Path of the Whisper Woman

Unfortunate nickname notwithstanding, my remaining time in the delta passed with little fanfare. The ones who dared to whisper it didn't even strangled by roots though part of me hoped the goddess would throw a tantrum and put a stop to the rumors. I decided it was because She was focused on something more appealing and not because She accepted the idea. Queasy horror dropped my stomach into a pit every time I thought about being so closely connected to the goddess and Her Beloved, both for a bless mark I had no control over and actions people were blowing way out of proportion. I did what I had to and that was what people seemingly failed to understand. This wasn't the respect I wanted.

So the whole concept of "the Little Love" got shoved into the same dusty corner of my memory tent as what it meant to be unable to die in the long run. It was a full corner of questions about living longer than Prevna and what old age would look like since I was aging but not dying, but I made all the maddening thoughts fit. They were something my future self could deal with.

Still, I managed to convey everything from meeting the Beloved to the changes to the delta and my new nickname to Prevna through stilted, often necessarily repeated, wind whispers. She was shocked and then she laughed. And laughed. Once the laughter finally died down she switched to teasing me. It wasn't fair that she was able to convey all that in a wind whisper, but she had her boon and I had mine, and at least I got a lot of practice out of the ordeal. Even if she asked if I had glared at one too many people, so they thought I had a heart of stone and not a whole lot of love to give. I told her I'd show her how much I had the next time we met in person. That shut her up until she said she'd hold me to that promise and I got quiet too. The conversation petered out after that.

Once I got some rest and time to think, I found my resolve to try walking through the shadow caverns. After one attempt I realized that there wasn't anything to be worried over. I couldn't enter the actual water rapids unless I willed it though I saw a few fish get whisked by. There was a barrier of shadow between me and the constantly rushing water that filled the space where the oil slick floor normally was. I also couldn't get lost. Rather than having to make my own paths everything was already open and interconnected. All I had to do was focus on where I wanted to go and that path through the shadows would open up to me. It was the most dumbed down version of walking the actual shadow paths I could imagine. The tribesfolk could now travel from one end of the Blood Feast Forest to other in less than an hour if they needed to. It wasn't the speed of a true shadow path but that was much better than the hours to half a day it would have taken them before.

They were still finding the optimal routes. Shadows they could easily access from their walkways and that didn't spit them out into the waterways or a bramble patch or some other inconvenience. They might be safe from the rapids in the shadows, but they quickly learned they could splash into the regular water just fine.

Esie and the other whisper women in her group left quick once it was apparent this proxy war was over and down with. I still wasn't on the best of terms with her or Kaylan, but they were even more certain I was going to become the next Chosen. I didn't bother to correct them. They'd find out one way or another eventually.

I didn't get much of a chance to connect with the other whisper women, which was probably for the best, but if the timing ever worked out I wouldn't mind asking Morwen and Nix more about their individual areas of expertise. The exception to that was Hattie who was her normal talkative self. I learned more about her in ten minutes than I ever would've thought to ask.

Ingrasia, Ziek, and Ana all stayed a little longer but also ultimately left soon after the delta changed. They had their own business to attend to, but Ingrasia insisted Juniper and I take a break. In truth though, Juniper's break was going to be longer than mine. Through some trick or twisted decision she'd been named as apprentice liaison for the newly created Blood Feast Forest—and the Rookery. Apparently, Ana was going to fill the role of senior liaison when she wasn't off spying in Azabel's territory and Juniper was supposed to fill in during those times.

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Juniper tried to limit her role to just her home tribe but it was a two-for-one deal she couldn't back out of. Even Tufani's arguments that Juniper couldn't fly on a storm bird fell on deaf ears. Britta showed up again to declare that the judgment had been made in the light of recent events and no one could sway the Scale's second. I was dragged into the argument when Tufani pointed out that she made her requirements to me, but Britta asked if my opinion mattered more than the High Priestess's, and despite my new nickname no one wanted to make that claim. So Juniper would have plenty of practice with shadow paths and storm birds in her near future.

She was going to stay behind in the delta. Supposedly it was to start her liaison training, but in reality it was so Cascade and her would be around to help with any large groups of fish that managed to break into the delta while the Swirling Waters tribe settled into the environment. I hoped she'd practice with the shadow caverns and her fear of heights as well, but the latter wasn't something I was sure she'd ever fully overcome. Time would tell. All in all, I was glad I wasn't the one tied to two locations, like an odd Caretaker, but Juniper seemed pretty happy she'd get to spend more time with her tribe, so at least there was that.

I spent my time mostly away from Bramble Watch so I wouldn't have to contend with the mixed looks of fear, gratefulness, and consternation the tribesfolk watched me with. Most were happy the fish were no longer about to overwhelm them, though there was some talk about how they could keep their fighting skills up, but there were some who didn't appreciate that I made their home look like something out of a nightmare. I couldn't fault them for that since sometimes the new visuals through me off as well, but I figured the upgrades to mobility and their defensive position were worth it.

Sometimes I'd spend time with Juniper and Cascade, but settling into our new dynamic wasn't as smooth as I wanted it to be. I had difficulty admitting I viewed her as a friend out loud and she waffled between treating me as a friend, someone more akin to a mentor, and someone out of her reach.

The last hurt the most, but I accepted it as part of the cost of saving the delta. Her and the tribesfolk had all put in monumental effort to fight the fish and mark the trees, but all anyone seemed to remember was that it was my blood that acted as the final catalyst. That, and my new tattoos acting as reminder of my brief connection with the Beloved. My tunic covered them for the most part, but sometimes my collar slipped.

I did what I could to support Juniper and not put too much pressure on her. I hadn't thought it possible but she got to return home and keep ties there; she might as well enjoy it. Enjoy her newfound freedom to explore the delta and defend it.

So I used most of my time to wander the fringes of the delta while I recovered from those final days of strain removing the fish from the delta. Once I stepped back in the Seedling Palace I knew things would change once again. Somehow rumors of my new nickname were already circulating and others spread information on the delta's defeat of the horde and startling change. There was little doubt that I'd be pulled into another meeting with the Hundred Eyes sect head and second. They couldn't treat me as a regular trainee after everything and likely their previous plans had changed as well. Other more influential whisper women were likely to pay more attention to me as well. They all thought I was in the running to become Chosen and admitting that I might somehow become a companion to the Beloved because of my bless mark wouldn't be much better. Things were likely to get more difficult as I was drawn into politics I didn't want to be a part of.

At one point, I had aimed to become one of the Chosen, just to show I could do it, all on my own. Now I knew better. Knew that would never happen because the Beloved said so. Knew too that the Chosen wouldn't have been as good of a fit as I initially thought. If they truly were like a Pack, then they needed people who could play nice with others and I had never had a good track record of that.

I had a new decision to make: if I wanted to try to become what the Beloved expected of me or if I could keep my distance and simply carve out my own space elsewhere as a whisper woman. It wasn't a decision that needed to decided in a moment, but I also couldn't hide out in the delta forever.

Sooner than later I'd have to face the rumors and the nickname and go from there. Which turned out be sooner. I met my limit for brooding alone less than a week later. There simply wasn't anything to gain from turning the same information and facts over and over again in my mind. I'd prefer to rip off the bandage and see how everything played out in reality. So I told Juniper, her mother and Cascade goodbye before making my way to the goddess grown tree. I took one last look at the changed delta before stepping into the tree's shadow. It was time to return to the Seedling Palace and see what awaited me there.

—End of Book Five—