Page 112 of Sun Warrior

“I do believe I am. Eventually,” Mari said, lifting her chin even though she could feel her cheeks blaze with embarrassed heat.

“Seems logical,” Sora said. “But torture him for a little while, first.”

“Yep. I think it’s a good idea,” Isabel said.

Mari giggled. “The torturing or the mating?”

“Both!”

“I like him,” Danita said. “I mean, he’s a man and all, but I try not to hold that against him.”

“Danita, maybe we should talk about your dislike of men. They’re not all bad, you know,” Sora said.

“Really? Then why don’t you have one?” Danita asked.

Sora opened and then closed her mouth, cleared her throat, and deftly changed the subject: “What is it the three of you wanted to speak with us about?”

Danita and Jenna sent Isabel pointed looks. Isabel nodded, straightened her shoulders, and then bowed respectfully to her Moon Women, arms spread in openness. Danita and Jenna mimicked her.

“We come with formal petition,” Isabel said. “To ask favor of our Moon Woman. Um, I mean Women.”

Mari stifled a grin and answered with equal formality, “You may rise. Your Moon Women will hear your petition.”

“This Moon Woman, for one, is intrigued,” Sora said, and then added hastily, “I didn’t mean that with any less formality, but it’s the truth.”

“We’d like to be allowed to study Moon Woman practices,” Isabel said.

Mari felt a start of surprise. “All three of you?”

“Yes,” Jenna said. “And I know I wasn’t born with the gray eyes that mark a Moon Woman candidate, but Mari, I believe I could be a help to you. I’ve always wanted to learn more about healing—ever since my mother died so suddenly and so young. You know I used to take care of my dad, even when Night Fever was affecting him. Sometimes it was hard, but I learned a lot about how to care for someone who has a sickness. I won’t have the power of the moon to call on, but I could be an assistant to you and to Sora.”

“But how much healing can you do without drawing down the power of the moon?” Sora asked, though not unkindly.

Jenna answered her frankly, “More with training than I could with no training at all.”

“That’s true,” Mari said.

“I’m drawn to the healing arts of a Moon Woman as well,” Isabel said. “I know Leda chose Sora over Danita and me, and she should have. Sora clearly has been greatly gifted by the Goddess. But that doesn’t mean that Danita and I—and even Jenna—can’t be helpful.”

“I don’t want to weave!” Danita blurted. “I used to think I did and I was even relieved when Leda didn’t choose me as her apprentice, but recently the way I look at things has changed. A lot. Mari, Sora, I want to try to draw down the moon! Maybe I’ll never be good enough to Wash a Clan, or our Pack. But maybe there’s some small piece of moonmagick I could find that is my very own. I’d use it to help our people and even the Wind Riders once we get to the plains.”

“We know this is an unusual request,” Isabel said. “But you did say you’d agree to apprentice more than one Moon Woman at a time.”

“Actually, it’s a request that’s never been made before—at least not to my knowledge,” Mari said.

Isabel hung her head. “Yes, that’s what we thought, too.”

“But that doesn’t mean it’s something that shouldn’t be tried,” Danita said stubbornly.

“And Mari, you said it yourself. Our new Clan—our Pack—should be a place of acceptance,” Jenna said. “Well, for us the new start we want isn’t just about accepting different kinds of people into our Pack.”

“It’s about accepting a new way of living and of learning,” Isabel said.

“And of following our dreams,” Danita said.

“But we will abide by your decision as our Moon Women,” Isabel said, and the other two young women nodded in agreement.

“So, let’s get this straight. Isabel and Jenna, you want to study to be Healers?” Mari said.