The Cultivated Girl

Chapter 9 - Life Lessons

The story so far...

Simone is relieved to find herself in a cosy cave with Joli instead of with some unknown underwater horror. She manages to upset Alexia, and telepathically communicate with Blodeuwedd, who no-one else can hear. Simone quickly realises that with Nada, she's going to have to spend every waking hour with these girls. Alexia leads them to an underground paradise where she is shocked to realise the witchy women she was spying on are her new teachers.A blind priestess hangs jade dog tags around her neck, gives a creepy prophecy and then they're off to their first lesson, prayer.

Simone is well and truly back in school but this has got to be the weirdest she's ever attended! How does she manage to make so many enemies?
That Janie sounds like one to watch.
Do you think Simone's going to fall asleep in prayers?

Bets are open in the comments below. Read on...

____________________________________________________________  

"Welcome to Sanctuary, the main temple of the sacred Triple Goddess, housed on Her isle, the Isle of BastBula."

Lady Alva's eyes whipped around the class before coming back to rest on the newest clutch.

"You are here because you have reached womanhood and are now ready to be initiated into Her mysteries."

Simone felt vaguely uncomfortable. If the Lady was talking about what Simone thought she was, then Simone was in big trouble.

A hand shot up. It was a sweet-faced Japanese girl, one of a pair of twins. 'Excuse me Miss. Please tell us more about BastBula."

Lady Alva looked at her sternly. "Miss Natsuki. You are to address me as Lady Alva, or My Lady. You are to refer to our Goddess as the Great Mother. In your country you call her Benzaiten."

The girl giggled. "I'm not Natsuki..."

Lady Alva looked even sterner. "Miss Natsuki, your name is as much a part of your being and aura as your feet. I could tell a strand of your hair apart from that of your sister. Do not try to tell me you are Natsumi. Lies and dissembling are not tolerated at the Sanctuary."

Simone felt sorry for Natsuki. She was only being playful. Natsuki's bottom lip trembled. Natsumi squeezed her hand.

"Now," said Lady Alva in a softer tone, "in answer to your question, the Great Mother is the mother of all worlds and all existence. She wears three faces. The first is that of the black and white cat who sleeps in front of the hearth and is the guardian of the spirit, the food we gather lovingly from the ground and the skills we use to heal.

"She is also the sun dragon, great and terrible to behold, who floats through the air and bathes in fire. The dragon brings us weapons and the skills to fight and kill, to defend our homes and virtue. She gifts us with the power to talk to all creatures."

Simone shifted a little on the comfortable reed mats lining the packed and polished earth floor. This was a fantastic story. She suddenly realised what must come next. Snake, snake, bet it's a snake, she thought.

"Her final form is that of a sea serpent, who teaches us the secrets of the deep and the dark; poisons, whispers, love, treachery. She travels the oceans and learns the lives of man around the worlds. Such is the triple face of BastBula."

The class was quiet. The statue Simone had stumbled across during her escape suddenly made a whole lot of sense. She was burning to ask Alexia more. Where had the BastBula myth started? Who carved the statue? Did she really believe in the goddess? She was obviously projecting loudly as Bloduewedd's bird-insect tongue started twittering back in her head. It didn't make much sense.