Chapter 45: Altha

Summary

• The character Altha recounts that the day before, she was unable to write and experienced troubling dreams of her mother and being in a dungeon.
• Altha decides to write down secrets that her mother wanted to keep hidden, with plans to lock away the writings until after her death, potentially giving them to her daughter.
• She explains the Weyward lineage, where the first child born to a Weyward is always female, which she believes is intentional to avoid having too many men.
• Altha reflects on when she was fourteen and her mother revealed the true nature of being a Weyward woman after finding an injured rabbit in the woods.
• Altha's mother demonstrated their special connection with nature by easing the rabbit's death with a touch, and had Altha promise to keep their abilities secret.
• The Weyward women's ability to connect with and heal from nature is a closely guarded secret, with their bones traditionally resting in nature rather than buried.
• Their name, “Weyward,” was ascribed by men to women who resisted submission and was adopted as a badge of honor.
• Altha's mother warned her of the dangers their kind faced, such as the persecution of other women with similar gifts who were executed.
• Altha was instructed to use her healing skills for living but to avoid using her deeper bond with creatures to prevent drawing suspicion, a rule dubbed necessary for their continued survival.
• Her mother emphasized the importance of hiding their true nature, only engaging with the world where necessary and avoiding attachments to men, which could lead to exposure.
• Before her mother's death, she reminded Altha of the promise to remain hidden, but Altha confesses a growing desire to break that promise after a conversation with Grace post-market.