CHAPTER 11
The next sunrise Raef woke early and spied his father standing before the washbasin going through the slow motions of a ritual washing all Keepers did. When Raef was smaller, he did not understand what Folor was doing when he caught him doing these rituals. Even now Raef did not understand the importance of them, and he was rarely up early enough to catch his father mid ritual like this. Raef watched as Folor pointed his hands down while looking upwards, then wet his hands and lift them up while looking down.
When Folor was done Raef got up and changed out of his night robe, facing the wall. His mother had prepared an oatmeal pottage for first meal, one of Raef’s favorites.
After first meal Raef went outside with his ball to wait for lessons. He thought about seeing if Domik could play, but for some reason he could not explain he did not want to see anyone. He shuffled down the road, kicking the ball as he went. He thought of the first time he went to see the dragon with DeAlsím. That was four seasons past. Since then, Raef realized he had gone to see Rail more and more frequently, several times a moon cycle, and now he had visited Rail three sun’s journeys in a row. Sure, it was Rocecé’s idea the first two times, but Raef had asked Rocecé to come the third. Raef stopped kicking the ball, leaving it in the road for some other younglings to find, and hung his head as he walked.
Raef barely spoke to Domik at lessons and went home immediately after. He was surprised to see his father home already.
“Good, you are home early,” said Folor, “it is new moon meditation after mid sun meal.”
“Not meditation!” said Raef, slumping onto a bench.
He had forgotten. He had lost track of the sun journeys with everyone having been gone. He watched his father pull on his red Keeper’s robe and carry his other clothes to the chest near his bed. Raef got up and shuffled to the washbasin. He tried to smile, but found he could not.
Raef ate silently with his family, trying this time to use his knife properly and not touch his food with his hands. The trenchers were put in a pile to wait until after last meal when Raef would take them to the poor. The women cleaned up as Folor waited on the bench. Raef stood and paced impatiently.
How could he go to meditation now? He sniffed his clothes. He still smelled like dragon a little. He went to his bed and threw off his clothes, changing into a tan robe he had gotten on the celebration of his tenth season. It was a bit small now that he was nearing his eleventh season, but it was the nicest thing he had to wear. He returned to the washbasin and scrubbed hard to get Rail off him.
Raef finished washing and looked into the murky water of the basin. He had never seen his father do a ritual washing from beginning to end so he didn’t know exactly how it was performed. But he could guess. He washed his hands, feet and face again. He held his arms up, then pointed them down, not sure what this was supposed to mean. He combed his long hair carefully and applied a little of the special oil his father used to it. It may not be perfect, but it was similar to what he had seen his father do.
“Let’s go, Raef,” his mother called.
When Raef approached the table his entire family fell silent looking at him.
“Well, you sure look nice,” his sister said.
“You took long enough,” said Folor, “Let’s go.”
The family walked to the Ceremonial Lodge together. Folor was not facilitating meditations this time, so he stood to the side at the front. The rest of the family sat in the fourth row of benches, right in front of the row that began the Merchants section. They waited quietly for everyone else to arrive. It was getting quite full this celebration. When it appeared no one else was coming, Prime Keeper Bremen walked to the front to speak. Raef was too preoccupied to listen. When Keeper Bremen began the meditation, Raef closed his eyes and tried hard to focus. He had never tried to really meditate before. He had always just sort of sat still and let his imagination take him away someplace exciting.
Zul, he thought, are you there?
There was nothing, as usual.
Zul, I really need to talk to you!
Raef tried to think harder, or hold his head different ways, to see if that helped.
Then he just began to cry silently.
Zul, please, I need your help.
He thought he could almost see some kind of image in his mind. It was kind of foggy, but it looked like a very old man.
I am so sorry, Raef thought to the image, I’ve behaved very badly. I don’t want to be like this, but… Raef couldn’t say any more.
The image of the old man’s mouth did not move, but Raef thought he heard the spirit’s voice.
“The dragon.”
Raef nearly jumped when he heard it. He looked around, but everyone else held their eyes closed in silence. He was sure he had heard something. He closed his eyes again.
You heard me? Raef asked in his mind.
“I have always heard you,” came the voice.
You heard me! I cannot believe it, you heard me! Are you Zul, the Great Spirit?
“The dragon,” came the voice again.
I know, Raef thought, I have to stop seeing the dragon. I have behaved so badly.
Raef felt the tears on his cheek.
Zul, I don’t want to be like this anymore. I want to be something good. I will do what ever you want. I want…I want to be a Keeper, like my father.
He could still see the image, though it was growing fainter. He could hear nothing, though. Raef dared to ask the question he was most afraid to ask. He was afraid, because he thought Zul would say “no”.
Will you take me?
Raef then felt a warmth come over him, as if the Great Spirit himself were embracing him.
“You will be mine, and I will teach you, ” the spirit-voice said. Raef was certain he had heard it this time.
In a rush Raef felt his sadness leave him. He felt light, happy inside. Raef opened his eyes. He knew he was too young to speak in ceremony, but he had to tell someone. As the others meditated, Raef quietly got up and walked down to the front to Prime Bremen. The old Keeper opened his eyes and looked down at Raef. For a moment, Raef was afraid to address the highest ranked Keeper. He gathered his courage.
“I want to be a Keeper,” whispered Raef.
Others began to open their eyes and look.
“Many young ones wish to be Keepers,” Prime Bremen said, smiling, “perhaps one sun’s journey …”
“No,” said Raef, “I saw Zul, in my head. Then I heard a voice. His mouth never moved, but I still heard him, and he said he would accept me and...I know I’m supposed to be a Keeper!”
Keeper Bremen’s face grew serious. He leaned a little closer to Raef.
“What, exactly, did the voice tell you? Try to remember.”
“It said, well it said some stuff to me, then…oh, he said that I would be his and he would teach me.”
Prime Keeper Bremen’s eyes grew wide just for an instant, then his face grew calm, and he slowly straightened up. The Prime Keeper looked into the distance and seemed to be lost in thought. Slowly, the old Keeper’s face melted into a pleased smile.
“This is wonderful news, Raef. The Spirit has spoken to you and called you. This is very rare, almost unheard of for a youngling. I cannot dismiss such a thing coming from the Great Spirit. However, I must ask you if you are ready to begin now. To become a Keeper, you will have to begin training. You will have to start your apprenticeship early. You would not go to youngling lessons with your friends, but train in the Keep. And apprenticeship lasts sunrise to sunset, not half a sunrise as your lessons do now. Your life will change from this point on. Are you sure this is what you want?”
Raef had not even considered this. Would he miss seeing Domik as much? He sure wouldn’t miss seeing Chaz, Keever, and Liet at lessons.
“You can always decide to wait and start your apprenticeship when you are a greenling, like the other younglings,” said Bremen.
Raef remembered his shame from the dragon.
“No,
” said Raef, “I want to begin now.”
Keeper Bremen placed a hand on Raef’s shoulder and turned the youngling to face the gathering.
“Excuse me for interrupting,” Keeper Bremen said, “but we have had something very unexpected happen. Something quite unusual.”
The village murmured amongst themselves but quickly became quiet. Raef noticed how many eyes were looking at him. He felt a little uncomfortable. But Bremen gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“We have all been in meditation for some time, asking for Zul to speak to us. We all recognize we are in perilous times and have been seeking guidance. Tonight, the spirit has answered, but not from where we were looking.”
Keeper Bremen looked down at Raef, “We should know by now that when the Great Spirit answers it often does through the unexpected.”
Raef thought the village looked confused. Bremen smiled and took a deep breath. Raef thought the Prime Keeper looked a little nervous.
“Tonight Zul did speak, but to only one of us. Zul spoke to this youngling. To Raef.”
The village began to murmur again, but Raef could see they were smiling.
“Fellow brothers and sisters,” Keeper Bremen said, “The Great Spirit has spoken to this youngling, the son of Folor.”
Prime Bremen looked down at Raef, “How many seasons do you have, young one.”
“Ten seasons.”
Bremen stood up and faced the gathering again, “Zul has called this youngling of ten seasons to be our next Keeper.”
Murmurs broke into applause and laughter. Keeper Bremen continued to talk, but Raef no longer heard him. He felt only joy. Soon he felt his father on one side, and his mother on the other. He took their hands.
“It is rare for Zul to speak to one so young,” said Prime Bremen, “This youngling is surely specially chosen to do great things. This is a time of celebration!”
And there was celebration that sun’s journey at the Ceremonial Lodge, a spontaneous celebration that lasted until mid moon. All the Keepers spoke to him, asking what he had seen and heard in his vision. Other Intercessors, the healers, scribes, herbalists, historians, kitcheners, sacrists and almoners all clasped his hands and spoke to him as if they had always been his best friend. Then the Merchants and Laborers and even the Nobles wanted to greet him. Raef felt overwhelmed.
But Raef was happy. In fact, he had never been so happy. He was not just happy because of all the attention; he knew he had done the right thing. He was done with the dragon. He had a new life to live now.
At home, after everyone had gone to bed, Folor came and sat on the edge of Raef’s bed. Raef was still awake, far too excited to sleep.
“I’m proud of you, son,” Folor said.
“Thanks,” Raef replied.
Folor gave Raef’s shoulder a squeeze and left. When Raef finally did fall asleep, he slept in peace, for the first time in many sun’s journeys, free of any feeling of guilt.
PART III - APPRENTICE