Why would she be thinking of [i]those[/i] sorts of stories?! They’re dumb! And completely wrong! The priestesses are all radiant serenity, the day can always be saved with good vibes and holding hands, and the only [i]really[/i] bad things happen to the people who treat the priestess badly. Who would waste their time with crap like that?

(The best ones are when the priestess realizes the terrible roars are actually cries of pain. They approach the weary monster, armed only with kindness and soothing holy water. They speak a soft, gentle tongue that no one has dared to use with them before. They will wait, as long as it takes, for the monster to curiously snuffle their outstretched hand. The first touch. And their walls come crumbling down-)

A-anyway. Two Hundred Gates Temple. Never been, but yeah, she’s heard of it. Supposed to be not bad, if you like that kind of thing. And don’t mind adding a good pile of days to your journey, when hers ought to have been over tomorrow. What a pain, leaving for another trip when she’s already imagining the feel of a real bed again. A roof over her head. And yet.

When was the last time somebody’d thanked her? For anything? Not like she [i]needed[/i] it or anything, but. Still, how long? When was the last time someone left a perfectly good barge behind to chase after [i]her,[/i] in the driving rain, with half an umbrella, when she’d busted up the other half? All her thoughts had already begun to tread the same, bitter grooves in her heart, with nothing but a black, lonely night to look forward to. And yet.

[i]I wanted to. Thank you.[/i]

“Listen, bud...” The growl’s gone out of her voice. Now it’s as cold and hard as the icy rain. Take heed, little priestess, of the wisdom of beasts. “I’m flattered, really, but you gotta know it’s not gonna be that easy. You’re gonna get what you saw tonight, every day, and there’s nothing your veil’s gonna do about it. Maybe it’ll be N’yari. Maybe the people on the street. [i]Definitely[/i] your sisters, if we’re unlucky enough to run into them. Now, maybe I can get you there through all that, maybe I can’t, but you gotta know that some of that trouble’s gonna rub off on you, if you have me along.”

“You wanna change your mind? That’s your call, and I can respect that. Get your butt back to the river, catch that barge, and there’ll be no hard feelings. But if you wanna tag along,” Her hand shot up, cutting off the eager nodding before it could start. “Think. Really think about it, and make your choice. I’m not gonna have you regretting it.”

Can’t you see, bud? This is just the same mistake all over again. Please. Learn your lesson. Wise up. And get back to the barge.