eyes.
“At last! I knew the Maiden would show me, but I did not know how!” She shook her head and her hair shone in the sunlight. “The First Mother does have a sense of humour.”
We all looked at her questioningly and she laughed at our confusion. “The Maiden is the Rose, my mistress. The first aspect of the First Mother. Yet she chose to show me my novice through a task which actually belongs to the second aspect, the Mother Havva. I would have thought the third aspect also had to be present during a choice like this.”
“Novice!” said Ennike, gobsmacked. “Me?”
“You.” The Rose smiled warmly as she walked over and gently took the combs away from her. She took hold of her hands. “You shall be novice to the Rose. Can you not feel it yourself?” The Rose let go of Ennike’s hands and at once became very serious. “Where is the bell we ring during the Blood rites?”
Without hesitation Ennike pointed at a little box on top of one of the lower cupboards.
“When is the Maiden at her strongest?”
“In spring at the awakening of the Spring Star.” I could have given the same answer; it is what Sister O taught us. But then Ennike surprised me. “She is also strongest at the Winter Solstice, when the Mother sleeps. She is strongest when a child is born, when the earth is ploughed and when a girl gets her first moon blood.”
The Rose nodded. “How many secrets does the Maiden hold?”
“Nine.”
“Whisper to me her secret name.”
Ennike leant forward with an expression of wonder on her face and whispered something in the Rose’s ear. She smiled and clasped Ennike’s hands again.
“Do you still doubt it?”
Ennike shook her head and swallowed. “But the servant to the Rose has to be beautiful.” Her voice was very meek. “That is the way it has always been. I am… I am covered in scars.”
“The Maiden has also felt pain and fear, Ennike my daughter,” the Rose said softly. “It does not make her any less beautiful.”
When the light from the north window illuminated their faces so close to one another, I saw that they in fact look very similar, woman and girl. The same thick, curly hair, the same warm eyes. But more than that: their faces wear the same expression.
“You are beautiful, Ennike,” I said. “And you will grow even more beautiful before the first frost comes.”
I did not know why I said that. The Rose gave me a sharp look. Then she smiled softly, but with a sad look in her eyes.
“So you are here after all, Crone.”
I T WAS THE DAY AFTER THE R OSE HAD chosen Ennike as her novice, in the early morning when the light is still thin and shadows linger around the mountains and houses, that we were woken by the sound of the Blood bell. We got out of bed in a daze. I chased all the junior novices outside in their nightgowns and with uncovered hair. We were met in the central courtyard by stern-faced sisters in nightgowns rushing across the courtyard from Eve Steps to Dawn Steps. They grabbed hold of the novices by their hands and arms and shoulders and dragged us along with them, pushing, shoving, pulling. We sped barefoot over the cold cobblestones up towards the stairs. The Blood bell clanged incessantly between the houses and I wondered who was ringing it.
As we climbed higher a brisk morning wind swept in from the sea, lifting our nightgowns, tangling ourhair. The sky was pale blue and cloudless. I heard a shout, saw a raised arm, a pointing finger. I turned to look at the sea.
A ship came sailing near the Teeth. Its white sails swelled with wind and the pointed bow ploughed through the water, making mighty splashes against the sides of the vessel.
The Blood bell quietened.
I already knew. I knew who it was and I turned to look for Jai in the crowd of white-clad figures jostling their way up the steps. I had to find her before she saw the ship. I caught sight of her blonde hair as she came running up with Joem and Dori.
“Jai!” I called.
“At last! I knew the Maiden would show me, but I did not know how!” She shook her head and her hair shone in the sunlight. “The First Mother does have a sense of humour.”
We all looked at her questioningly and she laughed at our confusion. “The Maiden is the Rose, my mistress. The first aspect of the First Mother. Yet she chose to show me my novice through a task which actually belongs to the second aspect, the Mother Havva. I would have thought the third aspect also had to be present during a choice like this.”
“Novice!” said Ennike, gobsmacked. “Me?”
“You.” The Rose smiled warmly as she walked over and gently took the combs away from her. She took hold of her hands. “You shall be novice to the Rose. Can you not feel it yourself?” The Rose let go of Ennike’s hands and at once became very serious. “Where is the bell we ring during the Blood rites?”
Without hesitation Ennike pointed at a little box on top of one of the lower cupboards.
“When is the Maiden at her strongest?”
“In spring at the awakening of the Spring Star.” I could have given the same answer; it is what Sister O taught us. But then Ennike surprised me. “She is also strongest at the Winter Solstice, when the Mother sleeps. She is strongest when a child is born, when the earth is ploughed and when a girl gets her first moon blood.”
The Rose nodded. “How many secrets does the Maiden hold?”
“Nine.”
“Whisper to me her secret name.”
Ennike leant forward with an expression of wonder on her face and whispered something in the Rose’s ear. She smiled and clasped Ennike’s hands again.
“Do you still doubt it?”
Ennike shook her head and swallowed. “But the servant to the Rose has to be beautiful.” Her voice was very meek. “That is the way it has always been. I am… I am covered in scars.”
“The Maiden has also felt pain and fear, Ennike my daughter,” the Rose said softly. “It does not make her any less beautiful.”
When the light from the north window illuminated their faces so close to one another, I saw that they in fact look very similar, woman and girl. The same thick, curly hair, the same warm eyes. But more than that: their faces wear the same expression.
“You are beautiful, Ennike,” I said. “And you will grow even more beautiful before the first frost comes.”
I did not know why I said that. The Rose gave me a sharp look. Then she smiled softly, but with a sad look in her eyes.
“So you are here after all, Crone.”
I T WAS THE DAY AFTER THE R OSE HAD chosen Ennike as her novice, in the early morning when the light is still thin and shadows linger around the mountains and houses, that we were woken by the sound of the Blood bell. We got out of bed in a daze. I chased all the junior novices outside in their nightgowns and with uncovered hair. We were met in the central courtyard by stern-faced sisters in nightgowns rushing across the courtyard from Eve Steps to Dawn Steps. They grabbed hold of the novices by their hands and arms and shoulders and dragged us along with them, pushing, shoving, pulling. We sped barefoot over the cold cobblestones up towards the stairs. The Blood bell clanged incessantly between the houses and I wondered who was ringing it.
As we climbed higher a brisk morning wind swept in from the sea, lifting our nightgowns, tangling ourhair. The sky was pale blue and cloudless. I heard a shout, saw a raised arm, a pointing finger. I turned to look at the sea.
A ship came sailing near the Teeth. Its white sails swelled with wind and the pointed bow ploughed through the water, making mighty splashes against the sides of the vessel.
The Blood bell quietened.
I already knew. I knew who it was and I turned to look for Jai in the crowd of white-clad figures jostling their way up the steps. I had to find her before she saw the ship. I caught sight of her blonde hair as she came running up with Joem and Dori.
“Jai!” I called.
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