Acolytes (The Enclaves Book 1)

by Nel Franks

  When Tomma and I met for lunch a week later she looked tired.

  ‘Are you alright?’ I asked, surprised at my own level of concern.

  ‘Just very tired. I’m alone in our room just now. Gaia is away still, and Lenna spent overnight at the kitchen. I didn’t sleep well. Every noise seemed really strange and loud.’ I understood that. ‘I’ve never slept on my own before in my whole life. Have you?’

  ‘Only when I storm...when I left our room.’ I still felt guilty about how nasty I had been to Tomma. ‘I had to sleep on a mattress on the floor of the storeroom at my friend’s house. She wasn’t very nice, and the place was really dirty. And then I got the single room I’m in now.’

  Impulsively, Tomma squeezed my arm. ‘Come back to our room, Rosie. I really want you to. I miss you. Don’t you want to have some company again?’

  I couldn’t answer past the lump in my throat. I nodded, tears in my eyes.

  ‘Oh, good! Rosie, come on, don’t be upset. We’ll be friends again, and Gaia will be happy you’re back, and so will Lenna. She goes over to your bed every day and smooths the covers, did you know? Straight after work, we’ll fetch your things from the single room and move you back in.’

  She prattled on, talking about how much fun it would be, and how we could help each other study, and how excited Gaia would be. I felt a bit stunned at how quickly my life could turn around again, only this time for the better.

  It felt strange and good to be back in the room. Lenna had returned that day, and she hugged me and cried when I came back in with Tomma, carrying my sack of clothes. She sat on the bed beside me stroking my hand and peering into my face so closely I began to feel embarrassed.

  ‘I’m alright, Lenna, Truly.’ I tried to laugh, even as I was pulling back. She smiled and looked away at last.

  ‘I did leave in a terrible temper, it’s true.’ Even saying that much made me feel better, so I plunged on. ‘And I’m really sorry for it, Tomma. I said horrible things to you, and I am ashamed I behaved like that.’

  Leanna beamed, and patted my hand. Tomma came over and sat on the bed with us.

  ‘It’s alright Rosie, I told you I’m over it. And thank you for the apology, it’s accepted.’

  She smiled, her usual open friendly grin. Suddenly I felt overwhelmed with tears.

  ‘I was so lonely when I was away!’ The words burst out of me without any intention. ‘I felt really awful about what I said to you, but I couldn’t help it. And I have these terrible thoughts and bad nightmares and I can’t stop them. It’s horrible.’

  I was crying, the words still pouring out with my tears. Tomma put her arm around me.

  ‘Oh, Rosie, you poor thing!’ Lenna nodded and patted my hand some more. ‘How long has this been going on?’

  I ended up telling them everything about my cycles of bad thoughts and the fear of men and sex and seeing Mistress Counsellor. But I didn’t mention the voices or what happened when I was little. I would never tell anyone about them.

  Tomma sat back and said, ‘Well, I think you’re doing very well for someone who’s been so frightened. We could tell how much it bothered you, ‘cause you went on and on about it. I think it takes strength to go see the Counsellor and face up to things. I’m proud of you.’

  Her support meant a lot to me. Seeing a Counsellor was evidence of weakness and failure, but having Tomma say she was proud, and that I must have courage, made me feel better.

  Serving in the Temple

  Rosie, Spring, Year Three, Initiates

  I THOUGHT I WOULDN’T like being in the Birthers, but I did. I became comfortable in my tasks of setting up the examination room for the pregnant women and keeping notes as they talked with the Birthing Mistresses. I even became used to seeing their private parts during the physical examination. At first, I had been so embarrassed I had turned my head away, but then the Mistress asked me questions about what I had observed, so I had to look. After a while I was intrigued by how different everyone’s parts were, even though they were all built on the same pattern. It was like faces - we all have the same set of features, but everyone is a bit dissimilar, and the combination of differences makes them unique.

  One day Mistress Noola asked me if I wanted to accompany her on a visit to the Temple.

  ‘We are going to introduce the new women who are Serving in the Temple. We give instruction about impregnation and hygiene, and ways to improve the chances of conception. It would be good learning for you, Rosie, if you’re interested.’

  I was interested, but also apprehensive. This was about intercourse, the very thing I found most repugnant in the whole world. But apparently, I would only be doing the assistant’s work. Following the list she gave me, I packed a basket of goods for each new woman Serving in the Temple: herbs for douching, and a thermometer, and cloths for menstrual flow if pregnancy did not occur, and creams for skin and flower water. I was intrigued by the mix of clinical and indulgent items.

  ‘Sometimes women stay in the Temple for quite a long time,’ Sister Noola explained when I asked about the items, on our way across to the Temple Serving Rooms. ‘For some women, conception occurs in their first month, but in others, it may take several months. This is their work at this time, and they feel better if they look after themselves.’

  ‘What do they do between the times of intercourse?’ I asked.

  ‘You’ll find out when we meet with the women this morning,’ she smiled.

  There were three young women entering the Serving Rooms for the first time. One was a newly robed woman, and the others had worked for a few years before deciding to come to the Temple.

  Noola took us all on a tour of the Serving Rooms and living quarters. The women all slept in several shared rooms, rather more nicely decorated than the Acolytes Hall. There were communal washrooms, and a living room with books and desks and stuffed couches. It was very comfortable and homely. The two women who were already staying there were very welcoming to their newly arrived sisters.

  There were several Serving rooms where the women would lie with the men. They were quiet still rooms, open and light, but screened for privacy. Each had a bed, larger than the ones we slept in, covered with fine linen, embroidered with symbols for fertility. Each had a fancy washroom that looked out into the lush Temple private garden but was screened from view of any of the other rooms by the vegetation. Each washroom was decorated with scented candles, had luxurious thick towels, and had a shower and a large bath. I was puzzled – why would you need both? The washrooms seemed excessive for keeping yourself clean.

  ‘You will have instruction from the Mistresses here about the arts of intercourse.’ Mistress Noola was talking with the new Serving women. ‘Women who Serve in the Temple have a very different kind of relationship with the man, than women who go to the Festival Field. The men who come to impregnate a woman in the Temple pay a great deal of money. They are paying for the opportunity to sire a son, whom they will know for sure is theirs. They will know who the mother is, and thus the knowledge of their family line is ensured. If the child is not normal in some way, we give them the opportunity to sire another one, with a different woman.’

  The three new Serving women glanced at each other; their faces serious. The idea of having a baby who wasn’t normal was horrifying, I could tell. Mistress Noola paused a moment while they recovered, then went on gently,

  ‘The men know that if they sire a daughter, we are the beneficiaries, and if they sire a son, we know that they are. They pay money for this privilege and give us their seed, and we give our time and our bodies, so it is balanced.’

  One of the new women gave herself a little shake, and then asked, with strained brightness, about how often they would lie with each man.

  ‘A man pays for the privilege of lying exclusively with you for five days during your most fertile time in the month. He stays here for that time – there are secure rooms where the men stay.’

  I was deeply shocked and could feel my heart ra
cing. I had never known that men stayed within the Enclave. Noola saw my face and smiled.

  ‘It’s not a secret – all the women who’ve ever served in the Temple know this. The rooms are located under the Temple, so they are very private and quiet. Sometimes the men joke about being kept prisoner, but it’s not imprisonment. If they ever wished, they could be escorted back to the Men’s Enclave, but I’ve never known one to request that. They want to sire a child, so they are happy to comply with our requirements while they are here. It’s a time of meditation and retreat for them, where they focus on preparing their bodies and minds to create a fertile seed.

  ‘And it’s the same for you women too,’ she went on. ‘This is a time of introspection and spirituality. You will receive instruction about the act of sexual intimacy, and ways to enhance your enjoyment of it, and your partner’s. We believe that a pleasurable intercourse is preferable for creating a happy pregnancy.

  ‘You will also learn about conception, and how to increase the chances of it occurring, and then about pregnancy when it occurs. You will undertake practical tasks, such as spinning, weaving, sewing and knitting for your child. And you will spend much time in meditation in the Temple, focussing on the creation of new life and what that means for you, for the child and for our Enclaves. This is a momentous thing you are undertaking.’

  The young women were beginning to look a little awed, and I felt it too. Noola described how the women would consult with the Birthing staff about their most fertile time. And during intercourse, a Mistress from the Conception Rooms would always be on hand to support them if they needed it. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the vicious tone of my inner self who said, ‘Filthy sows!’

  One of the women, with a merry face, interrupted.

  ‘Why might you need a Mistress? I mean, we all know how to lie with a man!’

  She grinned at the others, but they both looked a little more concerned.

  Noola smiled in reply. ‘If it’s a woman’s first encounter with a man, she might need a little reassurance. Sometimes the man does, also. And you might need some advice about what to do if he can’t achieve or maintain his erection, or if he loses the seed too early.’

  The merry girl blinked at that. ‘Ooh, I never knew ... really?’

  Noola nodded in confirmation.

  ‘And there is another serious reason. Sometimes a man becomes rough in his arousal. They are not much educated about the arts of intimacy in the Male Enclave. That’s part of what they learn while they are here in the Rooms. We are on hand if you should want to request him to act more gently, or even need him restrained.’

  We were all sobered by that. As we made our way back to the Serving women’s dormitory, a woman emerged from one of the Serving rooms. She looked flushed and tousled and gave a deep contented smile to Noola as we passed. It was not how I imagined a woman would look after being used by a man.

  ‘Mistress Noola, how are the men chosen for each Serving woman?’

  It was the merry girl again. I was glad she had saved me the embarrassment of asking.

  ‘There are several things that happen. In the Men’s Enclave, it’s determined by who has enough money to pay the fee. Sometimes a wealthy family will buy the privilege for one of their sons. Sometimes it’s because he’s a virgin, or they want a son to ensure their lineage. A list of names is sent to the Most. The Council of Chief Mistresses considers the list and chooses how many can come at any time – that’s dependent on how many women are Serving then. Rarely, we may refuse a man who we know is rough or infertile.’

  ‘Sister, I really meant how do you work out which man is going to lie with which woman?’ the merry girl persisted.

  ‘Ah,’ smiled Mistress Noola, ‘everyone always wants to know that.’

  ‘Do we get a choice?’ the robed woman said, her eyes sparkling. ‘I’d like to look at them and make a choice.’

  Disgusting cow! My inner voice hissed. I shook my head to clear it away. Mistress Noola glanced at me with a look of approval, apparently for knowing the correct answer, and then turned to the robed woman.

  ‘No, that’s not the way it works. If you want to have that kind of choice, you can do that at Summer Festival.’

  The young woman looked slightly abashed. Noola described the long and careful process the Mistresses undertook to match up a man and Serving woman, using everything they knew about the man.

  ‘We will often place a boy who is coming for his first time with a woman who has some experience, and an understanding of the anxieties he may be feeling. Similarly, as it is the first time for you, we will pick a man who is likely to be kind, and gentle, and not rush you.’

  ‘Do men ever apply to come here more than once?’ I asked. I had suddenly thought that perhaps some men might want to have many children.

  She nodded and said there some wealthy men who had had several children with the one woman. I was amazed; a whole hidden history of genealogy was being revealed. I thought it was not the right time to ask the dozens of questions that were swarming in my mind. Did we ever find out if we had been conceived in the Temple or the Field? Were Temple-conceived children treated differently to those conceived in the Field? Actually, I could answer that one myself when I thought about it—I had never been aware of anyone being treated differently based on their conception, so I knew those who originated in the Temple were not singled out. Did I have any brothers? Or sisters? Not knowing who my mother was had not bothered me much when Tomma had brought it up last year; but now I felt like I wanted to know if I had any closer relations. My sisterhood with Tomma and Gaia didn’t seem as fulfilling as the idea of real siblings.

  Noola and I left the new Serving women to be welcomed in the dormitory by their sisters and walked back to the Healers House. I was very quiet, until Mistress Noola spoke.

  ‘Well, Rosie, what do you think about what you learned today?’

  ‘It was... illuminating, Sister. I didn’t know anything about how the men came to the Temple. I think it’s a good system, to have just one man and one woman. That way it can be all over and done with very quickly.’

  She gave me a quick puzzled look. ‘It does sometimes go quickly, perhaps if the woman and the man are not much attracted to each other. But sometimes it can last a long time, when both are enjoying themselves and each other. There’s no requirement for it to be quick. After all, they have up to five days in which to get to know each other.’

  I decided to take a risk and ask the question most disturbing me.

  ‘What happens if the woman doesn’t like the man at all? Can she refuse him? What if she decides she can’t go through with it at the last minute?’

  And she shouldn’t! Filthy bitch! Don’t they realize what men will do to them?

  I forced my teeth together to try to squeeze my ears shut, but of course my inner voice went on. I concentrated hard on keeping my expression neutral.

  Mistress Noola looked at me consideringly for a long moment. Then she nodded and looked away. ‘I see. So that’s what bothers you, Rosie?’

  I blushed hotly and hung my head.

  ‘Don’t be worried, Rosie,’ she went on gently. ‘Many girls feel very anxious about it, and you are very young. You don’t have to think about doing this for many years yet. But to answer your questions: yes, a woman can refuse a man, even up to the last moment before penetration. She must give willing consent at all times in the process. That’s one of the reasons why there is always a Mistress nearby when a woman goes into the Serving Room, to help her, and to help the man understand if she decides she cannot go through with it. But it’s very rare. Women come to the Temple to Serve because they want to get pregnant. They might not feel much attracted to the man selected for them, but generally they are accepting and willing. And the men are here because they want to sire a child, a son preferably, so they want to behave in a way that will lead to conception, not prevent a woman from lying with them. So usually, it’s not a problem. But if you need to, you can re
fuse at any point.’

  We walked on in silence. I began to worry that I had revealed too much of my fears and that Mistress Noola’s perception of me would impact on my studies with the Birthers. But she seemed relaxed and unconcerned as we walked back.

  I began to think about the possibilities of women coming to the Temple for pregnancy, but not needing to lie with men. Perhaps men could come to the Temple, and give up their seed somehow, and it could be given to the women, without the need to lie together? Perhaps I could develop a way to eliminate intercourse, and do away with the disgusting part of creating a child? That way, I could again dream of having a baby. I felt fired with a new enthusiasm to study a whole new field of male-free conception within the Birthers.

  Studies in fertility

  Rosie, Spring, Year Three, Initiates

  I WAS OBSESSED WITH my idea of conception without intercourse. One evening when Gaia was still away in the forests and Lenna was out, I talked with Tomma about the artificial insemination used with animals. She described the way in which the bulls were handled to produce the sperm. It made me squirm with embarrassment, but Tomma laughed at my delicacy. ‘The bulls don’t mind, Rosie, they are still feeling the excitement they want.’