Star opened her eyes and stared at the sleeping figure of the queen laying next to her and smiled. "Another good morning for me… I wonder what's the plan for today?"
She stood up and dressed herself before walking out of the bedroom and opened a door towards a balcony. "Hello mountains and sunshine…" She started stretching in the morning sun.
She sat and closed her eyes feeling the sun warm her body. "The longer I've been up here in the mountains, the more I start to enjoy the sun. Sun and rain… It's beautiful. I'm the rain and my queen is the sun…'
She breathed and let it go, before standing up. She turned and saw the queen standing there looking at her with a smile.
"Did I wake you my queen?"
"No… I just like watching you do your stretches in the morning. Come let's eat. Today is a big day."
Star smiled. "What's on the plan for today?"
"Unification…"
"Unification? You mean with the other tribes?"
"Yes… That's right."
"How is that going to happen? Almost everyone has a blood feud especially when it comes to the holy mountain."
"Yes… Just say what you are wanting to say instead of speaking around in circles…"
"War?"
"If they don't submit, then yes it'll be war… This city is the guard to the holy mountain. The protectors of the priests and priestesses that are at the top."
Star frowned slightly. "You do remember what I told you what I saw up there?"
She saw the queen nod as they sat down at a small table and took a bite from a piece of fruit. "Yes… Yes… However, there's a priestess still alive. They'll either submit to the priestess or die… That's it."
Star looked at the queen wide eyed. "There's one still alive?" She sat in thought for a moment. "Back at the circus I saw something who had the same eyes as me. They told me to come here. Are they here?"
���Hahaha. No, the only one who has your beautiful eyes is you… I have not seen anyone who has your eyes. Are you saying there is another? A storm brother"
Star shrugged her shoulders, looked at the plate and sighed. "Then can you tell me who it is? I don't know if they were a storm brother or not, I just remember their eyes."
"It's simple… It's you. The child of rain and storm… They must submit to your blood or the sworn protectors of the mountain will take their blood and offer it to the mountain."
"How can you say something like that and make it sound so easy for others to follow?"
"Hahaha. We're people of the mountain. Our ways are different. You were taken from us and never learnt our ways." Star watched as the queen cut open a piece of fruit and put it in her mouth.
"Now listen to the words of your queen… All tribes are protectors of the mountain. The strongest tribe protects its foot, and the other tribes are the guards. There are dances of war and blood to who is the strongest, and if we don't, then the other tribes will see us as weak and try to attack us like the stone dogs tried to do before."
Star nodded. "Yes… I understand that, but what has this got to do with unification?"
"We're planning to bring all the tribes to the city to prepare… In the plains there are signs of war, which will come here. We must be ready to protect our holy land."
Star looked confused as she chewed on the fruit. "Many people have told me of this coming war, but how can you know this when we're all around here far from the plains?"
"The sky tells us, and so does the mountain. We're all connected to this place, so when it speaks, we hear."
Star sat in thought. "You're thinking too much about it… All you need to do is just trust me, and everything will be okay… Also, those frowns will make you have wrinkles and look like one of those elders around here. I don't think I would enjoy that company if you looked like those old bags."
Star looked at the queen and smiled. "Fine you win… I trust you. You know best about the mountain people."
"That's good to hear. Now hurry and dress before we go to the council and start talking about plans."
"But my queen. I haven't finished eating yet… Let me finish eating then I'll dress."
"Fine… I was just hoping to see you bath and dress, but there's not enough time… Pity."
She looked at the mischievous grin of the queen and felt her face turn red. She looked down at the plate of food. "I'll be quick, and then head towards the throne room."
"Yes, yes. Just hurry, I don't want to be around all those old elders on my own. They make my hair turn grey just being around them."
"Hahahaha… Yes. I won't be long."
"Good now come here before I get chased by the elders. I'm sure they're around somewhere looking for me to complain about something."
Star stood up and walked around the table before hugging the queen. She smiled as she felt the queen's lips on the top of her head. "You need to grow taller or something… Hahaha. I really do need to go, so please hurry your yummy ass up and meet me in the throne room."
Star nodded and took a step back and watched as the queen left the room. She sat at the table and stared at the food on the plate. "Wow… I better hurry up and join her in the throne room."
She filled her mouth with food and then jumped into the bath. "No time to enjoy the bath…" She frowned. "My queen needs me." She stood up and got out of the bath. She walked to her clothing after drying herself and smiled as she looked towards the sunlight dancing on the walls as she dressed. Once she finished, she looked at herself and smiled. "All ready, now to rescue my queen."
She walked through the stone palace and stepped into the throne room smiling and bowing at the queen. "My queen��� I'm here, I hope I haven't caused any troubles in my absence?"
"No, no, no. Glad you're here. The others will be here shortly."
Star nodded and turned to the large door as a group of elders and warriors walked in. She smiled at one of the warriors. "He got promoted… Good for him."
"Good. Everyone is here, then shall we begin and start this council…"
"As you request my queen. I'm excited to hear of unification as the mountain has spoken… We must show our strength that we can call all tribes here."
Star watched on the side as they started talking in their whistling language. She sighed and stood watching. "I really need to learn this language since they're my people as well." She looked out of a window as they were looking at a table and looked down at the city in the walls.
"This place is going to get noisy soon… I wonder how they'll cope with all tribes here?"
"Actually, this city used to hold all the tribes in the past…" Star turned around and saw an elder looking at her smiling. Star smiled. "Sorry. I know I'm from here, but I know nothing about it." She frowned.
"Child don't worry about that. You were stolen from us… The queen told us all about it. In our eyes, you're still a priestess of rain and storm… Like a princess in our eyes."
Star felt her face heat up. She turned and looked out at the city and watched as clouds started to form in the distance.
"A storm is coming." She pointed to the clouds.
"Yes, child a storm is coming. All of Athlos will be covered by a storm of blood. We must be ready. You also need to be ready too."
Star nodded. "Yes… I'll be ready to do as my queen requests."
"No… That's not what I mean. You need to stop following what others tell you… Start making your decisions and follow what you want."
Star felt her heart skip a beat as she grabbed her chest. "You're right… I've always been in the shadow of others… I still haven't learned. I tell myself that I should not follow, yet here I am following another person…"
She leaned on the balcony and looked down frowning. "Girl… Just because you keep saying something to yourself all the time doesn't change you in one day. If that was the case, then I wouldn't be looking this old. Hahahaha."
Star turned and looked at the elder smiling. "How do I do that? I've been following someone all my life… Even when I don't want to."
"The answer is easy to say priestess… Find the thing you're passionate about and desire and do all you can to get it… I know it's easy to say, but hard to do."
Star nodded at the elder. "Thank you elder… I'll keep thinking about what you said and find what it is that will lead me from the shadows and make my own shadow."
"That's good… I'm glad our priestess will listen to advice from some elders… Not like a certain queen. Hohoho…"
Star smiled. "She can be quite stubborn."
"That's because she knows what she wants, and her shadow covers all of us."
"My ears are burning… What are the both of you talking about?"
Star turned and saw the queen walk up to them. "Nnnnothing my queen. We were just talking about me and my role as a priestess…"
"Yes… That's right. Being a priestess is not easy, especially when we're planning to unify."
Star looked at the queen and the elder smiling. She bowed at the elder. "Thank you for your advice. I'll keep it in my heart and mind."
"See my queen… This one here is willing to listen to the words of the old bags you like to call us… I hope she can rub off on you."
Star smiled and kept her head down as the elder walked away. She glanced up and looked at the queen's annoyed look on her face.
"So, you were talking about me, weren't you?"
Star nodded. "You did come up in the conversation, but she did give me advice about being a priestess my queen."
Star heard the queen sigh and felt her touch as the she stood next to her. "How many times have I told you… You don't have to call me queen. You know my name, so please call me that… I have enough of elders and everyone else treating me like I'm something that'll break if the wind blows. You're special to me, a very special place in my heart. You are definitely not a subject."
Star nodded and looked into the queen's eyes. "Yes Iyane."
"Good. I like it when you call me by my name. You're the only one to tell me to stop being an idiot if I do something stupid…"
Star smiled. "Thank you… This plan of yours. What do you need me to do?"
"That's easy… Use your bow and defend this mountain and your home with all your strength. We already know you can do that. The mountain has blessed you and given you strength. Use that strength, and we'll be able to unify all the tribes together."
Star smiled. "I can do that. While I'm here the mountain will always be safe."
"Hahahaha. You sound very confident. I like that about you… What makes you so confident?"
"My skills with the bow. I know that when I let an arrow fly it's going to hit its target."
She looked at Iyane with a smile. "If you're interested, I can show others my way of dancing with the bow, but I'll need something in return."
"Hmm. What do you want? You can have almost anything here, or anyone, but if you choose another for company I will be sad... But I am sure I wouldn't mind the extra company in bed."
Star shook her head and felt her cheeks heat up, smiling at Iyane. "No. What I want is a language teacher. I wish to speak the language of my people. If I'm the priestess, I need to know how to communicate with my people."
She watched as Iyane waved her hand and an elder approached them and talked to them in the language of the tribes. Star stood and looked at them as they spoke.
"Done… We'll find the ones who'll learn your dance of the bow, and we'll provide you with a teacher. See that was easy… The rest is up to you priestess."
Star sighed with a smile. "I can understand why you don't like being called by your title…"
"Hahahaha. A little bit of revenge. Now you know how I feel. Now… let's eat and after that you'll start your lessons."
"Yes, Iyane. I'm looking forward to it."