Page 6 of Moon Chosen

Mari let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I’ll always trust you, Mama.” She grasped Leda’s hand.

Beside her, Jenna whispered, “You’re practically a Moon Woman already!” Then, before Mari could respond, Jenna bowed respectfully again—this time to LedaandMari—before taking her place behind them.

“Ready?” Leda asked.

“As long as I’m with you, Mama,” Mari said.

Leda squeezed her daughter’s hand and then strode confidently forward, head held high, shoulders back, with a wide smile beaming joy to her people.

“My daughter and I greet you, Weaver Clan, and wish you bounty the spring full moon brings times three!”

Mari felt the weight of the Clan’s curious looks and heard the muffled susurrus of speculation. She mimicked her mother’s stance, pulling back her shoulders, straightening her spine, and lifting her chin. She tried to look at everyone and no one, but her gaze was drawn to another pair of gray eyes. These were lighter, more blue-gray than the silver-gray of Leda’s and Mari’s eyes, but they were still remarkable, and still, definitely, belonging to a Clanswoman who carried the mark of a Moon Woman ancestor.

“Greetings, Moon Woman,” the girl said. She bowed low to Leda, but the position of her body made it clear that it wasonlyLeda she acknowledged. When she straightened she tossed back her mane of dark hair, and the feathers and beads that hung from her Moon Crown fluttered around her as if she wore a living veil. Her gaze flicked to Mari dismissively before she added, “I didn’t realize you were acknowledging the Moon Women candidates tonight.”

Leda’s smile was serene. “Hello, Sora. Actually, this was an impromptu acknowledgment of pride in my daughter.” She lifted the hand that she’d linked with Mari so that the Clan was sure to see. “And part of that pride is that her gray eyes mark her as a Moon Woman candidate.”

“As do mine,” Sora said.

Mari stifled her irritated sigh and spoke up before her mother could respond. “Yes, but you’re usually so busy fluttering your eyelashes at our Clansmen that sometimes it’s hard to remember your eyes are gray.”

“Of course I pay attention to our Clansmen. It is only logical to show appreciation to our protectors. Mari, jealousy is unattractive, especially on someone who pays so little attention to her appearance,” Sora said.

“Arguing among Clanswomen is unacceptable,” Leda said sharply.

Sora and Mari shared a look of poorly disguised annoyance before they bowed their heads respectfully to the Moon Woman.

“You’re right, of course,” Sora said. “I apologize, Moon Woman.”

“It is not to me you owe the apology,” Leda said.

Sora turned to Mari. She smiled silkily, though the expression did not reach her eyes. “I apologize, Mari.”

“Mari?” Leda prompted when her daughter remained mute.

“I apologize, too,” Mari said quickly.

“Good,” Leda said. She held out her other hand to Sora. “And you are correct, Sora. Your eyes do mark you as candidate for Moon Woman apprenticeship. Please join me.”

Eagerly, Sora took Leda’s hand, but before stepping forward into the heart of the Clan, Leda raised her voice, calling, “All maidens with gray eyes present yourselves to your Moon Woman!”

There was a rustle in the crowd before them, and then a young girl stepped from the group.

“Mari?” Leda prompted under her breath.

Mari smiled at her mother and then extended her open hand toward the girl, welcoming her with, “Hello, Danita.” The younger girl was smiling tentatively at Mari and sending nervous glances to Leda as she moved to take her offered hand when a flush of light caught at Mari’s gaze. She glanced down to see that the sleeve of her cloak had fallen back, so that her outstretched forearm had been caught in a single, fading beam of sunlight and the filigree pattern of a fern frond was glowing brightly through the concealing clay.

In one swift movement, Mari jerked her hand free of her mother’s, rearranged the sleeves of her cloak, and wrapped her swathed arms around herself.

“What is it, sweet girl?” Leda quickly stepped between her daughter and the Clan, careful to conceal her.

“My—my stomach pains are back.” She met her mother’s gaze. Mari could see that Leda was trying valiantly to keep the disappointment from her expression, but her smile was melancholy and it didn’t lift the sadness in her eyes.

“Jenna,” Leda said. “Could you please take Mari to the hearth fire and ask one of the Mothers to brew her some chamomile tea? It seems she isn’t as well as we hoped.”

“Of course, Leda! Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of our girl.”

Jenna linked arms with Mari, pulling her into the crowd as Mari watched first Danita, and then another gray-eyed girl and another, take her place with Sora beside her mother.