by John W Fort
CHAPTER 21
Youngling’s End is the first of three great celebrations in one’s life in the Great Province. The second is Greenling’s End, and the last is Marriage. Youngling’s End is much more than the passing of another season; it is the passing of all things youngling and the entrance into the world of greenlings and greenlias. Greenlias remain living at home until marriage, but for males becoming a greenling is the most profound experience of their life to that point.
Laborer greenlings usually remain at home, working with their own fathers until they marry. But Laborers marry quite young, sometimes very shortly after becoming greenling, as they need to learn few skills before they can begin working in earnest and support a family. Other greenlings leave their parents’ home after Youngling’s End. Merchant greenlings go to live with their master while they serve as an apprentice. Noble greenlings, like Merchants, move in with their new masters, but often do so in another village or even a city. The highest honor to a Noble greenlings is to be accepted by a Noble Master in Summit City. But Warrior and Intercessor greenlings move from their homes to stay in dormeries. The Warrior sector and Intercessor sector each have a dormery where greenlings live together under the care of a Dormer and Dormeress until marriage as an older greenling or adulthood, whichever comes first. Moving into a dormery was something Raef was very excited about.
Raef woke on the first sunrise of his thirteenth season with great anticipation. He got up and dressed quickly, before anyone else woke. After dressing he paused to look down on his bed. He smiled, knowing he would never sleep on it again. He did his New Leaf washing, ate some bread, then put on his robe and left for the Keep. He retrieved the key on the small table in the entry hall and took it to open the Ceremonial Lodge. He was early, so he decided to throw out the old fir branches they had been using in daily homage and cut some new ones. He took the old branches, which were beginning to turn brown, and ran to the forest. Raef dumped the old branches and quickly cut some new ones with his eating knife. He did not want to be late to homage, not this sun’s journey.
When Raef returned, the other apprentices were at the lodge looking for the fir branches. He handed the new ones out and they made two lines between which the villagers would pass as they held the branches high. Soon the Keepers arrived and walked between Raef and the other apprentices in their long red robes. When Keeper Dimmel passed through, Raef gently swatted him with his branch. It was not appropriate behavior for an apprentice, but the villagers were not there to see, so it brought no shame to the Keeper. Dimmel smiled at Raef.
After homage, Dimmel released Raef to prepare for Youngling’s End. Raef’s mother, Malta, took him to get new clothes for the last time. Raef noticed that she was a bit teary eyed, which he didn’t understand on such a happy occasion. Raef was measured for new trousers, for which he selected brown wool, a new white linen shirt, and new shoes. He was disappointed that there was no deer hide available, but he asked them to be cut with pointy tips at the end, a new fashion that had become popular in the village, especially among greenlings.
After purchasing new clothing, Raef went to the meadow where the older Intercessor younglings, including his friend, Domik, were gathering. Many younglings Raef did not know as they had too few seasons for him to remember from when he attended the Training Lodge. They played tag together in the grass until they were too tired to run any longer. Raef and Domik’s mothers arrived with baskets of sweet cakes and a cask of weak beer for the younglings. Then Raef’s father arrived, just before mid sun meal, and other families with smaller younglings, including Nilo’s, began to arrive from all over the village. When the word gets out that someone is celebrating Youngling’s End, it is polite for other younglings, even from other classes, to show up and see them off. The exception being Warrior families as they rarely attend any celebrations or ceremonies that are not within their own Warrior class. Chaz did show up, however, coming to greet Raef one last time as a younglings. Raef was surprised and happy to see him.
Families had brought dried meat, bread, and other food that could be eaten by hand. Raef’s father and mother told funny stories of him growing up, making everyone laugh. Raef watched Chaz, who was sitting near him, and noticed that when Chaz laughed it was not to make fun, but to laugh with him. Then Folor became somber and told the story of Raef standing up to the dragon when it attacked the Warriors. Folor recounted how Raef meditated for many suns afterward until Prime Rodon recovered from wounds everyone had expected to be terminal. Chaz looked away during this story. After the stories were over, the younglings got up for the traditional foot race. As they walked to the line Folor had drawn in the dirt, Chaz came to Raef’s side and put his arm around him. The youngling Warrior said nothing; he only smiled kindly at Raef, something he had not done for many seasons.
It is poor manners to outrun the one celebrating Youngling’s End at his or her own race. There was no chance of that happening, however as Raef’s long legs made it easy for him to win the short race even if the others actually tried to win. His mother yelled the starting signal, and Folor stood at the finish line to proclaim the winner. Raef was two spans ahead of the runner up.
After the race, Raef turned to all the younglings, Chaz, Nilo and Domik included, and waved goodbye to them. He then walked with his parents to the square. They stopped in the middle of the square, and his father patted him on the shoulder.
“You are a good son,” said Folor, “do well as a greenling.”
Raef’s mother hugged him tightly. She was crying a little. Raef hugged her back. He had to admit he would miss living in the same home as his mother.
“I will miss you,” said his mother.
“I will be living not far from the house, mother,” Raef said, “and I will see you frequently.”
His mother smiled, tears still in her eyes. Raef stepped away from his parents, smiled, then turned south, heading for the tavern. Raef didn’t really like taverns much. This was the closest tavern to the Intercessor sector and was said to be the quietest tavern in the village, but he did not like places where men became rowdy. Taverns were rowdy places.
Raef, still wearing his blue robe, entered the tavern. It was the same one where he had celebrated his eleventh season. Prime Keeper Bremen, Keeper Dimmel and Keeper Chaummer were there, all in their bright red robes. His father would not attend because, as was tradition, at Youngling’s End a father releases his son to enter the greenling world on his own.
Keeper Dimmel lifted a mug as Raef entered. Five other greenlings, all apprentice Intercessors, were sitting at a second table, and they gave a great cheer, lifting their own mugs. Raef joined the apprentices, who all slapped him heartily on the back. A little too hard, Raef thought. He was as tall as most of them, but looked much younger and was by far the slimmest of them all.
Raef was well acquainted with the Intercessor apprentices. They were Xoh, Mijo, Denol, Breem and Kommel. The youngest was Mijo who had fifteen seasons. Raef had been working alongside most them during sunrise homage for three seasons. But none of these greenlings were to become Keepers. They would, in fact, serve under Raef in time. But for now they were all apprentices, and even though Raef was finally a greenling like them, he was still the youngest. They teased him quite a bit, when the Keepers were not around, and he suspected it would probably get worse in the dormery. But they were not intentionally malicious, not like the Warriors had been when he was a youngling.
Keeper Bremen came up behind Raef and banged a large wooden mug down in front of Raef.
“No more weak beer for you,” said Prime Bremen, “have some ale like the rest of us!”
“Here, here!” cried the other five apprentices, raising their mugs in the air. Raef lifted his mug, and the five greenlings banged theirs against his, sloshing a fair amount of ale onto the table.
Raef took a drink, finding it stronger than he anticipated. Someone slapped him on the back, and he nearly spit out what was in his mouth. The innkeeper brought out wonderful smelling sausage
s and breads and even some cheese, a rare treat. The older greenlings began to devour them immediately. Raef giggled at the rudeness of the apprentices, who usually tried to impress adults around them with their properness. He looked at the Keepers, who were laughing as well. He shrugged and snagged two sausages, some cheese and a piece of bread. Raef was not bashful about eating, and he was not going to let these greenlings, even if they were older, make him go hungry.
The innkeeper continued to bring out more food and more ale as they talked and joked together. Raef was careful with the strong ale, but he noticed the other greenlings had begun to laugh too hard at things that were not particularly funny. The Keepers did not seem to care. They remained at the tavern until late afternoon, at which time Raef was full and tired of the hot, noisy room. They all left together, but the Keepers headed to their homes while the apprentices took Raef with them.
“Come on, Raef!” said Denol, one of the older greenlings, “we gotta show you some fun.”
“I am already an apprentice,” said Raef, “I do not need your help with that.”
“No, no, no,” said Xoh, “you need to come with us.”
Raef saw there was no point in arguing, so he let them drag him back to the square. A traveling band of minstrels were playing and singing at one corner of the square. A small crowd had circled around to sing along. The greenlings drug Raef to the circle, and they began to sing along loudly and badly. Raef wanted to hide, but they held him by each arm, trying to get him to sing. Minstrels were not a particularly highly esteemed group and as a result generally took ridicule in stride. When the greenlings sang too loud the minstrels smiled and tried to play louder, as if to accompany the rude apprentices. The young Intercessors began to stick out their tongues at the minstrels and make up silly words to the common songs and eventually it was obvious that even the minstrels were becoming annoyed with the greenling Intercessors.
After staying longer than Raef had liked, the group left the minstrels and dragged Raef through the streets of the Intercessor sector.
“Hello there, lovely!” said Breem as they passed a greenlia in the street.
As was proper for a female, the greenlia did not look up at them, but passed silently by.
“Now that’s a shy one,” said Kommel.
“You are all terrible,” said Raef.
“Oh, come, come, young Keeper,” said Denol, “we have to behave proper each sun’s journey. Everything we do is supervised, even in the dormery. We are allowed just a few times a season to be free of our masters, and we will act how we please when we are.”
The group calmed down a bit, but continued to roam the streets until dark. Raef was glad when they finally headed for the dormery. The dormery was in the middle of the cluster of Intercessor lodges, between the kitchen and the stables.
“Sweet smell on one side, foul on the other!” said Mijo.
The Intercessor class was the smallest other than the Nobles. As a result there were not many apprentice Intercessors at any one time. For this reason the dormery, while much larger than a normal home, was small for a lodge.
Raef entered the dormery in the center where the only doorway was. The center area, apparently for eating, had a fire pit in the middle and a very long table with benches off to one side. To the left was a wall and doorway to where the Dormer and Dormeress slept. To the right, just beyond the table and bench, was a long area that was obviously where the apprentices slept. No wall separated the eating and sleeping areas, but Raef noticed a curtain pulled against one wall between the closest bed and the table. A pole ran along the ceiling for it to run on so the sleeping section could be separated from the eating section. Sort of a giant privacy curtain behind which all the apprentices slept.
The sleeping section was at least twice as long as the eating section, four beds lining each of the two long walls. The feet of the beds faced the center isle with the head of each against the walls. The entire structure had only one window, positioned on the far wall of the sleeping area. Unfortunately, just beyond the lone window was the horse stable.
The beds had straw mattresses. Unlike Raef’s home, the mattresses did not lay on the floor, but were raised up on wooden boxes. Beside the head of each bed was a small table where the greenlings had folded their extra clothing. And the clothing was folded very neatly, Raef noticed. The beds were all neatly made as well and the floor swept clean.
“I didn’t expect it to be so…clean,” said Raef.
“The Dormeress beats us if we are messy,” said Xoh.
“I do not beat you!” came a woman’s voice as the Dormeress came out of her quarters. She was a squat woman with peppered hair and a ruddy but smiling face.
“Don’t believe a word any of them say,” she said to Raef. “My name is Neena, and I am the Dormeress.”
“Good to meet you, Neena,” said Raef.
“And what,” said Neena, turning to the others, “possessed you to think you could stay out so late?”
“This is Youngling’s End for master Raef!” said Denol, “It would be rude to make him turn in early.”
“I will turn you in early, you bunch of brutes!”
Neena grabbed a long stick that had been leaning against the wall and took a swat at Denol. The greenling laughed and jumped out of range. Neena gave him a fierce look back.
“Ready for bed, now, all of you!”
Neena’s face melted into a smile, and she turned back to Raef.
“Wait one moment, apprentice Raef, I have a package for you.”
Neena disappeared into her room and reappeared quickly with a package wrapped in twine. Raef took it and opened it. It was his new trousers, shirt and shoes along with his old night robe. He smiled. Neena threatened the other greenlings again then returned to her room. Raef wondered where the Dormer was. Breem showed Raef which was to be his bed. It was the third bed from the door. Reaf noticed the last two beds, nearest the window, were empty. He started to ask why the six greenlings were crowded together at the end nearest the fire rather than spread out among all eight beds until he caught the scent of the stables coming through the window. Denol pulled the privacy curtain closed and the greenlings began changing into their night robes, not bothering to turn and face the wall as they dressed. Raef turned away from them to change. These beds were longer than his old bed at home. That would be nice, as tall as he had become. The beds looked odd sitting so tall. He sat on his new bed and noticed how strange it felt to sit on a mattress so high off the ground. When he stretched out on it, however, he decided he liked the feeling of being off the floor. It made him feel…older.
It was hard to get to sleep that night. Some of the greenlings snored, though not as loud as his father. It was strange to have people sleeping so close to him. The greenling on his left side was close enough he could have reached out and touched him across the isle. He felt crowded even though he had plenty of room on his bed. He could also smell the faint odor of horse manure coming through the open window. That would take getting used to. Raef rolled over, trying to get comfortable.
He listened to the night sounds coming from the window. It sounded different, somehow. Then he realized he was farther from the forest. It was harder to hear the tree frogs here. His old home had been right on the edge of the forest. The dormery was not. Between him and the forest were the Ceremonial Lodge, the Healing Lodge, and at least two houses. He didn’t know why, but that bothered him. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
