Priya kept Arcas’ secret, but aided him along the way.

They talked, sometimes staying up past when the moon reached its zenith. Arcas shared how he was feeling, wrestling with the darkness, and Priya would impart some of her knowledge about the stillness that resided within.

On some days, Priya would take Arcas deep in the woods and he would rage at the trees: kicking up snow, finding errant pine cones and belting their bark with them, swinging dead and dried branches at their trunks as hard as he could, laughing as they splintered sending shivers up his arms, or he would just sit and scream. Scream until his voice broke or grew hoarse.

On those days, Priya would press a few stems and caps from Tohki’s mushroom supply into his hand. They would sit, offering a prayer of thanks to The Mother and a prayer of strength for Arcas as he continued to journey through his dark night. And it would help. Afterward, Arcas would be more settled and grounded, and less irritable. He would joke and playfully tease Tohki and the other children instead of sharing the thoughts he was having of possibly hurting or killing himself.

“Why is it that he feels this way?” Priya asked Tohki late one morning.

“I don’t know,” Tohki replied. “Sometimes we feel sad without knowing why.”

“But the other men that went through the passage, they are not like Arcas.”

Tohki looked up from the table. “When someone in the village is troubled by something in their minds and hearts, it is difficult to understand why. I have known every child born in this village for the last fifty years. And I remember them. Arcas’ was a troubled birth. Do you remember Serah’s ewe and how its child was turned to the side? It was the same with Arcas. When it was time for him to be born, he was stuck. It was hard to turn him. He resisted. And I sensed great fear from him. But I don’t know if that was the cause.”

Priya sighed, gazing out Tohki’s window. The deerskin that normally covered it to keep out the cold was pulled back, letting some fresh air to drift in. Priya caught a glimpse of Arcas as he ran to catch up with the other’s leaving for the day’s hunt. “I wish I could do more to help him.”

“You are doing well, Priya. This is something where we can only treat the symptoms. It's like a cough. We don’t know why or what caused Ami’s cough, but we can get her the right thing to drink to aid in her recovery. Will she develop a cough again? Probably next winter. It is the same with Arcas. The darkness will return and you will aid him as you have before.”

Priya turned back to her work, grinding several herbs into a fine powder. She ticked off on her fingers what she had already added to the mortar. “Tohki, do you have the Pennyroyal?”

Tohki held up a jar full of tiny oval green leaves.

Taking it from her, Priya added a spoonful to her mixture and continued to grind it. Priya added a thick scoop of beeswax into the mixture and began to knead and fold it until it pulled in the herbs, forming a thick paste. Holding the mortar to her nose, Priya inhaled the cool smell of the mixture. But there was something missing. Priya looked about twisting in her seat, looking at the shelves and the herbs that hung bundles from the rafters. Then she spied it: the flower Tohki had burned and blew into the ewe’s mouth and nose. Breaking off several pieces, Priya ground and folded it into the mixture. She smelled it again and smiled.

“What is that?” Tohki asked.

In reply, Priya took some of the mixture in her hands, letting the warmth of her palms loosen the beeswax, and began to rub it on Tohki’s exposed neck.

Tohki slapped her hands away. “What are you doing?” She touched her neck, bringing onto her fingers Priya’s salve, and sniffed them. She looked questioningly at Priya, sniffing her fingers again. “Interesting. Well, let's see if it works.”

They returned to their work. Priya kept looking up from her projects to see what Tohki thought of her salve, but Tohki didn’t provide any hints, only humming familiar hymns under her breath as she was wont to do.

But then Priya caught Tohki pausing her work, rolling her shoulders and moving her neck from side to side. Priya watched her, smiling.

“Mother’s Mercy,” Tohki muttered. “What made you think of that?”

“You mentioned Serah’s ewe and I remembered how you blew it onto the ewe to calm it. I thought that if it could calm as a smoke, the flowers should be more potent.”

“Aye. It is. I would either double the recipe of the other herbs and wax or cut in half what you put in. For now, I am going to lay down and dream of spring.”

Tohki pushed herself up from the table and hobbled over to her bed, laying down on it and closing her eyes.

Taking a piece of thin bark that had been harvested from the white fire trees of the vale, Priya etched onto it with a piece of coal from the fire, the ingredients and portions she used. There was a roll of these collections that rested on the shelves; collections of herbal lore that had been passed down from Crone to Crone, the most recent ones bearing Tohki’s scrawl. As Priya added hers to the roll, she felt a tingle of pride run up her back, turning his cheeks red.

She was a Crone.

Priya turned, wanting to share this moment with Tohki, but she was already asleep, emitting a soft snore.

Smiling, Priya returned to her work, only to be interrupted a few moments later by a soft knock on the door.

Pulling up on the latch, Priya opened the door, and there was Serah, a cloak wrapped tightly around her.

“Come in, come in,” Priya said as she waved Serah in.

Serah stepped inside, breathing in the warm air, thick with the scent of medicines.

Priya pointed to Tohki’s sleeping form, lifting a finger to her lips to signal silence.

Serah nodded, sitting down next to the fire.

Finding a clean mug, Priya, with precise fingers, measured out a few of Tohki’s warming herbs, and sprinkled them on the bottom before covering them with hot water.

Serah pulled off her mittens and welcomed the warmth of the mug between her hands, breathing in the fragrant aroma. “Thank you for this,” Serah said, her voice low and quiet so as not to disturb Tohki.

“You are most welcome,” Priya said, settling in next to her. She wrapped her arm around Serah’s shoulders and leaned in, resting her head on her cousin’s shoulder. “I have missed you. And Zachael, too. But mostly you.”

Serah laughed. “And I, you.”

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“How have you fared this winter?”

“We have been well. Zachael and I have remained healthy, thank Eusou. We had a couple lambs get pulled away from the herd by wolves and killed. Aside from those losses, the herd is well too. The winter is long and their wool is thick. It will be a good harvest in the spring.”

“Those poor lambs,” Priya said, shaking her head. “Was it the one I helped deliver?”

Serah shook her head. “No. That one is a feisty one. If the wolves came for it, I am sure it would have stood its ground and chased them off. She has your spirit, that one does.” Serah leaned back, looking about Tohki’s hovel and then at Priya. Taking Priya’s hand, she turned it over, tracing the lines and calluses. “Has this path been good for you?”

“Aye,” Priya said. “I feel like I am more of a Crone with every day that passes. I am happy with my choice. It was the right path for me. Tohki has been a good and patient teacher and it has made her even more dear to me.”

“And how are Aaron and Anissa?”

“Oh, they are good. Papai has grown a little more round and soft this winter, but it is a good look for him. Our harvest was strong. No one has gone hungry. There has been abundance all around, praise The Mother.”

“Good. Very good.” Serah is quiet, but Priya can see the corners of her mouth turn upwards into a smile.

“What is it, cousin?” Priya asks, feeling a smile growing on her face.

Serah turns to her, placing a soft hand on Priya’s cheek. “I am with child.”

Tears pricked the corners of Priya’s eyes. “Oh, Serah.”

“I know. I know.”

“Oh, Serah. I am so happy for you.”

“Aye. The vale will see another child carry forth our ancestors’ vision.”

“How long have you known? How are you feeling? Did you walk here all by yourself?”

Serah laughed at the flurry of questions. “I am fairly certain I have known for a couple weeks. My blood was late and Zachael and I have been watching the days because we have wanted this child for a while now. But it wasn’t until the last few days that I have felt a change upon me. That is why I am here. And yes, I walked, but I am only pregnant with child, not an invalid. This walk was a pleasant one and much needed, because I have come to see you, Priya, wise Crone that you are, for your aid.”

Priya leaned forward. “What is it? Are you—” she pauses, thinking for a moment, “—is it spotting?”

“No. Dear Eusou, no. I feel sick. Mostly for a few hours in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon or evening. I need to eat to help the babe grow, but there are times that I just want to lay down.”

“Nettle, yellow-gowan, raspberry leaves and ceyaka,” Priya says, standing. “The tea that you have has some yellow-gowan and ceyaka in it, so it should help, but raspberry leaves—” Priya found the right jar and brought it back to fire, sprinkling a few in Serah’s tea. “Raspberry leaves will strengthen your child’s container. And it will help with your birth, as well, helping you open up more naturally so that this babe can just slide through.”

Serah laughed. “I have never heard any of the other mother’s say that their child slid through them.”

“Perhaps they hadn’t drunk enough raspberry leaf tea.”

Serah wrapped her arms around Priya, holding her close. “You may be a Crone, but you will always be my Priya.”

“There should be a celebration in the springtime.” Priya rested her hand over Serah’s womb. “This should be a celebration. Your child will be the first child since Ami. It has been six winters since she was born.”

“Aye. The vale feels smaller and smaller as each winter passes.”

Priya leaned into Serah, giving her cousin a squeeze before standing back up. “I’ll make you a big batch of this tea. That way you won’t have to make the walk as often.”

“But then I won’t see you as often.”

“Tohki has said that the sickness only lasts a phase and a half of the moon’s cycle. It is almost time for the new moon, so after the second full moon, the sickness should be over. Sometimes it does last longer and if it does, send Zachael into town to fetch us. And I will come and see you soon to check in. Drink as much as you need and if you run low, send Zachael into town. The baby is his doing, so he should do some of the work.”

Serah laughed. “I’ll be sure to remind him of that as he rubs my swollen feet.”

Tohki, in her bed stirred, slowly opening her eyes. They widened as they focused on Serah. “Serah child.”

Serah stepped to the other side of the hearth, kneeling down, taking Tohki’s hand in hers. “I am sorry if I woke you, Tohki.”

“Nonsense,” Tohki said, sitting up. “I had to rest my eyes after what your cousin did to me.”

Serah looked back at Priya who was busy adding various herbs, dried flowers, and leaves into a deerskin bag.

Priya shrugged. “I was only experimenting.”

“And a good experiment it was,” Tohki said, reaching up to rub her shoulders. “My back hasn’t felt this loose in years. I feel like I could do the spring dance like I used to when I was your age.” She mimed putting her arms in the air, folding one and then the other in the makings of a bow.

“So, I shouldn’t change the recipe?” Priya asked.

“No,” Tohki replied. “You most certainly should. That is powerful medicine you made, dear. My body is used to it. If you gave it to anyone else in the village, their limbs would flop around like a cooled gelatinous broth, and they would wonder what sort of magic you pulled on them.”

Tohki walked over to her table, inspecting the collection of herbs Priya had pulled down for Serah’s tea. As she pieced together Priya’s recipe, her eyebrows arched. “Serah?”

Serah smiled. “Yes, Tohki.”

Tohki stuttered, “You’re?”

Serah rested a hand on her womb, giving it a gentle rub. “Aye.”

“Well done!” Tohki explained, slammed the flat of her hand down on the table. “I knew you two had it in you.”

Serah laughed. “It just took a bit of practice.”

Priya shook her head at their frivolity, feeling her cheeks turn red.

Tohi took note and Priya’s embarrassment and jabbed a finger into her side. “You cannot get shy about this, Priya. Such is the life of a Crone. If you can’t laugh about what takes place in the beds of others, the first time a man comes to you and asks for aid on what hangs between their legs, you won’t know what to do.”

Serah giggled. “What would you do, Tohki?”

“If it is red and itchy,”Tohki said, “it’s a balm of beeswax, leaves from the walnut tree, sage that grows in the vale, and mugwort.”

“What is mugwort?” Serah asked.

Priya pointed to a collection of leaves that hung drying from the rafters that were green on top and white underneath. “In the grass by the lake you can tell that it is mugwort from its purplish stems and pointed tips.”

“And,” Tohki said, gesturing vulgarly, “if a man has problems in the bed, you can give him a tincture of pollen from the pine trees, antler velvet if you can find it, bark from the prickly ash bush, rosemary, and bit of spice from one of the pepper plants.”

Priya shook her head, unsure what to say. She began to think about Arcas and if he came to her for aid and her cheeks blushed an even deeper red.

“Mother’s Mercy, girl!” Tohki exclaimed. “I have seen what lay between the legs of every man and woman in this vale and so will you.”

Priya crossed her arms, glaring across the table at Tohki. “If you had told me that I would have to do the same, I probably would have reconsidered this Path.”

“It’s not that bad, cousin,” Serah chimed in. “They are kind of fun.”

“Hag’s teats, you two!” Priya said. But try as she might to be cross, the absurdity of the conversation hit her and she bent over the table laughing, soon gasping for air, tears rolling down her cheeks. When she finally composed herself, she nodded her head. “If that is Eusou’s plan, I accept it.”

“Good,” Tohki said, smiling. “You can start by getting familiar with your cousin’s. Not now, but we shall visit often to make sure this little one is growing well.”

Priya folded the bag of the tea blend closed and handed it to Serah. “This will last you a few weeks, but if you need more—”

“Aye,” Serah interjected. “I will send Zachiel.”

Serah threw her cloak around her shoulders and stepped in her boots before bending over to lace them. “Thank you, cousin.”

Priya wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. “I love you, Serah.”

“And I you,” Serah said and she kissed her on the forehead. “And I love you too, Tohki. Thank you. Both of you.”

Priya lifted the latch and opened the door for Serah, offering her a final wave before closing it. Turning to Tohki, she asked, “What’s next for me?”

Tohki smiled. “You did well, child. You are going to be a wonderful Crone after I pass.”

“You’re not allowed to pass until I have a few gray hairs on my head.”

“Oh, child. I fear that it is closer than either of us want it to be.”