A/N : f.b represents flashback, f.f. means flash forward.

1

A boat rocked on the water. It was thin and horn-ended, like a wooden smile, floating, crawling. A boy on the front gave some push with a pole, digging into the sea bed. Behind him were his passengers.

Most of them were the ordinary type. Two of them stood out, girls in Carsenne robes. One of them was crouched low in the side of the boat, caught up in her own world. The other gazed out over the waves, taking in the rough blue. Her name was Paige, and she was a normal-sized girl, a little thin, with cat eyes and messy, tawny braids. She saw fog coming, and knew they were near Cavendine. She turned to her friend. “Any minute now, Faith.”

The other girl looked up, nodded, smiled, but said nothing.

Paige didn’t really know the girl, but they had schooled at the same temple back in Tuston, Erzin. It was mere coincidence that they were traveling together to the island of Cavendine, off Erzin’s west coast, this afternoon.

Paige didn’t even really understand how she had come to be on this boat. She didn’t know much about Cavendine, and she’d never left her hometown of Tuston before. But the High Priest of her home temple, a man she greatly respected, had personally asked to transfer her to Cavendine’s Carsenner, or Carsenne temple.

f.b.

“The High Priest at Cavendine is a good friend of mine,” Wendell Amyron, the High Priest of Tuston’s Carsenner, told Paige. “Lately, he’s been having problems.”

Paige roamed her gaze, becoming puzzled. She was sitting in one of the stiff-backed chairs in the High Priest’s office, looking on as he rearranged the books on his shelves. There was something obsessive-compulsive about him. He was neat, his office was neat, and the floor was dustless.

She wondered over his words, trying to guess again why he had called here. Just yesterday, she had officially graduated into priesthood. She’d been celebrating with some of her friends when she’d gotten his summons.

When she’d walked in, he’d congratulated her, but hadn’t explained, diving right in about the comment of this obscure acquaintance in Cavendine.

She shrugged, deciding to play along. “What sort of problems?”

“He’s shorthanded.”

“Oh.”

“You know … how Cavendine is. Of course they’d have trouble recruiting people into their studies, what more priests.”

Cavendine was the only place in the world where Hezaican worshippers were the majority. Considering Hezaica’s common label, ‘the Devil’, she knew what Amyron meant. “I suppose. So …?”

“So he’s asked me to transfer some of my own, as far as I can.”

Paige felt the slow creep of his meaning. “You want to transfer me.”

“I do.” Here, he finally stopped in the middle of his fussing, giving her a look that she saw held softness, maybe even a shade of pity. “You’re a good student, Miss Wyatt. One of the best.”

“Thank you.”

“And I can tell you’re good at taking care of yourself. And considering your background ….”

Paige stared at him then. It probably seemed rude, but she couldn’t help it. Any mention of her family made her sore. She wondered a lot nowadays if that reaction would ever die.

“Of course, I cannot force you to go,” he continued, when she wouldn’t speak. “But you are my first choice to send. I think you would do well there, and I’m sure they could use someone like you.”

Paige hesitated, then hated herself for it. “Yes,” she told herself to say. “I’m … very glad – and honored – that you decided to pick me. Of course I’ll go.”

How could she say no? To High Priest Amyron? She would never be rid of that guilt.

f.f.

Paige felt a coolness sweep over her cheek, and around her the waters became swallowed by hazy white. This was the Cavendine mist.

The boat continued to plow forward, inched along confidently by the young driver. As the passengers sat quietly, sounds began to lift. The sound of waves on rocks, faraway voices, the cackle of gulls.

Paige sat up, waiting, shivering, and soon, a jetty appeared. The people on the boat started shifting then, shaking out their legs and gathering their things. Paige got out with the rest of them, the girl, Faith, just behind her.

Once they had walked past the jetty, the mist mostly cleared up, and they had their first glimpse of Cavendine, the island town. Past the cargo and sailors were tall wooden gates, open like welcoming arms. Unfortunately, the banners alongside them, with the name of Hezaica, provided the opposite effect.

Faith looked to Paige. “Do you know the way?”

Paige shook her head, but went forward anyway, beckoning for the quiet girl to follow. Paige led the way into the start of town, going past low, dark buildings made of rough, dusky wood, past odd patterned posts, bell towers, shops looked after by scarfed women.

Paige asked a girl where the Carsenne temple was, and was told that it was to the south, on sloping land.

It took a walk, but eventually the girls found it. The Carsenne temple was a little out of the way; it was a good few minutes out of the town. On the plus side, this meant that it was happily untouched in its quiet perch on a green.

Together, the girls went up the main stairs, looking for someone to explain their purpose to. Eventually, they were brought to the High Priest himself, a man named Hegler. He was standing out on the herb farms, talking to a priest, but stopped to turn to the girls.

“Ah, the newcomers from Tuston?” he guessed. He was a short man with a slight belly, old and white-haired like his friend, Amyron.

“Yes,” Paige answered for the two of them. “I’m Paige Wyatt, and this is Faith Samuelson.”

“We’ve been waiting for you. You two look like sharp girls. I’ll have to be sure to thank Amyron. Before anything, let me welcome you, on behalf of everyone here, to our Carsenner. Oh, and to Cavendine, of course.”

Faith did a pale grimace at this, and Hegler noticed. “Yes, I can understand what you must think of it. I can’t tell you the amount of times people have asked me why we live here.”

“Or why we come here,” Paige said quietly, although he heard her.

He stared at her for a time, and she was relieved when he came up with a smile. “Well, Miss Wyatt, I was born here, and I think I can tell you that a lot of notions about Cavendine are inaccurate, or exaggerated, at the very least. For the most part, it’s quite a peaceful place.”

“Of course. Forgive me. I’m sure it is.”

“For your own safety though, the usual rules as anywhere else do apply here – curfews and such. The Cavendine Carsenner works very much like any other, very much like the one at Tuston, I’m sure, so I trust you two will be able to adapt without any trouble.”

Paige and Faith nodded, mutely agreeable.

“Good. Now, I’m a little busy, so I’ll have to send you back in. Ask anyone to take you to the priestesses’ dorms and have a rest there. I’ll have someone come to give you an orientation in a minute.”

“Yes, Sir,” Paige said. She and Faith gave the High Priest a last smile, then turned and took their leave.

The priestesses’ dorms, which was on the second floor of the temple, turned out to be mostly empty. Any priestesses that were there were either sleeping or distracted with some work or other.

One or two of them did smile and nod at Paige and Faith, but that was about it. Paige padded down the aisle between cubicles, perking up when she found an empty one.

Carsenner dorms left little room for privacy. Every cubicle, about six by seven feet, had no more than a bed, some storage space and a wall to the left and the right. This meant that everybody had an empty doorway where others could just look in as they pleased. Usually, curtains were used to close it up, but even then, it wasn’t entirely safe.

Paige slipped into the cubicle, dumping her bags on the bed. She noticed Faith hovering, and cocked her head. “Check the next one.”

“No, it’s taken.”

“Oh.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just go further down. Don’t worry about it.” She scuttled off before Paige could even comment.

As it turned out, the next cubicle Faith managed to get was several beds down. But Paige was so tired, that she lay down, forgetting all about her only other companion from Tuston.

They did not see each other again until an older priestess came in, hollering for the Tustoners.

“Here,” Paige answered back, hurrying out of her cubicle just as Faith came running up.

The woman in front of them was fairly short, sturdy-shouldered, with gray-wire hair and a thin mouth. She gave the two of them a nod. “I am Councilor Ress,” she said neatly. “And you two are … ?”

Paige, again, made the introduction.

“Glad to have you,” Councilor Ress responded. “I am the Hall-Keeper of this temple, and one of the four councilors. I’ve been at this temple for almost forty years, as my lines and wrinkles are sure proof of ….”

Paige chuckled, but Faith seemed distracted.

“Now, then, here are your schedules,” Councilor Ress said, carefully handing them separate notes bound with cord. “These relate to your classes and duties, and commence day after tomorrow. In the meantime, you’ll have time to rest, acquaint yourselves using the map of the temple in there, and maybe get out and see a bit of Cavendine.”

She turned towards the door, and the two newcomers scurried after her. “I’m going to give you a quick tour and run-through right now, but after that, the two of you are on your own. Everyone has been informed of your arrival, so don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re in any doubt. While I would like to orientate you more thoroughly, I’m sure you can imagine the amount of work I have to me, so try to approach your fellow priests instead.”

Paige nodded, listening as Councilor Ress continued to talk. True enough, they weren’t with her for very long, and they were back in the dorms again within minutes.

Later, the announcement came for dinner, and Paige heard from her cubicle the echoes of feet and movement as the people in the temple started moving. According to another priestess, the temple here was just like the one in Tuston in the sense that dinners were segregated – the priests and seniors ate first, then the students, then the helpers and the remaining staff. This was only the first round, even though it felt as if everyone was heading down to the hall.

As Paige trotted downstairs with the crowd, she looked around for Faith, but couldn’t find her. It wasn’t that she particularly liked the girl or anything, but Faith seemed like the sort who would be painfully unhappy without company.

Paige couldn’t see her anywhere, though, and finally gave up, going on alone. She ate alone, something she had no problem with, and after the meal, did some unpacking before going to sleep.

In the morning, Paige lined up for breakfast alone too. She was walking along the food tables, heading for the beef stew when someone else happened to go for it at the same time. The two instinctively stopped, sharing a gaze.

“Sorry,” Paige piped up immediately.

“Oh, no, it’s alright,” came the just-as-immediate answer.

Paige took a moment to examine the person in front of her. He was a priest, all tall and gangly, with ginger hair coming to his shoulders. He had a nice face, pleasant, harmless, with big, staring brown eyes. He gestured to the tureen. “After you.”

“Hmm. Why not?” She helped herself, and the priest patiently watched her.

“You’re one of the new priestesses, aren’t you?” he remarked, eyes glittering a little.

“Mmhmm.”

“I’m Will Bird. What’s your name?”

“Paige.”

“Paige. How are you getting along here?”

Paige finished ladling, but lingered as he took his turn. “Fine. But it’s only been a day.”

“Where’s the other priestess?”

“I don’t know. Around, I suppose.”

“Are you sitting with her?”

“No. I don’t think so. I don’t really know her.”

“Are you sitting with anybody?”

“There was no plan of that.”

“Well, you can sit with me if you want.”

She shrugged. “Sure.” She followed him to a table near the wall, an empty one, and she became curious. “How long have you been here, Will Bird?”

“Not long. Four years.”

“You must have graduated pretty fast. Did you pass everything on the first try?”

“Pretty much.”

Paige was impressed. Even she, one of Tuston’s top Carsenne students, had taken five years to graduate. She paused, glancing around. “So don’t you have any friends, or do you always eat alone?”

“No one close. I kind of bounce.”

“Bounce?”

“Between groups. The good thing about that is I’m a little more well-known than some people here. But the bad thing is I don’t really actually belong to any of them. Do you know what I mean?”

“Neither here, nor there.”

“Yes. Something like that.”

Paige took a drink of water, and Will scratched his ear. She could see he was the energetic type, always moving, talking with his hands. True to his name, he was like a flitty little bird. “You haven’t started teaching, have you?” he asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“What’ll you be teaching?”

“Magic.”

“Only?”

“Apparently. Do you teach?”

“Yep. Geography and alchemy,” he said proudly. “And I’m pretty good at it too.” He winked, and she laughed.

“I do hope your modesty rubs off on your students.”

“Thanks. I like you already.” He dug a finger into his bit of bread, making a hole and spraying crumbs all over on the table.

“Uh, something wrong?”

“No. It’s just that this bread is all dry and hard.” He sighed. “If I were a betting man, I’d bet this is last week’s bread. And why don’t they ever serve anything interesting for a change? I don’t mean everyday. Just once in a while. Is that so hard?”

“Some things are the same everywhere.”

“What things?”

“Cheap temple food.”

“Oh no. Is that true? How sad.”

“Well, I can’t blame them. They have a huge bunch of people to feed. I don’t expect there’s much time for quality.”

Will poked his boiled vegetables, sighing again. “Well, if you want, we could have something different for lunch.”

“I’m listening.”

“We could go to this place, this restaurant on the other side of Cavendine. It’s my favorite place ever.”

“Alright. I haven’t been out of the temple since yesterday.”

“Really? Then I can show you around town a little.”

“That would be great, thanks.”

“I just need to be back for classes at two. You’re – ?”

“Completely free today.”

“Right. So at lunchtime, I’ll meet you out on the front steps? Is that alright?”

Paige nodded, actually feeling a little excited. She liked Will, and she could tell she would have fun with him.

Later on, upstairs, she found Faith and asked if she wanted to join her and Will, but Faith said no. In fact, Faith was pretty quick about it, and she looked away right after, as if Paige was disturbing her.

Paige shrugged to herself and walked away, thinking that this was where the two of them parted ways. That was fine, anyhow. She had Will, and even if she didn’t, she knew how to handle herself, just like Amyron would say.

f.b.

Paige caught a glimpse of her mother’s head from the temple stairs. “Mum!” she called brightly, and her mother looked up, waving.

Paige was a mid-teen, but she couldn’t help always feeling like a child around her mother. She skipped faster, almost stumbling, and her mother gave her a dry look. “What is it with kids and their desire to break their own necks??”

“Oh, shut up, Mum.” She threw her arms around the older woman, unabashed. “Brought me anything?”

“Yes. I’ve got cake.”

“What kind?” Paige asked suspiciously.

“Uh … raisin.”

Paige’s face fell.

“Well, I got so sick of doing chocolate all the time.”

“You could have done chocolate … with raisins.”

“Now that’s just madness.”

Paige beamed. She led her mother to the dining hall, empty for once since it wasn’t mealtime. Her mother sat down, and Paige got some water from the kitchen, bobbing with lemon slices. “So how are things at home?” she asked as they started eating.

“Ah, you know.”

“I do,” Paige responded, imagining. The mounds of wood outside their forest home, chopped by her father, the incessant voices of her younger brothers, the smell of the trees, the grass so long it could hide snakes.

“How are classes?”

“Fine.”

“What happened with that potions test?”

“I passed.”

“That’s great!”

“Mum, I told you I would.”

“Hmm. My girl, ever confident.”

“No. I just know my own capabilities, that’s all.”

Her mother nodded, a lightness coming into her eyes and sending lines out at their corners. She was not a beautiful woman, not in the conventional way, but she was a picture of classic sweetness, softened by age, yet at the same time toughened by it too. Like her daughter, she had warm skin and blonde hair, though Paige had stark green eyes, the only one in the family to have them.

“You’re right,” her mother was saying. “Actually, I am glad.”

“For what?”

“That you’re doing so well. I never have to worry about you, because I know you’ll be just fine.”

Paige smiled. She gazed across at her mother, peering into the face she knew best, and for a second, for some unknown reason, she felt a haze. Of remembrance, of uncertainty, of fear. But she pushed it away, nodding. “Thanks, Mum.”

f.f.