I woke up as usual this morning.. it didn’t seem any different than any other morning. I was happy for another day wondering in the forrest. I put on my normal clothes and sandals and looked for my mothers. They were together holding the palest dress I had ever seen.. “Good morning mother Kincia, Good morning mother Quaona” I said. “What are you doing with that dress?”
“Well Naukee, we are getting it ready for you,” said mother Kincia.
“Yes dear one,” said mother Quaona, “today the Priestess comes from the temple, looking for new young ones. We have been preparing for a long time for this day.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because we believe you have the gifts.”
“What gifts?”
“The gifts to become a Priestess.”
“Why? I don’t want to leave you, I want to stay with you always.”
“And we would have you stay, if we had not seen the signs.”
“What signs mothers?”
“Do you remember several Moons ago, you found a feather in the forest?” said mother Quaona.
“Yes, I remember the feather.. it was the most incredible feather I had ever seen. In the shade of the trees, it was modeled grey and almost brown. But when we took it into the Sun light, it changed and looked like fire. It looked as if it were burning with light, showing every color of the rainbow. You were both afraid.. I didn’t understand.. I was unharmed. You took it to the temple didn’t you?”
“Yes dear one, you remember well”, said mother Kincia. “We were afraid, because the last child that found a feather of the Goddess Quaia burned to death when she touched the feather. Only a chosen one can touch the feather of Quaia. She is a Fire Elemental.”
“But mother Quaona you touched that same feather, and nothing happened to you.”
“You are right again, and that is because I am of the line of Priestess as well. I became to old for the temple, where we need young pure minds. So I left the temple to find Kincia and we became one and were blessed with you.”
“One day if the Priestess Xantia picks you, you will leave to find the other half of your soul. Now let’s get you to the river to wash, then we will braid your hair and you will wear this dress we made for you.”
So this was to be an extraordinary day for me. We went straight away and I washed in the river. My mothers washed and braided my hair. Then I was allowed to put on the beautiful dress.. We waited for the Priestess to come to our village.
The Sun was about half way across the sky when she finally arrived. Several other maidens awaited her with their mothers. My mothers had brought me there early so we were the first to greet the Priestess.
Priestess Xantia was vary beautiful.. I could not believe it, I had never seen someone so lovely and so beautifully dressed.
My mothers and I each gave a slight bow to her and the women of her Court, then she asked that I come to her.
I went to her without fear, for I knew inside that I, of the six that were there, was the only one who knew what was to happen if one other than the chosen one were to touch the feather.. You see that was the test.. life if you were the one.. and a firry death, if you were not. It was no accident that I found the feather in the forest.
I smiled up at her, and held out my hands. She looked at my mothers, and smiled at them, then she placed the feather in my hands. It burst into flames in my hands as if it were set fire. I just stood and held it as it burned, then took it by it’s point, and handed it back to the Priestess. She just smiled and said, “Don’t worry child, your mothers will come with you to the temple to care for you there.”
Then she turned and bowed to the others that were there and we turned and left with them.
