The few days flew by and the festival of Harvest Thanks came. Nannade was spritely and overjoyed, more so than before, happily she was skipping on the wooden posts Elissa had staked into the ground outside. Garrett was still away on his mission, and Elissa was hoping he would be successful in guaranteeing the girl's future. He had sent her a little gift from the city, a small booklet, one of those printed rapidly in the cities lately. It was an introduction into knotting, with many pictures to follow along. The girl had tried a few of them, although she couldn't quite read the words yet. She had used a rope and the instructions in the book to make herself a swing in the forest – simply a sturdy plank hanging from a branch – and she had spent quite a lot of time on there, falling off more than once, but never staying down. She had a remarkable threshold to pain, and Elissa did not like that one bit, because she did not know where, or whom, it came from.
Today, Nannade would be helping Elissa and the townsfolk in the preparations for the festival of Harvest Thanks. They gathered in front of Elissa's hut and together, the group walked to the Glade, which was on the other side of the ridge, deeper into the woods. Once they made the trip around, they had to cross an old stone bridge across a deep crevice to get to the flat area jutting out from the slope like a cliff. Four Guardians of the Lodge were there as well, as additional security. Normally, they'd just wear formal clothes and a surcoat, but today, they wore their full armour, a chest plate, bracers and shin guards made from incredibly dense and hard leather scales, each individually strengthened and infused by the druids, on their shoulders they wore pauldrons made of crow feathers. All this was deemed necessary because of the recent attack. This glade was one of the outmost places of power in Sturreland as well, so whispers of invasion or sabotage were going around in the inner circle of the Lodge. She had never heard back about the attack on her hut, only that the investigations and diplomatic negotiations were ongoing.
It was difficult to host so many people in a place of power without the spirits being calmed first, so ample sacrifice would be prepared, incense lit and some of the underbrush and weeds that had grown since spring cleared. The glade itself was a large clearing probably two or three times bigger than the one that Elissa's hut stood on. A large slab-like stone was in its centre and in the stone's centre stood a stone block just large enough to serve as altar, the altar of probably thousands of rituals to the spirits inhabiting these woods over the previous centuries. People from many different towns bordering the forest would come, not just Heimeden. Even so, the number of people attending seemed to diminish each year.
In Garrett's prolonged absence, Elissa had taught the girl quite a few dance moves and exercises. Whenever Nannade had nothing to do, like carry things or listen to what Elissa had to tell her, she would skip around, practicing steps from Elissa's lessons. A skip onto one leg, a twirl on the toes, a pivot on the heel, a handstand, a disgraceful drop over onto her back, a quick recovery, another attempt. The girl was hard to keep down, now that she had discovered the joy of movement and exercise. On some days she would refuse to go to bed if she didn't get this one dance step right or hold the handstand for a little bit longer first. Elissa was thinking she was doing something right but at the same time she was sure that Garrett would push the girl's enthusiasm to the breaking point. The girl would forgive him. A deep respect and gratitude for him spoke out of her. When she heard the news that Garrett would stay away longer than planned, she was disappointed, but his gift had helped her get over it.
As the clearing was prepared, the sky started to dim and the first people arrived at the glade. Almost all of them scattered grains of wheat and barley on the ground as they walked towards the large stone slab, knelt down and said a short bid to the spirits. The glade filled more and more and soon a merry crowd was lining it on all sides. Finally, Elissa could see her friend Melanie come onto the Glade with her family. She had introduced Nannade and Melanie to each other before, since she needed someone to watch over the girl during the festival. Elissa pulled the girl close and whispered in her ear "remember the story we all agreed on. Other than that, be very careful and stay close to Melanie." Nannade nodded eagerly and Elissa could feel at ease, now that the girl would be taken care of. Melanie was that sort of woman who somehow gained clairvoyance through parenting, which manifested in her being able to sense mischief and accidents a few seconds before her children caused them. The two boys already knew Nannade from when Elissa had introduced the girl to the class in town. They started chatting and playing with the girl, being ever vigilant for anyone trying to pick on her, for example by pulling her tail. Elissa invited them all to come along as she walked with Nannade back to the hut to get changed.
Elissa got Nannade dressed first. She had ordered a dress for her at the tailor's and it came just in time. A girl should have something pretty to wear for such an occasion. The dress was of a dark grape colour, had short puff sleeves, an orange sash and a slit for her tail, Elissa had made sure the tailor got that point right, all finished with orange shoes. Nannade insisted on wearing the red bow Garrett had gotten for her, but tied on her head like a hair band instead of the neck. The sight of this beautiful girl in her adorable dress and bow flooded Elissa's heart with content. She remembered her own first dress and her time with her friends. Nannade was so alone, but tonight, she could just be among other children. Elissa had to suppress a tear, then she sent the girl back to Melanie so they could go ahead to the Glade. Now she could get dressed herself.
Even Elissa couldn't really confirm whether spirits saw clothing as something of notice, but the emotions of the audience were important as well. Her dress was not as revealing as what she would wear for the Beg for Fertility in spring, but still much more exciting than anything she'd wear every other day. A straw skirt that ended just below her knees, a durable linen cloth cross-wrapped across her chest and around the neck to up perk up her breasts, and wrappings for her hands and feet. All made within the towns surrounding the forest, of course. This too was of questionable importance to the spirits, or whether they could even tell, but it was a custom Elissa liked to uphold anyway. How much of this was proven knowledge and how much was just for show and sentimentality, nobody could say, but then again, with spirits, all lines were always blurry. She left the 'knowing' and 'proving' to the magisters in the city's towers. Out here, she could feel the life force of the land streaming over her daily, that's all she needed to know.
Outside her hut, one of the Guardians waited with a torch. He accompanied her back to the glade. As the two came closer the people on the glade grew silent. She threw off her cloak and entered the glade. The people moved aside in awe, forming an alley to the centre for her. Before the slab stood the mayor of Heimeden, holding a crown of this year's ears of grain. Elissa walked up to him and knelt down so he could put it on her head to crown her the harvest priestess for this festival. A cheer went through the crowd as Elissa stepped up on the slab.
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She clapped her hands above her head, once, twice, thrice, to get the crowd started. They joined in with tambourines, bells, rattles, flutes, or just their voices. Elissa reached for her flux powder, recited an incantation and summoned thick smoke that engulfed the entire slab. With her mightiest leap, she jumped up into the air and when her feet slammed on the ground, all the smoke turned to flame and sent a huge ball of fire into the air.
A roar went through the crowd and out into the forest. She had done this many times before and every time she was on edge. Displeasing the beings that gathered here could mean dire consequences for everyone present. She focussed on her steps and jumps. Her twirls, her pivots, her handsprings, her sweeps and all the other elements of her duty. She tried to get a glance of the girl the few times she dared to let her eyes sway across the crowd, but she could not find her anywhere. She already felt and saw the spirits gathering and so did the people, the streams of life force crossing at this Glade started to turn aroused. The spirits' presence this night was powerful enough to make even unbelievers see, and so, people came to the braziers to throw their offerings into the fire. Handfuls of grain, shot game, berries, wine, many things they were thankful for.
The evening went on, the chanting and bellowing among the people carried deep into the forest and Elissa could feel her sweat pooling on her skin, running down her limbs and being flung far away from her with every movement. This year again the spirits were pleased with her display and so they carried her on their spectral hands, like a cloud of energy enveloping her, her muscles cried with both pleasure and pain, her mouth and nose were filled with salty air, the soles of her feet were sore and slippery, but still she danced on. The life force boiled with arousal, softening the barrier between their reality and the mystic world beyond the veil, already thin at a place of power. The impossible became perceivable, just for this night.
Finally, helpers threw incense and powders into the braziers to turn their smoke fragrant and colourful. That was the sign for the spirits to linger a while longer, and for Elissa that she could stop. With the thick smoke rising, the music of the people reached its climax. In a last pirouette she sank to the ground and let her body hit the smooth stone slab, cooling her racing blood by the touch. The music ebbed down and turned from a passionate screaming into a happy murmur among the trees.
The hopes and wishes for the coming winter were in the air and the spirits agreed with the people. Elissa's heart was beating against her resting chest, she tried to calm her breathing, sucking in the fresh night air and incense. Eventually, Nannade popped up at the edge of the stone slab to congratulate Elissa and tell her how spectacular she had been. She was accompanied by two girls roughly her age and Melanie's boys, Frederick and Carstennus. Frederick was a tad younger than her while Carsten is was three years older. Elissa managed to pull together some strength and walk over to them. One of the Guardians put a cloak around her shoulders. For the rest of the evening, Nannade did not allow Elissa to leave her side, dragging her along to every person the girl had met that night, telling her all about how good friends they were now.
The crowd marched down the slopes and out of the forest. On one of the fields between the towns the people had prepared rows of benches and tables for a feast, which was to the be opened by the priestess proclaiming that the spirits were pleased. If they were pleased. And so, Elissa opened the night's feast. The people cheered and heaped pie, venison, vegetables, bread, fruit and many more things fresh from the harvest onto their plates. This was Elissa's favourite time of the year. And now she enjoyed it with Nannade, who was completely blown away by the amount of food and jubilation. It was probably the first time in her life that she had gotten everything she asked for and more. She and the other children talked about all the spirits they had seen, foxes, snakes, owls, tiny men with leaves for hands, swooping gusts of wind and flashing sparks. All of them and many more were present, dancing between the feet of the townsfolk, in the branches above, on the slab with Elissa. The presence of a spirit was something mesmerizing. They seemed to be there, yet not completely real. Like the possibility of existence, the presence of observation but not interaction. Whenever Elissa had helped a non-medium experience the presence of a spirit, they would find different words but describe the same feeling. And exactly like that, the townsfolk tonight have felt this night.
Elissa could relax and talk to her few friends, and the colleagues that came by since they had no responsibilities this night. Peterus was among them, the druid who taught the peasant children. He had already made Nannade's acquaintance when Elissa introduced the girl to the class, and Peterus obviously had some question concerning her.
"How is she doing?" Peterus said sitting down opposite of Elissa with a plate of quail and vegetables. He was a slender young man and fit perfectly into his grey and green robe and his blonde bushel of hair topped it off neatly. He hadn't fallen into a reclusive lifestyle deep in the forests like many other druids did... yet.
"Oh the girl?..." Elissa had been caught off guard. She had just shot another glance over her shoulder to look for the girl. She might be taken care of, but Elissa could not stop checking on her. "...she is doing alright. She can almost read words now."
Peterus had a coy smile on his face, never a good sign. "So, how come she didn't have an induction ceremony?"
"What?" Elissa wasn't prepared for those questions. Garrett might have been. He lied as easily as he breathed. Not to Elissa, but to everyone else.
"I talked with a few others. Vivianne, Herlewin, even old waif Cordelia. None of them had any knowledge of the girl and said there was no induction ceremony. Isn't that odd? Are you trying to pass her by the Highest Circle?"
"Well you see..." she tried to remember something Garrett had once said. If lies aren't somewhere founded on truth, they'll easily collapse. "Truth is, she is a rescued slave who had witnessed the death of her mother. People are not supposed to know." Nothing but the truth, and she had already ensured his silence on the matter. "and she was brought to me because she might be a medium, which she is. But the Highest Circle said she would have to recuperate, mentally, emotionally, before Loganna would allow any decisions on the matter of induction." She was amazed how easily that had rolled off the tongue.
"Oh..." Peterus seemed to have been thrown off by the 'honest' story about the girl's circumstances. "I hope she recuperates soon. Maybe at the winter solstice she can be inducted."
"Yes. That would be nice." Elissa remembered her own induction. All the oaths she had to take and vows she had to make, all the phrases she had to learn, all the rituals whose symbolisms she didn't quite understand yet back then. The girl wouldn't be harmed by that. But it would be a lie. Garrett's intended purpose for her made it impossible to keep all those promises. A liar by design was what she would become. Elissa looked over her shoulder to the girl. With food encrusted around her mouth, she was talking to some other children and laughing with them.
For tonight, nothing would have to be a lie. For tonight, children could dream of a happy future.