my awakening became a herald of the Amasiti’s growing power, and how
that power could be used in the hands of those who coveted it.
The first attack I’d ever heard of came from a village far beyond the Keveer
region. I was well into my powers by then, a young woman of 23 years. It
was said that a man, a stranger from a northern village by his garb, had
touched a Mother without her permission in the market square. At first,
I hardly believed it. None of us did.
The ruffian was dragged away by the crowd, but when it came time for
him to be brought to the Elders for judgment, he was nowhere to be
found. Rumor spread that the assailant had been an Aet, an evil spirit
that vanished into thin air. But the Mothers knew that this was not so.
For evil is born of the earth, the actions and consequences of man pushed
out like a spitting cauldron. For in our own way, we are all creators of
light and darkness. But a true spirit’s only power is to create light and
illuminate what is misunderstood. Sometimes the truth can kill, but that
was not what happened in the marketplace. The trespasser only meant to
take what was not his, seeking to steal the amulet worn by each Mother
as a symbol of the earth’s willingness to bind its power with hers. At the
time, it did not occur to us that someone might have helped the criminal
escape.
The Mothers pondered and prayed as to what this infraction could mean,
and in our deliberations, our dance began to take on more rigid lines of
protection and defense. More and more, we danced with our eyes open
to the new possibility of prying gazes. The notion of needing to not just
keep – but defend – our secrets was born.
But defense was not a concept that came naturally to the Amasiti. We
were created to give to the world. Our training, our knowledge rituals
were all done in service of the power we were given, and it was our duty
to see that it was put to the best use. We served those around us with love
and openness. In return, they gave us their trust, heeded our counsel,
and respected our ways.
I do not know when or how word of our power – of my power -- reached
the Hir, but by the time I learned that it had, there was no uncertainty
about who brought our secrets to him. There were rumors that men had
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