The young girl looked at the men and woman in the courtyard as they passed by the gate and abruptly stopped. “Mommy!? What are they doing?” The grace and fluidity of their movements fascinated her.
“They’re Monks Vannie. They are practicing their rituals.”
The little girl studied them for a few moments, committing the movements to her mind. Her mother noted the child’s intent look, she’d seen it before and gave a small little smile and gently tugged twice on the girls hand.
Vanessa continued for the next few days going back finishing her small chores quickly so she could go back and watch the Monks in the courtyard; she aped the movements as best she could from a distance. Occasionally one or two monks would see her; she’d smile, giggle and run away.
She had dreams of moving like the monks. She practiced every day, but even at a young age, she knew her movements were choppy and uncoordinated. She snuck out early in the morning just after her 6th birthday. She watched them for some time; she hadn’t seen them practice, spar, this early before. She stood there fascinated; then felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Vanessa, come away from the wall, they don’t need you leering at them all the time. You have chores to do.” Her mother wasn’t made, but smiled at down at her daughter. On the way home, Vanessa continued to look back. Her mother said something that she didn’t really register to her conscious memory until much later in her life. “Someday you will likely be a priestess or a monk I suppose.” Someday... someday Vanessa dreamed, that she would move like those monks.
“They’re Monks Vannie. They are practicing their rituals.”
The little girl studied them for a few moments, committing the movements to her mind. Her mother noted the child’s intent look, she’d seen it before and gave a small little smile and gently tugged twice on the girls hand.
Vanessa continued for the next few days going back finishing her small chores quickly so she could go back and watch the Monks in the courtyard; she aped the movements as best she could from a distance. Occasionally one or two monks would see her; she’d smile, giggle and run away.
She had dreams of moving like the monks. She practiced every day, but even at a young age, she knew her movements were choppy and uncoordinated. She snuck out early in the morning just after her 6th birthday. She watched them for some time; she hadn’t seen them practice, spar, this early before. She stood there fascinated; then felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Vanessa, come away from the wall, they don’t need you leering at them all the time. You have chores to do.” Her mother wasn’t made, but smiled at down at her daughter. On the way home, Vanessa continued to look back. Her mother said something that she didn’t really register to her conscious memory until much later in her life. “Someday you will likely be a priestess or a monk I suppose.” Someday... someday Vanessa dreamed, that she would move like those monks.
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