Orn stood in the front of the crowd beside his parents watching his little sister’s pathday ceremony. Nearly 20 children were gathered for the ceremony either having recently reached five years old or being not far from that day. Emmy as the daughter of the local lord was in the front kneeling directly before the little shrine the priest had brought.

Despite his sister’s position in the front of the group Orn had to fight to keep his eyes from drifting to the back corner of the group. The priest is all but standing over Emmy, he better come through for me...

A surprised yell drew everyone’s attention to the back corner of the group. A dark haired boy was yelling. The boy stood and waved his arms frantically at something in front of him. As the boy thrashed at something only he could see the priest rushed over to calm the boy.

While the crowd focused on the boy, Orn glanced back at Emmy. His eyes fell on her just in time to watch his sister seem to mutter something. The next instant her form blurred and she was sitting upright smiling.

Success, Orn thought, watching his smiling sister turning to watch the priest trying to calm the struggling boy. The boy continued to struggle and draw attention to himself much to the embarrassment of a young couple who rushed to join the priest.

“How much candy did you promise the boy?” Kao whispered appearing beside him.

Orn resisted the urge to reply, instead pulling a single piece of hard candy from a waxed paper bundle.

…

Once the boy settled down, the priest rushed through the rest of the ceremony and released the children to their awaiting parents.

At this signal the crowd instantly devolved into a chaotic mass of individuals and children rushing to embrace each other. Orn was shocked by the movement of so many people and froze. Only the general unwillingness of the villagers to rush past his parents allowed Orn to catch up to them.

Orns parents moved slowly through the throng, smiling or offering congratulations as they passed children. However, they distinctly avoided eye contact with a young couple speaking to the priest.

“He was surprised,” the priest said consolingly as Orn passed the group. “It happens more than you would expect.” With a laugh the priest added, “It was just more noticeable because of his path. Performer paths have a skill to draw the eyes of other to them. He was clearly given a strong skill, and we should expect his name to become well known in the Kingdom with such a skill.”

The priest’s words seemed to have little effect on the blushing couple. They were so caught up in their own embarrassment that they did not notice Orn’s approach, or their son being passed a package of candy.

“The full bag that is rather generousness considering you only promised a single piece,” Kao commented, following behind him. “I thought the rest was for you sister?”

He ignored the goddess, and tried to ignore the guilty feeling from embarrassing the boy’s parents. He was just supposed to yell and stand up, not flail around that much.

Orn continued to struggle with his conscious when he caught back up with his parents.

“Mother! Father!” Emmy yelled rushing to embrace their parents, and nearly tripping them as her arms wrapped around their knees. “I got a great path!”

Their father reached down and pulling Emmy off his leg lifted her in the air. “And what is that? Are you a great noblewoman, or a knight like your brother? Tell your father.”

Emmy giggled as their father quickly brought her back down into a hug that his wife joined. “No. I got a better path. I am a healer, like mother.” Emmy beamed at her parents oblivious to the meaningful look passing between them.

“Are you sure you are not a noble woman with a healing skill their mother prompted relaxing her embrace to rub Emmy’s back.

“Yes!” Emmy exclaimed reaching out to touch her mother’s face. Their mother’s eyes went wide at the touch. “I can already move a few warm fuzies!”

Orn’s eyes went wide as he realized what that meant, and spun to look at Kao. Seeing his expression caused the goddess to laugh loudly.

“It took me a long time to even feel them and she can already heal people?” Orn whispered to the laughing goddess.

Whipping her eyes Kao nodded, “Unlike you she has a natural talent for healing.”

“ORN!” Emmy’s voice drew Orn’s attention away form the goddess, just in time for his sister to run into him. Wrapping him in a hug. “Did you hear? I am a healer. Soon I will be able to heal you so mother does not need to worry as much.”

Several emotions warred inside Orn as he struggled to think of a response to his sister, and the laughing goddess. Before he could think of something to say to either Emmy continued, “She said I just need a little practice.”

A few people in the crowd glanced over at Emmy discussing practicing skills, but none said anything. The crowd had simply assumed she doid not understand how paths and skills worked. Orn and his parents rushed to distract Emmy and keep her from talking any more about meeting a goddess.

…

While his parents distracted Emmy with praise they returned to their room at the inn. The entire time Orn cursed himsefl for giving in to his guilty feeling and giving the boy the entire packet. Just one piece and she would not have said anything.

The sound of the door closing behind him, caused Orn to let out a breath he did not realize he was holding.

“Emmy what do you mean when you said ‘she told you to practice?’ Who said that?” their father began watching the little girl bouncing around the room excitedly.

“Orn’s friend!” Emmy said grabbing one of her parents hands in each of her own and bouncing. “Orn told me I could choose my path if I said her name. And she did!”

He froze as both his parents turned to stare at him. Clearing his throat, he tried to explain. “I knew the goddess would not let her pick a bad path, and Emmy should get some choice in what she wants to do.”

“Orn,” his mother began suddenly seeming very tired. “Goddess or not, Emmy is five years old. That is a lot to ask of her, she could have made a bad choice or give up a path such as noble woman.”

“But I did not want that path, I am already a noble. That is why I chose to be a healer.” Emmy interjected causing both of their parents to give Orn an annoyed look.

“Do not get mad at Orn!” Emmy pleaded with their parents pulling on their arms until they turned to look back at her. “He worked hard to let me meet his friend. He even gave up his candy, so the boy would be a distraction and no one else would hear.”

Orn’s blood suddenly ran cold, as his parent’s expressions darkened.

“Orn can I talk to you outside for a moment,” his father said as Emmy was pulled onto his wife’s lap.

Orn nodded, and opened the door to the narrow hallway. I should have asked Kao to block out more than just the memory of her nam