Word Count → 417 :: Ataxia arrived to the party already high :|
Ataxia gave a nod to Siv when she arrived. The girl had likewise found it odd that her mother hadn't done anything about the new pups, but was more willing to be forgiving. Besides, it gave Ataxia a chance to do a sacrifice of canine blood, Eterne-style. Canines had choices, free will; they had potential for power in the way other animals didn't. It pleased her to think she was capturing that power, severing it from the canine and and giving it to Momoztli. She saw herself as a conduit, giving to her god so he might look favorably upon them.
The sacrifice was a mottled mix of brown and white, with thick fur that suggested he had wandered too far south. Clumps of dried blood clung to his coat, in patches around his arms and legs. One eye was half-closed, while the other took in his surroundings with a baleful gaze. He made no sound at all; his tongue had been cut out so the participants of this ritual wouldn't have to listen to his curses or cries. It was something Ataxia did not enjoy doing and had to have help with, since she had no knowledge of how to ensure he wouldn't die from blood loss after the tongue was gone. She wasn't sure, but thought it would have been a bad omen for the sacrifice to have died before his time.
She had been immeasurably excited the day that Siv had suggested the idea, and more so when the wolf had been caught. However, the day it was to happen, she found herself more nervous than she'd ever been. She was going to be up in front of the whole pack; what if something went wrong? What if she made a fool of herself? What if they noticed she was nervous?
Salsolans did not show weakness. Ataxia decided to get rid of it before it could be shown. There was still some Indian tobacco left in the basket her mother gave her, and she had smoked it before joining Miqui with the sacrifice. The smell was still on her fur, although there were no other hints of her state, aside from being inordinarily calm.
A slave, Gjalda, arrived not long after the older wolf had called for them to gather. He was carrying a bowl full of mushroom paste that would be used in the Eterne ritual. Although it would not be used or distributed right away, he nonetheless took his place beside the sacrifice.
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