章 1064: Handfasting Ⅱ

The May Day (or Beltane) celebrations continue into the evening before the Prefect's tasked to round up students. It is later in the evening with the moon nearly midpoint in the starry sky when Rowan teleports out of the castle and near the outskirts of the centaur village. Across the growing grass, she slips through a small opening in the copse of thorny hedges. With practiced ease, she emerges into the evergreen clearing always in a permanent state of spring or summer.

The night air is warm full of the scents of herbs and lemongrass. The lush green valley is covered in large animal hide tents built for someone of a centaur's stature. In the middle of the village, a large bonfire crackles lighting the circle of gathered centaurs both young and old.

"You are late, Child of the Founders," chided the youthful voice of Firenze.

Rowan turned towards the slim muscular youth with long, white-blond hair and a matching palomino body. The eyes of Firenze sparkle like the brightest and palest of sapphires. He has rare feathers braided into his hair for the evening's handfasting.

"Come we are about to begin," Firenze interrupted not leaving Rowan to respond.

With care, Rowan followed, Firenze near the back of the gathered tribe. There standing at the forefront of the tribe is the elderly, scarred, slender shaman, Aldonius. The fleabitten gray with blood marks had matching human freckles. His long silver hair is carefully braided with bright feathers in celebration. He donned all of the Shaman tribal necklaces consisting of fangs and claws.

Aldonius oak colored eyes search the crowd, while his long angular face shows a slight frown on his full lips. His pointed chin goes up in relief at spotting his apprentice, before darkening at spotting the witch. Withholding back a scoff, he raises the tip of his long, dyed fingers to silence the tribe.

"We gather tonight on the night when the flora and fauna flourish when the Spirit's of Fertility gather, and the Sky meets with mother earth, Gaia as the veil of the Great Beyond grows thinner," Aldonius solemnly declared. "We gather before tonight with the Heavens as our sole witnesses to bind two into one within the tapestry of life."

At hearing the Shaman's words, Firenze passes through the crowd leaving Rowan behind. Aldonius gestures at his apprentice to draw the cardinal runes. With care, Firenze accepts the pouch from the Shaman and draws a large cardinal circle with the Shaman at the center. Once finished, Firenze steps behind as Aldonius proudly nods at the next shaman-to-be.

"I invite those who seek to be bound into one to present yourselves before the tribe," Aldonius commanded.

Various Centaur couples step into the circle, but the most surprising and unique is that of a witch and a centaur. Sybill Trelawney wears a long white gown with a crown of flowers and leaves on her head. Her long dark hair is loose and free hanging past her chest. She wears no jewelry on her body and is barefoot. Tenderly clasping her hand is her lover and companion, Ronan, a handsome centaur with a gleaming chestnut lower half.

Even Rowan found the match unbelievable, and she was not the only as were the centaurs. However, the tribe had accepted the witch, Sybill Trelawney into their midst because she was one of them, a seer. Otherwise, Sybill Trelawney would have unlikely been accepted.

Resigned to seeing the couple before him, Aldonius closes his eyes and begins to chant softly under his breath. "Oak and May, On this Night, Heed those before thee, the Heavens be our witnesses, 'Till our days be done." The air grows still, the wind ceases to blow, and not a sound can be heard of rustling leaves or of rippling waters.

Opening his oak-colored eyes, Aldonius chants, "Winter has long fled, the flora and fauna bloom and grow before the Heavens cradled in the arms of the mother, Gaia, the mother of life. We call upon the North, South, the East, and the west! Come tally ho!"

Unlike countless times before, the hair on Rowan's neck does not stand on edge. She can still clearly feel the presence of ancient magic, but it is much softer. Rather gentle in comparison to that of Spring, Winter, or Fall. It is the brightest of magic, the warm nights of childhood; of a first love; of an endless summer; the very best that life has to offer.

"To the Elements of the North from the salty sea to the countless rivers of life, we ask thee to cleanse those before thee that they may be found worthy to be bound into one," Aldonius said as each of the couples took a blue ribbon with a charm at the end prepared by the couples' families. Some were seashells, beads, or crystals such as in the case of Sybill Trelawney, a moonstone prepared by her mother and grandmother.

Sybill hands tremble as she ties the ribbon around Ronan's forearm to her. She gazes up at him with both fear and hope. She had been married once before. Her marriage had failed, but here she was again a lovestruck fool committing the same mistake again.

Sensing her emotional turmoil, Ronan squeezes the hand of his bride, before reaching for a blue ribbon dyed by his mother and a seashell selected by his sister as a charm. He knew that Sybill had been hurt in the past. And he swore that if he ever met the wizard, he would crush him with his bare hands.

With care, Ronan bound the ribbon between Sybill and him signaling that the two of them were becoming one. They were not the only ones as the other couples in the cardinal circle did the same. In the distance, the still pool waters begin to flow once again with ripples spreading across the crystal waters as if in excitement.

"To the Elements of the South full of fiery flames full of playful flee, we ask that ye may fill those before us that are to be bound with joy," Aldonius said as the couples tied crimson ribbons around each hand. In the distance, fireflies begin to flutter across the sky filling the night sky with countless tiny burning fires.

"To the Elements of the West full of passing seasons, we ask thee to bless those bound as one to grow and prosper with the passing of the seasons," the Aldonius tiredly said as a green ribbon is tied next accompanied by the scent of blooming flowers.

The cardinal circle begins to glow with a golden light and travels up encircling the bound hands of every couple. "Before the eyes of the Heavens and all those present, Mother Gaia and Sky, we bind those before us as one. May their hearts ever remain true and untied as one."

The golden lights dim as golden threads from each couple seem to connect to their hand-fastening companion. It is proof of a true handfasting. Smiles begin to spread across the faces of the tribe as they remain silent.

The elderly shaman bows and clasps his hands together in joyous gratitude. "We give thanks to elements of the North, the South, the East, and the West," bowing separately for each cardinal direction. "We give thanks to the Heavens, the Sky, and the first mother, Gaia." He bowed one last time and said, "We thank the witnesses and bid Farwell until we met anew."

The gentle traces of magic vanish leaving the valley as it once was. The sounds of laughter and joyous cries are heard as the tribe moves to encircle their own. The family of Ronan gathers around Sybill and welcomes their new family member. The father of Ronan greatly resembles Ronan, while Ronan's mother appears as a tough Amazon warrior with bulging muscles and scars.

Rowan watches the family of Ronan embrace Sybill including Ronan's brothers and sisters. She hears familiar footsteps and turns around to see Firenze. Behind him, the elderly shaman Aldonius is being supported by the Chief of the tribe, Magorian. The proud, high-cheekboned centaur with long black hair nods to Rowan in passing. They continue back to the tent of the Shaman to permit the exhausted elderly shaman to rest in peace as the festivities in the village barely commence.

"I must admit I am surprised," Rowan honestly voiced her thoughts. "I did not believe that Professor Trelawney would be so easily accepted."

"There were many that were opposed at the start," Fireze admitted glancing up at the starry sky. "However, their love has won even the most stubborn members of the tribe." His brow furrows slightly with worry. The unity of the stars in the heavens is short-lived.

A mix of emotions flashes across Rowan's face. "Whether their love was written in the stars, it is now," she murmured staring into the starry heavens. Whether the love of Ronan and Sybill would last and remain true only time would tell.

"There are also stars that are never meant to cross paths," Firenze quietly remarked as the two of them fell into silence among the ongoing celebrations.

Their paths would always remain constant and parallel to each other never to intersect. One would become a celibate Shaman and the other had a prophecy to fulfill. Two people never meant to be together in this life, but perchance, in another life.