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THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 15
Who threatened his life? I wonder. Why would anyone try to kill him? Did he do something to deserve it? Did he do something forbidden to his own people? Something unforgivable? I know that the people of the continent have laws that, if broken, can be punished by death, Mr. Tastaren told me. We also have that here, but I don't think they were ever put into practice. In ancient books there is no record that any Servant of the Goddess was punished by death.I look at the stranger and a stone slides down my throat with difficulty.If the Mothers find out that I'm taking care of him, will I be the first Servant to be punished by death? Foreigners are prohibited here. They can't see us or touch us. I saw and touched the stranger. Is this prohibited too? I'm afraid to find out. For almost a year I allowed Mr. Tastaren to see me and talk to me. I think this deserves punishment too...The foreigners were near the Goddess's island earlier, and I am now convinced that they were looking for the i
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 16
Now I see that you are actually smiling.She looks between the Sisters until she finds me and offers me her hand, which I hold tightly.Arina will not fail.The Goddess will be fair to her.All the Sisters join in a chorus of happiness and gratitude. We laughed and sang and hugged and kissed Arina many times.I notice that the Mothers remain far from us, in silence. I hadn't noticed this before, but I remember now that during Irvina and Sue's rituals they also stayed away, in silence. At that moment I know why. There have been no Daughters for a long time…**Arina will not return for the next few days.She will be guarded by the Mothers and will perform daily rituals with herbs for fertility so that the seed germinates in her womb. My Sister will only sit, sleep and eat with us again if she fails.I'm torn between how I miss her gentle company and my desire for her to reach the Goddess's grace and fulfill her dream of becoming a mother.That night, after the ritual and celebrations,
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 17
All the Mothers gather for prayers with Arina in the Third Corridor, then the other Sisters and I are dismissed for a few hours during the day, so we go down to the beach.When we were younger we used to play in the sand or in the sea with wooden toys or scented herb dolls that our Mothers made for us, but as we grew up the beach stopped being our favorite place to play. Each small group had their favorite place on the island. And it was never the lighthouse. I can see it from where we are. I have to keep myself from looking over there, wondering if the stranger is well enough to get up and leave, and then be seen by all the Sisters.But that doesn't happen.There is nothing attractive about a crumbling old tower, so my Sisters don't even look there.Some undress and enter the water.I sit on the sand.Hani sits next to me, then we watch the others play in the sea, young, beautiful and carefree.I would like to be like them again, but I realize that I don't think I ever was. I've alwa
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 18
— Today one of you predicted the worst; a man on our beach — she sounds disgusted as she says the words. — The Mothers will divide into groups to search the island and find out if any foreigners have landed. You will be protected. They must stay within the tower walls until it is safe.There is no sound in the dining hall.Any word. No protests.I feel the fear in my Sisters.They fear men.What I fear, at this moment, is that I will be watched along with the others and the task of sending the foreigner away becomes even more difficult. Even if I can leave the tower without being seen, the Mothers will be watching the beach.And now? And now?— If foreigners arrive on our island and we can't expel them-... — Mother Heste pauses nervously and looks at the other Mothers, who all make a positive gesture with their faces, encouraging her. —The grace of the Goddess must be buried with us lest it be used again for the infamous purpose of men.The Sisters look at each other.My heart sinks i
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 19
Does it seem plausible... or am I just trying to assuage the guilt I feel?The Sisters talk for at least another hour until the first of them shows signs of tiredness. Little by little, one by one, they retire to the shared beds.Arina sleeps next to me.I can see your restless face in the candlelight.I stroke her hair until I feel her small body relax, and then I get up. Her hand is tucked into her tunic pocket, tightly gripping the wolfsbane seeds that I take from her and throw anywhere.My heart rumbles in my chest.I will not allow Arina to die. I will not allow any of my Sisters to die.They are heavily asleep.Nothing will make them wake up for at least the next hour.I pick up my knife and the quiver with the bow and arrow. I get ready as if I'm going out hunting, even though it's still dawn, so I leave our room.I hesitate at the door. I look back at my Sisters who sleep, anxious and worried, in their shared beds.My bare feet make no noise as I step across the stone floor of
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 20
That's when I see the first foreigner. He is five steps away from me and holds a metal pipe in his hands.The air has an ocher, dry smell that stings the nose.I slowly approach him from behind.I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him like he killed my mothers...I move forward silently, as I did when hunting rabbits without traps, and I jump, but I am caught in the air and pulled back.It's the wounded foreigner. He smells like the chamomile I used to cover his wounds, so I recognize him without having to turn around.The man holds me tightly. Too strong.I am breathless. I feel crushed.He drags me behind a rock, away from the foreigners.I struggle with my arms and legs, but I'm small and I don't know how to fight, and he's big and much stronger than me, and he's no longer sick, just tired and hungry. I'm not a challenge. He crushes me in his huge arms.I see dark figures approaching.Screams in a language I don't know.And darkness swallows me as my thoughts are flooded with
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 21
Mr. Tastaren swallows hard.He's sweating, nervous and worried, but he translates, but his tone makes me think he didn't translate my words with the intensity I wanted.The foreigner narrows his good eye.I don't think I'll have an answer either, but after all he says a couple of dry words.— He says there's nothing on the island, girl — Mr. Tastaren weighs each word carefully, making a strange noise in his throat as he tries to clarify his voice. — The Prince says... there is nothing. All the... all the women... they're... — he shakes his face, speechless.— Did they kill them? — I demand, trembling. — Did those damn foreigners kill them all?Without thinking I squeeze my hand in my tunic pocket, holding the aconite seeds tightly.Mr. Tastaren asks, but the foreigner doesn't answer, he just looks at me silently. A horrible silence that I know I will never forget until the end of my life.“The grace of the Goddess must be buried with us lest it be used again for the infamous purpose o
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 22
I choke and vomit a load of salty water that tears up my throat.All around me is a jumble of harsh voices shouting at each other.Huge arms hold me back, and I struggle to push them away.— Don't touch me... Don't touch me... I'm sacred... I'm-...Someone holds me while I vomit some more, and I don't have enough strength to push him away.Before I can think I'm lifted into the air.There's a red eye staring at me when I open my eyes.— You... are the worst of all... — I spit, and my conscience wavers.Salty water shoots out of my throat, and I feel like vomiting it over the injured stranger, but he won't let go of me, the unfortunate one. He holds me tighter.No, you can't touch me... Mom, forgive me...**This isn't the room I've been trapped in for the last few days, I think as I open my eyes. It's bigger, and it's freezing cold, even though my body is covered in thick sheets of fur.My body is tired, so I roll over in the sheets and rub my face.I'm still wet. My hair is wet.I he
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