The fire disappeared for a moment, but returned with vigour. Tayui watched, still fascinated as she had ever been with fire and its powers. She glanced down at her hands as she cradled her sacrifice in her hands: a black opal necklace. It was the only item she had left from her birthpack, and throughout most of her life, she had worn it as a memento or some sort of reminder. She still felt like the jewel carried some sort of strength, but now, she would need her own strength to carry on. She had painted it black, in contrast to Claudius' blue one. When the time came, she tossed it in the fire with a sense of regret, but also with a sense of peace. That life of hers was over and she had thrown away her name from that time, too. She had changed and recreated herself so many times that she wondered how she could ever remember who she was. Nonetheless, this would be the beginning of a new era for her: one with the same regrets and hopefully without the same fears. She closed her eyes for a moment and then reopened them in time to see Claudius toss his sacrifice into the fire. She tried so summon a warm smile for her son, but it was still awkward. He shook his head in understanding. She placed her hand again on her son's back, mimicking her earlier action, but then withdrew it.
Dawali announced it was time for the feast and began to play his flute. Tayui stood up and followed another member of the tribe to the food. She and Claudius collected their share and quickly returned to their seats. On her way back, she tried to make eye contact with Dawali, hoping to offer him a smile. She turned away at the last minute with a smile still waiting to be beckoned forth. Perhaps another time.