The more Kaye thought about it the less she wanted to ask permission to celebrate her Goddess' birth. She was a priestess. If Bryant was willing to take her, and accept the consequences of his actions, then why shouldn't she go?

So instead of asking permission she stopped Gabe as he was coming in from fishing. "I'm going into the woods to celebrate the Festival. I would appreciate it if you could keep Timin from following."

His look turned sharp. "Where are you going?"

"The South River. I know better than to go too far in. But this," she swept her hand toward the coast, "is not Hers. I can't hold a ceremony here. It must be in the woods."

Gabe slung the bag of fish over his shoulder and Kaye held her breath against the stench. She would never get used to the smell of salt and fish. When they got to the hut he stopped and turned to her. "Do not make the same mistakes that the Kaye before you made."

The Kaye before her. With everything that had happened Kaye had almost forgotten about the priestess before her. "What were those?"

"She fell in love." Gabe shoved the door flap aside and entered.

Kaye didn't follow. She wasn't falling in love; especially not with moody Bryant. But as she gathered seashells for her offering to Aleda she found her mind constantly going back to the way he looked when he asked her to join him, and the way his energy jumped as he held her hand. What he did was completely reckless, and he didn’t strike her as the completely reckless type. It must be safe to go.

She sighed and dropped the bag of shells on the sand before sitting and tucking her knees under her chin. She didn’t think going to watch the Festival from afar was wrong exactly, but she knew it was risky. She could be caught by the Faye. She could be followed by a Gaerlom. She could be punished by Aleda for breaking the rules on Her feast day. Or she could have her happiest day since the Warrior’s Ceremony.

The sun was beginning to set, and Kaye knew she had to make her mind up soon if she wanted to meet Bryant before mid-night. Did she want to meet him? She wasn’t lying when she told Gabe that she couldn’t celebrate the Festival of Aleda on the shore, but did she really want to celebrate it with Bryant? He’d never been very nice to her. They’d only just started getting along. Then again, once those barriers came down and he opened up a little she’d enjoyed his solemn company. He reminded her of Kindra.

The ache that always accompanied thoughts of her sister made up Kaye’s mind. She couldn’t celebrate alone in the woods. If Bryant was confident in their safety, then she would meet him tonight and they could watch the sun come up together tomorrow, as the voices of the priestesses echoed around them. Kaye jogged to the mouth of the South River, then turned to follow it inland.