Sissira sat near the low stone table, completely absorbed in her work. Several bundles of dried herbs lay arranged around her, each separated carefully. With steady hands, she measured small portions and crushed them together in a shallow bowl.
Hearing footsteps outside, she spoke without looking up.
"Sit down. I had to care for a patient yesterday, so I told Averin to send you home."
Her voice was calm as always, her attention still fixed on the herbs she was measuring.
Ardis quietly sat down nearby.
She watched closely as Sissira worked.
First, the herbs were ground into a fine mixture. Then Sissira added a small amount of liquid, slowly stirring until the powder thickened into a smooth paste.
Ardis leaned forward slightly, fascinated by the process.
Soon Sissira finished mixing and carefully spread the paste across a flat stone, smoothing it evenly with a thin wooden spatula so it could dry properly.
Only then did she glance at Ardis.
She noticed the curious and attentive look in the girl's eyes and gave a small approving nod.
"Maybe next spring the choosing of new priestesses will begin," Sissira said.
She wiped her hands with a cloth before continuing.
"I will try to teach you as much as possible before that."
Ardis straightened slightly.
Then Sissira added in a firm but calm tone,
"Don't become overconfident just because you started learning earlier than the others."
Ardis listened carefully.
"Some are extremely talented," Sissira continued. "As if they were meant for this role."
Ardis nodded.
"Yes."
She already knew what Sissira meant.
Sissira had told her many times about the year she herself competed for the priestess position.
Even though Sissira had begun learning early, there had been another female who could remember almost everything after hearing it once. Her talent had been frightening.
She might have become the priestess instead.
But unfortunately, something had happened to her before the final selection.
The competition for priestesses was never simple.
It involved knowledge, skill, reputation, and sometimes hidden conflicts between families.
The role of the priesthood was deeply tied to the power structure of the tribe.
Just as Sissira had once competed to become a priestess, the Snake Chief had competed to become the Village Chief during the same period.
If Ardis one day became a priestess, she would also stand beside the future Village Chief and support his leadership.
And in the next generation, that chief would likely come from her own family.
Her uncles were already among the strongest candidates for the future position.
But that also meant the situation was complicated.
Some of the females competing for priestess were partners or relatives of those same uncles.
They were allies in family… yet rivals in the priestess selection.
Ardis looked down thoughtfully.
The future competition would not only test knowledge.
It would test loyalty, reputation… and strength of character as well.
Sissira watched her quietly for a moment, as if she could already guess the thoughts running through Ardis's mind.
Sissira placed the last of the drying herbs aside before turning fully toward Ardis.
"Don't worry," she said calmly. "I will support you."
Ardis looked up.
"Averin is leaving after you make your selection for your first male." Sissira continued. "But Averin told me that when the time for the competition comes, she will return to help you."
Ardis hesitated slightly at that.
Sissira noticed the expression immediately.
"You're thinking about your uncles," she said.
Ardis nodded faintly.
Sissira shook her head gently.
"I don't think they will mind."
Her tone was certain. "Focus on learning first," Sissira added.
After that, she began carefully teaching Ardis.
She showed her how to identify several herbs by smell and texture, explaining which ones cooled fevers, which ones slowed bleeding, and which ones were dangerous if mixed incorrectly. Ardis listened closely, repeating the names and uses until Sissira was satisfied.
Time passed quietly as they worked.
After a while, footsteps sounded outside the hut.
Borin and Varek had come to pick her up.
"Time to go home," Borin said.
Ardis nodded, gathering the small bundle of herbs Sissira had prepared for practice.
With the two brothers walking beside her, she returned to her house.
Astra was already waiting.
The moment Ardis stepped inside, Astra's eyes lit with curiosity.
"So," she asked immediately, "how was he?"
Nearby, Aeron sat against the wall, pretending to focus on sharpening a wooden stake. But his ears were clearly attentive.
Ardis sat down and carefully placed the herbs Sissira had given her on the table.
"He was nice," she said.
A faint redness touched her cheeks.
Astra noticed immediately.
"Do you like him more than the one before?" Astra asked. It sounded like a question, but her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.
Ardis hesitated before replying.
"We talked a lot."
Astra nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, I suppose that's already an improvement," she said. "The first one wasn't very talkative… or perhaps he simply struggled to hold a conversation."
She leaned forward slightly, eyes bright with interest.
"Now tell me everything."
Ardis sighed softly but began explaining the meeting, recounting the conversation piece by piece, what Sereth had said, the questions he asked, even the way he explained things.
Astra listened carefully the entire time.
When Ardis finished, Astra leaned back slightly in thought.
"It sounds like he's someone you could have deep conversations with," she said.
Then she added calmly,
"But let's not rush to decide. There are still three more to meet. You might like one of them even more."
Ardis nodded.
Astra secretly felt that the Fox Tribe's traditions were simpler. Usually, the female's father would choose the potential mates first. Each male had to gain the approval of the entire family before any bond was allowed.
The Snake Tribe, however, believed strongly in giving females their own choice.
That freedom also made things far more complicated.
Later, as usual, Ardis went to her room and prepared a mixture of herbs she would present to Sissira the next day as practice.
By the time she finished, dinner was ready.
After eating with her family, she soon went to sleep.
The next morning followed their usual routine.
Astra gently brushed berry juice across Ardis's lips before helping her choose the furs she would wear that day.
Soon after, Aeron and Sylas escorted her toward the meeting place.
Sylas, as always, couldn't resist teasing.
"So, second meeting today," he said with a grin. "I can't believe little Ardis is going to a meeting so soon."
Ardis shot him an annoyed look.
"Be quiet."
Sylas laughed.
"Oh? Are you nervous?"
"I'm not."
"You are."
They bickered back and forth the entire walk, Sylas clearly enjoying every opportunity to provoke her.
Even though it annoyed her, the familiar banter eased the tension in her chest.
By the time they reached the meeting place, she felt far less nervous.
Not far away, Averin stood leaning against a tree, watching lazily.
She didn't approach this time.
Instead, she simply lifted a hand and waved from a distance.
Ardis waved back before continuing forward alone.
Behind her, Aeron and Sylas turned to head back toward the village.
Ardis took a quiet breath and walked toward the meeting place, where the next male was already waiting.
Tharion was waiting near the edge of the clearing, seated on a fallen log. He was huge with a serious look.
He rose immediately when he saw Ardis approaching.
"Did you walk here alone?" he asked first.
Ardis blinked slightly.
"My fathers left me near this place," she said.
Tharion nodded once. His eyes briefly scanned the surrounding trees and open ground before returning to her, as if making sure everything was safe.
"Good."
They sat down on the grass, leaving a comfortable distance between them.
Tharion didn't rush to speak. His presence felt steady and grounded, not overwhelming.
For a moment, they simply listened to the quiet sounds of the forest.
Then he asked,
"Are you tired?"
Ardis smiled faintly.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked.
Tharion studied her face for a second before answering honestly.
"You look a little worn," he said. "But not unhappy."
Something about the way he said it made Ardis relax slightly.
"Yes," she admitted. "I was working on herbs."
Tharion nodded in understanding.
They sat quietly again before he spoke.
"You want to become a priestess?" he asked.
"Yes," Ardis answered without hesitation.
Tharion tilted his head slightly.
"Why?"
Ardis thought for a moment.
"I want to help everyone, I guess," she said with a small smile.
Tharion looked at her for a moment longer than before, and there was clear respect in his gaze.
Then Ardis grew curious.
"Why did you join the competition?" she asked.
Tharion didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the nearby stream as if recalling something.
"The first time I saw you," he began slowly, "you were with your uncles near the river."
Ardis blinked in surprise.
"You were trying to catch fish."
Her eyes widened.
"You had bad aim," Tharion continued calmly. "So you kept missing."
Ardis immediately felt embarrassed.
She remembered that day very clearly.
Her uncles had laughed at her every failed attempt.
"The second time I saw you, you were helping the priestess make medicine," he said. "You were grinding herbs and helping treat a female who had been injured."
His voice was steady, but there was a quiet sincerity behind it.
"I thought you were nice," he finished simply.
Ardis felt warmth creep up her face.
She lowered her eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling shy.
When she finally looked back at him, she noticed something unexpected.
The tips of Tharion's ears were slightly red.
He seemed completely serious, but the color gave away his embarrassment.
For a moment, Ardis just stared.
Then she smiled.
The nervousness she had felt earlier slowly faded, replaced by a gentle, amused warmth between them.