Choices

... When one tries to distill facts from grandeur in stories of the Seeress, a startling revelation starts to become clear: Not all instances have a good choice…

... One then must wonder what evils the Seeress must have to choose at times…

--Mistress Aiode, Sage of Elhrub

Year 722

“Mother, why did you tell that blacksmith where he could find his wife? You know he will beat her again,” 10-year-old Hani asked her mother. Her eyes sparkling and piercing in the light of their small campfire.

Sarior sighed at the question, but before she could explain, her oldest daughter, Merthe, spoke in slightly more than a whisper. “Why must you always question our mother? The woman was his wife, so mother helped the man find her. And keep your voice down. Dorine just fell asleep.”

A slight scowl came across Sarior’s face at Merthe’s response to her sister. “Merthe, your sister asked a question to learn and understand why I did what I did. It would serve you to open your eyes, ears and your mind so you may learn the full truth of the world and your powers.”

Sarior sighed again and began rocking the little girl she had been cradling in her arms. “Yes, Hani, the man will beat his wife again. But did you try to see what would happen to his wife had I not told the man where he could find her?” she said to her daughter.

“No,” came the sheepish reply from Hani.

“Had I not told the man where he could find his wife, other men would have found her. Ones worse than him. They would have taken money from other men so they could use her as they liked.”

Hani and Merthe both looked at the fire’s embers after hearing what their mother had told them. “Why do I not see that, mother? All I see is the man beating his wife. Then him lying in bed with a fever,” Merthe said.

“It is because the threads are now woven and other fates no longer exist. Had you looked at his wife when we met the man, you would have seen a different fate for her. A worse fate as strangers would have beat her worse than her husband does. And her sons would have become slaves while they would force her daughters to serve men as she did.”

Suddenly, Hani’s face lit up. “I think I see the man dying and the woman finds a new husband. One who treats her better. But there is a shadow over it and I can’t see it well. Can you mother?”

“You see a possibility for her. Yes, the blacksmith will die of a fever, that I am sure. As for his wife finding a new husband, that is in question. Other things must come together for that to happen. Things not involving her or her husband.”

Again Hani stared at the embers, as if studying something. “Mother, I can’t see a way we can help the woman have this new husband.”

“The way may not exist yet, or it is out of our power to influence directly. Hence, why you see a shadow over it,” Sarior explained. “But do not dwell on it too much, as I have already touched Fate’s hand enough in the matter.”

“Can we not then do something about the men who would have made the woman a harlot?” Merthe now asked.

“People,” Sarior said, shaking her head. “The people who would have made her a harlot. There were women who would have helped do that to her. Sadly, we have done all we can for now. If we were to try to do more, we would earn enemies that would pursue us and we could not help others.”

Hani’s eyes watered and tear up at this. “But what good is us knowing all this if we can’t help? It is like Fate is being mean to us.”

Closing her eyes, Sarior said, “Our sight allows us to help. What you and your sisters must learn is knowing when, where, and how to help. The path we would like people to be on is not always the path they need to be on. My grandmother, Deragel, sat a 5-year-old boy on a path that led to his death in battle. Had she done nothing, he would have become a prosperous ruler, but one who would have tortured anyone he thought who opposed him. Hundreds would have suffered because of him. She still agonizes over that decision even knowing those were the only 2 threads for that boy.”

“But how will we know what is the right thing to do, mother?”

“Merthe, I can only tell you what my mother told me when I asked her, and I wish there was a better answer. Look at as many possibilities as you can and try to be true to who you are. There are some paths that are set and can not change. Try to do the most good for people with the least effort, as helping too much is worse than not helping at all. This you must learn on your own.

“Now it is getting late. To sleep, both of you,” Sarior said to her daughters. After telling their mother good night, the two girls laid down and went to sleep.

When they awoke the next morning, they found their other sister, Feota, already awake, trying to roll up her blanket. Their mother was staring blankly at the fire.

“Mommy said when you wake up, we need to take Dorine to the stream and we all wash up,” Feota said to her 2 older sisters.

“Has something happened?” Hani asked.

“I told her I had a dream about ships and then she saw them. She’s been looking since then.”

“Feota, go with Hani and I’ll take Dorine,” Merthe said. “I hope mother will explain this to us when we get back.”

Only a few minutes had passed after the girls left when Sarior tamped the fire down, whispering, “Damn you Fate. Why must you make me sacrifice one of my daughters?”