and by the end of that year, the war was over. Garileon gained some territory in the peace negotiations. Not surprisingly, the people embraced the idea of asking for false or bad dreams, and it wasn't long before Quiera was granting as many of those as she did the good dreams.
"It also seems Sister Eurebia's influence increased considerably. In less than a year, Mother Superior Thyria was dead, killed dramatically during a service. It doesn't specify exactly how, but the suggestion is that she was disputing some of the instructions from the goddess, and Quiera struck her down as a lesson to Quiera's worshippers. And Sister Eurebia became the next mother superior." Jhond paused for another drink and saw Remelin whisper something to Ninian, who nodded, but didn't speak.
"The next section isn't quite as clear," Jhond said. "The entries were less regular after that and are written in more than one hand. Before it had always been the mother superior who wrote in the book...always her interpretation of what was happening. Now, the handwriting changes randomly among what I think are three people. The thoughts become more varied, uncertain, perhaps even afraid. There is talk of dissention with the mother superior's dictates, questioning her right to lead them.
"Then there's an entry clearly that of Eurebia, where she described calling all her nuns together before the shrine of Quiera. She berated her nuns for lack of loyalty, for daring to disobey her. By such action they are being disloyal to their goddess; they are disobeying Quiera. She turned to face the statue of the goddess, lifted her arms high and asked Quiera to show them her trust in her faithful mother superior. In answer, the statue rose from its sacred place and floated toward Eurebia to rest safely in her hands. She turned back to the nuns, and they fell to their knees in the presence of their goddess."
Jhond glanced at his listeners, gave a slight smile and added, "Not surprisingly no one ever disobeyed Eurebia again." To Ninian, he asked, "Doesn't that simple trick sound very familiar?"
* * * *
"Very, and I think it's time I told some of what I learned from Sister Eurebia's journal," Ninian said. He opened the small book, and Remi was surprised by how excited she was to hear what was written inside those pages.
"This would be about two-and-a-half centuries after the nunnery was built," Ninian began. "Eurebia was quite young when she joined the nunnery. She claims to have had a dream sent to her by Quiera instructing that it was her destiny to be a nun, and she left home a few days later without any regrets. She was the middle child of five and had always felt lost in the middle of her large family. Her father was the village headman, a post earned by his remarkable skill as a hunter, and her mother was an accomplished healer."
Ninian paused and gazed from one to the other, before he continued, "Her mother was proud of her family background and often felt belittled that none of her neighbors gave her the respect she felt she was due as a member of the House of Thail, albeit not from the direct line."
"She was a Thail," Jhond murmured.
Remelin looked from one to the other before quickly demanding of Ninian, "Go on."
"Eurebia overheard her parents talking the night before she was to leave. Her mother firmly believed Eurebia had been chosen because of the talent that ran through her family. Her father wasn't happy she was going to the nunnery; he had little use for the gods and goddesses, placing his faith in the power of magistry, but her mother believed she would learn control and patience from the nuns, which would aid in using her power when she finally embraced it. Eurebia shared her parents' belief in the ancient art of magistry, but had never before thought she might have such talent. She felt much better, stronger the next morning when she left for the nunnery."
The way Ninian spoke, it was almost as if he'd been there, his description so detailed it
"It also seems Sister Eurebia's influence increased considerably. In less than a year, Mother Superior Thyria was dead, killed dramatically during a service. It doesn't specify exactly how, but the suggestion is that she was disputing some of the instructions from the goddess, and Quiera struck her down as a lesson to Quiera's worshippers. And Sister Eurebia became the next mother superior." Jhond paused for another drink and saw Remelin whisper something to Ninian, who nodded, but didn't speak.
"The next section isn't quite as clear," Jhond said. "The entries were less regular after that and are written in more than one hand. Before it had always been the mother superior who wrote in the book...always her interpretation of what was happening. Now, the handwriting changes randomly among what I think are three people. The thoughts become more varied, uncertain, perhaps even afraid. There is talk of dissention with the mother superior's dictates, questioning her right to lead them.
"Then there's an entry clearly that of Eurebia, where she described calling all her nuns together before the shrine of Quiera. She berated her nuns for lack of loyalty, for daring to disobey her. By such action they are being disloyal to their goddess; they are disobeying Quiera. She turned to face the statue of the goddess, lifted her arms high and asked Quiera to show them her trust in her faithful mother superior. In answer, the statue rose from its sacred place and floated toward Eurebia to rest safely in her hands. She turned back to the nuns, and they fell to their knees in the presence of their goddess."
Jhond glanced at his listeners, gave a slight smile and added, "Not surprisingly no one ever disobeyed Eurebia again." To Ninian, he asked, "Doesn't that simple trick sound very familiar?"
* * * *
"Very, and I think it's time I told some of what I learned from Sister Eurebia's journal," Ninian said. He opened the small book, and Remi was surprised by how excited she was to hear what was written inside those pages.
"This would be about two-and-a-half centuries after the nunnery was built," Ninian began. "Eurebia was quite young when she joined the nunnery. She claims to have had a dream sent to her by Quiera instructing that it was her destiny to be a nun, and she left home a few days later without any regrets. She was the middle child of five and had always felt lost in the middle of her large family. Her father was the village headman, a post earned by his remarkable skill as a hunter, and her mother was an accomplished healer."
Ninian paused and gazed from one to the other, before he continued, "Her mother was proud of her family background and often felt belittled that none of her neighbors gave her the respect she felt she was due as a member of the House of Thail, albeit not from the direct line."
"She was a Thail," Jhond murmured.
Remelin looked from one to the other before quickly demanding of Ninian, "Go on."
"Eurebia overheard her parents talking the night before she was to leave. Her mother firmly believed Eurebia had been chosen because of the talent that ran through her family. Her father wasn't happy she was going to the nunnery; he had little use for the gods and goddesses, placing his faith in the power of magistry, but her mother believed she would learn control and patience from the nuns, which would aid in using her power when she finally embraced it. Eurebia shared her parents' belief in the ancient art of magistry, but had never before thought she might have such talent. She felt much better, stronger the next morning when she left for the nunnery."
The way Ninian spoke, it was almost as if he'd been there, his description so detailed it
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