Kendall's Story I- Short Story

Kendall's Story I

7- October 2004

Based on the writing challenge:
Write 400 words inspired by "religious freedom"

Kendall watched in interest as the young man argued with the cleric at the door. While she couldn't hear what was being said, it was clear the visitor would not be calmed down by the soothing voice of Brother Yaron. She guessed the impassioned speaker to be in his early twenties, if that. His sandy blond hair had just enough curl to make it unruly, and the beard looked out of place on him, like it had been grown to prove a point.

In the fifteen years she had lived at the temple, Kendall had heard stories of religious zealots from temples which worshiped other, lesser gods, but she had never seen one in person. She shifted slightly on her pillow in order to get a better view of the man. Careful to keep her face in the shadow of her hood, as was Darou's will, Kendall watched the man grow more adamant, now waving his arms in a gesture to encompass the inner sanctuary of the temple. Bits of conversation carried across the large hall as he raised his voice. "...not right...imprisoned...supposed god...kidnap..."

"Kendall."

The young woman turned on her pillow and kowtowed before the high priestess. Having served faithfully for the past twelve years of her life, ever since she could understand her place in the temple, had earned her a prestigious place in the service of Darou's main temple.

"Go and see if Brother Yaron needs assistance. If so, fetch the high priest in his chambers."

Once again Kendall pressed her forehead to the cool tile floor. She turned away from the high priestess and gracefully rose and crossed the room.

The visitor must have been causing quite an uproar to warrant the attention of the high priest, speaker on earth for Darou. Secretly Kendall hoped that Brother Yaron would signal her that he needed aid. She had never met the high priest before as she was only recently elevated to the top rank of servants of in the temple, the only rank to be able to see the head of the church. Her heart fluttered as she drew nearer the argument. The stranger had calmed down when he saw his tirade had drawn the attention of someone in the inner sanctuary.

As she drew closer Kendall noticed the man was a lot more attractive than she had first thought. Under the scraggly beard was a strong jaw line, and his blue eyes were the color of a clear, cool lake. I hope the high priest is half as attractive as this man. Kendall promptly stopped her path to the door and bowed her head to ask Darou's forgiveness for the inappropriate thought, and to thank the god for what she knew to be a great honor. In two months, at her coming of age, she would be elevated to status of concubine for the head priest for two years, or until she bore him, and thereby the sacred god, a child for servitude to the church if it were a girl, or the Brotherhood if she were lucky enough to bear a son.

Kendall resumed her journey to the door of the inner sanctuary and stopped the requisite two paces behind Brother Yaron. She shuffled to a stop to alert him of her presence. Before he could turn to address her however, the stranger demanded, "Who is that?"

Yaron indicated for Kendall to stay where she was, then turned back to the stranger. "She is a servant of Darou. That is all you need to know."

"Doesn't she have a name?"

"She does, but because she serves her god, that name is not for use outside of the temple, and certainly not by the likes of you."

The stranger turned to face Kendall and said, "What is your name?"

Kendall did not answer.

"Were you born here, or are you one of the stolen children? You don't have to be afraid to tell me," he said when she didn't answer him.

Kendall looked to Yaron for guidance, but he had already begun to answer. "She was an orphan left in the care of our lord Darou, and she will not speak because as a servant to the god she is not permitted to. Only those who earn favor in our lord's eyes earn the right to speak in the temple."

Yaron turned back toward Kendal, and signaled for her that he had everything under control. She bowed and turned to head back to her seat at the side of the high priestess.

"Wait," the stranger called out. Kendall ignored the plea. There was an unexpected smacking sound, and Kendall turned to see Brother Yaron falling back from the force of the punch. The stranger grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door. His grip was much too strong to break, and it was all she could do to keep pace with him as he ran toward the temple's exit, least she be dragged along behind him. She heard the high priestess shout out after her.

He pulled her through the gates and out into the streets of the city she had lived in all her life but had never seen. Finally he stopped in an ally several blocks down a winding path from the temple.

Carefully he pulled back the hood from her head. "You're free," he said. "If you come with me I can make sure you get a good start on a real life. You don't have to be a slave any longer."

Another man showed up and the blond haired stranger started excitedly telling him of how he managed to "liberate her from the clutches of that horrid establishment."

He did not notice the silent tears that fell as he talked about her freedom and the possibility of liberating others. She had left the sanctity of the temple, been defiled by the touch of a man and the outside world, and would no never be able to regain her status in the temple. In fact, she may not be accepted back to the only home she had ever known.