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excelled in supervising the everyday tasks without which no community could exist, and also in first-stage training of novices.
    Such Gifts as she had were in the small things in life, not prophecy and healing. Well, and why not? Such things were as necessary as the more exotic Gifts and powers.
    During the next few weeks Cheral worried because she could not give Katia’s cohort as much attention as usual.
    But there were so many things to do and so few Sisters to do them nowadays, and Herra must come first. Without Herra, their world would be lost to the evil spread by Those of the Serpent.
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Chapter 2: HERRA - THE PROPHECY
    QUEST Shannah Jay 10

    The wind sobbed around the fretted stonework of Temple Tenebrak and shook showers of petals from the garlands hanging by the gate. In the novices' quarters Katia shivered and huddled under the thin coverlet, which was all each girl was allowed. At home when the wind shrieked around the houses like this, they called it demon's weather. She had used the expression when they were getting ready for the final Gathering of the day, and the other girls had laughed at her. They were always laughing at her country ways here in Tenebrak. Kelandra Clod, some of them called her, though only when the Novice Mistress was out of earshot.
    Katia had stopped telling them that she didn't come from Kelandra. Why bother, when most of them had never even heard of the High Alder? Why, oh why, had she been chosen ? She muffled a sob in the pillow and curled into a tight ball on the hard mattress. Who wanted to wear a long grey novice's gown that tripped you up if you tried to run? Who wanted to live enclosed by thick stone walls, even if they were beautifully carved? One real flower was more beautiful than a hundred stone ones! And who wanted to spend long hours indoors learning the Disciplines and the temple rituals, when they could be outside in the lush green beauty of the wildwoods? She stuffed the side of her hand into her mouth to stifle another sob. She mustn’t wake the others.
    In the small chamber behind the statue of the God, the Elder Sister of Temple Tenebrak was also wakeful. Since her last Renewal a few months previously, Herra needed very little sleep, so she often took the night watch. In spite of her great age, her short russet hair showed no grey and her limbs were almost as supple as a girl's. She sat comfortably cross-legged on the mat, her blue robe spread around her, outstretched palms resting easily on her knees in the position seemly to one who listens to the God. In her headband, one kushlan flower gleamed silver-white and its delicate perfume wafted around her every time she moved her head.
    In front of her, on a low table, stood the farspeaker which their Brother, in his new Manifestation, had sent down to Temple Tenebrak. This strange box showed them pictures of many wonderful things, as well as pictures of this Manifestation of the God himself. Herra was a little disappointed at his appearance, if truth be told. She had dreamed of beings with great golden wings, like the Lord Terraccalliss, who had been the Second Manifestation of their Brother. Instead, she found herself speaking to a young man, not even particularly good-looking, and dressed in the most ugly garments she had ever seen.
    The farspeaker began to hiss and Herra focused all her attention on it. At first her Brother didn’t tell her what he wanted. He showed her some pictures instead, and told her to speak her thoughts about them aloud. As she did this, she automatically memorised every detail of what she saw, to review later at her leisure. 'A birth chamber . . . In Setherak . . . The High Lady, is it not?' She gasped and stretched out a hand. 'Brother, what are they doing to her?
    Brother, stop them, or she will die!'
    The image vanished, and another scene took its place. 'Another birth chamber . . . Peneron . . . The High Lady again . . . Brother, stop them! They're killing her, too! Why do you not