there’s someone waiting to meet her there.”
Planidi’s guide stepped towards her and whispered in her ear. Planidi concentrated, her eyes rising towards the moon, as slowly her hands and arms relaxed and she rested the end of the bronze rod on the ground. She leant it against her so that the double axe was over her shoulder and stretched out her arms to Alessia.
“The Mother has spoken, my child. The answer is simple, the stones show us that you should train with Mikolos. You must craft something in honour of the Mother, who will guard and watch over you.”
Alessia jumped to her feet, the pebble fell from between her breasts and rolled out of the dust circle, where it lay making a pair with the one which had fallen there earlier. Planidi watched it go and shivered. Alessia raised her arms to the moon and gathered an armful of moonlight to her chest.
“Oh, Great Mother, I give you thanks and honour you. I will walk in your light even though I craft the sun metal. I will use it well.” She brought her hands to her forehead and poured out the symbolic moonlight over her upturned face.
Five minutes later Alessia was still standing in the sanctuary deep in thought. She had been pushed gently out of the circle by Planidi, who brushed out the circle in the dust, while reciting the closing prayers and picking up the nine pebbles. The oracle wiped them tenderly on a soft cloth and then put them in a leather pouch hanging from her belt. She turned to leave.
“Come on, Alessia, you have your answer. How can you have a problem now?” Alessia turned a worried face to her.
“How will I tell my parents? Especially Father, he loves the clay so much. And I made a really good pot last week, a vase. I decorated it with dolphins, they have so much movement, swimming around it.”
“It’s easy. You just say that the Mother spoke to you and tells you to use your skills in another medium. Mikolos is well known, your parents will not be afraid for you.”
“No, I know that. But they will know that I had this idea myself, the Mother doesn’t just stand in your path and say ‘GO’. You have to ask her the question. They’ll feel rejected that I asked at all.”
Planidi paused and looked upwards towards the moon which as the night deepened was beginning to dip down behind the sanctuary on the higher mountain that watched over the village. She wondered how to answer this question. Why indeed do we get ideas, she thought. Where do they come from?
“Sometimes people just have them, Planidi,” I could just hear her guide’s words. “You were all given free will and imagination. Sometimes there’s no mystery at all. But sometimes we suggest and sometimes we support. I’ll let you guess which this was. It doesn’t matter anyway, it’s all for the good and to help Trynor’s girl here to learn and grow.”
“You were guided by the Mother,” said Planidi, “who knows us all better than we know ourselves. Sometimes she speaks to us in our sleep and then we think it is our own idea. Tell your parents that and they will be content.” It is wonderful to find humans who listen to us and hear us clearly, isn’t it?
It was useful that Alessia could hear me a bit when we were leaving Tylissos. She was plodding with a dull ache inside her, forcing herself not to look back, afraid that she would lose her resolve and return to the village. I really felt for her, but I knew she should come to Malatos, so I danced and shimmered in front of her, calling out to her, pulling her attention forward so she looked ahead and allowed herself to look to the future. And it’s nearly starting, a more interesting lunch companion will be here soon, didn’t you say?”
“Yes,” said Jotin, “Danthys is on his way back. His father will be pleased, all the fine gold products have been sold.”
Alessia jumped to her feet and brushed crumbs off her skirt. “Rasifi is back, I must go. Can I help you back to your workshop?”
“No thank you, dear. I know this yard as well as my own hand. I will just sit for a few moments in the sun.” The scribe moved a little, closed her eyes and raised her face to the light.
Alessia trotted back to the gold workshop, where Rasifi,