Greeting the Sun [Dawn, 27th Chyril]

[Maeve]

Each morning this is what drew the community of Sojen Tu Vien Long together. Everybody was there, in the central courtyard. All orders, all younger children still not assigned to something specific, visitors. A sea of yellow, red and brown, some black interspersed. Upon the rocks in the middle of the pebble filled courtyard the golden footprint of the first dragons landing on the continent that was now their home for thousands of yahren. The leading priest of the day stood waiting patiently, her bald head with the single grey braid bent, upon those very rocks, rising far above the gathering crowd. It was Long Minh An of the Weigh Heigh, a well respected adhiel woman, whose facial tatoos almost looked sinister in the darkness, a strange contrast.

The walls and the pillars were red. The runes upon the pillars, the banners that hung from the windows, they were all yellow and golden, lightening up even in the darkness just before dawn.

It was a day as any other. The day and night before a huge storm had drenched the monastery, but already the stones had dried and a clear sky greeted them. In the east, at the edge of the Eastern Ocean, red was slowly starting to spread, forewarning of the sun rising.

Something is in the air, An thought. Change.. She cast her premonitions from her mind as her voice rose to the heavens, singing her praise to the Kami. Upon the chorus the rest of the courtyard joined her.

[Ly Gia Giang]

Ah, singing. Another thing the matron wished her to learn. A lady should be able to entertain the guests of her house, more so the man who shared her bed as well. Not that such a man was likely to feature in her life any time soon. No, not until she could sing like the laughing wind... and right now, the closest wind it came close to sounding like was that which passed twixt ones' lower cheeks.
So Ly Gia Giang mimed the words of the chorus more than actually voicing them. The sound quickly perished beneath the onslaught of the faithful utterances of those around her, but she did her best.
For the purposes of anonymity she remained in her martial outfit. She'd change after the ceremony and return to her house in order to conduct a little business and while away many a mark being tutored by the ladies there. A smile threatened to twist her serene features. A thought had slipped fleeting through her mind, of her arriving at the main entrance of the house in this poor outfit, dishevelled hair, sweating and dirty, and being received by the matron. Ah, what a silly notion.

Giang was content now to think no more and just sing along without ruining the hymn, taking in the spreading fire of the yet rising sun, appreciating the lurid reds and pinks. Beauty was not wasted on her, for all the coldness that lay inside the young woman.

[Ly Binh Hue]

Hue was just another of the many individuals in the courtyard. It did not matter that she was a woman, nor that she was a Sojen. It did not matter what Kami she worshiped, nor in what way she did so. Her dark eyes, the same as so many around her, gazed quietly at Long Minh An as she sang her praises to the Kami. Even An, respected and wise, was just another individual. They were each grains of sand upon the beach, drops of water in the rivers, and Hue soon became one more voice joining in with the chorus of the song. Though she had no special talent of her own, Hue's singing voice was crystal clear, with a simplicity to it that, while it was not set apart, allowed her to join in without fear of embarrassing or singling herself out.

But this was not just ritual for Hue. It was not simply something she had to do, something that was required of her, something everyone else was doing. Ever since her earliest yahren Hue had been in awe of the sunrise. The colors that came with it filled the sky gently, gracefully, filling it without being invasive, lending beauty and wonder to the horizon. Even now as she sang Hue watched the reddening horizon with a fluttering heart -- though for all appearances she was entirely calm, her hands folded before her, features free of expression.

[Maeve]

The strangest sensation as all of their voices rose in praise. It was as if something shifted. Something was different. It came from the East, where the Sun had just started to lift from the horizon. Something was coming. Change. inescapable. A light breeze touched their faces as it moved over the courtyard, picking up slightly, reminding everybody of the storm that had raged only last gravetide.

"Something comes," Long Minh An declared, her voice ringing out though she spoke softly "It comes on the wind."

After that the ceremony was followed by a brief stretch exercise, which purpose was more to highlight the importance of physical cleanliness and keeping the body fit out of respect for the Kami. Within half a mark the ceremony was done and the community released into the day.

[Ly Binh Hue]

Though Hue's voice did not falter, her gaze moved from An to the East as a light breeze brushed a few loose strands of hair across the bridge of her nose. Something felt strange -- unusual. Unseen butterflies fluttered in her chest and troubled her.

"Something comes," An said, bringing Hue's attention back to her. "It comes on the wind."

The stretch that followed was hardly paid attention to as Hue moved through the motions. Her gaze was distant, a cloudiness in her pure black orbs as she considered An's words. Soon, however, she let go of her concern. Why should she worry? No good would come of it, and it would change nothing but the flow of her own energies. Answers would come in time, and Hue smiled softly when she remembered this, feeling a bit foolish for her initial reaction.

Once the exercise was over, Hue departed in silence, deciding it would instead be wiser to consider Phu's words ere she want to meet him at the pagoda.

[Maeve]

An made no more announcements, moving through the light physical exercise next, that brought both unity and good health. Each Sojen was thrown back upon his own reflection. There would be Change. Chaos. Threats. Opportunity. It was all in their hands.

[Maeve]

OOC: fin?

[Ly Binh Hue]

OOC: Fin.

[Ly Gia Giang]

OOC: Fin, as well

[Maeve]

Skilled!