Just Another Day

Spring erupted in the Nyre with a flurry of new growth and new animals, and time for one of the four major seasonal celebrations. Those with long hair braided flowers into their hair and everybody tied brilliantly coloured ribbons to their wrists and arms. As the kurach New Year's Day, many nights were spent baking treats to share with loved ones and plenty of wine was brought out of the community cellar. The weather was improving and as per tradition many spent the day outside enjoying a picnic. Small cubs carried dolls shaped like rabbits and birds. There was music, singing, and dancing, and couples who were young and frisky frequently sneaked away to celebrate the festival of new life privately. The next days were spent in the gardens, planting seeds and preparing for crops.

The following week after the festivities had settled down, there was a mild commotion as many dams and damsels made their way off into the forest. Shanku cocked her head to the side curiously as she watched how animated and excited they were.

"Come along, Shanku. It's time for you to become familiar with this," Nari said and nudged Shanku along after them. Curiosity building, Shanku trailed along the end of the procession.

The joyful group went a few leagues out away from the Scissortail den to a different den. The area before the doorway was spacious and well-maintained, the edge marked by a low stone wall, and at the center was a fire pit. Just beyond the wall was a small pond fed by a nearby stream. Some of the damsels were separated from the rest and brought forward. The elder dams began to sing and dance around them, slowly joined by the next oldest until only the celebrated damsels and those left by the wall were quiet and still.

"What are we doing?" Shanku whispered to the one beside her.

"Don't you know?" Adhira whispered back. "It's the coming of age ritual. They have passed their first stones."

Stones? Shanku had a sense of apprehension and continued to watch. Each of the damsels at the center of the dance were carrying a clay pot, presumably with the stone inside. The eldest dam was chanting instead of singing, and commanding the damsels through gestures. One by one, each threw their clay pot into the fire. Shanku stared keenly and discovered small eggs lay among the broken pottery. The damsels were then lead to the pond where they undressed, and were bathed and annointed by the eldest dam before returning to the fire where they joined the dance and took turns leaping over the flames.

"The pots represent the nests they will someday build, the fire the heat they must share to let the cubs grow, and they leap over the fire to show how they will impart their heat to the eggs by laying over them," Adhira explained quietly to Shanku when she noted the puzzled look she wore. "It will soon be our turn. We're not much younger than them." Shanku nodded her thanks.

At the end of the dance, the elderly dam announced the damsels were at the end of their youth and had reached adulthood. They were cheered and congratulated by the singers and dancers, given new tunics, and placed in seats of honor as prepared meals were brought forth. Nari returned to Shanku with a bit of food and sat by her as they ate.