The Warlord and The Priestess

[4Chiri]

"But ...no one knows it's you! You're like any other random girl here....but if you really don't want to, then I understand." she shrugged.


The dancing continued for just a while, it would be the last dance of the night as people began to slow down and recede to their homes.


Ithet yawned.


"I had so much fun...should we go back to the basilica now? It looks like Moganthe is about to be heading off soon....we wanna make sure we beat him there, and at least get you a few minutes of sleep before morning..." she sighed.

 

[Morigan]

"Yes, I suppose we must," she said sadly. She began to walk towards the Basilica, pulling her hood up over her head again. "I am tired," she said through a yawn.

 

[4Chiri]

"As you say," she yawned also. "Let's--


"Ithet?" Someone called. She turned as Moganthe came up to them both. "Why aren't you with the priestess?" He asked.


"Uh..well, she...gave me permission to....enjoy the party," she admitted.


He looked to Melia for a moment, then back to Ithet. "Let this young woman go home and get back inside to the priestess, I'm coming to pick you both up early to head to Jedes, then Raxis, remember? She has pilgrimage to do." he said, bowed and then left. "Goodnight ladies."


She released a breath.

 

[Morigan]

Melia had frozen when Moganthe surprised them. When he walked away, she also let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.


"Oh my goodness," she whispered quietly to Ithet. "That was close. Let's get inside!"

 

[4Chiri]

Ithet nodded, "yes..lets!"


Once inside, and in your bedroom, Ithet plopped down into a chair. "My feet are sooo sore....but it was so worth it. Aren't you glad you went!? That was so much fun....the parties will be going on for the next four days but...if we're going to Raxis...AND Jedes...we'll be gone for weeks!" she sighed.


"This pilgrimage business....is exhausting and we haven't even started yet!"

 

[Morigan]

Melia sighed too, wishing she'd had the courage to actually dance, though she knew it would have been wrong. Still, almost being caught had frightened her quite a bit as well, and she was glad to be back out of the public sight.


"That is very true. Perhaps it will not seem so long once we get started though. But we should at least try to get a bit of sleep; I'm sure Moganthe will be here quite early."


Melia readied herself for sleep and fell into the the easily.

 

[4Chiri]

It seemed like only a few moments later when one of the Oracles knocked on the door to wake them.


"Milady, your guard is here to escort you. He says bring lots of things to occupy you as he's prepared a larger carriage and a wagon to carry


more things as you probably will not return until next month!" she called through the door and sped off.


Raxis and Jedes were two western regions of the country. In each one were Basilicas that wanted the attention of the Priestess. What would happen on the way there, and once she got there...were discernable.


Ithet yawned and sat up from her small bed on the far wall.


"I felt like I only slept for a few minutes...I'm so tired."

 

[Morigan]

"Yes. me as well. But let us collect our things. The sooner begun, the sooner finished." Melia began to collect practically all of her belongings for the trip.


She had Ithet help her dress and then headed down to the foyer with all her things.

 

[4Chiri]

Mother Dyona stood in the Foyer with Moganthe, Zegothan and Nheir, seeming to have some sort of disagreement.


"Moganthe is needed elsewhere, Mother, he is a Warlord, not some dignified escort!" Zegothan sneered, but Mother Dyona was able to keep her composure with the old man. Moganthe was able to stand still and emotionless, next to Mother Dyona.


"We already agreed to relieve the Warlord of his duty once the Priestess' pilgrimage was over. Even the Emperor agreed." she spoke.


"This is absurd!"


"Be calm Zegothan," Nheir said, "There are plenty of knights the Emperor can take with him to Agrith,"


"That's not good enough!" Zegothan snapped, loudly. "The Emperor is traveling to speak with King Dusais...without his warlord would be preposterous! Assign her a new guard, she doesn't need the warlord."


Mother Dyona then noticed Melia and Ithet approaching.


"...perhaps we should let the Priestess decide if she wants the warlord with her or not."


"She would of course," Zegothan huffed, "she's too attached, if she takes him I say he should still be punished for what happened last week."


"He had no control over that attack Zegothan!" Nheir cut in, "he saved her life, twice!"


"Perhaps, but she was harmed. With her protector there is to be NO harm done to the priestess, you cannot disregard that rule JUST because she lived. Would you say the same if she were bruised!?" Zegothan argued.


"Enough!" Dyona snapped. Everyone quieted to a hush. "You are right Zegothan, the priestess lived through both attacks, but she was harmed, that was one of the rules, not to be broken. We can compromise."


She walked over to Melia with a light frown.


"Priestess, we will need to discipline Moganthe for letting such a thing happen to you, if not, then he will be removed from your service." she said.


Zegothan crossed his arms in a smug manner.


"You will punish Moganthe, or he will be reassigned."

 

[Morigan]

Anger raged within Melia, almost blinding her for a moment. She drew herself upright.


"Who are you to question the decision of the Priestess?" she asked with flint in her voice. "This matter was settled before we ever returned here. The gods have not desired Warlord Moganthe to be punished, or else I would be aware. Now if the issue is the Emperor's visit, that I will be willing discuss." Her words rang with finality and she stared at each person in the room, pinning them under her gaze.

 

[4Chiri]

Mother Dyona smiled.


"Priestess, you must forgive Zegothan's urge to punish Moganthe, he only wants to do so because Moganthe can be no less than perfect. Isn't that right Zegothan?" she asked. To this he didn't answer. "It is only because he is your son that you feel so strongly towards his dicipline and I respect that, however, don't let that bias your decision."


"That has nothing to do with it!" he snapped. Moganthe continued looking towards the floor.


"The Priestess declares Moganthe not to be punished, that is that." Nheir said with a small huff. "I couldn't have solved it better myself."


"Quiet fool -" Zegothan snapped towards Nheir, "Mother Dyona, Priestess, will Moganthe stay in the lady's service, or not?" He asked.


Mother Dyona raised her hand, "Moganthe will stay with the Priestess until after her pilgrimage. That was the agreement between the Basilica and the Emperor, Master Zegothan," she bowed.


to that, Zegothan huffed and left in a fuming whirl. Nheir and Moganthe also let themselves out.


Mother Dyona chuckled and turned to Melia, "stay your heart Melia, be calm. I heard a bit of Resithius in your tone." she sighed. "Moganthe is waiting for you outside with your new caravan. The ride should be much more comfortable now. I will miss you, and be safe." she said staring down at Melia like a mother. She remembered raising the young Melia as a child, teaching her, loving her and growing her into the young woman she was today.


"I will pray for you always."

 

[Morigan]

"And I, for you," Melia told Mother Dyona, before she turned to enter her carriage.


This pilgrimage would be the end of her arrangement with Moganthe. While she dreaded being parted from him she also knew that the longer they were together the more difficult it would be when this duty ended.


She entered the carriage with Ithet and took her seat silently.

 

[4Chiri]

A few hours passed. This would probably be their longest ride...and last time they were attacked by bandits. Who knew what would happen this time. Humans weren't the only threats. There were wolves..bears...and other strange and dangerous creatures.


Ithet fidgited with the ties on her dress, entirely uneasy about this entire arrangement.


"So, you already prayed at the Temple of Ziranos in the City. In Jedes and Raxis we will be visiting the Temples of, Karamina and Yinar." she sighed. Then apparently we will be coming back 'round to the Graves of Hurnathus near Winters' Edges where the Temple of Xidon lies."


she looked over a small book and handed it to Melia. It was a book listing all the places she must visit during Pilgrimage...almost too much to explain all at once.


"We will take one thing at a time...no wonder this takes so long..." she groaned. "....this is too much...how do they expect one woman to do all this?"


Looking down the list, she also had to visit the Labyrinths of Beniritha, Resithius and Ajeton. As well as the Towers of Narus Lyn Tac and Et'in Os. It was simply too much...

 

[Morigan]

"By forgetting that I am, in fact, only a mortal woman. They see religious requirements that they want fulfilled but forget that real, live people are the ones making this pilgrimage. But it cannot be helped, so we will endure, as others before us have done. Once we complete this our lives will settle down quite a bit you know. We might even miss all the excitement after a while...a long while, perhaps," she amended with a slight smile.


Melia handed the small itinerary book back to Ithet and pulled out her needlework again. "Just think of how much embroidery I'll get finished," she added.

 

[4Chiri]

She smiled.


"...what's the embroidery for anyway? You're always doing it." she sighed and looked over at the needles.

 

[Morigan]

"Just something to keep my hands and mind busy," she said, showing her the latest piece. It was a scene of mountains against the sky. "I don't really do anything with them when I finish. It helps keep my mind from wandering though, or getting bored." As she said the last though, she couldn't help it when her thoughts turned to Moganthe for a moment. "Of course, when I get tired or it grows too dark to see the stitches, I can always read or something else."

 

[4Chiri]

She thought for a moment. Her mind drifting all over the place...landing on the prophet attack. But before she could speak the carriage stopped.


"...I wonder why we--


"Good morning traveler." came a voice of another patron on the imperial highway. "I hope you aren't headed to the Temple of Karamina..."


"If we are?" Moganthe said. Their voices were muffled through the thick of the carriage walls. Ithet poked her head out the window.


"Someone desecrated it not long ago...there's a huge fuss. Someone took off the statues hands and apparently hid them somewhere in Hurnathus' Graves just a few miles that way." the man explained.


"What??" Moganthe snapped. "Who would do that, does the count have any idea?"


"No sir...there's a warrant out for the thief, but hard to catch someone when no one sawr who it was."

 

[Morigan]

Melia listened with interest though the door, before turning to Ithet. "What do you think they hoped to accomplish by this?" She shook her head sadly. "It seems each place we go, trouble follows us. Perhaps it is a sign..." she trailed off worriedly. If the gods had not meant for her to be Priestess, this was a good way to show displeasure.

 

[4Chiri]

The whispers began to echo...just barely audible. Like a breath on the ear. The noise around her began to fade. Most of their voices were muffled now, Ithet spoke but her voice faded further and further away. The whispers...commanding...desperate?....a warning? It was hard to tell.

 

[Morigan]

Melia concentrated on the voices, like she had been instructed. She took deep slow breaths, trying to let the words form fully in her mind instead of slipping away. She prayed for the meaning to become clear for her, if she was meant to understand.

 

[4Chiri]

The whispers became a bit more clear...the voice of a woman and a man...perhaps many people, all speaking at once. It was hard to focus on just one voice.


"....Melia....Meli...a......Mali....Pri.......Priestess..... --Priestess!?"


Ithet suddenly shook her from her trance.


"Are you alright? You've gone pale....your nose is bleeding!" She worried. "What's the matter?"

 

[Morigan]

Melia snapped out of her trance, wiping her finger under nose to catch the blood. "I'm okay, I was just trying to decipher the voices...I heard them again. But I failed. Do we have a rag or cloth around? This is quite a bit of blood," she said, pinching her nose and tilting her head back.

 

[4Chiri]

She flinched a little and grabbed a small handkerchief. "Here you are milady, y-you aren't in any pain?" she asked a bit worried. "You wouldn't answer for quite a few minutes...I....was about to tell Moganthe to stop."


She calmed herself.


"..so....you couldn't hear anything this time either?"

 

[Morigan]

"It didn't feel very long to me...strange." SHe sighed sadly and shook her head. "No, I heard nothing this time. Just jumbled voices still. I wonder why..." she grew thoughtful, and pursed her lips slightly as she thought. "Oh well. We will continue as we were, there is nothing else to be done I suppose." Melia shrugged a bit.

 

[4Chiri]

She sighed. "I guess...I just don't understand how you aren't....shaken or worried by it. What if you never understand what it means?"