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The three horsest themselves as they passed

Lia breathed deeply It took several s to subside She understood what had happened to Marciana better A Dochte Mandar hadit was not real, she could not deny that the feelings she experienced were quite real They were so powerful, she wondered if she could have resisted if more had been there Their power increased with numbers, she realized A lone ainst many

"Jouvent, you must tell me this What is the water rite? I have not heard of it"

The boy looked terrified "It is one of the maston rites When the Dochte Mandar opened the Abbeys to all, they said that all must join in the rites The water rite is one They have a holy bowl and cup their hands and pour water on your head For babes, they dip their fingers in the bowl and swipe it across their foreheads, here…" He demonstrated "I did not know there were babies to be mastons"

"There are not," Lia replied, sick inside at as happening "This is wrong This is very wrong"

"I et back to mother," Jouvent said "Thy way is clear to the Abbey I must be past the forest by dark"

"Jouvent," Lia said, stopping his still trembled fro the Blight That was a lie"

"I know"

"But he was not lying about one part Soht If I do not return to Vezins soon – if I am delayed – you must seek the captain of the Holk – the ship that I sailed on His name is Tomas Alderht" She gripped his shoulder and forced hiht is coht There is not much time left"

"Aye" He smashed the cap back on his head and started back the way they had coiant mountain, the Abbey where Colvin and Ellowyn had coer She was in custody in Muirwood Colvin and Elloere in custody in Dochte

She had the suspicion that it was not by chance that it had worked out that way

Squaring her shoulders and striding forward, she approached the outer walls of Dochte Abbey and walked towards the nearest gate After reaching into the pouch at her waist, she withdrew the orb Who should she find first? Colvin or Martin?

As she stared up at the sculpted stone walls, the endless rows of shingles and chiht of Muirwood had always made her experience the Medium It felt like home Dochte Abbey was ancient and splendid It dwarfed any structure she had ever seen, including the castles at Co fro it exuded was one of utter blackness

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

Hetaera

The entire hillside of Dochte Abbey was a maze of walls and an endless parade of stone steps that ascended higher and higher Every tiain, another laborious ascent bringing her higher and higher within the grounds Her legs burned from the effort and still she had not reached even the lower portion of the outer walls of the Abbey There were fellow pilgri shops and bakeries for food There was cider in abundance As Lia finishedone particular set of steps, she looked back the way she had come and could see over the outer walls far below and saw the rippling waves of the sea that now s her inside Froe point, there were several tall sturdy trees spreading their foliage over the lip of the walls and offering patches of shade The walls were cut of square stone blocks, foruardrails and even steps, so h every portion of the grounds had been sculpted Lia rounded the corner and started up again, trying to keep her breath The pilgrims around her were marked with tattoos and she shielded her face with her cowl Hawkers tried to sell pies or cider, but she waved the her hts to the Abbey proper What she needed and desired was a secret way into the Abbey, one that would bring her past the eyes of the sentinels – the Dochte Mandar She did not want to uide her to a safe entrance It did

Near the fifth level of the city as she walked down a long corridor full of inns and shops, the orb guided her to a secluded park set off by a wrought-iron gate that was not locked It was rusty and squeaked as it opened, but she walked down a narrow aisle between two cras that opened to the park full of mature pine trees and stone benches The inner walls were thick with rose trees as well that were interspersed and offered a splash of color and wonderful scents There was no one in the garden, it seemed tucked away and hidden fro to suain The pointers directed her to the wall