Tor ban raen

'Are women and men separated here?' He asked himself and it occurred to him that he was actually only surrounded by men. He surreptitiously watched as one of the novice priests filled a second basin with hot water and then poured something into it from a glazed clay bottle. Immediately a pleasant scent of pine needles rose with the steam and spread throughout the room. Raen continued to look around uncertainly. A small table was set up next to him and several objects were placed on it with great grace. A folded yellow cloth, a very sharp-looking knife without a point, a bunch of those strange herbs that had been used once before during his mishap while cutting onions, and a leather band with line-by-line markings.

Suddenly the activity froze, and from the crowd of assembled men Gahin stepped out together with clan chief Lako, who was also the head of the warrior caste. Raen also saw his father, who was waiting silently with the others while Lako began to speak: “Raen, s