Cold.  So cold.

Emalie shivered and drew her ragged shawl closer around her.  The better wind tore at her clothes and blew her stringy brown hair in front of her, obstructing her vision.  Impatiently she pushed her hair behind her ear and bent closer to study the object in her hands. 

It was a dull silver color, spiked and pointed, on a long chain. She drew in a ragged breath as she realized what it was.  Staggering to her feet she stared wildly around, but there was nothing to see.  Only the barren, brown, wind-swept landscape of  Karkas. “Mother” she whispered.  Then she ran, straight toward the bright star, till she came to a low hill.  In the hill was a door, made of cloth she had woven to years ago.  She entered into the cool, dim interior and fumbled around till she found the lamp and lit it.

 Holding it up high she quickly took the left passage, and hurried along it.  Her home was a system of caves, once sheltering at least fifty priestesses, but now only two lived here.  She turned off onto another passage, and then entered a small room. A shallow steaming pool was in the center of the room, around it were hung richly decorated cloths, tapestries, and on the floor rugs of a rich, dark, red hue.  On a burgundy cushion in the far corner sat humped an old lady, dressed in shades of gray and black.  She once told Emalie that she was in mourning for her country.  Emalie, refusing to be so pessimistic, still wore her novice robes of blue.

 “So you’re finally here eh?”

Startled out of her thoughts, Emalie quickly bowed, ”Yes teacher, I am sorry I have been so long”.

Teerah, her teacher, sniffed the air, then frowned, “you have been outside” she said severely.

Emalie lowered her head in apology “I’m sorry” she mumbled; “I couldn’t help it”.  She shuffled her feet and looked up at her teacher, hopefully the interrogation was over!

Teerah sighed and then gestured toward a bookcase near her “take your assigned book out and study then, and try to control yourself girl.  You’ll never become Preistess if you don’t make time for your studies”.  Then she closed her eyes and laid her head back, preparing for a nap.

Emalie walked quietly to the bookcase, picked out her book, and began to read.

Three chapters into the book, Emalie laid it aside and folded herself into her accustomed thinking position. Closing her eyes she did as Teacher taught her, and thought about what she had read.

How does it apply to our situation, our country’s?

Emalie could hear Teacher’s voice echoing in her head.  Pictures began to form.

It was bright, so different from how it is now, yet only eight years ago.  Eight years ago, on the day her mother disappeared.  There she was, bright and golden, High Priestess.  A line of Priestesses behind mother, dressed in white, with veils over their faces. They chanted, and wove through the many pools in the Inner Cave. Mother was glowing, smiling as she touched each pool she passed.  Emalie’s brothers, Kenric and Dominic fidgeted beside her, ten end eight years old, it was hard for them to keep still.  Emalie, only four, was still, being a girl of the temple, she already understood the solemnity of the daily ritual. Something was strange though, and it frightened her. There was something wrong with mother. As she watched, mother bent and touched another pool.  Emalie gasped, mothers hand was transparent-she could see the water through it! She tore herself away from Teerah and ran to her mother, and grabbed her arm.  There was nothing there, her hand sliced through air. The Priestesses behind her screamed, and a deep sound liked thunder filled the air.  Emalie spun around, to tell her brothers, but they weren’t screamed and ran forward, tripping and falling into blackness.

Emalie gasped and opened her eyes, to find Teerah looking down  at her.  “It brought back memories didn’t it?”  Emalie nodded dumbly, tears filling her eyes “but Teerah, I mean Teacher, why?  What does a simple story about King Roden have to do with that?”

“Think” Teacher commanded.

Emalie frowned and bit her lip, “The king has something to do with mother’s disappearance?” she suggested hesitantly.

Teerah nodded “I don’t think you saw, but he was there the day your mother disappeared, and he disappeared also, at the same time as your brothers.”

“Why was I left! Father, the king, mother and my brothers all went, so why did I not go with them!?” she cried angrily.

“That is for you to find out” Teacher said quietly.

Emalie stood up angrily, and felt something poke her.  Remembering, she drew out the necklace she had found earlier. She showed it to Teerah ”I found this outside, I think it was mother’s.  Do you know what it does?”

Teerah gasped then stared at Emalie, then down at the necklace.  She closed her mouth, then finally said, “It means my time has come”

“What are you saying?” Emalie, whispered, frightened.

Teerah shook her head then said, ”When I die you must leave  this place and go restore your country.  It is your first duty that I place on you as officiated High Preistess of Karkas. Wear the necklace always; it is the sign that you are High Preistess. It also shows that your mother at least is dead. Take The Book of the Temple with you.”

Before Emalie could recover from the shock of all this information at once, Teerah reached out and grabbed the thing at the end of the necklace. Her body jerked violently, and then fell to the floor.

“Teerah!” Emalie yelled.  But it was too late. Teerah was dead.