Rise of the Wolves Chapter 2: The Blessing

“We are gathered here tonight to witness the blessing of our Lord and Lady’s newborn girls and our first Clan Daughters in this generation of Clan Stonewolf,” Grace announced to quiet the great hall and begin.

The keep’s hall served many purposes in its time. It was the throne room, celebration room, dining hall, and place of meeting between Abraham and his guardsmen and constituents. It was a room built of stone and wood just as the rest of the keep and outlying homes. Torches lit the keep for they were a clan prosperous in love and loyalty but not necessarily wealth. The walls were decorated with trophy busts, furs of fallen pack members, retired weaponry of past Lords, and various things of value especially to the Stonewolf family. The keep itself sat in the middle of a great stone wall that guarded Hawthorne from the rest of the continent by way of land, which gave clan Stonewolf the responsibility of letting people come and go from the region of Hawthorne or to keep them out.

Tonight, it was the Blessing of the Elder Priestess that took place there. The blessing was a ritual performed for each baby born into the clan, but it was especially an event for the children born to the Lord and Lady.

Grace lifted her hands, palms toward the room, as she began to speak to both them and the Wolf Mother.

“Tonight, is not just a blessing of these precious girls, but it is also a blessing from Wolf Mother. She has not only delivered them to our Lady, thought to be barren, but she has blessed us with children of her own blood as well.”

Abraham and Elizabeth stood before the throne and behind Grace, holding hands in support of one another. Grace turned to take the raven-haired baby girl from Elizabeth’s arms and held her up for all to see. When they saw the unmistakable features, many gasped at the brilliance of her eyes and the shape of her ears. Many eyes widened; many minds were not sure what to make of it. Grace replaced the baby into Elizabeth’s arms so she could continue.

“Quiet your astonishment and concern, ease your fears and thoughts, for these children were not born deformed or with the Gift’s curse. Wolf Mother has given them her ears, her eyes, her love, and strength to lead our clan. She has given them not only the Gifts of a Hunter but the Gift of all Gifts. It is important that we support our future Clan Daughters, our Mother given heirs to the clan.”

Grace paused as she scanned the room and each face that stared upon her eagerly, considering her. The whispers and gossip were already on fire. After a short period of thoughtful silence, a roar of cheering and applause echoed throughout the room in approval. Not all were so convinced by the beginning of her blessing though. One could pick out several of the crowd who did not show the same excitement. Expectedly, it was the people who gossiped the most and had a reputation for being the most cynical and bitter of the clan’s decisions. Grace ignored them and Elizabeth squeezed Abraham’s hand a little tighter.

One priestess emerged from the side door carrying a bowl in her hands. Grace reached for the bowl then held it up over her head.

“We pray to you, Wolf Mother, that you hear our calls and bless these children. We pray to our Elders, who have passed on to the Other Side, that they hear us and bless this night.” Grace lowered the bowl in front of herself and gave her attention back to the clan before her. “This bowl is filled with the ashes of ancestors, the Elder Priestesses. I will now name the girls and anoint them with the ashes, blessing their souls and releasing them to follow the fate chosen for them.”

Grace approached Elizabeth, Abraham, and the baby girls again. She licked her thumb before she touched it down into the ashes. She smiled at the first baby in Abraham’s arms as it giggled at her. Grace stared down into her ice blue eyes contrasted against her raven hair, the only one of the three that was not blonde. The baby stared back up into Grace’s eyes as if she were trying to see her very soul. Grace smiled softly at this and nodded as if, in that moment, she was convinced of something.

“This one shall be called Nina, the human name of Wolf Mother before she passed to the Other Side and became one of our Gods. She will follow in her father’s footsteps and become the greatest Hunter this land has ever seen. She will lead, despite her discomfort with it, but not just this clan. She is wise and loyal, brave and resilient, she will be full of emotion but cautious to show it.” Grace reached down to anoint Nina by pressing the ashes gently onto her forehead then bowed her head in respect. Several whispers began again from the spectators. “May Wolf Mother bless her and guide her along her path and fill her with the strength of our feral brothers and sisters.”

Grace then turned to the next babe, the one with fair blonde locks and bright blue-green eyes. Before anointing that child, she smiled once more and declared with warmth, “This one shall be called Faethandriel, which meant ‘Chosen One’ in ancient tongue. She will follow her mother’s path and take her place as a blessed priestess of this clan. She will lead as well… but her fate will carry her far beyond the realm of Hawthorne one day.” With that, Grace paused to meet eyes with Elizabeth before she continued. “But she will return. Her heart is one of the purest I have ever seen, and hard decisions will not come easy for her. May Wolf Mother bless her and guide her along her path and fill her with the strength of our feral brothers and sisters.”

When Grace moved on to the last baby, she gave pause. Something caused her to need a moment to consider what Wolf Mother was trying to portray through her. The wise priestess did not appear concerned but confused at first before she spoke out.

“This one shall be called Alexiay’sera, after the mother of the dragons.” Grace anointed the babe with ashes as she continued. “She will lead a people of her own and carve her own path, just as water does when it is trapped. She is head-strong and will have a difficult life, but she will be made better for it. I see so much water in her that it will be a struggle to contain… but in the end it will be what puts out the fires that we face. May Wolf Mother bless her and guide her along her path and fill her with the strength of our feral brothers and sisters.”

The ritual was finished, and Grace lifted her eyes to her Lord and Lady. They both nodded in gratitude with the faintest smiles on their faces and released their tensions with deep exhale. Though their clan was a candid one, there was something serious about their ceremonies. The time to laugh and share affection was inappropriate until all was done with, which meant it was then that time.

“Let us drink, then!” Abraham shouted and his voice filled the room for all to hear.

“Ye don’t have’t tell me twice!” one random clansman shouted.

Several servants appeared from the front of the hall with trays of food and ale and brought them to the tables at the back of the room. Elizabeth smiled at her husband before she left with the girls and Grace.

“Enjoy yourself tonight, Abe. We’ll be upstairs waiting.”

Later into the night, Abraham stumbled into their quarters upstairs to find complete silence and only enough light from two candles flickering. He chuckled quietly in satisfaction with his family then began disrobing. He climbed into bed beside Elizabeth trying not to wake her, but for the giant of a man that was an impossible task. She smiled as she felt him slide up to her from behind and she felt the hairs of his chest tickling her back.

“Do you think Grace was right?” Elizabeth asked though kept her eyes shut.

“Hmm?” he grunted.

“Her premonitions tonight at the blessing…”

“Oh, yes-yes. I remember now,” he paused for thought though it was admittedly difficult in his state of mind. “She better be right! No daughter of mine is to become a housewife and a scared little woman.”

Elizabeth chuckled but kept quiet; She knew the man was about to continue rambling.

“In fact, I never planned on raising a daughter at all… much less THREE!”

“Oh, Abe!”

They both shared a quiet laugh so not to wake the babies.

“But if Nina will not lead this clan… then who will?” she asked.

“Hmm…” he considered. “Well I guess I’ll have’t live forever then!”

“Over my dead body!”

“That’s the point, love.”

Elizabeth snatched a throw pillow from her side of the bed and whipped it at Abraham behind her. He grunted in pain but they both laughed again.

“Goodnight, husband.”

“Aye. Goodnight, ball’n chain.”