Rhian too had the leather but tonight she had chosen to wear the traditional colorful garments of the Many Gods. Similar in style to the Guardian�s leather but instead was made out of fabrics such as cotton and even silk. Rhian�s was a fine cotton that was dyed a navy blue that was lined with sparkly silver thread. Rhian�s mother was a supporter of the New Ways, or she at least feared it enough to obey it. Rhian�s mother would have rather she wear the long dresses that shielded the body from the eyes favored by the One God. Rhian�s grandmother always made her the finest clothes of the Old Way and the most intricate of Leather.
Ailis wore the new garments of the New Way. Which constantly got in the way and caught on twigs and thorns. Her touched nature already made her an easy victim and had been their parent�s choice to draw as little attention as possible to her. It was a long dress that went all the way to her ankles restricting her steps despite its billow and give. The under dress was a pale green gray moss while the top was a slate gray that was tied around her waist. The top of the under dress had little white buttons that were all buttoned up to her collarbone. Its flat collar met the straps of the slate gray sleeves that stop just below her elbow in the summer style of a peasant.
Cahira�s heart raced as she saw the leaping light of the flames flickering in the trees. The two girls looked at each other and smiled. They quickened their steps as much as they could with the restricted hobble of Ailis. When they broke into the clearing, she could hear the pounding of the drums in a primal dance. There was a good size crowd filled with everyone from the hotheaded rebel youths to the old men and woman who could no longer even straighten their backs. The air was infused with the energy of rebellion and rejoices, for a night the bounds of the One God were released.
Badir rushed forward to meet them. �You made it!� he declared happily. His curly auburn hair was matted with the dried blood and his left ear was covered in it. He was dressed in loose fitting black leather of his dead older brother. As always around his neck was the wood medallion of the God of Small Animals, which was in the shape of a rat with three eyes and eleven tails hanging on a brown leather cord. He shoved a wooden mug of ale into both Cahira and Rhian�s hands.
�Your head, its a bloody mess!� commented Cahira shocked as if she didn�t know.
�A small tussle with a border patrol soldier,� he lied with a sneaky half smile.
Cahira pretended to be impressed. �Why, you have save the festival in my absence,� she said.
�It was a rather small border patrol soldier and blind in the right eye,� said Badir off handedly.
�And smelled like a pig he did,� responded Rhian with a secret smile to both of them.
The group laughed. Badir took Ailis from Cahira�s reluctant grasp and placed the giggling girl on his back. �Have fun. I will tend to Ailis,� he said.
�Badir! Badir!� chanted Ailis happily. The skirt was bunched up around her waist exposing her stockings and small black shoes with their little strap around the front of the ankles.
�Oh no! You�re drunk! You�ll drop her!� accused Cahira reaching for her sister. However, Badir stepped away from her and Ailis swayed to avoid her touch.
�Ewald is before the fire. He will probably speak soon,� said Badir.
Forgetting her sister, Cahira ran holding onto Rhian�s hand so not to lose her in the crowd towards the fire. The two slender girls easily manipulated their way through the crowd to find themselves a place to see the Regent�s brother. He was not attractive by any standard. He had a hawk nose and deep socket little pig eyes with generous lips. However, he had a presence to him that was undeniably sexy. He was powerful, intelligent, and dangerous and he carried himself so it oozed from him like the scent of a rose from a budding dew covered rose blossom. Cahira and Rhian held on to each other transfixed by the man.