The New Normal
After the ceremony Shandra started to settle into a new routine.
Morning she helped in the kitchen, but most of the time the other woman tended to give her a lot of space. Almost like she had a disease that they did not want to catch. She was a New Moon Priestess not a Dark Priestess. She has never seen anybody go through what she is now going though. All those ladies that use to stop and chat with her, now found themselves very busy or would avoid her. She would usually prepare the breads, rolls, or scones for the breakfast. With all this new alone time she learned how to kneed the breads and rolls just right so they were fluffier than any woman has made before her. The other Priestess and ladies still ate her food even if they did not talk to her. It was something that she could do to feel like she was once again part of their whole.
Afternoons were the time of day that was the most flexible. Sometimes she would go to the castle's garden to help the growers. Be it pruning the bushes, or weeding the garden she did not complain once. She felt more at ease with her powers that controles earth. Those days were rewarding, Shandra could feel her chest swell with pride. Her plants were her pride and joy, they would be the most beautiful and tasty. Other times she would go to her hidden garden to see how her plants were doing and meditate. Since she had found nothing that would help her with her new path in the books in the library; she meditated to try to fine her inner spark and let it grow. Some afternoons she would sneak off to see Darwin. These meetings with Darwin were fewer and fewer as the months went on. She just put it off as the harvest season is coming.
Shandra was not sure why there was a growing distance between them. They use to play and write everyday. But since she had become A New Moon High Priestess it felt like their friendship was being striped away like an oak tree in a horrible storm. The branches are swaying this way and that leaves being ripped from the branches by the dozen. What would happen when all the leaves were gone. Would the tree die from lack of nourishment. Would Darwin turn his back and never come back.
Evening were the worse for Shandra. The dark felt like an old comfortable blanket that you would wrap around you not only to get warm but to feel like everything would be alright. This was her time to be in the high priestess clearing to perform her rituals, to finally balance the moon goddess's strength. But she had no idea what to do, so she would sit in the center of the clearing and meditate and talk to the moon goddess. The Moon Goddess never talked back which bothered her a little bit. She was on a new path, a path that no one has walked in over 300 years. Did she not like her as the New Moon High Priestess, was she the wrong choose, thoughts like this tormented Shandra's mind. Why after that night she felt abandoned to wonder the earth in an unfocused state. Shandra felt like the more she searched the more question she had.
When the new moon would rise she could feel so much strength and magic flow through her. It was like a sensation of true euforia. Her body would fill with warmth and tingle with anticipation. But she was like a blind hunter looking for a deer. With out sight she wondered around no knowing what way was East or West what she relied on was her other senses hoping one day a miracle would happen and her sight would return to her so she could provide ones again.
Her sleep was even worse. She would dream about a woman. This woman she could not make her face out clearly it was always in a mist, the more she focused the more the woman would become covered in mist. This woman would help someone but in a flash of lightning she was over a body covered in blood. This went on for months. She kept it to herself because she did not know what it meant for her as a High Priestess.
Who was this workman in her dreams?