Just Another Day

Summer passed peacefully and as the leaves brightened with late summer, Shanku's mood began to darken. Soon it would be time for her to enter the Cave of Stones to learn how to properly be a she-kurach, and she was dreading it. How could she possibly stand being trapped in a hollow rock for weeks with a bunch of females squealing about ribbons, mates, and talking about their intimate places? Shanku tried to push the horror of it out of her mind as she attended the annual festival of the first harvest, but the night it ended she would have to go into the cursed cave and she couldn't get her mind off of it.

"Um, Shanku?" asked a timid voice behind her. Shanku turned around to find Adhira, the tousle-haired lass who had helped explain the cave to her a half year ago.

"What is it?" Shanku asked gruffly, not wanting a further reminder of her impending doom.

"Are you, um... Are you going to...?" Adhira stuttered.

"Am I what? Spit it out," Shanku said with mild annoyance.

"Are you going through with the ceremony tomorrow night?" Adhira asked quickly. "The bath and all?"

"I'd much rather not, why?" Shanku asked slowly.

"I-don't-think-I-can-do-it," Adhira squeaked out quickly. She covered her face and pulled her wings up around her shoulders. "It's so frightful! All those eyes watching at once? I can't bear it!"

Shanku winced with a twinge of guilt at being so snappish a moment before. "Well, me neither. I guess you'll sneak in the back too, then?"

"Is that an option?" Adhira asked and peaked through her fingers.

"According to Granddam Misen, yeah," Shanku said quietly. "She said it's not too uncommon for young dams to struggle with it and the priestesses will make exceptions in certain cases. It wouldn't be good to be so nervous you break down and fall into the fire mid-leap."

"Will you go with me?" Adhira asked and clasped her hands before her. "I don't want to be the only one this year too cowardly to go through with it!"

"Whoa, now, nobody said anything about being a coward," Shanku said and her feathers ruffled. "I have a very legitimate reason for not wanting to get put on display, and it entails some very grabby humans. What's yours?"

"It's silly," Adhira stammered and started to back away.

"Can't be that silly if you're shying away from what many claim to be one of the most important rituals in our lives. What happened?" Shanku asked gently.

"I broke a vase," Adhira said in a voice so small it was barely above a whisper.

"Ooookay...?" Shanku said slowly, more than a little confused. "That's the beginning of the ritual, you should ace that part."

"No, as a cub. It was a very important vase. The other cubs made a big deal of it and teased me for years because I'm really clumsy, and I just don't do well when a lot of people are looking at me anymore," Adhira admitted sadly and stared at the ground. "What if I throw the pot on the priestess' foot, or drown one in the pond, or, or..."

"Or generally do something to embarrass yourself and get teased relentlessly again?" Shanku offered. Adhira silently nodded. "Well I'm not sure hanging with an outcast like me is going to help your reputation, but, you're welcome to come with me through the back."

"I kinda think you're brave," Adhira said sheepishly. "You got exiled at such a young age, and then came back early, yelled at Niranjan and took down two guards and it's a wonder that didn't get you killed, and you talked to... him which is even more surprising you didn't get killed when you touched his nose, and... I... kinda like you."

Shanku laid her ears back and her eyes went wide. "Uh, you do?"

Adhira blushed very deeply and looked away.

"Aw, hell, naw, no you don't. I've already got one person flirting with me, I don't need another" Shanku groaned.

"I'm sorry," Adhira stammered and shrank down, starting to back away again.

"No, stay, don't scamper off. It's nothing personal, it's just... not really my area of expertise," Shanku sighed. "Can't say I'm fond of the subject at all."

"Well, of course not, you're a xretatir. It's the job of us dyrtrar to handle all that!" Adhira giggled, and then became nervous again. "I guess that's kind of why this is so hard for you. I'll be there for you during the ceremony and help."

"Bear in mind I'll be doing the full ceremony now," Shanku said quickly. "I don't want anybody thinking being a xretatir is a handicap or something. I'm just as capable as the next dam."

"I guess if you can do the Cave of Stones, I can too," Adhira said with a budding smile and straightened up.

"At least I can encourage proper behaviour on some occasions," Shanku said with a weak chuckle, and beginning to dread what her big mouth just go her in to. Then she realized she had already disposed of her first stone and let out a frustrated groan.

"Is something wrong?" Adhira asked.

"I did the first part of the ceremony by myself," Shanku said and slapped the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Bloody hell, how am I going to pull this off?"

"You could substitute with a turkey egg, like me," Adhira said. "I kind of dropped mine, and had to improvise. They're about the same size as the first one anyway. I can sneak one from the pantry for you."

"I would be in your debt then," Shanku said.

"Just don't laugh when I make a klutz of myself at the ceremony and we'll call it even," Adhira giggled.

Shanku allowed Adhira to follow her around for the rest of the evening, talking about nothing in particular and trying to enjoy the food, music, and crafts of the harvest.