Chapter 4 Spring - The Anointed

Clanking metal and rhythmic shuffling announced the Divine Guard long before the herald could cry,

"Announcing The Divine, High Priestess of Adanya, Lady Elenwe Verdale!"

Everything stalled until Elenwe took a few uncertian steps into the awaiting chamber. The muffled thud of the doors shutting behind her was followed by the sound of the locks being engaged. Elenwe adjusted her veil and attempted to smile at the three figures before her.

"HA! Look at that! One of us is an actual priest. Er, a priestess. They can call her that!"

Highly amused and seeming absolutely satisfied with himself, the younger male haphazardly strewn himself on an expensive looking arm-chair. Although his blonde hair was cut shorter, it disobeyed any encouragement to tame it. Wayward spikes and unruly curls made a messy riot that haloed his head. Two brilliant hazel eyes gleamed beneath dark and generous lashes framed with thick eyebrows. It was obvious that life hadn't finished maturing him, his frame was too slender for the impressive height it had managed to obtain. Overall his youth lent femininity to his appearance.

"I wasn't agreeing with them." This was followed by a chuckle, "What I said was, they sure seem to think that's what your title is."

Hands, pocked with callouses and crossed with scars, trembled as the man continued to carefully lift bite by bite from his place setting to his mouth. There was an obvious restraint to the motions, and a tremble to the grasp. Scabs, bruises, and marks encircled his wrists, and throat but were particularly pronounced on the ankles since he was not wearing anything on his feet. His garb was offensive to his surroundings. Threadbare and soiled coverings, which were probably clothing at some point, now clung to him with a layer of filth. It showcased a build that was unfortunately lean but obviously muscular and battle-tested. Greasy, long black hair matched his scraggly beard that obscured any other features except his brown eyes. Their gaze was dark they almost seemed black on black.

He watched Elenwe with interest as the youth continued to bemoan,

"That's the point. What they think is wrong. I am a Savant. Not a priest. Absolutely then not a High Priest, and that is because as I said ... I am not a priest to begin with!"

"Why does it matter what they call you?"

A young human, blossoming into womanhood sat beside the pair and asked this. She also watched Elenwe with depthless blue eyes. Her hair was also black, and fell to the middle of her back in cascading waves. Elenwe was startled at her features. Porcelain flawless skin - opposite of the rich browns that Elenwe's skin carried. Her fine nose, and rosebud lips seemed to exist to be in a perpetual soft smile. She was slender and tall, like a swan with grace and dignity.

"He gets it. They still call him the 'Harbinger of War'" The young man tossed his words out with a laugh at the prisoner. A good-natured smile settled on his lips. He continued the banter, "And because I'm not one. I don't know how to do the priest things."

"Priest things." Echoed the prisoner, battling the vast pit in his stomach by carefully taking another proper bite of the meal before him.

"Yeah, I can't.... I don't know priest things." Then as if a lightning thought spurned from his mouth, "I don't know a thing about, for instance, how to officiate weddings."

Even the prisoner tore his eyes away from Elenwe to stare at the teenager, "So." He lowered his fork, "That is your primary concern?" The words were good-natured, warm, "Not the fact we are all probably going to be incinerated at the Veneration's Selection Ceremony, but what we really should be concerned with is that they might ask us to officiate a wedding?"

"If it helps, I am a Priestess, and I still do not officiate weddings. Hello, I am Elenwe Verdale."

Wrenn giggled a bit as Elenwe spoke and then approached to the table which was filled to overflowing with food. She didn't even have time to consider how wasteful it was before the blonde male grinned and said,

"I'm Ashwin Hayward" A dogged glance at the prisoner, "SAVANT" his eyes realighed with Elenwe, "of Annonen."

Elenwe dipped herself and responded, "Well Met."

"That's The Divine High Priest of Zalis, the Harbinger of War, Lord Rhanes Sullon. And that is The Divine High Priestess of Ophine, Lady Wrenn Capesford." He then added.

Elenwe greeted the other two similarly, and before she could say much else they heard the approach of the Divine Guard once more. The doors were opened prior to the approach and soon the herald announced,

"Announcing The Divine High Priest of Orlin, Lord Folmon Bronzefoot!"

It was the blacksmith. A burly man, as broad as he was tall, continued to argue and resist the escort. The Paladins had a difficult task to move an unwilling dwarf. Ash delighted in this and immediately sprung to his feet. Upon seeing the four people in the room, the dwarf was taken aback. His entire persona shifted from the raging inferno of insults to a resigned grunt and nod. He stared at the four and then pulled his tree-limb of an arm away from his guard and spit at his feet,

"I'll do it myself!" The dwarf concluded.

Folmon lumbered in as the doors were again closed and barred. Ash lifted a massive turkey leg and with a large and toothy grin said, "They have all sorts of food, dwarves love food."

"Go dig a hole." Was the rancorous reply but his feet still shuffled over to the table, undeniably tempted by the feast before him. He eased more and more as he exchanged glances in silence before grunting and eating without restraint. With envy, Rhanes watched and sighed, continuing to keep up the courtly manners despite his dress and aching hunger.

After the dwarf got a few good mouthfuls in he apologized to Ashwin, "I didn't meant to snap at ya, miss." A ring of silence and clamor on the plates followed until the both Wrenn and Elenwe started to chuckle and Rhanes roared in laughter. He reached over slapping Ash's dumbfounded shoulder.

"At least he didn't call you a priest!" Rhanes managed before politely cutting the prime rib before him.

"That is highly offensive." Ash said, it was the only thing he could say before he watched the dwarf again. His mind already marveling, "How much can you fit in there?"

"Lots" was Folmon's food-stuffed reply.

"Pardons," Elenwe started, lifting her hand and shaking her head, "I apologize, it seems you are all fine and well and in good spirits, I think there is more pressing matters at hand..."

"You feel it."

Wrenn watched Elenwe smiling. As moments pasted, her smile faded a bit as she drew the answer into a long pause, "It. You feel it correct? Elenwe?"

Elenwe stared at her and then the other three. Even the dwarf who also was staring at Elenwe as if awaiting an answer. Elenwe watched Wrenn for a time trying to discern what 'it' was. Frustrated, she sighed and expressed, "No, I'm sorry. I don't know what you are speaking of, priestess. I think we should acquaint ourselves with one another..."

Wrenn shook her head and fiddled, tring again, "I mean, we know each other already. I mean that it feels that way." There was an unsure pause as Wrenn wrought her fingers, "You don't... feel that way?"

Rhanes moved his fork back to his mouth, watching Elenwe. Ash was inching closer leaning against the table with his elbow watching her also. Folmon belched and then slammed down his half empty silver chalice,

"I got a reckoning to what's happening."

"Do you?" Rhanes asked, the humor threading through the room once more.

It was a reunion. Elenwe hadn't recognized it before, but it was. She knew each gaze from these strangers. This confused her greatly.

"Yep. See every seven years the humans go gather seven other humans to throw them into a volcano to venerate the Fire God Orlin. The great maker!" The dwarf incorrectly assessed and drank more.

Elenwe lowered herself to sit, overwhelmed by the realization. She was ripped from her thoughts by Wrenn who expressed again, "So you do feel it? We have not told them, the church, yet. But we can feel it. A thread or a tether."

A soft nod as Elenwe aligned her brown eyes with Wrenn's cyan gaze. Elenwe knit her brow with thought watching the woman before her. She would have remembered such a striking person, she had never seen her before. She did not recognize her voice. Had never heard her name. Elenwe knew her soul.

Elenwe sat there, back straight as she gazed at the rain starting to sprinkle down and mist the windows. Folmon and Rhanes continued to talk as she sat, muted. She stared at her reflection in the window. She sat there, seeming as she always had. Elenwe was a woman of average height, with a svelte build. Her caramel colored skin made her hair and eyes almost give her a monochromic effect of brown. Her features were undeniably noble; the slope of her nose and curve of her chin. She took comfort in running her fingertips over the dancing bears on her veil. The braids and ribbons in her long brown hair. Once she accepted the gravity of what was going on she glanced at Wrenn again. The woman had sat beside her, and smiled when Elenwe acknowledged her again,

"It is okay, we haven't had much time to talk when I could feel that you were here. And so Rhanes said we can ask for anything, we asked for you to come so we can all figure it out together." Wrenn reassured her.

"... so that's when the entire back portion of the cave collapsed!" Folmon boomed and took a break with his animated retelling and glanced at the women. Ale gave his glorious braided copper beard a proper soaking as Elenwe nodded,

"Then High Priestess DelaFontaine was correct. We are the Anointed, and there's two of us missing."