Auora was swift to her side, the healer as beautiful and graceful as ever despite having lost a leg to the ravages of the earthquake. "I am ready" she said, and though Katja longed to cry "I am not ready" she merely nodded solemnly, the clump of emotions so unfamiliar and unwelcome knotting painfully within her. "Kan ?sene gi deg en rask og behagelig reise for ? bli med dem innenfor sine haller," she murmured to her sister. Others were gathering now, some approaching her to speak before moving to the crowd though she could say nothing, merely nod in acknowledgement of their greetings. Among them were allies, packmembers, strangers, and the sole other Finnvi to appear was her cousin Kapra, who bumped her affectionately and spoke with fervent seriousness to Auora. She was pleased to know there was at least one here who could appreciate the solemnity of the situation. Her eyes roamed the crowd quizzically for her aunt and her youngest cousin but they were nowhere to be found and time passed swiftly. She could not await their appearance, yet it was unnerving that they chose to be absent.
Her gaze sought first the prize behind her, a young fawn born early that spring, large for a fawn and knocked insensible and held with vines entangled messily around his slim legs. "Wolves of Alacritis," she spoke suddenly, swinging her head around toward the crowd once more as she waited for silence to fall after her words cracked through the air. "This festival marked the equinox and celebrated the return of spring after a long winter. But spring has drawn to a close, and the moon has risen on summer once more, and so it is time for the festival to reach its end."
She turned, padded to the fawn to place a paw upon it's shoulder as she once more faced the group. "Amongst my family, and perhaps even amongst yours, a sacrifice to the gods is customary on the first full moon of summer." She leaned down, laved with her tongue on the big fawn's fur, a ritual cleansing that might look to some as though she were tasting, or soothing the young deer, before latching her teeth into its throat and with a swift motion drawing back and opening the big veins there. Only then did the fawn struggle, but despite its size Katja held it easily until its movements stopped.
The black tip of her tail appeared somehow darker as it dragged through the blood pooled beneath the beast. "Heil Odin og Frig." She flicked her tail, the motion sprinkling blood across the ground she had chosen for this. "Heil, Freyr og Freyja." Again she flicked her tail, this time allowing the blood to spray across her cousin's face. "Heil det altseende Heimdallr." Again the motion, speckles of blood appearing on her sister's face. She hesitated then but the ritual must continue. She flicked her tail across the watching wolves, small sprinkles of blood touching those gathered. "Heil til ?sir, og Vanir."
She swallowed hard, but her voice rang clearly once more first in Norsk, then in the common tongue that all gathered could know what was said, the words of ritual required despite the sure knowledge she held. It must be made clear. All must come willingly. "Hvem av oss skal st? villig til ? b?re ut gaver til hallene av gudene? Hvem samlet her vil snakke v?re ord til gudene s? de kan vite av v?re behov? Who among us will stand willingly to carry out gifts to the halls of the gods? Who gathered here will speak our words to the gods that they may know of our needs?"
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