SHIELD OF THE GODDESS

CHAPTER TWO

SHALA

THE TOWN ELDERS DID NOT COME looking for Shala the next day. She spent the day in the workshop with her mother, repairing fishing nets. The work gave her mind something to focus on. She could hear the thoughts of the women around her, but she was careful not to react to anything. All of them treated Shala the way they always had, with kindness and patience.

That night Mother took her home for a quick meal, then they went down to the shore. A stone tower stood there, with stairs spiraling to the top. People were carrying wood to the top to make a pile. Soon, the sun would set, and a fire would be lit to guide the fishing boats home.