Kaye was required to stay the night in the High Priestess' tent to prepare for the ceremony. She tried to meditate, but she was out of practice and her mind wandered to Bryant. The solid weight of him next to her in bed, the sound of his voice as they sat talking on the cliff, watching the worried lines on his face melt away as she ran her fingers along his wings. More than once she dissolved into tears, and the morning didn’t bring relief. Before the sun rose, Kaye bathed in the cold water of the river. She resolved to focus on the ceremony and keep her tears at bay.

The sun rose in a stormy sky, expectant with the changing seasons and the clean, clear rain needed to bring that about. It was windy with the storm moving up from the south, and it tugged at Kaye's wet hair as she hurried to her tent. "I feel the same way," she whispered to the wind before the safety of the tents buffered it away.

Kindra and Gar were already awake. A new priestess dress and the circlet of Aleda were laid out on Kaye’s cot. She stopped and stared at the symbol of the Goddess lying alone on the fabric. She had never seen if off of the High Priestess' brow.

"Looks like rain," Kindra said as she peered around the flap into the dark morning sky.

Kaye nodded and sat, not trusting her voice. She brushed her wet hair flat and ran her hand over the dress. It was the same type she had worn as an apprentice, but it fell to her ankles instead of just below her knees, and had an intricate design of beadwork across the front. She knew the pattern well—she had seen it every day since she began training as a priestess.

Kaye reached out a finger to trace it, the pattern similar to the bracelet Bryant gave her. Her wrist felt empty without the familiar weight, and made her heart ache all the more for him.

"Kindra?" She whispered as she picked up the dress. "Why do you think I was the one mother gave to the High Priestess?"

Kindra knelt next to her and put a hand on her cheek. "Because you were the one she asked for."