Harvest of Plenty [Valhallan Autumn Festival]

She slowed to a stop, squirming from the traces of her harness and setting about preparing for the festival. It was lucky for her that she’d run into one of the Nomad Chapters. It had been nice to catch up with the elite healers, and they had offered to assist in this Festival’s proceedings, at the very least in setting it up.

She and they had spent three days ferrying the supplies and food and other materials from Valhalla’s lands to the Dancefloor of the Gods. It was exhausting, but she welcomed the distraction from her own bodily frustrations. Among the festivities would be a trade fair. She had much to offer, from pelts, bones, hides, leather and various other crafting materials, to meat, herbs, and offers only an alpha could provide—hunting rights, for one thing, within her own pack lands.

Privately, she hoped that the small flock of wild-once-feral-long-ago-domestic sheep she had spent a week capturing on a trek to the mountains of the east – through much hellish experience and trials – might draw the attention of her uncle—was he in the market for sheep?

They blatted dolefully from within a tall wicker enclosure, a few half-grown lambs ducking between their dams’ legs to peer out with wide dark eyes at the wolves milling around outside, setting up the hide and pole yurts the Nomads traveled with—the help of many primate companions was a boon.

Finally, after long preparation, it was ready. It was a bit haphazard and not as grand as she had been hoping, but the fire now crackled high and warm against an evening sky, sending a glittering show over the woman’s coat as she threw back her head and howled, long and loud, welcoming the wolves and creatures of Boreas to come.

The Nomads remained for the festivities, eager to watch the proceedings and fun, and perhaps join in themselves. Aelloshir and Ayodele sat with the Spirit, the lemur running a comb through her mane and tail almost incessantly. Aurielle had doused her fur in strong, pleasant smelling oils—peppermint and a hard to procure pine scent that one of the nomads had gifted her. There was also cedar-wood, and she found she liked the warm, woody scent quite a bit. The nomads also said that it warded off small vermin such as fleas.

Her heat masked for the most part, she settled to hopefully enjoy herself. She had left it to her pack to decide who would stay behind at home to guard Valhalla, and since the Festival would be going for a week, maybe longer, there was a chance for all of the pack to partake. Luckily, none of the wood for the fire would eat into Valhalla’s supplies, as the Nomads had gathered much of it themselves, and extra lay set aside with hollow horns with embers inside as trade items.

She had to admit, she liked the results of Ayodele’s primping. She had an extra glitter and shine to her fur that she quite liked. It was a bit much to do for every day, so she doubted she would stay this well-groomed all the time.

She wasn't as fond of the headdress that adorned her crown and draped down the back of her head and neck and down the center of her elegant muzzle in swirls of glittering silver, dripping in rainbow moonstones that flashed and glittered like her fur under the light, favoring blue more than the other colors the stones were renowned for.

She hadn't been that fond of it even when she and Amos had found it and he had made her wear it all the way home as a joke.

Either way, her head was held at an easy angle, half enjoying the fire, half keeping an eye out for guests.

Invitations had been sent via lemur to all the packs she knew in Auster, with a heavy emphasis on neutrality for the event. She hoped to see a big turnout, as well as many prospective new members for Valhalla, if she was particularly lucky.

She drew in a deep breath and let it out. Hopefully, her first ever festival – Valhalla’s first ever festival – would see great things and much joy in the coming days.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think