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“…a perfect image of a priest(ess)…”

Mother Superior, and High Priestess, Andrea Lena sat hunched over her desk with one hand pointing to a line of verse on a rather large plexicon and the other copiously writing notes on paper. She realized that nobody wrote with pen and paper anymore, indeed few wrote at all. But this exercise assisted her in remembering specific facts and passages for an opportune time.

She didn’t look up when the soft knocking on her door occurred nor did she remark to enter or not. Her clerics knew that silence was an indication of assent. The door slowly swung open and the Mother Superior Mary from the baths escorted La and Lilith into the vast room. They walked up to the desk and stood silently while Mother Andrea made a final note.

“Thank you Mother Mary. Would you be kind enough to wait in the outer office?” Mother Andrea looked up and smiled at the trio. Mother Mary nodded and withdrew with a graceful gliding motion.

As Mother Andra stood and walked around her desk, La realized that she was one of the two who accompanied Eve the prior evening for dinner. La hadn’t taken notice of how tall and imposing a figure she was. Her face bore no color other than that which she was created with and she wore a full length habit, hood, and vestment this day. She had deep brown eyes and her facial features silently spoke of great inner strength and faith.

Mother Andrea motioned the women over to a small seating area by the large bay windows over looking the Temple gardens on the top floor of the tower. She sat facing La and Lilith and smiled. She looked at La and spoke.

“So…this is your first day in Eden and already you are moving in the highest of circles.” La looked at her hands and blushed. Mother Andrea chuckled. “Whatever will you be doing tomorrow I wonder. So what brings you two here.” She spread her arms in a welcoming motion.

The ladies looked at one another trying to decide who would begin with barely noticeable facial expressions and eye motions. La decided to start.

“This is Lilith…”

“I know who she is…and I certainly know who you are. So let’s dispense with the niceties and get on with it, shall we?”

The two ladies both looked down and blushed at the Mother’s bluntness. Again La spoke.

“Lilith has a…problem with her Alpha and their relationship. She needs help.”

Mother Andrea placed her fingers together in ‘praying’ style and cast her gaze over to Lilith.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on. An abbreviated version will do.” Mother Andrea smiled sympathetically.

Lilith looked at La and reached out to hold her hand, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Mother Andrea. She began to tell what had been happening over the past several months with La chiming in every so often.

Mother Andrea’s face began to redden from its normally ashen pallor. Of course Lilith broke down into tears during her recitation and La handed her a face wipe from her shoulder bag. When she told of being struck by Sue on several occasions, Mother Andrea’s lips drew tightly enough against her teeth to turn white and her palm struck the table top.

At this point she got up from her chair and walked over to a wooden cabinet. She opened the carved doors and placed three goblets and a craythur on the pull out leaf. She poured a bit into the three goblets and carried them back to the table. Mother Andrea handed one to each of the women.

“This has a luscious bouquet and a marvelous nutty taste.”

“Will it help?” Lilith sniffled between tears as she grasped the goblet.

“Well…if you have enough you might believe you truly see sun light through these windows, but otherwise, sadly, no.” Mother Andrea chucked and smiled. She inhaled the wonderful aroma and took a sip.

La looked at Lilith, who returned her look of surprise. This was not wasted on Mother Andrea.

“What? You were expecting a saint? Nobody is without sin or some lack of temperance. The only difference is that I attempt to be a little bit more saintly day by day. A good deed here, a kind act there; they all add up to make us a bit more saintly. And YOU…” She pointed at Lilith quite boldly. “…are my good deed and kind act of the day.”

“What will I do?” Lilith asked once she had control of her emotions.

“This is really good. What is it?” La’s face began to flush from the alcohol in the drink.

“I couldn’t tell you. Would you believe that the insubordinate little snips refuse to tell even Mother Eve what is in it or how they make it. The sisters brew this golden measure way back in the crevasse and only those involved know where.”

Mother Andrea took another sip and placed the goblet down as she sat once again.

“Yes…well…it seems to be a rather clear cut case of abandonment at the least. The unbinding should be no problem. As I recall, your Alpha rarely steps into the Temple anyway; am I correct?”

“Yes, that is true. I was always coming by myself…until I stopped.” Lilith blushed and lowered her head.

“There is also a clear cut case for exiling her. We do not tolerate this type of violent abuse between bound couples.”

“You can’t do that! That’s not why I came!”

“This is not a confessional. You should know that. What she did cannot go unpunished. It’s not two Alphas or two Betas scrapping over a mate. And it certainly isn’t a rare blow because of emotions or opinions. This is a sickness, a defect of personality, or even worse, a premeditated act of disaffection.” Mother Andrea was quite animated as she spoke and she steely gaze let the women know that something would have to be done.

“But…but…” Lilith sputtered.

“Yes, I know, you still have feelings for her. You may even still feel you love her though you couldn’t give me one good reason why. Do you know why we are so stringent about this violence thing?”

Lilith knew but La was unaware.

“Before the great freeze, there was a time of true darkness for us. The older faiths waned and finally fell to the new faiths of intolerance. These faiths were a great perversion and a curse to womankind. We had to hide behind veils and cover our bodies and heads. We couldn’t voice opinions or direct our own lives. We were beaten and whipped for speaking our minds. Those who chose to do other than what the men in their families desired were stoned to death, beheaded, whipped, or, like our Savior, crucified.”

The two women could see the anger rise in Mother Andrea as she spoke. She incessantly struck the table top with her index finger to emphasize a particular point.

“Their God was a male God and their God’s image was that of a man. Their priests were male and all of their law makers were men. Our only place in that life was to sit, fetch, and roll over like our own trained dogs!”

Mother Andrea stood suddenly and began to pace as she spoke.

“We were beaten, raped, and brutalized without any reason. The men doing the beating, raping, and brutalizing simply desired to do so and their laws, even their religious laws, were on their side. Our bodies and souls were no longer our own. When we finally rose with our Savior on that third day, we swore that never again would any woman be subjected to that kind of violence by anyone. I repeat…ANYONE!!! Now we have OUR laws and OUR faith to protect us!”

The two Betas sat in awe of Mother Andrea’s passionate and heart felt elocution. Her eyes were full of the fire of righteousness and the veins in her temples stood out. They knew that she would do whatever it took to see this wrong righted. She got up from her chair once again to fetch the craythur and she poured them all a bit more of the golden liquid before sitting again.

“You must forgive me. I get a bit carried away when I think of the passion of our Savior and the events leading up to it. Now…” Mother Andrea turned toward Lilith as she spoke. “…here is what we’ll do. I will send a team to help you move your things today. Right now in fact. You will stay here with us and under our protection.” Mother Andrea turned toward the huge double doors of her office and bellowed; “Mother Mary!”

Mother Mary entered the room and gracefully walked across the office and stood before the three seated women. Mother Andrea nodded her head toward to craythur. Mother Mary smiled and got a goblet for herself. She sat down and poured herself a bit of the golden liquid and took a sip.

“Mary dear, we need to move Lilith discreetly out of her quarters and back here as soon as possible.”

Lilith and La were taken aback at the speed at which Mother Andrea wanted things done. Lilith thought that perhaps she would have a day or two to ready herself. Mother Mary smiled and nodded.

“I can have a crew and a shuttle docked at her balcony within an hour. Nobody will take notice and with no movement through the hall way, things will present themselves as normal.”

“An excellent idea.” Turning toward Lilith, Mother Andrea spoke. “Take only that which is yours. You will live here under our protection and Mother Mary will make sure you have everything you need.”

“But I was hoping to…” Mother Andrea held up her hand to stop her.

“There are no buts.” She was quite firm. “This is not exactly a common and ordinary unbinding. You are with a Director and she will not be happy with you leaving. No indeed; she will not be happy at all. Though this may be what she wanted, I am sure Sue would want it at her time and convenience. But the threat of physical violence is too great to allow this to continue.”

“Can La come with me?”

Mother Andrea looked at the two friends sitting, holding hands, and pursed her lips in thought.

“No. And I don’t want you out together unaccompanied until this thing is over and done with. In fact…” Mother Andrea turned to Mother Mary. “…I don’t want Lilith out alone at any time.” Lilith looked at Mother Andrea with a shocked expression on her face. Mother Andrea smiled and was sympathetic. “Look dear, we simply want to be careful and we certainly don’t want to take chances with your well being. This is only till things are finalized and you have a place of your own. Then, if you wish, we will cease being a nuisance to you.”

“We’d best be going.” Mother Mary finished her drink and stood.

The other three women stood and La and Lilith said their good byes. Lilith thanked Mother Andrea for her help and left with Mother Mary. As La turned to say her thanks, Mother Andrea sat back in her chair.

“I think they would make a lovely couple, don’t you?” Mother Andrea giggled. “Now, you and I need to speak. Should I consider this a confession?” There was a sly look upon her face. “Or shall we call this a simple lesson in life?”

La sat back down and blushed. She knew what Mother Andrea was speaking of.

“A confession?” It was more of a statement than a question really. “I am a bit confused by this all.”

“No doubt my dear, no doubt at all. This is a confusing time we live in so why should your life be anything less.” Eve chuckled at the look of perplexity on La’s face. “After all, you’ve been in the real world for about…one (lunar) year? And most of that time was spent in the wilderness with your Alpha. Is that correct?”

Mother Andrea knew it was but she wanted La to acknowledge the fact. She nodded her assent.

“Good. There are no laws up top. That is the land of your Alpha and her only law is to survive. In those terms she is a very, very law abiding citizen. But down here where we mere mortals live, there are rules and laws and customs and even traditions. You are only vaguely familiar with some of them. You communed with Lilith, didn’t you?”

La looked down at her hands and blushed.

“Well it wasn’t that hard to tell. I mean if she could sit in your lap she would have; the way you two were looking at one another…and that hand holding business. How do you feel about that?”

La looked up at Mother Andrea with a confused expression on her face. She thought about what she felt and how she felt.

“I love her? And I feel for her. But it’s not the same as with Na. I mean, I really didn’t commune with her as much as she with me? And I feel…I feel…” La was having trouble finding the proper word. “…I feel…guilty? I mean… maybe I shouldn’t have done it?”

Mother Andrea looked at her coyly and smiled. ‘A true empath’, she thought.

”Look dear child, you cannot help but feel for the people you meet. That’s part of who you are. That’s the way you were made. The guilt comes from the little extra personal touch you gave that poor woman. She was so totally starved for affection and attention and then along comes naíve La.” Andrea spread open her arms, hands palms up. “You tell her everything she wants to hear; everything she needs to hear, and she feels she needs to touch and hold you; to feel your soul touch her own through your body.”

“So why do I feel so badly about…you know…the touching?”

“You have bonded spiritually with another; one of your choosing; one who you had to work very hard to get close to. You put a lot of effort and thought and work into that relationship, right?”

“Yes, I really did.” La’s voice was earnest. “I really wanted it to work, you know? She’s very special…special to me.”

“And this Lilith isn’t. She’s simply a woman with special needs at the moment. You feel bad because you reserve your touch, your love, you soul for your special mate and you shared some of that with a woman who isn’t quite as special…to you. You feel that you are deceiving your Alpha with this little bit of…body play with another.”

La nodded.

“And you feel like you need to tell Na-Gen of what happened and why.”

La nodded again.

“And you will feel better for doing so, right?”

La again nodded her agreement.

“But for who will you feel better; yourself or your mate? Isn’t it really a selfish motive? Think about how you would feel if Na came to you and said that she communed with…Sue…or better yet…Eve? How would you feel?”

“I think I would feel…hurt…and maybe angry.” La looked down at her hands and realized that maybe Mother Andrea had a point after all.

“Angry…hurt…an interesting choice of emotions for sure. Just image how it would be should you already be bound; the oaths taken and the vows said; the knot tying you both together already made. How would you feel then?”

A tear fell from La’s eye as she thought about what Mother Andrea was saying.

”Am I making you feel even more guilty?” La nodded her head as more tears fell. “Good!!! That was my intent. You come from a very lone place to one filled with millions of souls. You are empathic; you feel the pain of others. You can’t simply go and commune freely and without thought to your acts, and the consequences of your acts. Suppose that Beta thinks that you now love her and want to be with her when the truth is quite different?”

La looked up at Mother Andrea and nodded her head.

“There really is nobody to stop you from doing whatever you please. But you’ll find that word travels quickly here and in no time at all you might find yourself isolated from everybody around you simply because you have no self control. You have a great gift but with that gift comes a great responsibility. You can heal but you must be so very careful how you choose to do so.”

“I still feel the need to confess to Na about this.”

“You must certainly follow your conscience. I doubt she will understand how you feel though. What would you tell her to explain yourself?” Mother Andrea poured another wee bit of the golden liquid into their goblets. “How will you make her understand? Now remember, you need use references she will understand.” Mother Andrea took a sip of the savory drink as did La.

“I suppose I would tell her the truth…literally. I felt this need in her and was overwhelmed to fulfill it. I don’t think I will mention with who it was. I don’t really think that is important. The fault was with me, not with Lilith. I am the one who should have known better. I will also tell her that I really didn’t commune with her as much as she with me.”

“Well, you certainly are on the right track. It will be important for you to reaffirm your love of her. As long as you remember that the temptation here will be so very great, and appealing, you’ll be fine. You must always focus on the one you truly do love. I sense that one day women will line up simply to have a word or two with you and be blessed by a word or two in return. Those words will mean little unless you can lead the way by example. They will do as you do, and as you say ONLY if it is the same as you do.”

La nodded and smiled. Mother Andrea got up from her seat and reached out for La. She took La’s face gently within her hands and bent to kiss her on the fore head. She then bent at the knees to hug her and put her cheek against La’s.

“I heard that you held a Mass for the Eucharist and recited it perfectly.”

La nodded her head.

“You shall be a great gift to us all.” She kissed the side of La’s head and stood up. “Now it is time for you to return to the world outside these walls.”

“May I come and visit Lilith?”

“Yes. But remain within these walls when you do so. I really don’t have the women to spare to follow you two around and this business shall be done soon enough. Simply remember who you are and who you truly commune with and you will be fine.”

“Will you exile Sue?”

Mother Andrea looked at the Beta and took a deep breath.

“I will speak to Eve before I do anything and you will not mention a word to anyone about the goings on today. Do you understand?”

La saw the seriousness in Mother Andrea’s eyes and nodded her head. Mother Andrea escorted La through the massive double doors of her office and into the presence of her secretary, who stood when the two women entered the outer office.

“Sister DeeCee…this is La-Gen. She will be visiting us from time to time. Please let me know immediately when she does come. And would you please be so kind as to escort her down to the Basilica.”

Mother Andrea turned and once again hugged and kissed the Beta before returning to her office. With a smile Sister DeeCee took La’s hand and led her out. Mother Andrea went to her desk and addressed a message to Eve; ‘Keep Sue busy.’

Na had about enough of the meeting as she could handle. She was unaccustomed to working with others; especially other Gen-7s. The meeting reached a point of consensus and then broke down somewhat into a chance to catch up on whatever news they could glom from any source.

Of course the freshest topic was the thick hair atop Na’s head. They all had to touch it and feel it. She allowed them that much. After all, the others hadn’t been to Eden in quite some time. Na even rolled up the sleeves of her tunic to show them her hair denuded arms.

“Listen up!” Na spoke as she got up. “A few last words before we adjourn. You all know your assignments. All reports through me only. I will forward what is needed to Commander Sue. And another thing…” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Try and fit in. After working hours wear regular clothing. If you wish you may grow your hair, or remove it as you may choose. They are frightened enough of us as is…so do try and fit in while you are here. You are dismissed for the day.”

As they slowly filed out and spoke to one another, one of them lagged behind a bit. It was one of the newer Gens; Beth-Wan.

“I’ve heard they captured an ice tiger…a big one.” Na looked up at her in surprise. “That’s why we are three short. The tiger got them.”

“Who told you this?” Na kept calm whilst inside she was screaming in excitement. Beth looked around as if to see whether anyone else could hear.

“When we came in this morning, I overheard two of the flight deck workers speaking about it. I pulled one of them aside…” Beth grinned and giggled. “…and I asked her again very discreetly about it.”

“That is interesting information. Who else knows of this?”

“I don’t know. The flight deck crew was very reluctant to tell me anything…at first. I think the others knew but were keeping quiet.”

“Good.” Na smiled and looked into Beth’s eyes. “Let’s keep this between us for now.”

Na finally stepped of the transporter onto her floor. The security people saluted her and she returned their salute as she walked silently past. She was tired. ‘This meeting business was more tiring then the hunt’ she though as she walked to the doors of her quarters.

Na stepped inside the doors and immediately saw La asleep on the lounger. She was curled up and covered completely with a blanket. Na smiled and thought she was not the only one to find this kind of life tiring. She removed her tunic and silks and dropped them as she silently approached her sleeping Beta. Na stopped less then a meter from the lounger and discarded her boots, pants, and silk bottoms in a pile.

Na stood and watched her covered Beta and smiled again. She watched as the blanket covering her rose and fell with her gentle breathing. Na kneeled down at La’s covered head and brought her face to within inches of La’s. That’s when she smelled an aroma of incredible delight.

Na, trying not to disturb the sleeping Beta, carefully pulled the blanket down and off of her face. La opened one eye, smiled, and giggled. She threw her arms around Na’s neck and spoke.

“I’m tipsy!”

“What?”

La laughed and kissed Na all about her face. Na chuckled and lifted the Beta up into her arms. She turned toward the steps and carried her up to their bedding room. Na gently placed La upon their platform and then laid down next to her. Na licked La’s lips to try and discover what mysterious flavor came with such an amazing aroma. She had no success.

“I love you.” La said as she closed her eyes. Na smiled and laid silently behind her.

More Ice Tiger soon: