Winter fell on us fast. Temperatures plummeted quickly as soon as we entered the month of Rainire. The northern winds brought a chilling drizzle down upon us straight from the mountains.

The shutters of our windows got closed. I was happy to spend time at the crystal lighted workshop, instead of the darkness of our house and its flickering candles.

Balout is back and seems happy to find us back. The four of us kids are cooped upstairs in what seems to be Ms Tarina's office. The storing room is currently full to the brim with bolts of fabrics and the tailor shop is busy like never: preparing for the end of the year feast and the naming day to follow on next spring. Commoners and citizens flock inside to order their outfit, get their sizes measured, draft the available fabrics and colours, discuss the latest trends as if we are at the Paris' fashion week.

More than often we are left to tend to ourselves, this kind of negligence doesn't even surprise me anymore. Melodi and Gelcaria play together or just chat and giggles while I bring Balout up to date on counting and writing numbers.

I also take it upon myself to further the studies of the girls putting our slates to good use, to teach them subtractions and multiplications. I even dare some fractions to see how much they understand about a half or a quarter before an attempt at divisions. Balout surprises me the most: he has some talent with numbers easily grasping the notions that took days to my other students.

When the sun manages to push back the cold a bit in the afternoon, we are allowed to limber up outside while Balout takes his customary nap. He is more than welcome to join us but our running, stretching and tumbling doesn't appeal to him as much.

Melodi is a natural acrobat, already able to walk upside down on her hands. I guess having a tail to help with balance is part of her talent.(or I'm just jealous and trying to find excuses)

I feel clumsy in comparison the girls make fun of me whenever I fail and fall when doing a simple headstand. I gain their esteem back when I juggle with some small stones. They try their skill at it but their coordination is not on the same level as mine. They might have more talents, but I still have an edge on them.

Once a week Sister Sunyeo visits us back. Her shawl is now a warmer wool one, still leaf green: colour of her patron. She spends her time telling us more about the gods in her gentle tone. The four of us now know enough about the gods and the unfolding of the naming ceremony. So she spends her time telling us more about the mythos of the birth of the gods and how they ascended to godhood.

They were humanoids and mortal at first but because each of them embodied one the humanoids “virtue” (I'm still unsure about labelling some of them as such, but it might be my earth morale interfering) they got “elevated”. How or by whom, is left unanswered.

There are some interesting stories like the moons' one. Originally there were only 2 moons: the blue and white one, floating together. They later got “claimed” by the sister goddesses: Jalea (justice) and Amidea (water). The Sun was already the lair of Oreo (the fire dragon).

Not accepting his light to be deflected for free, Oreo demanded Amidea's hand as compensation. Amidea refused, leading Oreo to shut his light off, leading to what was called the age of night.

Great turmoil followed, monsters ruled over the night and darkened days, razing cities and whole kingdoms.

The pleas and weeping of mortals reached Amidea softening her resolve, while the rise in power of the monster god worried Oreo enough for him to make some concessions. The both came to an agreement : Oreo would provide light for the day and the moon sisters will be allowed to light the nights as much as they want with it, but in exchange Amidea was to join Oreo's house.

The blue moon accepted on the condition to remain pristine and untouched, she would spend her nights in the sky and alone.

To push back the monsters, Jalea had to separate from her sister so that they could brighten the nights for a hex each.

Sensing Jalea's misery and loneliness, her suitor: Arteus, god of crafters, but also lightning and tempests, built a moon so that he could keep her company every nights and ease her solitude. (that's some god-class simping)

Thus the second hex of each month had twin moons since then.

Under the renewed light in both days and nights, the humanoids were able to push back the creatures of darkness and murk. We settled back on some of the lost lands but not all could be reclaimed.

Since then the eternal war is still raging on: as humanoids progress monsters evolve, keeping the fights at a standstill overall.

As we make a break for our middle day snack: black tea with some softer crackers (when the sister comes she brings her owns which are better than our usual tough as steel ones)

I ask a question that's been prickling at me for a while : “Is Gel blessed by a god ? What does her eyes means for her?”

My question catches Gel and Mel's attention. Gelcaria is clearly uneasy with my question, I'm probing at one of her taboos.

Sister Sunyeo doesn't answers me directly, Instead turning towards Gel : “have you ever spoke with one of the gods ?”

Surprised Gel shakes her head in deny.

“To be blessed is a contract between a god and you” says the nun while focusing on both me and Gel. “it requires the god to speak to you and clearly state his conditions, only then can you get the acknowledgement of the pantheon and eventually some of the god's powers.”

I interrupt her: “what's the use in being acknowledged ? I'd rather have powers.”

She laugh, a rare occurrence for the serious priestess. “There is nothing more powerful than being in the gods sight. Getting acknowledged by one of them is a strong declaration to all humanoids: [this one is under our protection and is a valued person in the war against monsters. Acting against him is acting against the gods themselves.]” She pauses dramatically to let her sentence sink in.

“That alone makes it easier for the blessed one to fulfil his side of the contract. At the same time it will also brand them as targets for the monster god and sometime even from some of the other gods, in dissent with one another.”

She takes a sip of tea before following up.

“Some powers are also double edged: the classical example being Fortan's luck. Although useful it comes and go at will and is out of control. More than once his champions got overconfident relying too much on the blessing and found a gruesome end when Fortan's whim left them without his helping hand.”

That reminds me that some of grand ma stories did include that. I always though it was just some morals of the stories, not that it was real life events. Now these sound more like a warning than a moral.

Gel chimes in “So what's the deal with my eyes? If they aren't a blessing why should I get despised for it ? I didn't ask for it nor made any contract!” she is obviously flustered and I get her.

The sister gently takes Gel's hand in hers. “Your eyes are just a sign of the attention from one of the gods.” she has the tact to not name Akolaï “ Either because he took some liking to you, responded to the query of your parents, or just on a whim. Who knows what a god's will is ?”

There is some obvious anger rising in Gel's lavender eyes, the sister goes on :

“this attention isn't a blessing, though it can become one if you pray enough or live up to the god principles. But this attention alone is worthy in itself as it usually brings the protection of the pantheon upon you and your close ones.” This last assertion calms Gel's anger a bit, she sometimes has a hard time, but if it protects her loved ones, she can come up to term with it.

The nun then dives in the heart of the issue at hand :

“I know that bearing Akolaï's mark can be mocked or even loathed by some, especially followers of Jalea or Amidea. But don't think that's the only reaction. Akolaï might not be a member of the protectors penteon, but his domain is powerful: love is one of the strongest emotions around, it can shake empires and shape kingdoms that is also why Akolaï governs upon ambition. His followers often rising above their initial condition”

I suspect the nun is sugar coating it a bit: I doubt the prostitutes ever rise in the social ladder. Though I can understand how his blessed ones could fare well and rise, seduction being a powerful tool.

Melodi breaks the pause by asking what an Akolaïte is, remembering the vague answers my grandmother made back then.

Ensues some uneasy explanation from Sunyeo as she tries to explain while not explaining, trying to mislead the catgirl and duck the issue, attracting in turn even more unwanted questions from Mel and Balout.

I laugh on the inside being the only one to understand the sister's dilemma. Gel still looks a bit underwhelmed. I try to cheer her up: “If you are to rise as a blade, please remember to protect me” I plea to tease her.

I get some mixed success: she has a bitter smile for a kid her age and it pains me that she has to deal with discrimination this early in her life. But there isn't much more i can do for her right now.

A beet red Sister leaves us for today, letting a perplexed Balout and Melodi behind her, not connecting the dots between the bees, the flowers, babies and Akolaï. This was fun, I wish I had popcorn.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Tonight's dinner is roots platter with some sweet red mushrooms (those look poisonous) and cockles that my brother Barasti gathered at the riverside.

After dinner I try to teach Jocalie how to count. Although she is older than me, she was not in the custody of the seamstresses and spends her time with one of our other neighbours, a washerwoman. She thus is better at chores than I am (not that I get much to do, I'm still small and weak), but beneath me in counting (expected, I had a Ph.D back on earth) but also behind Mel an Gel.

I try to teach her to at least be able to count on her joints, under the approving watch of mom and the scoffing of our elder brother.

Jocalie is sighing as I ask her once more to recite her numbers before making her do some basic additions. As useless as she think it is, it will come by handy one day. Maths are always useful.

Her retribution comes next and I have to be her plaything for a while, my hair getting braided and tied, still under the mocking of Barasti.

Our playtime is interrupted by a banging at the door. Dad opens to find a crying Gel at our doorstep.

“please” she sobs “Dad is getting upset, mom needs help.”

My dad rushes outside. Mom takes the time to check on Gel before handing her to Jocalie. She then follow Dad to the house of our neighbours.

Brother closes the door back and i'm surprised to see his grim look. Although young (he is ten springs old, making him more than 14 years old in earth time) he's getting what's going on.

And so does I: Gel's father, Danik, must be on one of his drinking feat and must have gotten violent with his wife. A sadly too common story, on Earth like on Erenda.

I follow Jocalie and just hugs Gel, the poor girl is weeping her heart out, breaking mine at the same time.

After some time, the silence only broke by Gel's wailing, mom comes back. She says a few words to Barasti and then comes near us. She gently pats the head of a tear-stained Gel.

“Gel, you'll stay here tonight and sleep with Joc. I'll go back to your mother, don't worry she is fine.”

Gel weakly nods at the news but her eyes are less clouded by tears now.

Mom instructs Joc on where to get an extra blanket for Gel before sending them to bed and going back out.

My brother brings me to our room, not commenting the current events.

While I'm waiting fruitlessly to fall asleep my brother is already snoring, the boy is tough, must have already seen his fair share of crap or he is just as sensitive as a log.

I tend the ears, trying to listen to anything coming from the neighbours house. But I get nothing, Dad managed to one way or another handle Danik.

Later in the night I hear the door of our house open and close, but no other sound to tell me who it is nor what happened outside.

As the second night bell rings (midnight) I hear someone walk to my bedroom. In the pitch black darkness I can still figure out the purple gleam of Gel's eyes, even without light to reflect they seem to shine on their own giving her an enlightened look.

I lift my blanket and squeeze myself on one side of my futon to make some space. I don't know if she has some nightvision coming with her eyes but she somehow catches my drift, joining me to lay in the relative warmness of my thin blanket. The wintery nights are cold and our bedroom isn't heated, so better a thin blanket than none.

As she snuggles besides me, bringing some welcome warmth with her, I turn around to face her. Her eyes are still shining in the darkness, like two distant stars casting their faint light in a moonless night, allowing me to almost read her expression. Mostly one of despair, sadness and tiredness.

I embrace her to bring her head upon my shoulder and whisper in her ear: “Don't worry it is fine. I'll protect you for now, and when you become a blade, you'll shield me back.” She half sobs, half laughs, choking on my shoulder. I can feel one of her tears dripping on my cheek. She's worried for her mother and so am I.

We fall asleep hugging one another, rocked by my brother's snoring.