Hells Gate

Earth bed

When Clare reached the temple she was greeted by a smiling Olanda. It was easy to see that Olanda smiled genuinely, it reached her eyes. 

"Welcome sister. You survived the night and you are now a priestess in our holy order."

Olanda took out a crescent dagger from her dress and handed it over with unsteady hands. The dagger was of a simple design and there was no handle yet. The early sunbeams reflected on the polished metal. 

Clare took the dagger in her hands and balanced it. The dagger was light but not too light and she would be able to wield it with big precision. She carefully touched the thin edge and instantly colored it in a red color. The dagger was so sharp that it cut her without her even noticing. If she learned to wield it properly she would become a fierce warrior.

She left Olanda in silence and went inside the temple. After a long and eventful night she welcomed the feeling of being surrounded by thick stone walls. She felt safe and the dreams from the night started to drift away.

The halls were once again empty and her footsteps echoed between the walls. The early morning light chased away some of the shadows. Her legs moved by themselves and fell into the path to the hospital wing. Bolts of pain occasionally shot through her body. She had really hurt herself during the night, but she had no memory of what she’d done. The most logical answer was that she had rolled over stones during her dream. A nagging voice in her head told her that this wasn’t the case.

Clare pushed the doors to the hospital open. The room was just as clean as always and the huge windows welcomed the sun indoors. Only two beds of all available were occupied. A man in his late fifties was asleep in a bed close to the door. His chest rose and fell in a slow pace. The wrinkles in his face were straightened and he looked peaceful. He only had hours left to live.

 He had been bitten by a snake when working on the fields and he arrived at the temple too late. The venom had already made its way throughout his body and the only thing the priestesses could do for him was to put him to sleep and wait for his heart to stop beating.

Cassandra was awake and sat up in her bed. She was talking to Ravenna who came to visit her when she returned from her initiation. They spoke about family, future and the dream Ravenna dreamt during the night. Ravenna had been drunk and her dreams had been a complete mess. She dreamed about Hedda, Clare and George. She couldn’t remember any details but the dream scared her.

Clare smiled at the sight of Ravenna by her mother’s bed. The fact that Ravenna cared about her mother warmed her from the inside and out. Now she knew that someone would take care of her mother if she left.

“Good morning,” Clare said and sat down on the opposite side of Ravenna. The two women hadn’t heard her coming and they instantly dropped their conversation.

“Clare?” Ravenna said with an uncertain voice.

“Yes. How was the night?” Clare answered with a tiny smile playing on her lips.

“It is you! My night?  It was uneventful; nothing happened I slept the entire night. I guess it was the same for you?”

“I had the strangest dream and I need to talk to you, both of you about it.”

Clare opened her mouth and begun to tell her friend and her mother about the dream. She didn’t leave out a single detail. The chocked faces of the two women told Clare everything she needed to know, they didn’t believe that it was true. They put everything to the side saying it was just a dream. But Clare knew, knew deep down in her heart that the dream wasn’t a real dream. It was a part of something bigger; she was part of something bigger.