A Fool's Goddess - Chapter Nineteen
Once we had a good supply of stone and clay, Hed and I made our way back to Tresety. He continued to play at ignoring me long after I stopped talking about my new goal, whistling impromptu songs as we walked. By the time we were back at the studio, I was sufficiently tired of his games, enough that I decided to send him out to tell Tzofiya about the finished pots. Two birds, one stone.
While I unloaded the cart in pleasant silence, I looked towards the mountain. The morning fog was too thick to see through, but I still felt wistfully drawn to that cliffside. Part of me itched to just drop everything start chipping away at that stone face, but a larger part knew better. As obnoxious as it might be, I needed to bide my time, clear my debt, and prepare myself for such an undertaking.
It wouldn’t do to mess up such a grand promise after all.
Half an hour later, the cart was empty and I was back in the studio, taking a small breather on my bed. Just as I was thinking about resuming my pottery, I heard the door open. I hopped up to sarcastically welcome my apprentice back.
However, he wasn’t alone now. With his mother right behind him, Hed stepped into the studio.
“Tzofiya! To what do I owe the pleasure?” I greeted.
“Hey there, Master Lior,” she replied with a smirk. “Figured I stop on by and check out your work for myself, see if you’re worth the trouble of keeping you.”
“Prepare to be impressed then. These four are only the start of what I can do.”
With that, I brought her over to the pots while Hed went back to his practice. Tzofiya did actually seem impressed by the final product, but after going so long without a potter, I’m sure she would have approved of anything halfway decent. I also explained the finer points of what made these pots exceptional, though she just nodded through my report.
“Well, I’m glad to see it’s all working out,” she said as soon as I finished. “So there aren’t any problems with the clay or your new furnace, huh?”
“Nope. Never would have thought I’d be making pottery in a modified oven, but your smith certainly lived up to his reputation.” I then remembered I had a relevant question. “By the way, what’s his name?”
“You don’t know?”
“Yeah. I forgot to ask.” I sheepishly scratched at the back of my head.
“He worked in your home for four days and you never asked his name?”
“Somehow. I’m a bit surprised by my own rudeness, but Hed was telling me he didn’t know it either.”
Tzofiya sighed. “Lior, he was lying. Of course my son knows his name, I introduced them to each other.”
“Ngh… That little…”
“How many times am I gonna have to tell you to think a little harder instead of just going with what he tells you?”
“Hopefully not too many more…”
“Well, for the record, his name is Jonathan.”
“Huh. I’ve never heard that one before.”
“His folks are from overseas, so even though he was born in Diesor, he got one of their traditional names. “
“Well, thanks for clearing that up.”
“Not a problem.” Tzofiya then paused for a moment. “Actually, there was another thing I needed to talk to you about.”
“What is it?”
“Now, I would normally assume this was another prank of his, but I wanted to double check with you, on account of how… peculiar you can be. I’ll apologize in advance if I end up treading on anything sensitive.”
“… Okay.” Even if her intent was to prepare me, Tzofiya’s words just made me anxious.
“Right. So… Hed was telling me that you saw your Goddess in a dream, and now you want to carve up a whole mountainside…?”
I let out a nervous laugh. I really should have assumed Hed was going to say something to his mother. It was doubtful he had done so in an attempt to stop me. More likely, he was just blabbing about something strange he’d heard. Unfortunately, that now put me and Tzofiya in an awkward situation.
“Right, let me explain,” I said. “A couple nights ago, I had a dream where I spoke to my Goddess, Tornara. There’s a lot of it I can’t remember, but I do know that I told her I was going to carve her likeness into the side of a mountain, as thanks for the great things she’s done for me. While we were gathering materials by the mountain this morning, I saw a cliffside that looked perfect for such, and I ended up sharing that idea with Hed.”
Tzofiya stared at me, plainly uncomfortable. Rather than wait for her to reply, I tried to clarify things.
“Of course, that’s only if you’d allow me to do such a thing. I don’t know who owns the land around here, so I wouldn’t just go about reshaping a mountainside without warning. And I also won’t let it interfere with my work, since I wouldn’t be able to start until I’ve paid off my debts to you and established my own income to afford the necessary tools and such. So I probably wouldn’t even plan to start for a few years, if that.”
“Okay, hold up,” she said, raising her palms at me. “Explain that again, but take it slow and don’t skimp on the details.”
Well, at least she didn’t instantly say “no”. “Sorry. Let me start over.”
I would have loved to offer Tzofiya a seat, but as my home lacked chairs, we had to settle on leaning on the counter while I summarized everything that had happened in the last two days. I took the time to thoroughly explain my dream, how I interpreted it, and the revelation I had upon seeing the cliffside. Tzofiya politely listened, but it was obvious it simply didn’t make sense to her. By the time I was done, her forehead was wrinkled with consternation.
“Fucking hell, you really are a strange one,” she muttered.
“My friend used to say the same thing, but he’d end it with ‘in a good way’.”
“I’m not sure I’d agree. You’re following through on our agreement, so I figured you had your head on straight, but now you want to chop up one of our mountains?”
“I know it’s a bit absurd, but I also feel it’s something I need to do.”
“Well… are you sure you heard it from your Goddess?”
I wasn’t quite sure what the subtext of that question was. She never called my unique beliefs into question before, but I guess it never involved her or her village until now.
“Yes. Without a shadow of a doubt,” I nodded.
“No one suggested the idea to you?”
“No, not unless you count your son and I having a discussion about climbing the mountain. That was the main reason I even happened upon that cliff.”
“Nah, I wouldn’t count that. So just to be clear, absolutely nobody in this village said you should try carving a mountainside?”
The specificity was concerning.
“Correct. Nobody ever said anything close to that to me.”
“Shit.” Tzofiya let out a groaning sigh. “Then I’m inclined to keep listening.”
Now that was an unexpected result from an unusual line of questioning. I would have thought she was just trying to find out if someone put me up to pulling some obtuse joke on her. However, this told me my plan wasn’t entirely unforeseen, begging some questions of my own.
“Did someone else talk about me carving a mountain or something?”
“Yeah. Our old friend, the shaman, to be precise.”
“What?”
“The day before you woke up, he pulled me aside and told me you were gonna do great things for our village. More than just set us up with some pottery too, more like you were gonna help put our little town on the map. Now, I don’t put much stock in that kind of thing, but he asked me to try to incentivize you to stick around. That’s half the reason I was willing to lend you a building and such.”
“What was the other half?”
“My own opinion. You just seemed like a decent fellow who needed a hand,” she shrugged. “But the shaman specifically said “this man will bestow a great monument upon us”, and urged me to let you go about your business. I figured it was gonna be a sculpture, but I didn’t expect you’d want to make it out of a damn mountain.”
“Why the hell did he think I was gonna make a monument?”
“Beats me. He claims he can speak with the Gods and that one of them had greater plans for you in this village. Again, I don’t believe that, and I don’t think he can see the future either. Maybe he was sauced and I didn’t notice, I dunno. Regardless, if you didn’t speak with him, then I’m left to assume there might be something going on.”
“I mean, I’d say it’s divine intervention, but I’m surprised you’ll concede to the idea.”
“I’m skeptical, not in denial. I don’t think the Gods would want anything to do with the likes of us, but now you and the shaman both think a God told you to make a monument. I’d like to say you’re both just nutjobs, but if only out of respect for our shaman, I’ll bite for now. I’m just not keen on the scale of this goal of yours.”
“Believe me, I wouldn’t have thought of it a week ago. But now, I can’t help but feel that it’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“I can’t even pretend I understand, but I suppose I’m not entirely against the idea. Keep in mind, however, I’m not just gonna let you do what you want. We’ll need to set up some terms for this as well.”
“That’s fair,” I nodded. “As I mentioned, I’ll finish supplying your town with pottery and continuing training Hed, so this project will be entirely my own. I won’t request help in any manner at any point.”
“Good, but not good enough. You’re literally asking for a mountain here. How do you plan to pay for it?”
I thought about it for a moment. I’d already need money for specialized tools and expert assistance, as well as the myriad of costs I probably wasn’t aware of yet. I only knew one way to make money, so that part was already decided. I would just have to give up something in exchange.
“How about I scrap my plans to leave the village and dedicate everything I have to the studio?”
“That might work, but do you think you’d actually be able to get a business rolling here?”
I smirked. “I do. In fact, I think this might be a special business opportunity.”
“Oh? Well, don’t keep me in the dark, son.”
“The clay here is different than what I worked with in Dostyn. It’s smoother, silkier, and it has this nice sheen to it after firing. If there’s a nearby city with a bazaar, I think I might be able to create a market for my wares. Aristocrats and collectors would likely have an interest in pieces with these unique qualities, while locals can get pottery at more reasonable prices.”
“That’s a bold claim. It’s true that most pottery and such is imported around here, but nobody in this village knows shit about merchantry.”
“I do. I think I’d be able to establish something with enough luck, and if I keep calling them ‘specialty products from Tresety’, it could even boost traffic to the village itself. If things work out the way I’d like, the whole village might see a boom in value.”
Tzofiya looked at me with a mixture of amusement and excitement. “Look at you, a dumbass who knows how to talk up a negotiation. Well, while I can’t say your offer isn’t enticing, it’s all hot wind for now. You got anything to back up those plans?”
“My first master was a man who tried every trick in the book to stay relevant in a city filled with artisans. Even if I didn’t agree with his methods, I did learn a good deal about economics and advertising from him. And Dostyn was a trading center, so knowing how to deal with merchants was practically mandatory.”
Granted, I also had a good feeling about starting out from an unknown backwater. There was an untapped market for pottery using the local clay and no sign of competition, making it much easier to draw attention and make a coin or two in the process.
“Well, it’s true I can’t claim to know much about markets,” Tzofiya conceded. “But that mountain might also be hiding an ore mine or something. It ain’t a small risk for me to hand over the deed for just an art project.”
I crossed my arms in thought. “Then how about this: if my plan works and I’m able to bring more business to Tresety, you’ll let me carve the mountainside for free. If I can’t, then I’ll continue to indenture myself to you until I can pay for it.”
“Whoa there! That’s a fine deal for me, but are you sure you wanna sign up for that? Either way leads to you working your ass off with little guarantee of success.”
“Yeah, that’s fine by me.”
“Even though you might end up slaving away for the next twenty years over a rock?”
“Like I said, I need to do this. I promised Tornara a mountainside. It doesn’t matter how difficult the path to that goal is.”
“Damn. I thought the shaman was insane, but you’re a whole different flavor.” Tzofiya paused for a moment. “Okay, I can accept that, but let’s make the terms plain. If commerce doesn’t noticeably increase within five years of you hawking your pots, then we’ll consider your plan a failure and you have to pay for the mountain. At which point, we’ll meet up to discuss its value."
“Sounds good to me. I’ll pay whatever price you decide upon then.”
“Gods, you have got to be the dumbest man I’ve ever met,” the mayor muttered with exasperation. “Your Goddess must actually be watching out for you to have made it this long since you keep signing up for shit without half a thought.”
“Yeah, my master tried to help me with that, but I can’t help but follow my heart.”
“No wonder that hit to the head didn’t kill you; you don’t even use your brain.”
“Well, I thought the injury was pretty funny myself.”
“Oh? In what way?”
“I can’t remember, but it certainly left me in stitches.”
Tzofiya leaned back with laughter. It felt like it had been a while since I had heard her crack up so I was happy to make her smile.
“You know, your son doesn’t find my jokes nearly as funny,” I said.
“Yeah, he ain’t as inclined to laugh as I am. He’s kind of like his father in that regard.” She then sidled close to me. “But even if he doesn’t show it, he’s having a great time. You and your lessons are all he talks about these days.”
“That’s a relief. I wasn’t really sure about my ability to teach, so I’m glad to hear he’s enjoying his apprenticeship.”
“I think he’s able to take it all to heart since you’re apparently young and only finished your own apprenticeship recently.”
“I’m not “apparently” young, I’m actually young!”
“So says you. I’ll consider changing my mind if you ever shave.”
I had actually forgotten about my beard. The black hair didn’t itch enough to bother me, and the cold air around here made having it more useful than not. Even if it made me look older, I had grown rather fond of it now.
“You know, how can you think I’m forty when your boyfriend is actually that age? He looks so much older than me.”
“Jonny’s also in front of a molten forge all day, so naturally his face is gonna show his age. What’s your excuse?”
“I don’t need one! It’s your eyes that need an excuse!”
“Are you sure you ain’t a bit jealous of him and his manly looks?”
“I’d be more jealous of his height than anything.”
“Yeah, but that makes some things difficult for us.”
I looked over at the mayor with a dirty smirk. I got an unamused stare in return.
“I meant like sharing an umbrella, you pervert,” Tzofiya said with a slight smile. “Anyways, I’m hungry. How about you and Hed come over for lunch?”
“Sure. It’s been a while since I’ve had a home-cooked meal.”
“Then you’re in for a treat.” She turned to Hed. “Hey, we’re gonna go back home for lunch. Get your stuff ready.”
Hed nodded and grabbed his coat. The three of us then left the studio and stepped out into the cold weather. After I locked the studio behind us, we began the short hike up the hill to Tzofiya’s home.
“So Lior, what do you think your master would say if she heard you were fixing to carve up a mountain?” the mayor asked as we walked.
“Oof, she’d probably join you in calling me a dumbass.” I paused for a moment as I thought of Master Malka’s flat expression. “She’d then help me figure out how to go about it and warn me about all the possible issues that may come up, all before reminding me that I still had customers’ orders to fill.”
“Heh, sounds more like you’re talking about your mom. I think she’d be proud to see you still pushing for your Goddess, and with a studio of your own to boot.”
“I’d like to think so as well.”
“Hmm. Why don’t you tell me more about her?”
“I’d be glad to, but why the sudden interest?”
“She trained the guy who’s training my son. I think my interest is pretty warranted.”
“Fair enough, I suppose.”
I could certainly understand her curiosity. The history of masters and apprenticeships was a sort of lineage, a form of family. Master Malka was happy to say I was part of her family, and I sought to continue that ideology. And perhaps Hed would one day take on an apprentice of his own and continue this line of sculptors to another generation. It was only natural she would have an interest in her son's forebears, and it was my duty to share their legacy.
But more than anything, I was happy for the chance to talk about Master Malka. She was a strange person on the surface, but Tzofiya was almost too accurate in saying she sounded like my mother. She was caring and guiding, stern but never unfair. If she felt there was a problem, you wouldn’t even need to ask her for help. And when the nightmares came knocking, she would fearlessly stand up to them.
Even when it would cost her everything.
Speaking about her would likely help turn my thoughts away from her horrible, undeserved death and focus on remembering the incredible, magnanimous person she had been in life.
“Why don’t you start with how you met her, huh?” prompted Tzofiya.
I easily went back to that day. It was hard to believe it had been nearly five years since then. As I had thought so long ago, it had truly proven to be a day I would always remember.
“Well, I met Master Malka on my first day in Dostyn,” I began. “My best friend Chen was a freighter, and his boss was married to Master Malka. I told the boss about how I was looking to apprentice myself to a workshop, so she offered to introduce me to the master. Chen and I then went to her studio, knocked on the door, and my jaw hit the floor when Master Malka answered it wearing barely anything…”
In a word, it was beautifully nostalgic.
I couldn’t help but smile as I lost myself in a reverie of the past, all while I continued to move towards the future granted to me.
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