Song of Ashes

37: Sanctuary

There were no ornaments in the Temple of Atai: no gold, no silver, no fine trappings or art. In the night, from the outside, it was a humble wooden edifice pooled in shadow. It stood alone, with no lamps nor greenery to soften its appearance.

Inside, the temple was little more than a gloomy chamber with scuffed, creaking floorboards. There were wooden chairs and benches arranged to face a homely square window. In the corner, a lamp burned, suspended from a tall iron stand.

Konn closed the door behind them and barred it. "When did you first arrive in Galdren?" he asked.

Sarka stood a few paces into the room. She looked around with disinterest, taking in only the fact that she did not feel quite so out of place in this poor, empty room. "A few weeks ago."

The priest had not pressed her about the scene on the beach, as disturbing as it must have been for him, and Sarka had not yielded any details of her own accord.

"I trust that the austere appointments of my lord's temple will not be an inconvenience to you," Konn said, moving farther into the room. "You must be used to poor accommodations, having been so recently aboard a ship...and hailing from Kogoren."

It was the first time he'd named her homeland. He had said he knew whence she came, but now he'd proven it. All at once, the recollection of their handshake came back to her: he had offered her a Kogorian greeting, and she'd responded naturally, without thinking. She grasped for something to say. "At Rohk's, I slept on the floor."

"Well, you will not need to here. I have no feather beds, child, but there's a straw pallet for you in the living quarters." Konn nodded toward a closed door on the other side of the room.

Sarka followed the priest through the banks of old wooden seats. She waited as he went to blow out the lamp in the corner, plunging the room into near darkness. Then, he led her through the side door and into a shadowed hallway.

"I had thought it impossible for Kogorians to leave," he said.

Blinking in the gloom, Sarka followed the sound of his footsteps. The short hall gave into a narrow chamber on the other side, where a hearth at one end burned low, shedding a feeble light. "Nearly."

The living area was cramped. Aside from the hearth, there was a small table and a tall, narrow shelf where dry goods, cooking implements and other necessities were arranged. To their right, two narrow sleeping pallets stood against the wall. To their left was a third, along with a small writing desk. A pitcher and a dish for washing sat on the floor near the desk.

"Either of these two beds can be yours," Konn said. "I hope you are not modest about sharing sleeping quarters. Perhaps, if you stay, you can help with some of the chores around the temple. In exchange, you'll not go hungry."

Sarka twisted her fingers together. She was unhappy at the thought of being beholden to someone else, but, once again, she'd found herself without a place to go. This man was offering her kindness, although she did not yet know why. "Thank you...sir."

"Konn. Please. Not sir, not father, none of that."

"Alright."

"Tomorrow, I hope to hear more of your story, Sarka of Kogoren. I'd like to understand what happened on the beach tonight, if you would tell me. But now you must be weary. Sleep. You will be safe here. The Beloved are agents of Kogoren, and thus they may not pass across the threshold of another god's temple without his permission. This is your sanctuary."

Sarka nodded. She dropped to sit on one of the beds, staring down at the flagstones as she absorbed his words. Would she truly be safe here from the Beloved? What about Tayo? Was he also barred entry into this temple of-what had his name been? Atai?

After a moment, Sarka glanced up at the third bed, recalling the sight of splendid Lady Deyna sitting on a throne in her glittering temple. "Konn. Your god...does he live here?"

Konn smiled kindly, showing an understanding of Sarka's ignorance that had been lacking in the faces of the blue-robed priestesses she'd met at Deyna's temple. "No. The gods do not live among men; they deign to visit us at their pleasure, but they reside in the Opal Realm."

"I saw a woman on my first day here, in the Temple of Deyna. They said it was the goddess."

"Indeed. I've...heard how things are in Kogoren, so I know that this may be strange to you. But it used to be the same in your land, Sarka, as it is all around the world: the gods walk among their people." Konn paused, thoughtful. "You will meet my lord soon, if you wish to go to him in supplication. He has few temples throughout Galdren, and this is his most frequented. He regularly attends his followers here. You will not be unwelcome in his house."

Sarka did not wish to see the god Atai. She did not wish to stay here.

But she had nowhere else to go.