Dave Gross: Mistress of the Night

The dark-haired womanJulithsighed and swung the door wide. "She's in her bedchamber," she whispered. "Please, try to keep her calm."

Feena looked at Julith, but the other woman was already turning away. Feena stepped inside and shut the door. Dhauna's sitting room was cluttered with stacks of books and bundles of scrolls. Papers hid the desk. She stared at the mess in surprise as she passed on into the bedchamber.

"Feena!" Seated in a chair before a dressing table, Dhauna Myritar twisted around to greet her.

Feena only barely managed to bend in respect. Somehow, it seemed, her muscles had forgotten how to move and her eyes had forgotten how to blink.

The High Moonmistress of Moonshadow Hall was all but lost within the silver lace and blue silk of her vestments, her head and face overshadowed by a high, stiff collar. For as long as Feena had known her, Dhauna had been a cheerfully plump priestess often mistaken for a woman twenty years younger than her actual age. But no one would underestimate the woman's age again. Her brown skin had faded to the color of crumpled parchment, and her dark gray eyes had lost their luster. She was not merely thin, but so gaunt that her gown was loose on her wasted frame.

"Mother Dhauna…" Feena murmured in shock.

"Oh, stand up!" Dhauna's gesture was sharp, making her irritation plain. "It's the vestments. They make me look like a starving dwarf. Life waxes, life wanestime catches us all, eventually." She swatted at Julith's hands as the priestess attempted to brush her fine, white hair. "It looks fine, Julith!" Her eyes focused on Feena again. "You took your time."

Feena finally blinked and fumbled for the excuse she had spent so long fussing over. The shock of the changes in the high priestess had her shaken. Was that what Mifano had been trying to warn her about?

"I couldn't come any sooner* High Moonmistress," she managed. "It's been a busy month. Two of the village women were…" Her carefully rehearsed words began to slip away from her. She clutched at them desperately, "…were sick. And one was pregnant with a difficult boy."

Dhauna grinned and replied, "In my experience, all boys are difficult."

"He had a jaundiced leg," said Feena hastily. She grimaced as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"And the rest of him?" asked Dhauna.

"Twisted," Feena said.

Dhauna laughed.

Julith stood behind the high priestess, a simple circlet of silver bearing the disk of the full moon in her hands, staring open-mouthed at their exchange. Dhauna stretched around and glanced at the circlet.

"Not that one," she ordered. "The moon's road tiara! You know that!"

"But Mother Dhauna-"

"The tiara!" As Julith laid down the circlet, Dhauna turned back to Feena. "Why didn't you come, Feena? The truth this time."

Feena looked down at her feet. Above the soles of her sandals, they were very dirty.

"I didn't want to face Moonshadow Hall and Yhaunn again," she confessed. She glanced up. "You know I don't belong here."

"You're happier in the fields and woods, I know. It's your nature, just as it was your mother's nature. Even more so, I suppose." Dhauna winced as Julith set an ornate confection of a tiarasix crescent moons surrounding a full moonon her head. The white puff of her hair sank under the weight and Julith reached for a comb to fix it in place. Dhauna ignored her, keeping her gaze on Feena. "But I called for you, Feena." A pleading tone entered her voice. "I called for you at every turning of Selune's face."

"I know," said Feena. "I heard every call."

"Then why didn't you come?"

"I couldn't just drop everything and abandon my village!" Feena protested. "The people do need me."

"I know that! I gave you time," Dhauna's voice rose in accusation.

Feena's rose as well. "Eventually!"

"When I realized you weren't going to come quickly enough."

" 'Be here for the full moon of Eleasias,' you said." Feena spread her arms. "Here I am!"

"Just barely! Ow!" The High Moonmistress let out a shriek. She clapped one hand to her head and whirled around in a cascade of silk and lace to snap at Julith. "What are you doing?"

The young priestess stood with the tiara in one hand the comb in the other, and a look of dismay on her pale face. "The moon's road tiara is too heavy, Mother Dhauna. Your hair's too fine to support it, even with a comb"

Dhauna's face twisted and her eyes came back to life with sudden rage. "Then give me the full moon circlet, you stupid girl!"

Silence fell over the bedchamber like a shroud. Julith's eyes went wide and Feena was certain that she saw her hands tremble. There must have been surprise on her own face as well. Dhauna stared for a momentthen seemed to crumble.

"Julith," she whispered, "I'm sorry." She gestured with withered fingers. "Pleasego on ahead to the courtyard. Feena will help me finish and walk with me to the Full Moon Blessing." She looked over her shoulder at Feena and asked, "Won't you?"

Feena nodded. "Of course."

Julith set the moon's road tiara on the dressing table and bent deeply to the high priestess, then fled the room. Dhauna sat back with a sigh. Feena stepped up to her cautiously. More had changed about the High Moonmistress than just her wasting body.

"Mother Dhauna," Feena asked, "are you all right?"

"No, Feena, I'm not," Dhauna replied, sitting up again. "There's not much time before the ceremony." She pointed to the dressing table. "If you could help me…"

Feena picked up the lighter circlet and settled it over the high priestess's hair. Dhauna looked at herself in the mirror that hung over the table.

"Good enough."

"Why did you call me here, Mother Dhauna?" asked Feena. "What's wrong?"

In the mirror, Dhauna's eyes shifted to look at her. "Selune has been sending me dreams, Feena." She looked at the mirror again. "Though it seems that the Moon-maiden measures her sendings by the strength of my faith rather than the strength of my body."

Feena knelt beside the wizened priestess's chair. "What are these dreams?"

"Warnings," Dhauna said as she wrapped her hand around Feena's. "Impending dangergreat dangerfrom within the faith, I think. Possibly even from within Moonshadow Hall." She smiled at Feena's look of alarm. "Or so I have come to believe. The wisdom of gods is a mystery to mortals. I'm still searching for the deeper meaning of the dreams."

"The books in your sitting room," said Feena.

Dhauna nodded and said, "Guidance from those who came before us. The books come from the archives. I have even more spread out there. I don't believe I've read so much in my entire life."

"What have you found?"

"Nothing yet. Scraps. Clues." She released Feena's hand and brushed fingers through Feena's hair. Feena could smell old parchment and fresh ink on them. "Julith helps ne. I couldn't hide the dreams from her for long. But if; he danger is within Moonshadow Hall, I need help from lomeone outside the hall. Someone I can trust. Someone vho isn't afraid of controversy."

Feena closed her eyes and said, "I should have come looner."

"It would have been better if you had," said Dhauna. Will you help me?" "Yes."

"Thank you." Dhauna's hand rested briefly on Feena's lead in a blessing gesturethen the high priestess ighed and struggled to sit upright. "Though I think the irst thing you could help me with is getting out of this hair!"

The High Moonmistress's ornate vestments were beau-iful and in times past Feena had known her to wear hem as easily and as casually as an old shawl. She found terself holding billows and bustles out of the way as)hauna eased herself out of the chair and reached for a wir of canes. Feena took one from her and offered the old triestess her arm instead. Dhauna accepted it gratefully. Pheir progress along the corridor outside her quarters md down the ramp to the temple's ground floor was still low, however. Just inside the door that led out to the loisters and the temple courtyard, Dhauna paused, her lead bowed for a moment in prayer, and Feena sensed the [ivine surge of the goddess's touch. Dhauna breathed a igh. Releasing Feena's arm and shifting her grip on her ane, she stood solidly on her own two feet.