It was the Naming Trial on Scalvoris. All over the island parents gave names to the children who had been born the arc before. It was a time of celebration and joy the whole island over and yet Faith could not share it. For all of those who had joy this trial, she felt the hollow feeling which had nearly, oh so nearly, overwhelmed her since the events in Vhalar. In her pocket was, as always, the small piece of material which she carried with her. The white cloth with pretty lace edging, the material from the crib they had made together for the baby she had carried gave her a kind of comfort which she could not deny.
So, that morning, Faith had gone, before she had to make her way to the Order, to the Glass Temple. There, she greeted Stan, the Tunawa caretaker of the place and she had made what had become a regular thing for the young woman. Three stops. Three shrines in one temple. Like most of Scalvoris, this temple had shrines to all of the Immortals and Faith went to the three which she served. First to Famula, where she lit a candle and prayed, for all those who had passed and who she guided with her lantern. Faith's prayer was that she might serve as she always aimed to, that she might be of use to the Lady of the Lantern and that her service was sufficient. Faith was clear that she served, always she served and she served both life and death. Now that she was free, she was able to make that choice and it was the right one, she knew.
Then, to the shrine to Moseke. Faith sat in the shrine, having lit one of the candles there, she prayed that she might serve, as a doctor, and that she might bring life where life was due to be. That in her garden, the things she grew might be both a symbol and useful tools in ensuring that life was treasured. Such was her job as a doctor and Faith gave thanks to the Immortal who had given her the ability to cure poison, but also to study it, to understand it. To heal wounds so that she might give a chance of life. In slavery she had been focused on serving her owner; in freedom she knew that she was the servant of life and death. They were, after all, the same thing.
Finally, she went to the shrine to Vri. There she lit a candle and she lowered her head in prayer. An undertaker and a doctor, a servant of Famula's since birth, Faith had walked with death all her life but in her recent trials, in the seasons gone she had learned why freedom had been important to her, why it had been the only choice she could make. Because finally, when she could make choices and be responsible for them, she could understand love and loss. It was, and it had been a difficult lesson and a beautiful one all at once. So she stood and she lit a second candle, whispering her daughter's name in dedication to the Immortal who had revealed the pregnancy to Faith and Padraig. It was all they could do for naming trial and, as much as she knew that Padraig would not visit the temple, it was not his way, they would both remember the child she had birthed in different ways this trial. Life and death were part and parcel of each other, so too the young woman realised, were love and sorrow.
With thanks to Vri, to Moseke and Famula, she knew that she should be leaving the temple soon, she had to make her way to the Order of the Adunih. Her shift there was a voluntary one, she was not getting paid for it but she worked there regularly. Yet here, in the shrine to the Immortal of death on this trial where parents celebrated their children and their names, the young woman who did not have a family name of her own lingered.
So, that morning, Faith had gone, before she had to make her way to the Order, to the Glass Temple. There, she greeted Stan, the Tunawa caretaker of the place and she had made what had become a regular thing for the young woman. Three stops. Three shrines in one temple. Like most of Scalvoris, this temple had shrines to all of the Immortals and Faith went to the three which she served. First to Famula, where she lit a candle and prayed, for all those who had passed and who she guided with her lantern. Faith's prayer was that she might serve as she always aimed to, that she might be of use to the Lady of the Lantern and that her service was sufficient. Faith was clear that she served, always she served and she served both life and death. Now that she was free, she was able to make that choice and it was the right one, she knew.
Then, to the shrine to Moseke. Faith sat in the shrine, having lit one of the candles there, she prayed that she might serve, as a doctor, and that she might bring life where life was due to be. That in her garden, the things she grew might be both a symbol and useful tools in ensuring that life was treasured. Such was her job as a doctor and Faith gave thanks to the Immortal who had given her the ability to cure poison, but also to study it, to understand it. To heal wounds so that she might give a chance of life. In slavery she had been focused on serving her owner; in freedom she knew that she was the servant of life and death. They were, after all, the same thing.
Finally, she went to the shrine to Vri. There she lit a candle and she lowered her head in prayer. An undertaker and a doctor, a servant of Famula's since birth, Faith had walked with death all her life but in her recent trials, in the seasons gone she had learned why freedom had been important to her, why it had been the only choice she could make. Because finally, when she could make choices and be responsible for them, she could understand love and loss. It was, and it had been a difficult lesson and a beautiful one all at once. So she stood and she lit a second candle, whispering her daughter's name in dedication to the Immortal who had revealed the pregnancy to Faith and Padraig. It was all they could do for naming trial and, as much as she knew that Padraig would not visit the temple, it was not his way, they would both remember the child she had birthed in different ways this trial. Life and death were part and parcel of each other, so too the young woman realised, were love and sorrow.
With thanks to Vri, to Moseke and Famula, she knew that she should be leaving the temple soon, she had to make her way to the Order of the Adunih. Her shift there was a voluntary one, she was not getting paid for it but she worked there regularly. Yet here, in the shrine to the Immortal of death on this trial where parents celebrated their children and their names, the young woman who did not have a family name of her own lingered.
