Chapter 4: Helemoira

I wrapped my heavy woolen cloak around my shoulders and stepped outside of the temple which lay just outside the border of Adhmad Dé. It was a beautifully crisp Bloomtide morning, the season of growth and plenty, and the air was rich with the scent of flowers and soil.

"When will you be back?" Amelina questioned as I dug my bare toes into the dirt and inhaled the early morning mist. I was eager to be off.

I shrugged the cloak high on my shoulders and turned to her with a genuine smile. "Sometime before dusk, make sure to have supper ready before then."

"Yes, Helemoira." She gave me a short bow as I headed off into the woods.

There was a quaint little shrine deep within the woods and it would take me the better part of the morning to reach it. Once I was there, I would leave the offerings to Geien that I carried with me and say his prayers to him.

This shrine was reserved for the High Priestess and I alone knew its location. It was where I went to commune with Geien, a very private affair.

I walked the path away from the temple for a while until I came to the spot in which I was to leave the well-worn trail and make my way deeper into the woods. From there, it was a winding trek through thickets and caverns, over hills and under the shadows of lofty cliffs.

I paused near a mighty Oak, a strange scent on the air, one that I had not yet smelled in Adhmad Dé. I sniffed at the air, attempting to track the smell to its source. Walking off of the path could be dangerous but this was Geien's forest, and he would not let me lose my way.

As I got closer to the smell, I had to cover my nose. Whatever it was, it smelled of rot and decay. I nearly stepped on the fox's corpse before I saw it, it was so hidden under forest debris.

"Geien, save us," I muttered to myself as I pulled my cloak over my nose and mouth and leaned in to inspect the poor creature. Nothing had ever died in Adhmad Dé, ever. That was part of the magic of the woods–it gave life to all things. Despite the fact that Geien was the God of Death and Reclamation, he was not the God of ‘Killing’.

I placed my hand to the fox's body and closed my eyes, letting the essence of the little thing pass through my fingers. It had died recently, yet untouched by the forest's bugs. I removed my cloak and picked up the fox, placing it in the center and wrapping it loosely.

It was a simple use of magic to dig a hole beneath a tree and place the fox within it, burying it just a few feet down. I stood there for a long while, trying to wrap my head around how a thing like this could come to pass in Adhmad Dé. What was the meaning of it?

I looked up to the tree under which I stood and gasped in horror, my eyes going wide as the bright sun which hung directly overhead now. There, just a few feet above me, was a dying branch.

This was unfathomable, these woods had bloomed wildly for millennia. Death of any sort was unheard of. This was something new, something unclean, and it had found its way into Geien’s sanctuary.

I cast my hand above me towards the branch and muttered a few arcane words, bringing the branch back to life with a sigh of relief. No one could know of this, if they did... I shivered at the thought.

I glanced around once more, satisfied when I saw no other signs of death in my near vicinity. Picking up my offerings, I returned to my path easily enough and continued on my way, casting a few wary glances over my shoulder as I did.

Once I arrived at the small sanctuary, I unloaded my things and immediately knelt before the statue that resided within. I looked up at him, at Geien, and I smiled.

"Hello, my love," I said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry I'm late. There was a bit of a situation."

Whilst in training to become High Priestess, I was taught that it was improper to speak directly to a God, especially in any kind of informal manner. But, the way I saw it, I was High Priestess now and I could do as I pleased. Speaking to Geien as if he were before me made me feel closer to him. It made it feel as if he were right there next to me.

I pulled out the small meal I had packed and tucked my legs under me, getting comfortable. "I hope you like the cheese I brought," I said as I smiled and placed a wedge of cheese and hunk of bread on the small altar.

I felt a slight breeze graze my cheek as the sun poked through the tree-tops and shone on my face, warming me. I closed my eyes and raised my face to the stream of sun, soaking it in.

"I'm glad you like it," I hummed and laid back on the moss covered floor, my head resting against the base of the statue. I gazed up at him, his likeness weathered away from years of standing vigil. He was still handsome, that much I could tell.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of the breeze against my chest and shoulders. It nearly felt like a lover's caress and the thought made me laugh. I stood and undid the laces on my dress, shimmying it down my body, until I stood completely bare before my God’s effigy.

The tree-tops widened more and the sun's full power beamed down on my naked body as I laid back down against the statue. I giggled and cut a piece of apple with a small knife, plopping it in my mouth.

This was my ritual, our ritual. Sunbathing, conversation and lunch–every week. Though, I blushed at my nakedness. I had never quite done that.

I laid there for a long while, letting my freckled skin soak up as much warmth as I could before rolling over onto my stomach. At some point I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes once more, it was nearly dusk.

"Curses," I hissed as I bolted up and gathered my dress. I pulled it over my head quickly, redoing the laces and then picking up my belongings. Before I turned to leave, I gave one last look to the statue of Geien.

"Until next time, husband." And with that, I dashed away.

Moving barefoot through the undergrowth was easy, even in the growing dark. Adhmad Dé was like a second skin to me, I knew all of its roots and rocks, even the ones I had never set eyes on before.

By the time I returned to the main temple, it was well after nightfall and I sprinted the last few hundred yards. The wind blew through my hair and whipped it about my body, almost like a last farewell embrace.

Once inside, I set my basket of leftovers near the entrance and began working my thin fingers through my long curls, brushing out the debris and tangles that had gathered.

"Helemoira!" Amelina's voice carried down the hall as she padded after me. "Where have you been, we were beginning to worry?"

I gave her my most stern look and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Is supper prepared?"

She bowed her head in quick apology. "Yes, Helemoira. I'll have a plate sent up to your chamber if it would suit you."

I smiled and gave her a quick hug, "Thank you, Amelina. You are a treasure."

She smiled and it touched her eyes. She bowed once more and hurried off to the kitchens, leaving me alone once more.

I climbed the damaged stairs to the top floor, which was reserved for me alone, and headed towards my personal chambers. Once inside, I shut the door and let out a sigh. The images of the day replayed in my head as I stripped from my travel clothes and changed into a plain chemise.

One of the temple's priestesses knocked and I opened the door to accept the plate of food which she presented. "Thank you, Rian." She smiled and bobbed her head, disappearing down the steps as quickly as she came.

I sat at a finely crafted wooden table and tore into a simple plate of pork cooked with sage and blackberries. When I was done, I went to my small altar and lit a candle along with some incense. I said my prayers and then paused, thinking of the fox which I buried in the soils of Adhmad Dé.

"Cherish and protect us, Geien."

A cold wind blew through the open window then, not at all like the warm breeze that kissed my face just hours earlier. There was a familiar smell on the wind; one of rot and soil. I covered my nose and lit another stick of incense, falling to my knees and repeating prayer after prayer.

"Oh Geien, ever-living reclaimer, I need you in this troubled hour. Lead me by the hand so I may shed this hardship. I seek this of you with absolute devotion, o light in the woods. Empower me with your almighty love."

I stayed that way for hours, reciting every prayer I could recall as the smell grew in strength. Finally, as the morning birds began to call, the smell abated and I was able to crawl into bed and collapse.

As sleep began to claim me, my eyes fluttered open once as I felt the bed dip behind me. Before I could turn to see if there was an intruder though, darkness overcame me and I was no more.