The Maidening Ceremony

Chapter Twelve - Scene 1

The tale was complete, for the most part. Arilya asked no more questions; the two maids sat silently together for several minutes. Millicent knew she should be teaching Arilya, helping her prepare for the upcoming ceremony, but the story was all Millicent had to offer. The Council was right, it was out of her power to properly train the girl, but it would have been out of their power, too. They would never understand what she was going through. To them, the Ceremony was an unpleasant, but necessary, rite of passage. To Arilya, it was a death sentence: it would be the death of all hope for a life filled with love, laughter, and happiness with Finley. The Council would never understand that.

Eventually, Arilya had no choice but to leave her mentor and return to career training. She enjoyed teaching, but it was hard on her, too. She felt herself developing real feelings for each of her small pupils and knew now they would never see her as anything more than a teacher.

On her way to the clearing she and the other teachers used as a school, Arilya ran into Finley. He had been out on a hunting trip for a while, it was the first time she saw him since hearing Millicent's full story. As before, she rushed at him and threw her arms around his neck. He was not as quick to push her away and she soaked up the extra body-to-body contact.

"Why do you keep doing that?" He pried her arms loose.

"It is called a hug. You do it when you care about someone."

"A hug? Why have I never heard of it or seen anyone else do it?"

"Because no one here knows what it is."

"How do you know?"

"My mentor taught me."

"Why?" Finley asked.

"Because she thought I needed one."

"Needed one, what?"

"A hug."

"Why did she think you needed one?"

"Because she told me about something that did not make a lot of sense at first. She knew it was overwhelming and disconcerting. Is disconcerting the right word?"

Finley shrugged. "What did she tell you?"

"I do not think I am supposed to tell anyone about it."

"Oh. Okay. I have to get the food to the Council. See you later." He hoisted his net over his shoulder and began to swim away, throwing Arilya off. She had expected him to be curious and to try and pry the truth out of her. She swam after him.

"It might be okay if I told you."

"Did not sound like it." He set the net on the ocean floor and folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, she never told me I could not share it."

"Then why did you think you could not?"

"It is just, um, kind of out there. You might not believe me."

"You are obviously dying to tell me, so just do it, quit stalling. I am not going to get more interested in it by you acting all coy." His face and tone were stern. Ashamed, Arilya looked down, studying a few pebbles scattered on the ocean floor. He always managed to see right through her.

"Sorry."

"It is okay. Go ahead, tell me."

"My mentor said I am unique."

Finley smiled. "True enough. You are."

"Thank you!" Her grin could not be contained.

"I did not mean it as a compliment."