It wakes and returns for the third time

Ralla · 04-27-2011, 09:47 PM

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Let's have some fun! Big Grin (Nootau: Visible)

In the gaggle of the crowd Ralla remained as she listened to her chief open the ceremony. Even pregnant she wanted to be a part of this; was required, since she would be taking a step up in her tribe. She took slow, deep breaths to steady her nerves, looking around and finding solace in Kemo's eyes and grip in his hand. In the other hand she held her ceremonial fire staff, carved to tell the story of fire's origin by Cercatori D'Arte's very own alpha, where her spirit guide perched as restless as she was. The barn owl may have tried to seem calm, but it seemed as if not even spirits were perfect in personality, either. For the occasion, Ralla had plaited her long, waist-length mane, red beads laced throughout and contrasting with the snow white tone, and the ever-present tooth and claw necklaces remained. Very conservatively she had painted her eyes and face with red paint, feeling that she would look silly with any more, considering the round globe of her stomach. Her condition alone garnered her nervousness, since she would have to speak in front of her tribe being so.

All were silenced as their Kalona cleared his throat, commanding attention in the simplest form. Ralla could see that he was still injured, but he had healed miraculously well, and it was a wonder since he had basically tended to himself. An ear twitched down as she heard her chief's voice; so long had it been since he had spoken publicly that at first his deep voice scratched. He corrected it on his own, though, and she listened avidly thereafter. Drawn by Chief Dawali's movements, Ralla's eyes followed his outstretched arm to survey the green before she realized that the subject had switched again. He made a motion for her to come, and she stepped nervously through the crowd, Nootau flying off the top of the stick and glide about until she came to stand next to Chief Dawali, landing instead on one of the wooden sitting logs surrounded the Great Fire. As she felt the cool stone beneath her paws, the claws retracted and extended, struggling to calm her nerves, and she felt the Great Fire's welcoming heat. Taking another breath, she smiled up at the man who had found her and brought her to AniWaya; who had guided and taught her much.

She smiled wider when she saw her Kalona wink, giving her courage. Her own forest green eyes searched out for her similarly white mate, finding him and using him as an anchor of courage. She had a great responsibility to her tribe now; she had to take heart and treat it as such. Given the floor very suddenly, Ralla turned to face her tribe and looked out to them, steeling herself as her knuckles turned ever whiter, grasping the staff as she was. "First I must thank you, Chief Dawali, for this honor. And then I must ask everyone's trust that they believe my promise; I will try my hardest to aid you when needed, and I promise my complete devotion to you." At first her voice, so pristine during songs or stories, trembled, but it regained its luster as she grew in confidence, knowing that those she was speaking to were her family, not strangers. "As Chief Dawali said, we have gathered today to give thanks for a beautiful spring, and to welcome it as we pray for success in our endeavors." Now she was sounding more like the normal Ralla; eloquent and gentle, eager to honor tradition and the spirits. "J'adore and I have prepared a special bit that we wish to give to you this ceremony," she said, walking back a little ways and coming forward with J'adore, both of them holding opposite ends of the bone tree. It was not terribly heavy, so it did not hurt Ralla at all to lift it.

Placing it beside the Great Fire, the bone tree almost seemed to glow an eerie white. Made of antlers and the large femurs of past kills, connected with strong rope about the base, strings of beads and feathers hung about it, niches and natural hooks made from the bone itself. The white wolfess looked back out to her tribe. "This is a Bone Tree; a Gola Tsaligu. We will place it upon the ashes of the Great Fire, and you may place your sacrifices on its hooks or hang it on the strings. We will then relight the fire, and by doing so, we are all contributing and thanking the spirits for our success in hunts as well, praying for more." Ralla then looked to Chief Dawali for further confirmation. She knew that she was not of the Master rank of the Fire Tender tree yet, and so could not conduct the ceremony by herself. From there she would do as she was allowed, and assist where she was needed. But now that she had been named a Council member, she realized that she needed to maintain a new disposition; she needed to remain calm, composed, and appear as if she were in control. She needed to be reliable.

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.

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