"It's not anything you listed, but I think it still shows my strengths." Enya watched as Eon reached up to his ear and ripped the long cord-like earing from it. Instinctually, Enya winced at the action. It was not long before a trail of blood dripped from where the earing had been torn from. She thought to reach out with her healing magic to seal the wound, but then thought better of it. No. If this was for Tsillah, if this earing had purpose to Eon, enough purpose for him to offer it to their Goddess, then the wound should not be healed. It was part of the ceremony now.
"Perfect" she affirmed to Eon before stepping backwards and drawing a circle into the shores of the creek. As she traced her paws, causing an indention in the sand and dirt mixture, a flow of hot steam followed, baking the ground hard to keep its shape. Simple but effective. "Here, why don't you place it here? Maybe on a rock in the center?" She lifted her paw and pointed towards the middle of her marking, then waited for Eon's next action. "Now, speak to her. Tell her that you wish to pledge yourself to her. Speak loudly, for there are many voices that she hears, but few she listens to."
Now, it was all up to Eon. Enya stepped backwards into the shadows, giving Eon space to speak (somewhat) privately to their Goddess. She lingered near him, however, in case he wanted her support, had further questions, or in case something uninvited showed up for a visit. No Ohr followers would intervene in this sacred prayer that was about to occur. Enya would make sure of it.
As instructed, Eon would place the earrings on the rock in the circle's center. Seeing them now brought a mix of emotions. There was anger towards his ancestors, sadness in letting them go, and excitement for the future. With such a vast array of feelings swelling inside, it was hard for him to make sense of them, so he chose not to. He’d let them dance in his belly, watching them without judgment or trying to ‘fix’ them. This moment after all wasn’t for him, it was for Tsillah. Making it about himself would just be plain rude.
“Tsillah,” he spoke quietly until he remembered Enyas's words. He had to speak loudly to make himself heard. She was a goddess; she had to be quite busy with others, too. He had to stand out in some way for her acknowledgment. “I offer you these feathers; they were once my ancestors. They have not been removed from my being since I was a pup, but I want to offer them to you now. More than that, I want to offer myself to you. Teach me your ways, and mold me into my strongest self.”
The blood still dripped from his ear onto the rock where the feathers lay. Perhaps that was symbolic as well. He was releasing himself and his pride and giving it to her. It felt freeing. He'd sit in silence, taking in the energies around him. A wind blew, rustling his fur as if reaching for him, and he heard the ‘caw’ of crows in the distance. “May you accept this gift, my goddess,” he’d finish more confidently than before, and when the moment felt right, he’d leave the circle behind to find Enya again.
Realizing she hadn't gone far, he'd make his way over to her. “I believe she accepted my offering," he'd say, three tails waving behind him in excitement. "Thank you for showing me how to connect with her. It feels," he'd pause momentarily, trying to think of the right word. "It feels right." Yeah, that was as close to it as words could describe; something about it felt right.
Eon spoke to Tsillah, offering details about what the earing meant to him. In truth, Enya knew little of Eon's history. She knew he had briefly taken rule over Athadia forever ago when the feud between her pack and his ceased to exist for a short while. It was a humbling experience, watching Eon embrace Tsillah. From the shadows, Enya smiled warmly towards Eon as a wind shifted the woods and their fur just as Eon finished his offering.
He approached and Enya stood, her tail swaying happily behind her. Eon thanked her for what she had done. "You're welcome, Eon. It is my duty to help Tsillah's faith spread. We must ensure that those who are strong of Will understand their true purpose, while those weak of Will are cleansed. You remember the Akrasia from long before? We mustn't let that happen again. It is our responsibility." Enya's gaze shifted to the river. At her angle, she couldn't see her reflection, but she could imagine it staring back at her.
"But, I think all of that can wait for another time. Let's get your wound washed out and apply some herbs or salve. Letting it scar is one thing, but letting it get infected is another. Come, we can visit one of the healers' dens. I'll walk with you, if you'll have my company." She couldn't have her Noble down and out because his ear had gotten infected. She needed him and every other wolf in Duskorna to be in their tip-top shape. There was no telling what the future would hold, but she was sure that eventually, it wouldn't be good.
