Clearing out the pathway took far longer than V would have liked. With her arms bound behind her in a painful position had made them go numb, but the danger of Violetta was too great to make a protest or try to too easily show her as ‘domesticated’. The word had no equivalent in the Gobbo tongues meaning that either by the flame or the dream the language of Mahn was seared into her.

  Violetta demanded.

  Did that make them work any faster? For a few moments. The task itself was too much, and the smell was dizzying. Violetta soon pulled her away with a tug as she headed back out of the cave. The last sliver of setting sun greeted them and to the northeast the rising Dark Moon made her long for the warren. Violetta took a seat by the fire, throwing the torch into the campfire. She let out a frustrated little groan.

   Violetta demanded.

  V turned her back to Violetta and offered her twisted and bound wrists to Violetta. She suddenly felt a cold steel against her neck. Violetta’s dagger pressed the flat of the blade against the base of her neck. Was this it? No. She was needed. Violetta’s left hand grazed her right hand and inspected it.

   Violetta confirmed and withdrew her blade,

   V replied as she faced Violetta.

   Violetta followed up with what seemed to be an obvious trap.

   V feigned ignorance, but was it good enough?

   Violetta pressed.

  V gestured her head towards the fire,

  Violetta seemed perplexed and then grinned,

  V’s face lit up before she had a chance to feign ignorance. Violetta smirked in triumph. It was a dirty trick.

   Violetta laughed.

  V searched for the words, but she did not know how to say it, “Flamekeeper Agog.”

  “Flame…keeper…Agog.” The words were mangled by Violetta as she opened her backpack and searched the scroll for advice while retaining a firm grip on the leash. It took her some time to find it.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  V did not think Agog was a priest, he was bloated and selfish. Nothing like the Great Mother.

   Violetta asked.

  V turned towards the sun and then to the rising moon, “The Dark Moon marks my coming of age.”

   Violetta’s eyes narrowed and then realization set in.

  V nodded and saw Violetta’s eyes soften.

  

  V gestured her head to the sun then to the moon,

   Violetta said softly,

  True to her word, she removed the bindings and the leash by undoing them. She had the desire to run, but Violetta was likely prepared for that. This female Mahn was dangerous and had the ability to see through her. She was more than capable of handling herself, and it was clear that she was a trickster in her own right. Why would someone so strong feign weakness? She did not know.

   She asked.

  “Raeya.” V responded.

   Violetta pressed as her hand found V’s chin and made their eyes lock.

  It was her first time looking into those dark pools that absorbed all light. That darkness was ringed by an ever-shifting pupil. Like an opal or a fragment of alexandrite. The pool of darkness grew larger and larger as she found herself forced to stare into them. The color drained from the world and her body became cold.

  “Vinaraeya.” V found herself saying. “As a child, V.”

  “V?” Violetta’s grin flashed her teeth, and she uttered the next word as if it was the vilest curse, “Qued.”

  Her heart ached and she realized that even this foul Mahn knew that she was next to nothing! Her eyes began to heat up and tears formed at the corners of her eye. V clenched her fists and pointed to the moon, “Now RAEYA!”

  Violetta began to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. As if it was the funniest joke she ever heard. She shook and trembled such that she held her sides and closed her eyes, embracing the hysterical laugh to its fullest. V stood still. She would not be called a qued by this female! Not by anyone ever again. Anyone blessed by a god was more than filth!

  “Raeya.” V repeated as Violetta’s laughter subsided.

  “Raeya.” Violetta wiped the tears of laughter away from her own face and then her hand caressed Raeya’s cheek to wipe away those tears,

  V looked to the moon as she tried to throw away her life in the warren. Despite all the mistreatment and terrible things that had happened from her birth, it was difficult to dismiss it entirely from her mind. Her mother. Her father. She barely knew them, but she knew of them in the hushed whispers of others. The Great Mother who cared for all the children, including an orphan like herself. And Leaf, the only one from the nursery who had ever shared anything more meaningful than scraps with her.

  Leaf… Who abandoned her first chance she got…

  Belos’ words echoed through her mind.

   Raeya smiled as turned to Violetta.

  Violetta grinned as the last fragment of the sun set below the horizon. Raeya returned that grin with equal parts of malice as if it was befitting the respect of so openly dangerous. Then they both laughed together as one.