Stranger Skies (The Borderlands Saga #1)

5. Shoron Celebrations

Five days after Shoron found Thalaea moving out of Scoas' house and into Enendoa's.

So much had happened since she'd discovered her True Name, she felt as if she were living in a dream. Perhaps she was. It was all slightly unbelievable.

Enendoa had asked her to come back once more before Shoron and a few times after. Thalaea had readily agreed, for she felt she was learning much from the older woman and she enjoyed spending time in Enendoa's house.

On her second visit, Enendoa had told her about Saeas Night.

Saeas was the patron goddess of witches — or the patron goddess of wise women, to the rest of Min. She was more than that, of course: myths depicted her as the wife of El'nn, the Goddess of Desire and other chief deity besides Mi. Saeas also ruled over charisma, chaos, the night, and the new moon. Many people honored her during most of the year but Saeas Night was sacred to the wise women. Regular families spent the night at home, giving small offerings to Saeas that her eye of chaos would spare them that night. Witches would invoke that chaos, asking for her to change all.

The small collection of things on the mantle that Thalaea had noticed on her first visit to Enendoa's place was the witch's altar to Saeas. The statue was of the goddess herself, made out of copper. Copper was sacred to Saeas, according to Enendoa. That's why she had it all over the cottage.

The bones on the altar were wolf but they were old, and Thalaea didn't smell any fear or anguish in them. In fact, she could feel the wolf's spirit still in them and it felt happy to be part of the altar. She felt the same from the parts of the raven.

Still, she asked Enendoa about it.

"Wolves and witches have a long history together in Min. Saeas watches over the wolves as much as She watches over Her chosen, the raven and the witch."

Thalaea caressed the wolf bone on the altar. She felt an answering trill from the wolf-soul. "Then why are people like Kaz allowed to do what they do? If Saeas is honored by more than just witches."

A gusty sigh was her response. "You look at the world as if it's simple, as if people are easy to understand. They're not. Life is not clearly delineated, and the sooner you learn that, the happier you'll be."

Thalaea felt as if she'd been chastised, though there had been no censure in Enendoa's voice. She bit her tongue and said no more. Enendoa had been trying to teach her something and she'd interrupted.

"Saeas Night is traditionally when a witch chooses her apprentice, if she hasn't already. It's coming up soon and the town is antsy for me to choose someone. There's no doctor out this way and they depend on my old bones too much." She laughed then, in a self-deprecating manner.

Thalaea asked when Saeas Night was.

"The next new moon. Just over six eightdays from Shoron. Think about it."

Thalaea agreed to do so, though she still didn't know what she was thinking about. To become Enendoa's apprentice, all right, but what on earth did that entail?

The next day was when her clothes and shoes were supposed to be ready from the tailor and cobbler, so the family piled onto horses and into wagons and headed to town. The new clothing was beautiful, finely crafted, and fit Thalaea perfectly; her new boots were warm and supported the arches in her large feet well. Her happiness was short-lived, however, for Scoas returned from D'ssah's booth shortly after she and Natai had finished at the cobbler's.

The farmer's face was drawn with sorrow. "D'ssah's not here. Word is his lifemate has passed. He hasn't left home in days."

Thalaea felt shocked. She barely heard Natai's response: "Oh, that's terrible. We should bring him something."