Contents
8 South
Overview
Tunuva, Esbar, and Hidat hunt a longhorn, revealing Hidat’s shaken confidence. Prioress Saghul agrees to send Siyu to Nzene as an initiate and praises Tunuva’s tempering influence on Esbar. After renewing her magic at the sacred tree, Tunuva visits Siyu and learns Siyu is pregnant by an outsider, imperiling Priory rules.
Summary
Tunuva rides Ninuru alongside Esbar on Jeda and Hidat on Dartun to bring down a longhorn in the Lasian Basin. Esbar takes the killing blow, while Hidat tends Dartun’s wound and quietly admits fear that the sacred tree may never gift her fruit again, a doubt seeded by Siyu. Tunuva wishes Hidat had taken the shot to restore confidence.
Back at the Priory, Tunuva meets Prioress Saghul, who confirms that Siyu will be sent to the court of Nzene as an initiate under Gashan’s guidance after completing punishment for desecration. Saghul explains choosing Esbar as successor largely because Tunuva’s counsel steadies her, urging Tunuva to continue as the Priory’s healing flame.
At Saghul’s prompting, Tunuva descends to the valley and partakes of the sacred fruit, refilling her siden. The experience floods her with power and calm before ebbing, leaving her grateful and renewed.
Tunuva then visits Siyu, whom Imsurin suspects is ill from a spindle wasp sting. Instead, Tunuva finds Siyu retching and learns she has missed two bleeds. Pressed, Siyu reveals she is pregnant and that the father is an outsider, begging Tunuva to keep the secret, jeopardizing her impending kindling and Priory law.
Who Appears
- Tunuva MelimPriory veteran and mentor; hunts, counsels, renews magic, and discovers Siyu’s pregnancy by an outsider.
- Siyu uq-NāraPostulant slated for kindling and posting to Nzene; ill, reveals missed bleeds and secret pregnancy.
- SaghulPrioress; approves Siyu’s posting, praises Tunuva’s influence on Esbar, urges Tunuva to renew her magic.
- EsbarMunguna and mother; takes the killing blow in the hunt; her decisiveness discussed by Saghul.
- Hidat JanudinInitiate; tends Dartun, reveals shaken faith in receiving the tree’s fruit after removing the rope.
- ImsurinCaregiver among initiates; notes Siyu’s illness and suspects a spindle wasp sting.
- NinuruTunuva’s ichneumon; helps run down the longhorn and guards the kill.
- JedaEsbar’s ichneumon; corners the longhorn and helps subdue it.
- DartunHidat’s ichneumon; gored during the hunt, treated with moss.