

  Limar and father had woken, were talkative and polite, and even complimented my (only slightly) different tunic. We had a calm repast, and I burst with pride as my name was read by Priestess Dentaria as a Sharassi Candidate.  We honored the volunteers leave-taking with a silent Salute, and the students were split into duty groups.

Unfortunately, not all duties required groups, so while my peers were assisting in other ways, I was.....weeding. I grumbled at the tiny shoots that kept growing where they weren't wanted.  Why did healers need Bruiseweed anyway? We had the most priests of any race or region - couldn't Elune just heal everyone?

While I loved the smell of earth, I didn't necessarily love mud or being muddy, so I started trying to think of a way where I could either weed before watering, or not water at all.  The Lodge cistern was only 10-15 paces away, and I'd seen other Elves have small water-systems in their boughs for personal use.  Maybe I could rig something up that would work out here, I mused.  Or move the freaking trough closer to Aldrassil.

I was going to ask Keina, the Master I was assigned, how much leeway candidates had in their assignments. As I was trying to figure out a way to get water from the cistern, Kendra's younger sister, Lia, came up to me and informed me in her most self-important voice that "Master Keina requires your presence at the top of tree immediately." 

Finally! I thought. I shooed her away and dropped the watering pitcher next to the trough.  We had all gone back to our homes to change after the morning Gathering so I hadn't gotten my tunic dirty. Although there was a fair bit of water on my breeches and trainer from carrying the pitcher clumsily.

I sprinted most of the way up the spiral ramp to the room I'd never been in before.  It's not that we hadn't been curious, but it was just Master Stormgrips workplace, and he'd always been so.....standoffish. I was slightly out of breath, and surprised to find Keina alone waiting.

"Lia said you needed me," I reported.

"Yes, thanks for hurrying," she replied, noticing my panting, then got a twinkle in her eye. "Ready to do some important things?"

"Oh? Did the council decide herbal tea wouldn't fix the problem?" I asked, deciding to be snarky.

She sighed loudly, plainly for my benefit.  "We never thought it would, but discipline has to be maintained as well."  After a short pause, she added, "Did you ever think that having a boring assignment may have been a test?"

I stopped my response, stricken.  It hadn't occurred to me I might be tested without my knowledge. "And....did I pass?"

She laughed, "You barely did two revolutions work! So instead of answering, let me ask you thus: would you be willing to have Trough duty again?"

I didn't answer immediately, scared this question was a test.

She clarified: "Will you trust my fellow Masters and I enough for us to know when to use you and especially where to use you, to benefit the Glen the most?"

I looked down, ashamed. Of course there was value in growing, and giving supplies out.  Normally a grown Elf spent their day supervising, if not doing, that work. "I'll trust you now."

She looked mollified.  "Then I'd say you passed."

We had stood for awhile in comfortable silence when Limar and Kendra ran in, equally winded.

"So she was telling the truth," exclaimed Kendra, at seeing me and Keina waiting for them.

"Just because she's your sister should not give you cause to suspect she lies," Keina scolded.  She obviously didn't know Lia very well.