Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: aaron@atlantis.uucp (Aaron Humphrey)
Subject: Delmara: A New Acolyte
Message-ID: <1993Apr5.050037.27879@atlantis.uucp>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 05:00:37 GMT

ADMIN: Note the lack of thread markers.  Well, this post is neither really in
the MI thread or the SQ thread, although it's tangential to both...



Delmara woke up with her head on Radan's shoulder, and his arm around her. 
She had years of experience disentangling herself from these kind of positions
without waking her bedmate.  What frightened her in this case was that she
didn't really want to.  There was something comforting in Radan's warmth, and
the memory of the previous night...

Definitely much too dangerous.  She slid easily out of Radan's grasp, and he
only mumbled in his sleep and then rolled over into the spot she had vacated. 
She donned her discarded clothing and slipped quietly out the door.

She found herself considering breakfast in the Inn.  Normally, after spending
the night with someone, she would make a point of having breakfast in a
different place, to reduce the risk of running into them again right away. 
She shook her head as if trying to clear it, and left the Inn with only a nod
to Mary Littlefair, who looked at her half-curiously, half-knowingly.

She made her way to the temple, which Queriche and some others had fixed up
since the Demon Spiders had trashed it.  There were a few haggard-looking
people waiting outside the doors.

When 'Raelf had given her the amulet to cure Joystix addiction, Delmara made
sure the word was spread through the various Low City sources--Nirvan foremost
among them.  She wondered briefly how he and Jacinthe were doing--she hadn't
seen them in a while.  It had taken a while for them to start coming, because
most of the addicts still had a few days left in their stash, and then the
withdrawal symptoms set in slowly.  But soon they were coming in dozens--some
furtively, some brazenly, some threateningly, but they were coming.  Some of
the more grateful ones volunteered to serve as bodyguards, and she blessed
them in Aditi's name.  If nothing else, this was doing wonders for Aditi's
profile in the Low City.  The rest of the city neglected Her as usual, but
Delmara was used to that.

By now the numbers were starting to tail off.  Anyone who'd held out this long
had either had an extra-large stash, or was willing to go deep into withdrawal
before coming to her.  Or had been unable for one reason or another.

The curing had become routine.  She pressed the amulet to the foreheads of the
addicts, murmured a prayer to Aditi--not strictly necessary, but she felt it
couldn't hurt--and soon their obvious suffering seemed to ease.  Not all of
them were grateful, but some were, and those made all the difference.  The
ungrateful were there, those who rejected love offered--that was the heart of
Aditi's teaching.

The last case was less usual.  Two children, a girl of twelve and a boy of
perhaps five.  The girl looked normal, scrawny like most Low City children,
but lacking the emaciation of advanced withdrawal.  No, it was the boy. 
Delmara was filled with a cold rage.  Who would addict a child to Joystix? 
Many, she knew.  Yirma would not have been above it, for instance.

The boy flinched when she reached towards him with the amulet, whimpering and
cowering.  "She's not going to hurt you, Jad," the girl said.  "It's all
right."  Whispering calming things into Jad's ear, she eventually calmed him
down.

"Is he your brother?" Delmara said as she laid the amulet on Jad's forehead.

The girl nodded.  "His name's Jadiman, but I call him Jad."  She watched Jad
as Delmara murmured the prayer.  Jad's suffering eased visibly, and a smile
crossed his face before he sank into unconsciousness.  Delmara and the girl
barely managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

"We'd better take him inside," Delmara said.  "He can rest there.  He looks
like he's had a hard time of it."

"Our dad used to give him 'Stix to keep him quiet," the girl said.  "He kept
screaming when my dad would--would--kiss me."

A sudden anger filled Delmara.  "What kind of animal--"

The girl looked at Delmara, her eyes clear.  "He's dead.  The Crew killed
him."

Delmara felt better at that.  She wouldn't wish the Chaos Creating Crew on
many people, but Jad's father would've been one.  "What's your name?" she
asked.

"Aitreni," the girl said.  "My mom named us both.  My dad just called us Slut
and Scum.  He said it was easier to keep track that way."

"Are you hungry?" asked Delmara.  "I can make up some soup for you and Jad."

"We don't have much money, ma'am..."

"You don't need to pay me," Delmara said gently.  "I'm a priestess of Aditi. 
That means I have to do kindnesses, and I don't expect to get repaid for
them."

Aitreni's eyes suddenly filled with tears.  "Thank you, ma'am..."  Then she
started sobbing, and Delmara pulled the girl against her until the sobs
quieted.

"Let's go get that soup," Delmara said then.

***

Jad was very weak, but he did manage to swallow some of the broth, and he was
starting to look better with the drug purged from his system.  Delmara didn't
know how 'Raelf's amulet worked--he'd tried to explain it to her, but she
hadn't grasped it--but it was a godsend.  If only there were more such things
in the world...

"Ma'am?" Aitreni began uncertainly, then stopped.

"Call me Delmara.  Or Mara if you wish.  You don't have to call me ma'am."

"D-delmara?  Can I be a priestess of Aditi too?"

The question caught Delmara totally off-guard.  It had been years since anyone
had wanted to become an acolyte, and then they hadn't lasted too long.  There
were even few who came regularly to the services Delmara held sporadically. 
She sometimes felt tired, being the only one to hold up the cult of Aditi in
the city--likely the only one on Nexus--and wished many times for one to share
that with her.  Elstree had been a godsend, literally, but now she was gone,
or rather rarely available, having to share time with Alfvaen.

"Are you sure, Aitreni?" Delmara asked.  She didn't want her going into this
half-cocked.  Much as she wanted an acolyte, she didn't want one bound into
the faith unwillingly.  It had to be voluntary.

Aitreni nodded.  Still, Delmara thought, she was only twelve.  At twelve she
could be passionate about things that would have only evoked mild interest
years later.  Radan flashed into her mind, and she ruthlessly shoved him out. 
Time to think about that later.  "Why?" Delmara asked.

Aitreni hugged her arms to herself and thought.  "'Cause you're so good and
sweet and nice when you don't have to be.  My mom was like that, but she
died.  I don't want to grow up being mean like everyone else."

A mother-substitute.  Well, there were worse reasons, she supposed.  "Do you
have any other family?"

Aitreni shook her head.  "My dad didn't have any, and my mom's went away to
Specifica a long time ago.  Before Jad was born."

Well, she certainly couldn't throw them out onto the street.  Which was where
they had been living, she supposed, but she still couldn't refuse to offer the
help if she could.  (Which brought to mind Little Rat, who wouldn't accept
help offered freely, without something in exchange.  She'd have to ask about
her, and see if Rat was okay.  Maybe ask Nirvan next time she saw him.) 
"Okay, Aitreni.  I'll take you on as an acolyte.  That means you serve under
me, and do what I tell you.  I'll teach you how to serve Aditi.  You'll be
free to leave at any time if you want, no hard feelings, up until you take
your final oaths.  And that won't be for a while yet."

Aitreni threw her arms about Delmara.  "Thank you, Delmara.  I'll be the best
acolyte you've ever had!"

"I think there should be room for Jad to stay here as well.  He's too little
to help yet, but he can when he's older.  Aditi has priests too, you know."

"Can we send Jad to school?  He's almost eight, and mom always wanted him to
go."

Eight?  Jad was much smaller than most kids, then.  Probably the Joystix'
effect on him.  "I'll see what I can do.  If need be, I'll teach him myself."

Delmara's mind was whirling.  Suddenly she seemed to have a family.  And
Radan?  She faced the thought without flinching.  She was bound by oath, she
realized.  If her love was asked for, she had to offer it, even if it was not
returned.  Even if, as in Radan's case, it was...or seemed to be.  Even if it
faded in time.  For love was often hurtful.  So the Lady taught.


-- 
---Alfvaen(1948 Books, 1090 Albums, And Counting)
"How could I resist your American arms, and your French kiss?"  --Julia Fordham
Current Album--Tom Cochrane & Red Rider:Victory Day
Current Read--Nicole Luiken:Mirror, Mirror