Stone of Tears

The wide-eyed lad gave a quick nod and apology. Sister Verna glared a moment longer and then turned, whistling for her horse. When Jessup trotted up, she scratched him under his chin, comforting and calming him. She led him inside to a stall and saw that he had water and hay. Richard made sure she didn’t see his smile.

As they walked across the courtyard, she said, “Just remember, Richard, there isn’t a Sister here, or even a novice, who, while at the same time as she was yawning, couldn’t throw you across a room like that with her Han.”

Inside a wood-paneled hall with long yellow and blue carpets running under ornate side tables, three women waited. They became all atwitter at the sight of Sister Verna. Sister Verna was a head shorter than he, and none of these three women were as tall as she. They smoothed their full, pastel skirts, and tugged at the white bodices.

“Sister Verna!” one cried out as the three rushed up. “Oh, dear Sister Verna, it’s so good to see you at last.”

A tear or two ran down their rosy faces. Their smiles looked about to burst their cheeks. Each looked a good deal younger than Sister Verna. She surveyed the big, wet eyes.

Sister Verna tenderly stroked the sniffling face before her. “sister Phoebe.” She touched another’s hand. “And Sister Amelia, and Sister Janet. It’s so good to see you again. It has been a long time indeed.”

The three giggled with excitement, at last composing themselves. Sister Phoebe’s round face looked about, past Richard.

“Where is he? Why haven’t you brought him in with you?”

Sister Verna lifted her hand toward Richard. This is he. Richard, these are friends of mine. Sisters Phoebe, Amelia, and Janet.”

The smiles transformed into astonished looks. They blinked as they took in his size and age. They stared in open amazement before finally sputtering over each other’s words about how glad they were to meet him. They tore their eyes from him at last and returned their attention to Sister Verna.

“Better than half the palace is waiting to greet you both,” Sister Phoebe said. “Everyone has been so excited since we received word that you would arrive today.”

Sister Amelia smoothed back her fine, light brown hair, flipping back the ends that barely brushed her shoulders. “No other has been brought in since you left for Richard. All those years, and no other. Everyone is so eager to meet him. I guess they are in for a “big” surprise,” she said as she blushed, glancing sideways at him. “some of the younger Sisters, especially. A pleasant surprise, I would say. My, but he is big.”

Richard remembered a time, when he was little, when he had been imprisoned in his house by a pouring rain. His mother had some women friends visiting to help in the making of a quilt, and to pass the time in conversation. As they sat and sewed while he played on the floor, they discussed him as if he weren’t there, talking about how he was growing, and his mother had told how much he ate, and how good he was at reading. In similar discomfort, now, Richard shifted his pack up higher on his shoulder.

Sister Phoebe turned to him and just beamed. She reached out and touched his arm. “Listen to us go on! We shouldn’t talk about you like you weren’t here. Welcome, Richard. Welcome to the Palace of the Prophets.”

Richard silently watched the three Sisters blinking up at him. Sister Amelia giggled, and said to Sister Verna, “He doesn’t talk much, does he.”

“He talks enough,” Sister Verna said. Under her breath, she added, Thank the Creator he is quiet for now.”

“Well,” Sister Phoebe said, in a bright voice. “shall we go?”

Sister Verna frowned at her. “sister Phoebe, who are the troops I saw, the ones in the strange uniforms?”

Sister Phoebe’s brow wrinkled in thought a moment, then her eyebrows lifted. “Oh, those troops.” She dismissed it with a wave. The government was overthrown, a few years back. I guess it must have been while you were away. The Old World has a new government, again. We have an emperor, now, instead of all those kings.” She looked to Sister Janet. “What is it they call themselves?”

Her brow creased in thought, Sister Janet’s eyes turned toward the ceiling. “Oh, yes,” she said in a demure voice. The Imperial Order. And you are quite right, Sister Phoebe; they have an emperor.” She nodded. “Yes, the Imperial Order, led by an emperor.”

Sister Phoebe shook her head in wonder. “such foolishness. Governments come, and governments go, but the Palace of the Prophets always remains. The Creator’s hand shelters us. Shall we go greet the others?”

Following behind the three, they passed through warmly decorated passageways and halls. As far as Richard was concerned, he was in hostile territory. Threat always caused the magic of the Sword of Truth to try to seep into him, to protect him. He let in a trickle, keeping the anger on a slow burn. Sister Verna glanced sideways occasionally, as if measuring the growth of his glower.