Blurb:
Born under a dark moon, Norna has to battle rumors that she is tainted by evil and unworthy of being anything more than a servant. Discarded by her mother, she runs away from her aunt, a priestess who wants her to enter the temple.
Instead, Norna chooses to be a Healwoman, and a chance encounter with a novice hoping to be a priest helps her discover she has talents of water, air and fire at her disposal. With these gifts she is called on to battle treachery and attempts to prevent the promised prophecy of the god and goddess. As she battles evil powers, she loses her heart to Shandor, the man she met when her journey first began. She must come to grips with Britha who plots against her. Shandor has his own enemy Vorgan. When the pair of foes unite, the battles begin.
Excerpt:
Mabe sat on one of
the stone benches in the Grotto. The
Eldest had called her here and she didn’t know why. She didn’t think she had done anything to
deserve a judging, but why else would the god and goddess want her
presence? Soon, the moon would rise and
she would dip her hands in the chill waters of
the crater lake. Midra and Midran would
speak. The only time she had heard their
voices had been the night she’d finished her training and had been accepted as
a Healwoman. She rubbed her hands along
her arms.
The Eldest touched
her shoulder. “The time is near. There are things I must tell you.”
“Are you sure ’tis
me they want?”
“You are part of
their plans for the future.” The old
woman smiled. “In the days of yore, the
Three of Midra--Seer, Warrior, Healer--united with their mates. Together they defeated those who embraced the
dark faces of Midra and Midran. For a
time, the priestesses and priests who served the god and goddess walked in the
light and brought miracles to the land.
But as time rolled on its circular path, what was once came again. The dark face of Midra enthralled the
priestesses. They turned from the
light. Then the power of the goddess
faltered. Midran drew his priests into
the shadows. Still, what was will come
again.”
Mabe nodded. She’d read the old tales kept in the
archives. She had found them
fascinating, but were they true? They
told of the days when the face of the goddess had darkened. ’Twas then the Healwomen had walked away from
the temples to found their own place. In
the years that followed, the temples had ruled and men had little power in
ruling any of the four divisions of the land now known as nomes. Gradually, the priests of Midran had gained
strength, first in the light. Then they
had embraced the dark face of the god.
She glanced at the
dome over the cavern. Rays of moonlight
shone through the four crescent shaped holes, one for each nome. Keltoi, Sippal, Nilos and Incal. Bands of color--red, yellow, blue and
white--spread across the water. The
arrival of the colors never failed to startle and amaze Mabe. What caused them to appear? She turned to the Eldest. “What do the legends have to do with me?”
“One will come from
Keltoi. She is a daughter of this
nome. Her lineage rises from the Seer,
the Warrior, the Healer and their spouses.
She will have four talents and will be the gleaner who finds the Four
and Four. One pair for each nome. They will bring light from darkness. You will seek and find her. Bring her to Bethsada so she can enter the
hodara and learn.”
Mabe nodded and
accepted the task. She felt both humbled
and excited to be chosen. “When do I
leave?”
The Eldest
rose. “The god and goddess will tell you
when.” She placed her hands on Mabe’s
head. “Seek their blessing. Their commands are for you alone.”
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2 comments:
You've obviously created an intricate world mythology. Fascinating.
Fabulous scene. Wonderfully written.
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