The Maidening Ceremony

Chapter Three - Scene 2

"The maid with the red tail is coming in for her career placement. Does anyone have any ideas before we speak with her?" William asked. The Council took their job very seriously, but William more so than anyone else. He viewed himself the leader of the Elders and had very little opposition.

Career training is an important rite of passage in the Community. The population is constantly fluctuating; important roles must be replaced on a consistent basis. Damien had been the healer for a while, but before him five or six died off within two months of each other. Hunters leave the Community; they cross the border and each trip, some of them do not return. It is a dangerous place and though the Elders try, it is hard for the Council to govern behavior. Fights break out. Deaths happen.

When merphen reach maturity, at an approximate age of sixteen, the Council assigns them to a career based on their aptitude. Their preference is heavily considered, as well, though not out of any desire to keep them happy. Rather, preferences are considered due to the knowledge that if the merphan wants to be doing something, they are more likely to take the training, and ultimately, the career, seriously. This was learned the hard way in the beginning.

Millicent cleared her throat and eased forward, hoping Elizabeth would have no snide comments for Arilya today. "I have observed that Arilya is very good with the younger merphen. Perhaps she would make a good teacher."

"Who is Arilya?" came Elizabeth's cold contribution.

"The girl with the red tail."

"A teacher? Is that safe? She could lead the merphen to the border and kill them all."

William calmly interjected before Millicent could make an equally rude response, "I think by now she knows the danger of getting too close to the border. Besides, since the shark incident with her and the boy, none of the teachers have taken classes that close to the border. No one in the Community has a suicide wish, Elizabeth. Let us see what the girl has to say for herself. What about the boy, Finley?"

A few of the Elders perked up; Finley was much more interesting to them than Arilya.

"A hunter, of course," said Elizabeth. "To fight and survive a fight with a shark when he was what? Nine or ten? He has the courage to be a hunter. He must be fearless."

"Perhaps," said another Elder, Joseph. "We always need hunters, but I do not know if this boy would be good in that role. He has a reputation as a prankster. Would the other hunters survive with him joking around in open water?"

"A good point, Joseph. What career would you suggest instead of hunter?" asked William.

"Something solitary, where he can not prank. Maintaining the food stores, perhaps."

"That kind of merman would be bored out of his mind in such a job," Elizabeth said. " to be locked away in food storage."

"Assigning one of the least-serious merphan we have ever encountered to the most prestigious and most dangerous job does not seem wise to me," Joseph tried again. "I used to be a hunter, if you recall. I know what it is like out there."

"This gives us a lot of think about. Thank you for your input, Elizabeth. Joseph. Let us start bringing the young ones in and see what they have to say for themselves."

Two merphen were seen before Finley. A male, full of arrogance and self-righteousness particularly appealed to William and Elizabeth. Before he swam away, the Council had already decided he would make an excellent hunter. The second, a female, was unimpressive. Dull and with very little to say for herself, she failed to capture the Council's attention and was likely to end up in an undesirable career, such as festival ground maintenance or food preparation.

Then Finley swam in, full of the confident swagger most merphen his age exhibited, his shoulder-length brown hair swaying slightly as he treaded water.

"Finley, we are very interested in your thoughts on your career training. Tell us, what did you have in mind?" William motioned Finley closer.

"I am willing to do whatever is needed."

"You know you cannot change your mind later on; whatever we assign to you now is what you will do for the rest of your life," Joseph said.

Finley nodded.

"Surely you must have some inclination towards one aptitude or another."

"I am good at a lot of different things." He shrugged, but Millicent took note; she sensed his confidence wearing off. He had something in mind, but for whatever reason, did not want to tell the Council.

"What are some of those things, Finley?" she asked. He appeared startled, looking in her direction. He did not recognize Millicent as an Elder, or a member of the Community at all. The other Council members tended to be more visible, while Millicent preferred to hide in the background.

"I, um, am a fast swimmer. I am good at rigging traps..."

Elizabeth interrupted. "Sounds like you would be a natural hunter. Would you like that?"

"Does it matter what I would like?"

"Absolutely."

"I guess I would like it well enough."

"Is there something you would like more, Finley?" Millicent asked. Again, he looked startled. She began to wonder if it was not her presence, but perhaps the questions she asked throwing him off.

"I do not know." Confidence completely gone.

"We remember the shark, Finley," Elizabeth said, desperate to direct his attention back to herself. "Why did you go after the shark when you were so young?"

He shrugged again.

"I think I know. It is because you craved the fight. The kill! You have the hunter inside you."

"Maybe." His shoulders slumped and he turned his face towards the exit.

"Oh, to be sure. Why else would you have put your life at such a risk?"

"Perhaps," Millicent cleared her throat, "perhaps he did it to save Arilya's life."

The entire Council looked at her as if she had just turned into a shark. Elizabeth was positively dumbfounded. "Why would he do such a thing? Risk his life for some random merphan? That is insane."

But Finley's demeanor told Millicent it was not crazy. His bright orange tail almost blushed. He saw her staring at him and quickly straightened up. "I would like to be a hunter. I was too embarrassed to ask. I thought it was too prestigious a career for an orphan like me to aspire to."

"Nonsense, boy. We are all of us orphans here." William swam over to Finley and patted his shoulder. "We will have a decision for you shortly. Thank you for being honest with us. It will make your placement much easier."

"Thank you, Council." Finley bowed and swam out of our cove. Millicent knew whatever he truly wanted was given up for forever. She had ruined it for him, embarrassed him and hit too close to the truth. Now he was doomed to the riskiest career. Even if he would excel at it, the dangers were too great to not fear for his life.

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