Sarana got down from the back of the unicorn beast she was riding aback of, being cautious to make sure the rough grey hairless skin of the mighty creature did not catch on the dress she was wearing. These creatures were usually quite ill tempered and would never allow themselves to be used as a mount, much less to pull a cart. Under the powerful taming ability of the Hidan, though, this child had become quite docile and agreeable.

She checked that the harness was still secured to the wagon the beast was pulling, and then circled around to the head.

[I will be going now, Benta. Be a good beast and continue following the wagon in front of you.] She said, making sure to use only the language of the elves as they were approaching the meeting place on this sacred occasion, and stroked along the unicorn beast’s nose to the base of her horn.

Benta let out a snort in response to her caress and shook her head as though trying to shake off an irritant. Sarana laughed and stepped away from the wagon caravan. They were drawing close to the spirit communion site. This would be the first cycle in which she was to join the first meeting group. It was a great honor and a show that she had been acknowledged by her grandmother, and she was as eager as she was nervous to be among the first to greet their ancestor, the great warrior Ramir, who would always come to pay them the honor of a visit.

It was the highest honor to their tribe that one of their ancestors was in direct service to the queen of the fey, and an even greater honor that this ancestor always saw to it to visit them every time they approached the forest for communion. She could recall several envious comments from others of the Hidan as they discovered how blessed this family truly was on the occasion that the tribes would meet in passing.

Her hands went up to her ears as her fingers brushed over the new ear-splints. She’d only recently had her ear-clasps removed and the splints put in to take their place. Her ears had finally been stretched far enough to resemble those of the elves by the golden chain that she’d worn in her hair attached to the clasps since her early childhood.

However, as she was not a true elf, her elongated ears could not support their own weight after being stretched to such an extent, and needed to be held up with splints that were placed just inside her ears. They attached at the far end by the same piercing the clasps had gone through, and on the end near end by bracing against a fold in her ear where a second piercing had been made to hold it in place. The splints were made from brass rather than the gold of the chain that had been used to stretch her ears. The chain itself was an heirloom of her family, one that she would one day pass down to her own eldest daughter.

With the chain and clasps exchanged for the splints, she was now recognized as a full adult woman among the Hidan. Now, she could finally raise up her own strong sons and wise daughters. They would no longer be claimed as the children of her mother, and she would receive her own home to raise them in.

No, she could not be thinking of fairy wings just yet. She had only just come of age, and today she had to act as a support for her great grandmother while her grandmother represented them to the ancestor. She ran to where Dala, her great grandmother’s great dire-wolf, was obediently laying on the ground with a riding blanket draped across her back.

With a single well-practiced motion, she vaulted over Dala’s hind-haunches and landed in a riding position aback the great beast.

Dala’s head rose up and whipped around, looking back at her in annoyance at the young woman’s enthusiastic leap.

[Do show more respect, child.] Sarana heard the aged voice of her great grandmother chiding her. [Dala is the leader among her pack. She does not appreciate the rough treatment of a mere riding mount.]

[Ahh… I am sorry great grandmother.] Sarana said as she swallowed the bitter retort of being called a child by her great grandmother. She had just come of age and was prideful of that fact, but she could not talk back easily on that subject to the leader of their tribe after having just insulted her mount in such a manner.

She suffered under the harsh glair of the elder for a long bitter silent moment until the old woman finally nodded. [I suppose it does not matter now. Well then, do help me up. We are not to keep the ancestor waiting.] She said and held out her hand. Sarana took it and helped her tribal matriarch to ascend the strong back of the mighty wolf.

Great grandmother took her rightful place in front of Sarana who was nothing more than a mere support, and gave Dala a pat on the neck. The great wolf understood the physical gesture and the great beast, larger than the largest horse and with a mane and broad shoulders that would rival a male lion, rose to a standing position.

[Now then, let us be off.] The matriarch spoke, prompting Dala to set off at a brisk walk.

As soon as the matriarch was seen beginning her march, the other families of the tribe responded immediately. Sarana’s grandmother was the first to catch up, having been watching at the ready for long enough to have seen the blunderous failure of decorum Sarana had committed. The elders of the other families further up and down the caravan were soon to follow, and they all set out toward the communion site together ahead of the rest of the tribe.

After some time, the meeting site came into view, and great grandmother sitting in front of her let out a very pleased sounding noise.

[Oh, it looks as though the great ancestor has along some company this time. This is looking to be a grand event this cycle.] The matriarch said.

Sarana peeked over her great grandmother’s shoulder and got a good look. Indeed, she could see there was a small gathering of several human-sized people there, at least five that she could see. As she looked more carefully, she could only see wings on two of them and knew one of those two would be the ancestor.

But, there was something else. Near the feet of one of those winged people were several smaller individuals standing about.

[Are those children?] Sarana asked, almost breathless at the thought. She knew elves had children in the same manner as humans, being the only ones among the fey who did so, but she had never actually seen an elven child before.

[Do not be silly, child.] Her great grandmother chided. [The fey would never bring a child of the elves to the edge of the forest. They regard the young among the elves to be precious. They are kept within the elven settlements and are never brought out until they have reached the age of forty cycles at the youngest. Even then, they would not be permitted to leave the forest until at least eighty.] She chided.

[No, they are most likely gnomes.] The old woman mused, almost as an afterthought.

[Gnomes!] Sarana squeaked and sat up even straighter. Gnomes were greater elemental spirits! Why would they ever come to grace this tribe with their presence?

[Ho ho ho. No, not the greater gnomes of the spiritual plain.] the matriarch chided, almost as though having read the mind of the great granddaughter riding behind her. [No, it is more likely they are the lesser gnomes. Those born of the dark rituals of the demons which force the great spirits into physical bodies. Still, even lesser gnomes have great power. You would be a fool to be taken in by the child-like size they have.]

[Oh, you see now?] Great grandmother spoke again as they came closer. [They are divided roughly into three groups, and the man who looks like one of the great fairies, standing with the smaller ones, is actually a jin from the ether. You can tell by the color of the skin. You do not see that color on the great fairies.]

Sure enough. Now that they had come closer, Sarana could see that the man had very dark skin. But, that was a jin? That is easily just as big a deal as the gnomes as they hold roughly the same place within the ether as the gnomes do within Agaranth. If there was a gathering of these powerful spirits, it really would make sense that they would be gathered to a group by themselves.

Then, the other two standing roughly in the middle would be elves. Then, there is the ancestor, a great fairy. But what manner of fey is that who is so close to the ancestor? She could not tell from this distance if there was any difference between that one and the elves. Or, perhaps it was just another elf who was granted permission to associate closely with the ancestor?

Sarana was working hard to recall all she had learned about the fey growing up all this time. From all she had been told though, she had simply never heard of anyone among the Hidan ever being greeted by such a powerful arrangement of spirits in addition to fey. This was looking to become a truly extraordinary communion, one that would likely be told about among the tribe for generations to come.

When they had begun to near the communion site, the ancestor stepped forward ahead of the rest in order to greet them. Sarana saw her grandmother ride out ahead of them. Kir, one of the children of Dala who her grandmother rode, lowered itself to allow grandmother to dismount. Meanwhile, Dala strode up behind them and showed a flank to the ancestor, so Sarana and great grandmother would still be able to present themselves to the ancestor while grandmother represented them.

Dala also lowered to a lying position. Sarana was not certain what to do from here, but great grandmother was quick to help her.

[Dismount, child.] She said in a whisper. [Help me to re-arrange myself, and then kneel to show respect to the ancestor while still being close enough to touch Dala with a foot.]

Sarana did as she was told, helping her grandmother into a side-sitting position. She knew the old woman was still strong enough that she could have changed her sitting position on her own, but Sarana knew there was importance in the ritual. Demonstrating that Sarana was helping her both justified Sarana’s presence this close to the ancestor during the greeting, and it also helped to justify why great grandmother should be permitted to remain sitting during the greeting.

As she finally finished by going down to a kneeling position, she could not help glancing over to the gnomes and the Jin who were still standing further back. Viewed from this close, those gnomes really did look just like very young children. Perhaps no more than a couple cycles in age. She had expected they would at least have faces that were closer to those of adults, but those tiny noses and pudgy faces looked like they belonged to a child who had not even reached naming age yet.

And what’s more. It looked as though two of them had the pointed ears of elves, and two the rounded ears of humans. The elf-looking ones, though, had an odd color to the skin. She would normally say it looked quite sickly. She had seen that color before only on young children who had died while asleep.

As she was thinking about this, Sarana suddenly had her attention brought back to the ritual greeting in front of her as grandmother spoke.

[I come to greet you, great ancestor Rimir. I stand before you as a representative of my mother, Inala. I offer apologies on behalf of the matriarch that she must remain seated upon the mount who carried her here.] Sarana’s grandmother said, going down into a respectful bow before the great ancestor.

[It is quite alright.] The ancestor said with a placating gesture. [And as you can see, I have not come alone this time. This is a time of turmoil within the fey court and I have several things that I must tell you. This will be a very unusual communion for you all, but do not be concerned. What I have come to tell you will be a great honor to those of you who are descended from the tribe that saw me to my position today. These things are important though, and must be discussed directly with the matriarch.]

[Ah, of course.] Grandmother said and gracefully stepped aside.

The ancestor stepped a few paces forward. Sarana brought her eyes to the ground. She had never had the ancestor this close before during the officiations of the initial meeting. This was not like the pleasant exchange of stories that came after. She did not know how she was supposed to act in this situation.

[You are Sarana, correct?] The ancestor said, causing her to look straight up when she realized she was being addressed. [It looks like you have finally come of age. You have taken the place of Yaphira, who is mother to you, in helping the matriarch. It is good to see the young grow into new roles.] The man said with a hearty laugh. [Please stand.] He said. [I am afraid we will be cutting the officiations short today. There are many important things that must be discussed before the caravan arrives.]

Sarana had a mind full of nothing but questions as she stood. She, like great grandmother, was excited when she first saw all those that had gathered to meet them. Now though, the presence of this many powerful fey and spirits seemed to bode a very chaotic future for them.