Call of the Goddess: A Bona Dea Novel (Stormflies Book 1) (13 page)

12th Pentember, 307

Home again,
Axandra returned to her submersion in the study of the Covenants and their interpretation. The main duties of the People's Council included the equitable distribution of the world-community's resources and the oversight of social policies. The social rules relied on the citizens to follow them with dedication. From time to time, the interpretation of the laws came into question as a new method or new technology proposed to improve the overall quality of life. Citizens freely questioned anything that concerned them, and the majority of the people decided the final conclusion to any matter.

Axandra focused this time on the Rule of Service. “Everyone is expected to perform service for the welfare and benefit of the community.”

She spoke the words aloud as she studied them. To receive benefits, one provided benefits. The prosperity of their people rested on the willingness of each person to share with every other person. Food grown by the community became property of the community. If individuals grew something in their own gardens, they shared their crop with their neighbors, usually in exchange for a haircut or a vase or other desired item. If someone failed in providing a benefit for the community, the entire community paid their price. While some were incapable of providing substantial benefit in hard labor due to illness, disability or age, those persons were still capable and willing to provide whatever assistance they could through less physical chores.

The Believers in Lazzonir intentionally took for granted that their needs for food and water would be provided for while they stayed in the village. They neglected to bring any resources with them except the clothes they wore. Following the Covenants, the Lazzonirians provided for them anyway, acting true to their creed. No one went hungry as long as resources existed. Unfortunately, the depleted resources quickly cost the hosts and their guests health and enjoyment of life. Many people went hungry.

Eryn assured the Protectress and the councilors that the man in Lazzonir who trespassed in the inn was not afflicted by any illness and did not display the same array of symptoms as the man from Cutoff. In Lazzonir, the man shown only the symptoms of a starving body, but had been hydrated and otherwise in stable health. The man from Cutoff displayed symptoms of malnutrition and dehydration, despite the fact that the people of Cutoff observed him eating complete meals daily up until the day of the murder. He also behaved abnormally, speaking incoherently and acting violently. The trespasser in Lazzonir behaved well within the norm for a Believer.

However, Eryn also delivered upsetting news. Reports came from the Believer sect in Northland that many of their members were stricken ill. Their symptoms included weight loss, listlessness, dehydration, fever and abnormal behavior. Those ailing had all been present at the Landing outside North Compass, Northland, the night the Goddess allegedly appeared.

Whatever manifested itself that night must be connected. Axandra resolved to visit some of the infected personally to see if she could ascertain for herself what they had seen that night. Some members of the sect lived not far from Undun City. Her next tour headed west, but perhaps she could convince the drivers to stop for a short visit at one of the neighboring villages where some of the afflicted lived.

During the two-week break between trips, clothiers fitted Axandra to expand her wardrobe. Her old clothes were those of a simple young woman in a sea-side village who did nothing more than walk the beach and go to town from time-to-time for supplies. The island climate held an almost constant and comfortable temperature suitable for light cottony fabrics, short sleeves, and sandal-like shoes. Occasionally she donned a loosely knitted sweater, if a cool breeze came off the Ocean. Many of the clothes were somewhat worn, at least a few years old. She typically kept few changes of clothes.

Prior to the installation, the clothiers in town offered her a few selections for the spring weather, which felt much cooler than she was used to. The dresses sported short sleeves, but were worn with long-sleeved jackets and longer skirts that made her appear more stylish for the region and, some commented, statelier. Axandra wore these new clothes when she made public appearances and reverted to her comfortable old favorites when she milled about the Palace.

Now that summer came into full swing, the clothiers returned to offer her new fashions. Summer in this part of Eastland bore hot and humid temperatures as the air usually sat trapped on this side of the mountains for days at a time, shielded from any moving winds by the high peaks. Fashion preferred gauzy, translucent fabrics layered in twos or threes. Extremely breathable, the gossamer created wispy dresses and pantsuits.

Axandra picked a few, still prone to keep her wardrobe small. She asked for Miri's opinions once or twice, when she wasn't certain what to think of a low cut neckline or wrap-around smock. The aide complimented that the lady's shoulders and collarbone were very fine features that deserved to be shown. Then, Miri reminded her that she also needed new sleepwear, as her old nightgowns wore thin.

“And a hat. The sun beats down very hard in the summer,” Miri told her, realizing Axandra wouldn't be used to the climate here. The aide already donned the gauzy fabrics of summer in a straight-legged pant of white and a light blue thigh-length tunic. “We should go down to the shops and pick out a hat. Augusta makes very sturdy hats woven of flatgrass.”

“That sounds like a very good idea. I haven't had the opportunity to mill about the City,” Axandra realized as she slipped on one of her favorite old dresses and tied her long hair loosely at the nape of her neck with a strand of ribbon. She ran her fingers through her hair for the hundredth time since Miri had taken the shears to it the night before, aware of the absence of several inches of brown curls. She told herself again that she liked it shorter. It was easier to manage. “Instead of sitting in the basement all day, I should get out.”

“I would be glad to take you, Madam,” Miri volunteered with an approving smile. “I can give you a fairly complete tour, and the locals will enjoy a chance to see you in person. The placards just don't do you justice.”

Axandra blushed, but agreed with the sentiment. She slipped on her sandals and they headed out immediately.

To Axandra, taking time to mosey on the avenues almost felt like her old life again, wandering to town just to see who was around and what she might like to trade for. Walking with Miri, she chatted a little about the councilors and staff, with the aide offering tidbits of gossip about this person or that person and who was infatuated with whom. Not quite familiar with everyone, Axandra found herself every once in awhile feigning such familiarity, filing away the comments to attach to a face later on.

Miri took her past the Theatre and talked about the concerts and shows that took place often, inviting many visitors from nearby villages to come and enjoy. All manner of entertainment took place there. The building represented the largest indoor venue in the world. At the moment musicians carrying their cased instruments headed into the building for rehearsal.

Most of the architecture in Undun City was constructed from quarried granite and limestone from the foothills of the mountains. The granite came in shades of red and pink, speckled with minerals such as quartz and mica. The chalky white limestone contrasted against the granite foundations as window arches and doorways, all intricately and painstakingly carved with curling forms of birds and leaves and other sweeping abstract designs. No building stood solely for the sake of utility, but each one echoed the artistic nature of their people.

Miri led her at last to the hat shop, actually a part of Augusta's home. A large window in front displayed hats of many-sizes, some with wide sun-blocking brims, while others were tiny, for decorative purposes only. Different colors of flatgrass crisscrossed into geometric patterns. Dried flowers or bird feathers accented some styles.

Inside, Augusta delighted in helping the Protectress choose a topper that was both fashionable and functional. Axandra tried on several with wide brims, but all were just a bit too large for her head. Augusta measured her and promised to have one made for her in just five days. Axandra chose two designs, one a solid color and another with adjoining diamond shapes along the brim.

“It will be a perfect fit, Your Honor,” Augusta promised, then busied herself right away on the order, asking the Protectress to choose colors for the dyed portions and the length of wide ribbon that would act as a strap to hold the hat in place when the wind blew. Augusta began weaving even before the two women left the shop.

As they continued on a leisurely stroll, Axandra asked how the woman's service would be repaid, since the Protectress possessed little to give directly to her.

“Don't worry, Madam. Everyone who provides something to the Protectress or the Palace is taken care of. Augusta favors cuts from plants in the garden,” Miri explained as they walked along the bricked street. People toiled collecting supplies for their homes or repairing fences or planting some plots with special vegetables and flowers or any number of other chores. Everyone appeared adequately busy. “The Palace always provides for those who serve it. Besides, you will more than repay the community during the length of your service.”

“Of that, I am certain,” Axandra confirmed. She knew she had barely even begun to perform all of her duties. She did not want to weigh herself down with thoughts of the distant future, filled with both pleasant and unwelcome tasks. Today, she enjoyed being out. She said hellos to many or offered a cheerful smile to those they passed, while the people paid her homage with a bow. Today, everything seemed right with the world.

+++

27th Pentember

On Tinsday
, the time came again to pack and climb into the cars. This time they headed to Westland, a longer trip to reach the far side of the continent. They stopped in many small villages along the way for rest and meals. To reach Port Togor would take more than twenty hours of driving, so the time was divided into a two-day trek. On this trip, the Protectress was accompanied by Antonette Lelle and Casper Ross, both natives to this region, as well as Eryn, Miri and a small team of Elite and the Commander, Ty Narone.

Antonette and Casper both sported silver hair, senior members of the council with over fifteen years of service. Their constituents held great respect for them and continued to elect them to their positions. Axandra remembered voting for each of them in her own turn. Once every eight years, the citizens of each region received the opportunity to vote for new representation to the Council, to assure that they were listened to and cared for by those closest to the Protectress. During the ride, both spent a great deal of time talking about their many grandchildren, some as old as Axandra, and their great grandchildren. Each spun the adventures of quite extensive families.

The Westland landscape was primarily formed of flat forest land and lakes surrounded by wetlands. Rivers large and small flowed down from the broad mountain range and pooled in deep basins cut by tens of thousands of years of water erosion. The roads they traveled between townships ran through enclosed tracts of timbers, trees that stood thirty meters high on narrow, straight trunks. The leafy limbs formed a canopy at the tops of the trees, protected from any grazing. Deep in the shade of the trees, the air seemed cooler, despite being deeper into summer.

They visited three villages on the first day of driving for brief rest stops and community chats. Many citizens voiced concern for the ailing Believers, apparently already having heard the news. Healer Eryn assured that anyone ill received appropriate care, as the Covenants provided. No Healer refused aid requested by anyone, despite the patient's beliefs. Axandra tried to steer the conversations back to less depressing news and asked for more opinions on the communications network. Many considered the expansion a beneficial project, giving the community swifter communication to share their resources and to hear from their wide-spread families.

The group stayed overnight in the larger township called Realm, where they toured a recycling facility that reclaimed glass for use as new items. For this regional operation, used glass was collected by toters from nearby villages and towns in the Westland, smashed into bits by large water-cranked augers, and then the materials were returned to glass blowers and molders throughout the area.

The next day, they continued on to the coastal area, surrounded by more watery fens and sandy soil. The types of trees began to change as well, with many of these growing larger leaves and shallower roots. The leather leaf trees and the umbrella trees grew here topped with dates and bowl nuts.

Axandra felt pangs of homesickness, especially when they reached the port. Togor was just a stone's throw from the island where she last lived. She could see the peaks of the archipelago above the blue-green horizon of ocean water. The cool sea breeze kissed her skin, reminding her of many nights on the beach, watching the white waves wash in lit by the moonslight, and the curana leaping and heaving offshore. Jon walked at her side, his thick arms wrapped around her.

She tried to strike him from her thoughts; but after spending the last seven years with him, he had, in many ways, bonded with her.

However, that seemed to make no difference now. Axandra would not have chosen to end the relationship this way. The will of the Goddess pushed her to be the Protectress, pushed her back to Undun. She always believed she did not want to be the Protectress, did not want to live the busy, servant life her mother lived. Now immersed in her duties, she allowed herself to be open to the experience.

The letter Axandra left asked Jon to come to Undun City, to come and find her and let her love him again. He did not come. He sent no words of his own. She forced herself to accept the fact that he was no longer in love with her.