That night Priya hardly slept. It was partly because of anticipation and fear for what the following day might bring. Anticipation of what it meant to sit at Tohki’s feet and learn from her of the Path of The Crone. And Priya was fearful that she might sleep too late and cause herself to miss out on her first day of lessons.

It wasn’t until Priya remembered to breathe and to allow herself to relax in that remembrance—to settle herself within the flame of I Am that burned inside her—that she finally fell asleep.

Nevertheless, she still awoke with a start, filled with dread that she had slept too late. But it was still dark and the house was still quiet. Looking out her window towards the eastern slopes, she could see small traces of light past the peaks, turning the black of night into a lighter shade of blue.

Leaping out of bed and as quietly as she could, Priya dressed herself. She pulled her hair together at the nape of her neck and was about to tie it off, when she paused, thinking about Serah and her braid and how womanly it made her look. Priya let her hair drop past her shoulders, then reached behind, separating it into several sections, folding one on top of the other until a rough braid was formed. She tugged on it, pleased with herself.

The elk stew still sat on the warm coals. Priya dished herself up a bowl and shoveled into her mouth several spoonfuls before slipping outside.

In the early morning the air was cool. Goosebumps dotted Priya’s arms and she rubbed them briskly. Looking out at the lake she saw that it was covered in a low fog that spread past it into the grasslands that stretched below their farm.

With an empty bucket in hand, she ducked underneath the fence. The heifers saw the bucket and moved towards her thinking that it was food. Sighing, Priya led them to the shed. She scooped a few handfuls of grain into their troughs and the heifers lowered their heads to eat. Now that they were occupied, Priya squatted beside the larger of the two, setting the empty bucket underneath its teats. Priya leaned forward, resting her cheek on the heifer’s haunch, breathing in her sweet smell. Reaching underneath, she began to milk her, pulling down on the teat, letting the milk squirt down the side of the bucket. Priya milked her fast and fully, knowing that once the heifers had finished their grain, they would start to stamp and kick. She had lost a bucket or two of milk in the past from an errant kick. Other times, they would kick up dirt or manure into the bucket, ruining the milk.

The bucket was halfway full when Priya moved to the second heifer. This one’s teat was different than the first’s and it was why Priya always milked her last. Priya had to pull down until it wouldn’t squirt anymore milk, then turn it at an angle to thoroughly clean her out. Aaron had told her that the heifer’s teat had an extra hole, but Priya had never studied it long enough to see it was true.

Standing up, Priya patted each heifer on the haunch, thanking them for their milk. Holding the bucket with two hands, Priya slowly walked back to the house, careful not to spill any. She set it down just outside the front door and returned to the barnyard.

Grabbing a rake and shovel, Priya turned her attention to cleaning out the horses stalls and the small piles of manure left by the heifers.

“Priya.”

At Aaron’s voice, Priya turned. “Good morning.”

“When you’re finished cleaning the barnyard, can you run down to Tohki and tell her about Zachael’s ewe?”

“Aye,” Priya replied. “But I still need to feed the horses and milk the goats.”

“I talked to Anissa. She will tend to the goats this morning. I’ll feed the horses as I hitch them to the wagon. I don’t want to delay long for Zachael’s sake.”

Priya would have much preferred to have left the barnyard cleaning to Anissa or Aaron, but she nodded in agreement. “Yes, Aaron.”

Looking up, Priya saw the peaks of the mountains a bit clearer. While the sun wasn’t visible yet, dawn was breaking and she was due soon at Tohki’s anyhow. She moved faster, raking and scooping, scooping and raking until her cart was full of manure to be hauled to the garden. It was piled higher than usual—her attempt to reduce multiple trips into a single one. She grunted and strained, pulling it through the gate and over to their pile at the far end of the garden; far enough away so that the smell didn’t waft in through their open windows, except for when the wind blew in from the south. Then they and everyone else in the town would smell it.

There was a barrel on the side of the house that caught and stored rainwater. Lifting the lid, Priya used the ladle to wet her hands. Rubbing her hands together, Priya removed the day’s grime and then wiped them dry on her trousers.

Catching Aaron’s eye, Priya pointed towards the village and he nodded.

Priya took off in a slow jog.

The village was quiet as it normally was at this hour. Those that were awake were inside their homes, tending to fires or preparing for the day ahead.

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As Priya passed by the butcher’s house a girl appeared, backing out of the chicken coop with several eggs in hand. “Hello, Galia.”

Galia jumped, a single egg slipping from her grasp and cracking on the packed earth. “Hag’s teats!” she exclaimed.

Priya laughed, reaching out a hand to her friend, steadying her.

“Mother’s Mercy, what are you doing out so early?” Galia asked.

Priya pointed down the footpath towards Tohki’s hut. “Papai and I are taking Tohki to Serah and Zachael’s farm. One of his ewes needs her medicine.”

“Oh.” Galia shuffled her foot in the dirt, drawing a curved line. “Arcas was in a mood last night.”

“Aye,” Priya replied. “I’m afraid that was my doing.”

“What happened?”

“He tried to tell me that I was his Varuni.”

Galia’s eyes widened in the first of the morning sun’s rays. “He did not.”

Priya stifled a giggle. “He did and I told him that I had chosen the Path of The Crone.”

Galia’s eyebrows lifted even further, disappearing into her hair that hung down around her forehead. “The Crone, eh?”

“Aye.” Priya reached over and gave Galia’s shoulder a small pat. “But that won’t change anything between us. More than likely it’ll mean that I’ll be able to sit for your passage and see all the silly faces you make when you drink that horrendous tea.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“Horrid,” Priya said, smiling. “Tell your mother and Asa I said hello.”

“Good luck with the ewe.”

As Galia turned towards her house, Priya ran to Tohki’s.

Raising her fist to knock, Priya felt the door shudder, then open and she was face-to-face with her new mentor.

“First day of Crone School,” Tohki announced.

Priya held up her hand, steadying her breath. “We need your help at Zachael’s farm first. One of his ewe’s babes is turned the wrong way in the womb.”

Tohki waved her inside, shutting the door. “Today is the perfect day to start then. Come. Help me prepare some medicines for today’s work.”

Priya gazed in awe at the inside of Tohki’s hovel. Hanging from the rafters were dried plants of every shape and size. Tohki handed her a candle and urged her to stay close by as she moved about with a cup in hand, taking clippings from several different plants. Oval leaves with five sharp spines that were a dark green on one side and a lighter green on the other. Seed pods that looked like tiny brown skulls with gaping eye sockets. Flowers that were maroon-spotted, golden-orange with dark red splotches. And finally a pale lilac five-petaled flower that was surrounded by delicate jagged leaves. While Priya did not know their names, she recognized some of them from the surrounding forest and Tohki’s garden.

Grabbing a pestle, Tohki used the rounded end to mash the medicinal mixture until it formed a brown paste. Heating up a small amount of water at her fire, she poured it into the cup, continuing to mash and stir. “Here,” Tohki said, handing the cup to Priya. Reaching high up on a shelf, Tohki pulled down a small jar. Taking the cup back from Priya, she carefully poured the medicine into the jar, stoppering it with a round, soft piece of wood, before handing it back to Priya.

“What will that do?” Priya asked.

Tohki pointed to the various plants she had cut clippings from, naming each. “Holly, Snapdragon, Haydn’s Lily, and Vervrain. All of these are meant to calm the ewe, so that we can do our work without her kicking or bucking.”

Tohki grabbed her satchel, pulling it over her shoulder. On a low shelf she grabbed another jar full of pale green clumps with patterns of orange tracing out tiny stems.

“What is that for?” Priya asked.

“Additional aid,” Tohki replied, placing a pipe in her satchel. Taking the jar of the ewe’s medicine, Tohki placed it in her satchel with the rest of her supplies.

There was a sharp knock at the door. Tohki opened the door and there was Aaron with the wagon and horses behind him.

“Did Priya explain the situation?” Aaron asked.

“Aye, she did,” Tohki replied. “We are ready.”

Nodding, Aaron walked with them to the wagon. He helped Tohki climb into the back with Priya. As Tohki sat down, with her back to the wooden side, she moved her satchel so it rested in front of her in her lap. Climbing into the front of the wagon, Aaron picked up the reigns, giving them a soft snap while he clicked his tongue. The mare and stallion, familiar with their roles and his signals, began their way down the path, pulling the wagon behind them.

Priya’s teeth chattered as the wagon bumped along the path. While it was faster, Priya preferred to walk, feeling the dirt of the path beneath her calloused feet. She fidgeted, shifting in her seat, trying to find a position where she didn’t bounce as much. Looking to Tohki for guidance, Priya noted that Tohki was still in the same seated position. Her eyes were closed, her face was turned to let the sun warm her wrinkled face.

Opening her eyes, Tohki caught Priya watching her and smiled. “It only is uncomfortable if we let it be so.”

Priya caught a retort on the edge of her tongue, stopping it from being spoken. Why did Tohki have to speak in riddles? Perhaps it was uncomfortable because it was uncomfortable and it had nothing to do with Priya’s mindset.

Tohki studied Priya. “My bones are old, girl. Yes, bouncing around in this wagon does hurt. I will feel it for days after. But my role today is to aid Zachael and his ewe, not to complain.”

Priya nodded in understanding.

Tohki patted the bottom of the wagon next to her and Priya scooted over. “Let this be today’s lesson or at least your lesson for now, until we get to your cousin’s farm. Settle in and look for the stillness within. Find it and hold your gaze on it. It is important to be able to call it up and find it quickly when we work. Do you remember when Aiden fell, breaking his arm?” Priya nodded. “It hurt terribly. He was screaming. Do you think it would have helped Aiden if I was screaming, as well?” Priya shook her head. “No, it wouldn’t have. In order to bring aid and to help our friends and family, we have to remain calm even in the most stressful of times. Do you understand?”

Priya nodded. “I do, Tohki.”

“Good. Then find the stillness and let all of these jostling distractions be your work.”