A Fool's Goddess - Chapter Twenty-Three
Niv headed next door to get changed while Libi grabbed her boots and coat. Hed was ‘busy’ drinking a second glass of water, looking slightly less like shit. A few minutes later, my two mobile apprentices and I were gathered in front of the studio.
I went to grab our cart from the side of the studio. I finally gave Tzofiya hers back a couple years ago after I bought one that was better suited for our work. It had braces and springs that allowed it to travel through the rough terrain of the forest more easily and hooks on the sides for holding tools. It was still designed to be pulled by a mule, but I wasn’t interested in owning a pet.
As much as I disliked kids, I was even less fond of animals. Then again, maybe I could set up a deal to borrow one of the farmers’ mules for my work. They seemed to like me enough that I could probably ask for a jackass without being told to look in a mirror.
Anyways, I loaded the cart with shovels as well as my mountain-carving gear. I planned to stay at the cliff and continue my work after I helped gather clay. I’d lug the cart there while Niv could take it back. I certainly wouldn’t expect Libi to pull the cart, empty or full. With everything squared away, we then headed towards the woods.
The path to the mountain was nearly unrecognizable to how it was half a decade ago. Most of the way there had been cleared of trees as part of the work to connect the village to the highway. Even now, workers were tamping down the ground to try and smooth it out for future visitors. After that was barely ten minutes of moving through the remaining forest before we arrived at our familiar digging grounds.
The holes we had made were larger now, about half as deep as I was tall, but we now had a small fence around the area with warning signs. I didn’t think anyone else really came out here, but Tzofiya urged me put up some barriers so we wouldn’t find a corpse in there one day. The whole area looked like we were searching for some kind of buried treasure, but in a way, we had already found it.
“Okay, let’s try and fill the cart up. We’re running low, so let’s make sure we don’t have to come back too soon,” I said.
“Understood, Master Lior,” acknowledged Niv. Libi nodded as well.
We each took a shovel and started dumping that wonderful clay into the cart. It was hard to believe this stuff was our key to success. It was so plentiful and easy to gather, it seemed almost criminal that no one else had found its value before us. Then again, I suppose that was business in a nutshell. Finding a niche that you could market was what all merchants craved.
With little else to do, I decided to make some small talk. It was easier when Hed was around, but Niv sometimes had interesting things to say beyond needless obeisance. Maybe Libi would find a point to join in as well.
“So, Niv, what do you plan to do once you finish your apprenticeship?”
He paused for a moment. “I am not sure yet, Master Lior. I must regretfully admit I have not given that a significant amount of thought as of yet.”
“Understandable. Hed’s in the same boat. He’s practically done, but his current plan is just to keep working at my studio.”
“Would it be unacceptable if I expressed a similar desire?”
“Not at all. I kept working at my own master’s studio for a couple years after my apprenticeship was done. I was just curious if you were planning to set off on your own or whatever.”
“Ah. No, I have grown rather fond of Tresety and would enjoy being able to continue my work here, if you would allow it.”
“Of course.” I chuckled at how impossibly consistent his deference was. “So, you aren’t interested in going back to Dostyn?”
“… No, I am not.”
“Me neither.”
“I do not feel like I can walk those streets again after seeing the flames. I was lucky to have avoided injury in those conflicts, but it still pains me to think of the destruction.”
“Same here. I still get a little nervous whenever I open a hot kiln.”
Niv didn’t reply. I was surprised to learn he had also been in the city during the zealots’ attacks, but we rarely talked about it. It wasn’t an easy conversation for either of us.
Libi, however, was looking at us, curious but keeping her questions to herself. She didn’t need the worst details, but it wouldn’t hurt to explain things a little.
“That’s right, Libi, you probably didn’t hear about what happened in Dostyn four years ago. Then again, you were… seven or so? More likely, you were too young to fully understand it.”
“Yeah, I don’t remember hearing about it.”
“Well, to fill you in, a group of bad guys set a lot of buildings on fire, including my master’s studio. They did it because they thought the Gods wanted them to, despite how everyone knows the Gods would never want anyone to do such terrible things. They hurt a lot of people, and I ended up having to run away from the city.”
She frowned. “That sounds awful…”
“It was. That event is what made me get lost in the forests and end up in Tresety. It was only because Tornara protected me that I survived.”
“Is your master still in Dostyn?”
An innocent question. I had never told her that Master Malka was gone, but I didn’t want to make this topic even more grim for a girl who had already been dealt an unfair hand. I’d prefer to wait until Libi’s woes were further behind her before I started burdening her with my own baggage.
“In a way, yes. She and my best friend are still there.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. I couldn’t tell if it was suspicion or an empathetic wince.
“Do you want to go back and see them?” Libi asked.
“I do. But I’ve got you and the guys to worry about now. Master Malka would kick my ass if she found out I ditched you all just to travel across the country.”
“I think you should go someday, Master. You don’t need to worry about us, we can take care of the studio for a little while.”
“Sure, but I’m not gonna leave you alone with Hed. He’s a bad enough influence with me around. I’m afraid you’ll be the one showing up hungover if I left for a week.”
“Niv’s here too. Besides, Hed’s too nice to do that.”
“Oh no!” I yelped, wide-eyed with heavy drama. “He’s already tricked you! I told him not to play with your heart, now you think he’s nice!”
“Master…”
Unfortunately, it was too late; I had already started my skit. A light reprimandation like that couldn’t stop me.
“We have to get you to the shaman immediately! Libi, hop on my back! If we move fast enough, we can undo the damage!”
I dropped my shovel and hurried to kneel down next to her, holding my arms behind myself to urge her to climb on. She looked unsure for a moment, but still climbed on. While she held on around my neck, I stood up and started running around in circles.
“But where is the village?! Oh no, I’m lost again! Libi, where should I go?!”
“There!” She pointed back at the trees.
“There?! But where?!”
“There, Master!”
“But where?!”
“Towards the trees!”
“Swords and bees?! No, thank you, I’d rather avoid those!”
“No, the trees!”
“You’re going to sneeze?! Be careful, you’re on my back!”
She began giggling while I happily acted like a fool, keeping our conversation going in circles as much as my own movements. Soon, it was just me begging for directions while she laughed like the child she was. A couple more minutes of that and I finally let her down.
Honestly, I don’t like kids. But I do like Libi.
“Curses,” I panted. “I guess we’ll just have to hope Hed proves as nice as he says he is.”
“He is nice, Master!”
“Heh, you really do like him, don’t you?”
She sheepishly looked away. “I like everyone at the studio…”
“I know you do. But, as your teacher, I’m gonna worry about you. Hed’s a good guy, but he also has a tendency to act before he thinks things through. I just want to make sure you don’t try to copy him too much, alright?”
“But, Master, Mayor Tzofiya said the same thing about you, that you don’t look before you leap…”
I stopped in my tracks.
Oh no.
How did I miss that? For years, Master Malka chided me for acting without foresight. Did I accidentally pass that on to Hed? I had to save face before I looked too much like a hypocrite.
“Ahem,” I cleared my throat. “That’s correct. So that’s why I want you to be able to break the cycle and learn to plan before you act. Don’t become a dumbass like Hed… and, erm, me.”
“Oh, I understand. So should I try to copy Niv too, because he’s so good at making plans and following them?”
“Y-yes, precisely.”
“Wow, you’re really smart, Master! Even if you don’t look before you leap, you’re still good at making sure your studio has a well-rounded team!”
Her eyes sparkled with admiration, an innocent faith I couldn’t dare betray. I would now have to accept my fate as the master who didn’t think things through.
“Um… a-anyways… Niv!” I turned sharply towards my second apprentice. “Sorry for goofing off. Let’s get back to work, Libi.”
“It is quite all right, Master Lior,” replied Niv. “I am nearly done filling the cart. We should be able to head back soon.”
“Why don’t you take a break? We can finish up.”
“I am fine. I have energy to spare towards finishing this task.”
“Hey Niv?”
“Yes, Master Lior?”
“I love you.”
“Please, do not toss words like that so casually. Love is an important matter that should not be treated lightly. But if you are genuinely expressing romantic feelings for me, I must inform you that, although I respect you deeply as my master, I cannot reciprocate the sentiment. I am not attracted to men, even to one as magnanimous as yourself.”
I wanted to embarrass him, to try and crack that mask of a face, but somehow I was left feeling painfully awkward, like I was actually rejected.
I guess I thought my biggest fan wouldn’t leave me heartbroken…
We finished loading the cart with clay shortly after. I then took my specialized tools off the sides and parted from my apprentices. Niv began pulling the cart back through the trees while Libi waved goodbye. I waved back before beginning my hike around the base of the mountain, following the trail to my precious cliffside.
With Tresety seeing its new growth, Tzofiya accepted that I had upheld my end of our bargain about a year and a half ago and granted me ownership of the mountain. She made sure the whole village was notified so none of the locals would wonder why a cliffside was being vandalized, but thankfully nobody complained. If anything, it was just seen as an interesting stunt, a diversion from the norm that might be fun to watch. I’d gladly take that reaction over torches and pitchforks.
I still owed Tzofiya plenty of money, mind you, but we agreed to payments so I could begin my plans for the cliff immediately. I started out by asking around in Quatrot about large-scale stone work and researching accounts of similar projects. One of the things I was recommended was hiring an explosives expert. The cliff was far too large for me to consider chiseling it completely by hand, so it would be easier to remove the initial chunks that way. I had never even heard of such a thing before, but it sounded like a reliable strategy.
As I now stood below the cliff, I could confirm it had been the right choice. I could already envision what parts to carve next, much earlier than if I had done things manually.
Of course, hiring an expert in anything cost quite the pretty copper. First, I had to hire someone to track down such a professional, then I had to pay for the expert’s travel, lodging, materials, and labor fees. In the end, it ran me almost everything I had saved up for this venture, but I literally got all the bang for my buck.
I explained my plan to the explosives expert, and he went about drawing plans. I wanted to carve the image of Tornara, in her pose from the painting, into the cliffside. The expert traveled to the mountain, tested the stones, sketched out what the final image should look like, and within a month, he had planted what he called “bombs” all over the cliff.
Then I got to watch as he blew up the mountainside I worked so hard to obtain.
I shamefully have to admit that I didn’t fully understand what “explosives” meant. I thought it was just a term for a technique that quickly removed stone, which I guess it was, but not through actual explosions. I cursed at the expert for what I thought was wanton destruction. It wasn’t until the dust settled that I realized he had blasted away the stone to create the faintest impression of Tornara offering her hand.
I then begged him for forgiveness. It ended up taking that farmer’s nasty alcohol to get him to accept the apology.
The explosives expert ended up doing one more round of bombs, leaving a much clearer outline for my project. Gazing upon it, I felt like I could really make this dream happen. I made sure to thank the man for all his help and apologized once again for my rude reaction, and some of the villagers even came by to praise him for the show. And with that first step done, I could now begin my own sculpting of the mountainside.
I would go about this by setting up a series of ropes and pulleys to hang from in front of the cliff, something that required another expert’s help, albeit at a much more affordable rate. I then had Tzofiya’s husband make me the specialized tools I was now carrying: a large metal stake to use like a chisel and a sledge hammer for knocking off larger pieces.
And even after all that, I still needed to learn how to carve such a massive sculpture with completely different tools, all while hanging over a cliff. The hardest part proved to be inspecting my work. Instead of simply stepping back, I had to descend the mountain and check from there, then climb back up the mountain, usually taking an hour round trip.
It was a good thing I already expected to spend decades on this.
As of today, I’ve been working on the mountainside for about a year. But as expected, progress is slow and steady, mostly because I insist on doing it alone. I still spend some days in the studio, usually two or three a week, and I take the time to fulfill the odd request for a statue of Tornara. She’s not as popular as she was during my heydays in Dostyn, but some of the villagers have grown fond of her beauty so I’m happy to satisfy them.
I promised Tornara I would carve her visage into that mountain, but I want to manage my studio as well. The project might take longer like this, but I had the rest of my life to work on the cliffside. I didn’t need to rush things.
There was no way I would let myself die before I completed it. And besides, Tornara was watching over me. That cliffside was as good as done.
Eager to begin the day’s work, I climbed the path to the top of the cliffside. From there, I tied the harness around my torso and hooked it onto the pulley system. I took a moment to gaze out over the forest, with its nascent roadway snaking through. I was giddy that people could see the cliff pretty well from the road. Once I was done, the first thing travelers would see on their way into Tresety was my beloved Tornara.
With a satisfied sigh, I lowered myself down to work on my greatest sculpture.
The explosives expert told me that my cliff was a little more than four stories tall and about twice as wide as my studio. The dimensions didn’t quite match Tornara’s portrait, so I had to settle on showing her only from the waist up. I had told myself I would progress from the top down, but I rarely adhered to that plan and instead varied the direction of my efforts. Currently, I was focusing on her right arm.
I banged my hammer against the stake to chip off and gently shape, occasionally switching to the sledge to knock off the larger, more stubborn sections. Twice I climbed down to inspect my work, doing my best to ensure I wasn’t accidentally damaging the sculpture. Between these little journeys and the actual carving, my day was quickly swept away, lost in the gratifying storm of my endeavors.
By the time I was done, Tornara’s shoulder was better defined. Still more to do, but it was another step taken.
With the sun setting, I pulled myself back to the top of the cliff. I was damp with perspiration, so I took a pull off my water skin. Even in the blasted cold of Tresety, I could still work up a sweat. But it was a good feeling. The satisfaction of achieving my goals made every day enjoyable.
I was reminded of my early days, after leaving Master Idan’s workshop. I was filled with a desire to share Tornara’s beauty with the world, failing to realize that my feelings had transformed into love. I was skeptical about how the world might respond to that affection, but good people helped me find the courage to keep expressing that love. It was because of them I was able to keep going, even when things felt insurmountable.
And here I was. Surrounded by my dear apprentices and still possessed of a drive to show my love for Tornara. Even after I had lost everything, I was able to find new friends and start my own studio.
‘Blessed’ would be an understatement. In a word, I felt chosen. I felt Tornara had selected me all those years ago to spread her beauty and reignite the people’s faith in her. She watched over me, her beloved Lior, and I was overjoyed to have received such grace.
“Thank you, my dearest Tornara… thank you for helping me find this wonderful life.”
Enjoyed the chapter and want to support the author? Check out the full novel, available now on Amazon and Smashwords!
