Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [8]
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 tiara-six crescent moons surrounding a full moon-on 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 moment-then seemed to crumble.
"Julith," she whispered, "I'm sorry." She gestured with withered fingers. "Please-go 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.