Heartsisters

The wisewomen of the Council's rural areas acknowledge each other as Sisters, once an apprentice has ben deemed ready for the initiation ritual and successfully completed it, no matter what their actual relationship is. But having a Heartsister is a special thing, though with the emergence of covens in more populated areas it has become a little less rare. Still, it's a very special bond and one that lasts for a lifetime.
Heartsisters aren't always around each other. Especially with the way of the Sisters, they more often than not do not live in the same place. But even then, they still have an innate sense of how their Heartsister is doing, and whether she needs help or not.
The longer the bond lasts, the more the Heartsisters gravitate towards each other when it comes to habits and preferences. One sister's favorite food will over time become a preferred food of the other, and even when they were apart for a while, people knowing both of them will notice how signature gestures of one will unknowingly have become a habit with the other as well.
Heartsisters become bonded through a special ritual, attended by other Sisters as witnesses and celebrants, for it is always a joyful occasion when this happens. In former times, this most often happened when a young apprentice deemed ready by her mentor traveled to undergo her initiation, usually in the Ancient Forest, since this was the only time when a significant number of Sisters was gathered.
Nowadays, with covens established in some places and the lands relatively peaceful, compared to the times of the Mage Wars, it has become easier to find your Heartsister. If possible, the bonding ritual will still happen in the Ancient Forest, where the Elder Mothers reside, but the Sisters are a practical bunch above all else, and they won't let circumstances prevent such a significant bond from happening.

A lifelong bond between two Sisters, a deep connection that traverses space and caresses the soul.

Associated with

The Sisters

Your Heartsister knows you in many ways other people don't. She gets your way of thinking, and has an instinctive idea of what you're trying to accomplish at any given moment. When you're working with your Heartsister, anything you try gets amplified and boosted. Together, you can perform rituals that would not be possible with just two participants. Together, you weave a harmony that surrounds the two of you and allows you to focus on the task at hand without the same sense of fatigue that you'd normally get.