This Red Sky

Chapter Seventeen

After supper Sonia rubbed her hands raw scrubbing out the cauldron in the kitchen, until the Matron's sharp voice summoned the sisters to their evening prayers. By the time the kneeling, bowing and beseeching in front of the shrine to Gamorax was done, they filed back into the dormitory, some rubbing sleep from their eyes. The low cots creaked as the girls plopped down on them.

Sonia sat on her cot in her sleeping shift, pulling the pins from her hair. They made a little pile on the blanket in front of her. She closed her eyes, rubbing circulation back into her scalp.

"Sisters Daria and Rohesa?"

Sonia opened her eyes immediately. Two girls who sat gossiping on a cot halfway down the room looked up. A senior mädrachin holding an oil lamp stood in the doorway.

"What is it, sister?" Rohesa asked.

"Mother wants you in the Temple. The Dron is holding a ritual to bless the newborn son of a noble family. She chose the two of you to dance."

The junior sisters tittered with excitement. Rohesa and Daria jumped up, immediately shedding their shifts and pulling on their yellow robes again. Their friends gathered around, helping them arrange their veils.

Sonia slowly turned to look at Polla. The other girl turned the colour of faded brown paper. But what could they say?

Sonia raised shaking hands to her head, her fingers combing tangles from her curls.

Just before the two young sisters were about to leave the room, Sala followed her sister to the door, grabbing hold of her hand.

"I'm jealous," the younger girl said, pulling Daria back a few steps. "You have to tell me all about it."

"I will, I will!" Daria laughed. "In the morning, after I get back."
She pulled her hand out of Sala's, and the three were gone in a moment. It took more than ten minutes for the excited chatter to fade. The bedside candles went out one by one.

The waxing moon hung low over the convent. Sonia lay awake, staring at the ceiling and listening to the crickets chirping.

Sonia carefully pulled back the rough woolen blanket on her cot, sitting up and blinking sleep from her eyes. She stood, reaching for the candlestick on her bedside. A stub of wax and wick still sat in the top. She crept towards the door.

One of the other cots creaked. Sonia stopped in her tracks, looking back.

Polla was tiptoeing towards her, holding her own candlestick as well.

"What are you doing?" Sonia demanded at a whisper.

"What are you doing?" Polla retorted.

"Going to the latrine."

"With no shoes?" Polla pointed. Sonia didn't answer for a moment.

"Fine. I'm sneaking into Mother's chambers, to find out if I'm right about what happened to Kara," she backed towards the door. "Please go back to sleep—"

"I can't," Polla said flatly. "Who knows what they're doing to Daria and Rohesa? I'm coming with you."

Sonia stared at her with despair for a long moment.

"Fine, just be quiet..."

They padded out of the dormitory, pushing the door quietly closed behind them. Polla rekindled the dim light of the candles. It sputtered, flickered and threw long shadows over the stairs and hallway as they crept towards the wooden door with a spiral carved above the knob.