I stepped out of the shadows to a quiet, still platform. In front of me, the tunnel to the Gathering Spot glowed in a dozen different designs. Esie had said they were paths of strength. From what I could see, the moss designs of eyes and spears and beasts could also be symbolic of the sects. A reminder of the different choices we had to make.
This time I didn’t let the tunnel intimidate me. I had been through it before and, this time, I would be making my own choice rather than having one made for me—despite all the bluster about invitations and branches sewn onto the backs of robes.
Striding through the tunnel I let my fingers brush over an image of the goddess’s eyes peering down on a night sky. The moss was soft and nothing like hard ridges of stone in the exit tunnel of Flickermark. The building noise of a crowd at the other end was also different than that place of failure.
I stopped a few steps from the tunnel’s exit and took a deep breath, centered myself. Lifted my chin and made my face an unreadable mask. Then I pulled out my prayer needle and pricked my wrist before swiping the drop of blood that welled over the trial mark on my chin.
I was more than the boons and sect politics they wanted to judge me by.
The chaotic murmur of the crowd died as I stepped into the Gathering Spot. They saw the glittering mark on my chin, the proud way I held my head and shoulders, the blank back of my robes, and I saw that I was the first.
Whispers and exclamations built around me as I made my way to the farthest cushion from the tunnel and knelt. The sects’ seconds sat along the top tier this time, directly in front of the goddess’s looming nest, while other whisper women filled the two tiers around them. Of the seconds, I only recognized Jin and Rivon, the Hundred Eyes’ second-in-command. Jin was less than thrilled at my appearance and Rivon seemed to deliberately dismiss me.
Mishtaw had given me detailed descriptions of the rest of the seconds, so I was able to identify the remaining four based on those. The Beastwatchers’ second was a lanky woman with red-brown hair pulled back into a tail, Morwen. She seemed bored already and even less interested in whatever Rivon was trying to tell her. The Scales’ second sat on Morwen’s other side and she was watching me with an intensity I didn’t like. Her name was Britta. She was likely even shorter than me but with the hips and bust of a full grown woman, tan skin, dark brown curling hair, and apparently everyone said that if she wasn’t so set on her code of ethics than she could have been a Seeker given the way she liked to experiment.
The Seekers’ second, Casev, had a dark, cool skin tone similar to Loclen’s, and raven black hair in box braids going down to her waist. She seemed content to listen in on the conversations around her. Mishtaw said her obsession lay with the shadow paths and trying to define their limitations in exhausting detail. The last second was also sitting quietly, but she seemed to find the others’ more lax attitudes reproachful. Full bodied, beige skin, blonde hair twisted up into an elegant bun with little braids and ornaments, she stood out from the rest by how she presented herself: immaculately clean with confident superiority. Fawnlily, the Caretakers’ second.
I let my gaze drift around the half of the crowd I could see without twisting around like a gaping fool. Esie smiled at me from her place below the seconds, but I didn’t recognize anyone else. Either the handful of whisper women I knew weren’t influential enough to snag a seat within the Gathering Spot or they hadn’t cared enough about the ceremony to attend. Neither option would surprise me.
Prevna walked into the arena and she rolled her eyes when she saw that I had arrived first. Then she smiled for the crowd before taking the cushion to my right. It seemed that all of our traveling with Mishtaw had given us an edge when it came to shadow walking.
Wren got third with Chirp perched on her shoulder. The little bird was surprisingly demure, likely due to a stern talking to or bribe before they entered the Gathering Spot. Breck was fourth with Idra following close behind. Nii arrived in sixth place and seemed annoyed by it while Loclen came after her and then Dera. Ulo entered next, then Ento, then Andhi. Juniper came in last place to no one’s surprise though it was unfortunate she was still having trouble with the boon.
Once the entire cohort had settled on their respective cushions, Fawnlily clapped two pieces of wood together. Not quite the long rhythm sticks that Echoes used, but rather carved rectangular blocks with intricate details decorating every side. The crowd drew quiet at the sharp noise and the Caretaker’s second spoke.
“Alive and unbroken, this year’s cohort kneels before us. Who has chosen them? And who will they choose? Let the declaration ceremony begin, so that Sprouts may become Saplings. May we all add to the goddess’s glory.” She pricked her wrist with her prayer needle and tossed a droplet of blood into the air. It flaked away after barely a breath.
The crowd echoed her as they offered their own blood. “To Her glory!”
All of it flaked away before a single drop touched the ground and my stomach dropped. Perhaps the goddess was watching.
But surely not. There had to be more important, urgent things that would demand the goddess’s attention.
Fawnlily spoke again, “Call your favorites. Seeker, you may begin.”
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Casev drawled, “We call on no one.”
Fawnlily spared her a small glare before focusing her attention on Britta. “Scale, you may begin.”
Britta drew herself up. “We call on Dera, Andhi, and Loclen. Step forward.”
They rose off their cushions and took a step forward. The ceremony continued like that as each second named the seedlings they were interested in and each time their name was called the others stepped forward until I was only one still on a cushion and Dera was out ahead of everyone else. My skin felt hot with frustration but I kept my face impassive. They didn’t need to know that the display needled at me when I would still be joining one of the sects by the time the ceremony concluded.
Fawnlily swept her gaze over us before clapping her wooden blocks again. “The favorites have been called. Now we shall hear their declarations. We shall start with the least prized.” Her haughty gaze fixed on me and warned that there’d be dire consequences if I dared to utter her sect. “Begin.”
I rose to my feet and savored the way everyone there had no choice but to pay attention. They might ridicule me, fear me and my blessing for being life ridden, want to use me; they might not respect me, but in this moment there wasn’t a single one who could change my choice, no matter what they might wish.
I fixed my own gaze on Rivon and kept my answer simple. “Hundred Eyes.”
She looked like she had choked on something sour before she caught herself and smoothed her features back into a guileless smile. Still, I was proud to have cracked her mask. Hundred Eyes would offer me difficulties and opportunities in equal measure. I was looking forward to the challenge.
Fawnlily seemed just a bit smug that I hadn’t said her sect and was instead causing trouble for Hundred Eyes. It made me want to scowl at her, but since it would be idiotic to make another enemy among the seconds I managed to keep my irritation to myself.
She waved a hand toward Rivon. “Stand before your sect.”
I kept my chin high as I walked over to the wall below where they were sitting, so that I was in front of Rivon, and faced the rest of the cohort. I was awkwardly close to Dera, though we weren’t nose to nose. Her placement on arriving set her at an angle to me. Nii and Loclen were directly in front of me but we had more space between us as their names hadn’t been called as many times.
Ento, Idra, and Nii had all been called by one Sect: the Peacekeepers, and they all elected to join it. There was little surprise in that, given their blessings and penchant for the fighting arts during our lessons. Likely that was why they all only had one invitation as well—the other sects didn’t want to waste or resources on what was likely a done deal. The three formed a line in front of Jin.
Juniper had only received one invitation from the Peacekeepers as well, but she took longer declaring her decision. Her focus lingered for a bit on Ento and Idra, then on me for some reason, before she glanced over at Prevna and then she finally focused on where the seconds were sitting.
“Hundred Eyes.”
I blinked, not sure I heard correctly, even as I stepped forward so she could stand behind me. She really had decided to split from her guards, and from the way Ento and Idra were gaping at her they hadn’t expected it either. Perhaps we should’ve expected it based on how they were treating her, but between Juniper’s difficulties with shadow walking, her fear of heights, and her strong desire to return home to her tribe, I couldn’t wrap my mind around why she would pick Hundred Eyes. There was less of a guarantee that she’d have anything to do with tribes directly in this sect than if she had joined the Scales or Beastwatchers. Still, she looked calmer than she had in a long time as she slipped past to stand behind me.
Prevna went next due to her invitation from the Beastwatchers. She accepted it with a grin and a little bit of spring in her step until she came to stand next to me in front of Morwen. Her excitement faltered a bit until we gave each other minute, but resolute nods and she was back to being excited. I was glad that she found a sect that would likely suit her well.
Andhi and Ulo had both been invited by two sects. Andhi by the Caretakers and Scales, and Ulo by the Peacekeepers and Caretakers. Despite not knowing what most of their options were until just a few minutes ago, my hunch about which ones they would pick turned out correct. Andhi joined the Caretakers while Ulo added to the line in front of Jin.
Loclen had the option between Hundred Eyes and Scales. Despite her blessing to hide in shadow, she went with her more mental talents and joined the Scales sect. Breck had been scouted by the Beastwatchers and Peacekeepers, but she caused a rumble of shock when she chose the Seekers instead.
Wren had been chosen three times between the Beastwatchers, Hundred Eyes, and the Caretakers, but she stuck with the choice she told me as she went to stand behind Prevna to join the Beastwatchers sect.
Dera went last and she trembled under the pressure of everyone’s eyes. She had all the options and each sect wanted theirs to be the one to gain her blessing to mold bone. Her intellect and popularity certainly didn’t hurt either.
She opened her mouth to answer, had to swallow and clear her throat before finally declaring in a small voice. “Peacekeepers.”
My eyes went wide. Out of all the sects, I had put that one as the least likely to be her choice. She was kinder than the rest of us and certainly didn’t seem to have a liking nor a talent for fighting. Scales, Caretakers, Seekers…surely any of those would have been an better option than the Peacekeepers, but she didn’t deviate from her path to stand behind Ulo.
The Peacekeepers had nearly half of our cohort and, as we turned to face the second-in-commands of our new sects, I saw that Jin was proud of that. It made me wish no one had picked that sect despite our need to fight the sea creatures invading the goddess’s shores.
Fawnlily clapped her wooden blocks together for the last time. “The choices have been made and the Saplings will now grow as they willed. May they be strong and bright and loyal.”
The crowd echoed back, “May they be strong and bright and loyal.”
Fawnlily rose as she focused on her single new recruit. “Let me show you to your new home.”
Andhi looked like all her wishes had been answered as Fawnlily walked down the steps of the arena to guide her. They left the Gathering Spot through the tunnel.
One by one the other seconds followed suit as the clamor of the crowd rose around us. Speculation, bravado at winning a bet, and disappointment swirled as the ceremonial atmosphere dropped away.
Rivon stepped in front of Juniper and me, clicked her tongue before smiling so wide I was sure it was fake. She said, “Let’s get you settled in.”
We followed her because now we had to stick with the choice we made.