[Child of the 7th Age]

Miri and Ráma

Ráma had gone no more than a few paces outside the tent when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure scurrying through the camp. Miri came sprinting towards her, with arms outstretched in greeting and an expectent look upon her face.

Customarily at the arrival of a new son or daughter, Eagle parents paired their young one with another child, girls with girls and boys with boys, some ten to fifteen years their elder. The latter earned the title of “helper” and were expected to pass on practical skills like hunting, herding, carving or sewing, whatever they could easily share. The clan regarded these ties quite seriously. A brief ceremony in front of the Elders often marked the parents’ initial choice. Sometimes, the two young ones became nearly as close as family, and remained intimate friends for the remainder of their days.

Ráma had been appointed Miri’s helper. In the past few years, she had taught the girl how to ride a horse as well as to read and write a few words of Westron. Miri’s mother had been anxious for her daughter to begin to master a useful craft like basketry or needlework, but Ráma had little ability of this type and was not interested in trying to learn or teach such skills. Instead, she and Miri had spent numerous afternoons combing the nearby countryside, hunting down interesting plants and animals, sometimes even slipping away to jump into the camp’s waterhole and swim, a practice that was strictly forbidden.

Miri came colliding into Ráma with a thud and immediately wrapped her arms about her waist, “You’ve been gone so long. I have much to tell you.”

“And I, you,” Ráma responded with a hug.

“Oh, no! This time, I have more,” Miri assured her with a wink of an eye and then stared fixedly at the ground, “Only I hope you won’t be mad. I got into a little trouble.”

In a few minutes Miri had blurted out the whole story: how she had turned into a butterfly with the help of Rôg and now had to promise not to do it again. Miri even added a bit of news that she had neglected to tell Rôg. She had managed to transform herself into a lizard, slithering inside the tent where Rôg was speaking with Narika and Thorn. Miri began repeating the conversation word-by-word. For a moment, Ráma listened, too surprised to react; then, she hastily shook her head ‘no’, and knelt down on the sand pulling the young girl towards her, staring straight into her eyes. “You must promise two things. While Rôg is here, you must honor your word not to change into anything else. And there is something even more important. You must never spy on another maenwaith , not now, not later. The only time you can do that is to save your own life or that of others in the clan. When you get older, they will teach you the rights and wrongs of shifting. And that is the very first thing you will learn.”

Miri gazed up and noted the solemn expression on Ráma’s face. Without a word of protest, the younger girl shook her head in agreement, and then reached out and buried her head in Ràma’s shoulder, as a tiny tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m sorry. Only it feels so good. I felt so happy.”

A tight knot constricted in the pit of Ráma’s stomach, as memories long pushed aside came slinking back inside her head. “I know. I know.... And I will do everything I can to help you. I will talk with my sister and see if we can get her to change her mind. Perhaps, she would agree if she herself took over your training.”

A look of alarm registered in Miri’s eyes. “But I don’t want that. If Rôg isn’t here, I want you to teach me.”

Ráma nodded with a sad smile, “That wouldn’t work. I can’t even manage on my own. You need someone to help who knows what they’re doing.”

Miri wondered what she had said that made her older friend so sad. But before she could think any more about that, Ráma had asked her to lead the two of them to Ayar’s new tent. This time, it was the younger girl who spoke with sadness, “Yes, come with me. I know the way. I feel bad about your mother. She was always so nice to me. I don’t understand why she has to leave us so soon….”

As the meaning of these words settled in, Ráma came to the flap of the tent and went inside, with Miri trailing behind her.