Kestrel sighed silently as the woman before her repeated her plea, then tried to form an answer the peasant would understand.
"Good lady," Kestrel began, "I am sorry, but what you ask is not within my ability... I do not have the ability to restore the woods to what they once were... The skills you need are not those of a priestess of the gods, but an adherent to the ways of the wood. I cannot call the game back for your husband to bring home to your cook-pot. I cannot stir the trees to renewed growth..." She let her words trail off as the woman interrupted once more.
"But, Lady, the last priestess come through, she took care of us... why aint'cha as good as she were?" The older woman's face was crunched up in a grimace of unhappiness tinged with scorn. It was clear that she felt the fault was somehow in the young woman's faith, not her calling. The Maldinan seeress bowed her head, and carefully removed the elaborate headband that was the holy symbol of her faith. Caressing the long feathers that trailed from the azure circlet, each plume a story, an event, a trial or tribute to her life and faith, she tried patiently yet again.
"Goodwife, I am a priestess of the Goddess of the Winds, Maldina, She who granted mankind souls, and foretells that which will happen. I do not follow the Lady Shanra, the Grain-Goddess, She who is the spirit of the woods. Many of Lady Shanra's followers follow the wild-ways, which is the magic of tree and branch, the discipline known as Druidry... but I am not one of those kinds of priests. The Path my Goddess bids me take is a different one."
"A true Cleric or Priest of a deity takes their power and responsibilities directly from the hand of that Higher Power or Entity. It is our task to summon protections, give healing and surcease from disease and pain, halt that which is unholy or undead, provide spiritual leadership to those who are open to it, even to call back those who have passed on in an untimely fashion. Our responsibilities are great, but so is the gift and reward of ability that is granted in return. Every prayer, every task, every infraction is noted, because the priest serves their god much as you serve the lord on whose lands you live - but with more respect and love. Just as you obey the dictates of your lord, do those tasks he sets before you, and work in his fields - thus do I obey my Lady Maldina, and do those things She wishes of me, and work in the fields of Her dominion, which is the common folk of humanity. I do Her work by performing holy ceremonies, such as weddings, blessings, burials, or performing Rituals of the Sight, to see what the future holds. Not healing trees or calling in the wild animals as a Shanran Druid might, though in some ways, the Druids worship the forces of nature similarly to the ways I follow my Goddess's bidding. Does that make sense?"
Again the elderly face wrinkled, this time more in thought than in annoy ance. "Eh. Well. So... you're no good for the stewpot... hmmm."
Kestrel carefully concealed a chuckle at the odd turn of phrase, and murmured, "Well, no, I'm not particularly good at that... Is there any other service I can render?"
"Well...." The peasant squirmed visibly, scarlet beginning to stain her rough, wind-chapped features.
A Voice whispered in the Priestess's mind, like a perfect chord, and with it came understanding. This time, the chuckle escaped her lips. "Ah... I see... Milady Goodwife, I am pleased to inform you, that yes, your daughter is pregnant, and yes, it is a boy, and yes, he will be hale and hearty... and I could be back this way in time to perform his Naming ceremony, if you'd like."
The toothless smile she received was answer enough.
Tucking one errant lock of hair behind her ear to remove it from the reach of questing fingers, Kestrel bent down and picked up the babe. Smiling radiantly, she smoothed its downy brown hair, and turned to the restless group loosely assembled in the town square. "People of Kisri, I welcome you to this Naming. I bring unto you a child, born of Jyslin and Tregare, your neighbors and friends. It is their wish that you share in their joy this day, in welcoming their son into your community. It is my honor to preside over this Naming, so, without further ado...." A gesture of one lithe hand both signaled to the mother and father to light the censer of incense nearby, and magically raised a gentle breeze to caress the audience. "By the grace granted me by the Lady Maldina, She who is the binder of souls, and in Her presence, and with the sacred elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit, I sanctify this child, and Name him Danielo. May he grow strong in body, mind, and spirit, and always be one with his family and community. Jyslin, Tragere, people of Kisri, I give you Danielo. May you hold him in your hearts always."
The reaction was not what she expected. Rather than the jubilant celebration seen in most villages at a Naming ceremony, the crowd immediately began to disperse, fading into the huts and homes that lined the square. Kestrel turned to the parents, and handing them back the child, gave them a questioning look. It was answered by a burly merchant who walked up behind the pair. "It's the raiders, Lady. They've taken our spirit... most folks think there's no sense in Naming a babe if he'll only be killed in a few weeks... we're lambs to their slaughter, you see..." His expression was one of impotent rage, anger, despair, and his hands twisted the ends of his belt into ruin. A quick nod from Jyslin confirmed his tale.
"It's like Mayor says. Th' raiders come in at night, steal children from their homes, take what's of value, an' kill any who try and stop it... been going on the last moon-cycle. We know we need help, we just don't know who to ask or what to do." Her face grave, the priestess murmured a quick plea for protection and blessing for the child and his parents. "Well, as you know, I am of the Wandering sect of my faith. I often travel about fairly dangerous parts of Westfall, so I am familiar with most of the Guilds... If you'd like, I could suggest...."
At their vigorous nods, she continued, holding up two fingers. "As the saying goes, you must fight fire with fire. You're dealing with a group of bandits, probably accompanied by several specialists of various types.
"I recommend a hiring group of Guild fighters. When it comes to down and dirty combat, which you already know you face, fighters are your best defense. Their armor and training make them formidable. I'd also recommend a Knight or two, to help keep things on an even, lawful keel. While Fighters certainly are effective, some times their tactics or morals are not quite . . . above board. I don't want any of you townsfolk getting in trouble with the law. I'll call in the Knights of the Order of the Falcon's Wing - they are the knightly servants of my Goddess."
She raised a third finger, tapping it lightly. "You'll need to drive them off with bowfire, which means some Rangers. No one can match their skill in woodcraft and archery. They can also check to see if the food supply has been tampered with, and they can help track the bandits back to their lair. I'd also suggest several spell-casters: at the very least, you'll need several with the ability to heal. Clerics and Druids can both assist with that. Druids are very diverse, and are good with protections versus elemental attacks, and can also help protect your crops so that after this is all over, you're not starving this winter. Mages will be beneficial to you for dealing with arcane assaults, if any - do you know how the bandits are getting past your sentries? Are they magically charmed or put to sleep?"
Kestrel paused a moment in her questioning, tallying fingers raised, and smiled sympathetically at the trio before her, noting their glazed, confused expressions. "I know, it's all very overwhelming. But if you're to mount a defense, it needs to be balanced. You need to be ready to meet every contingency... and that's why..." She took a deep breath, knowing they would be resistant to her next words. "You're going to need to hire a few Night-blades. Thieves. You're facing thieves, and it takes one to catch one. Now, I know you don't like the idea!" She raised an admonishing hand, stilling their wave of protests. "But think of them as Guild members just like your smith, or a farrier, or miller. They are skilled tradesmen, even if their trade is one that most would not wish to learn. You're going to need them to deal with any traps, poisons, or other trickery the bandits may try. A Monk may be useful as well, but they are the most specialized Guildsman of all, being masters of their own body and it's defenses and abilities. You never know what you'll need, so it's best to be fully prepared."
"But..." The mayor weakly protested, "How do we know who to trust? How can we get them here fast enough? And how do we pay for them all?"
"Well, where there is banditry, there is
booty. Many Guildsmen will come simply if you promise them a large share of what is found
at the bandit camp once they are defeated. And my Temple at Mount Tarenya can help cover
the rest. The most important thing is LIFE, sir, and preserving it. The secular issues can
be dealt with as they come." Her tone became serious. "This is going to be
tough. I'm not pretending that it will not. But with the right mix of help, I think Kisri
will be all right. Now lets get to work..."
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