The few days flew by and the festival of Harvest Thanks came. Nannade was spritely and overjoyed, more so than before, happily she was skipping on the wooden posts Elissa had staked into the ground outside. Garrett was still away on his mission, and she hoped he would be successful in guaranteeing the girl's future. Elissa was enjoying the time alone with Nannade. He had sent her a little gift from the city, however. A small booklet, one of those printed rapidly in the cities lately. It was an instruction into knotting, with many pictures to follow along. The girl had tried a few of them, although she couldn't quite read the words yet. She had used a rope and the instructions in the book to make herself a swing in the forest.
Nannade was helping Elissa and the townsfolk in the preparations. They gathered in front of Elissa's hut and together, the group walked to the glade, which was on the other side of the ridge, deeper into the woods. Once they made the trip around, they had to cross an old stone bridge across a deep crevice to get to the flat area jutting out from the slope like a cliff. Four Guardians of the Lodge were there as well, as additional security. They wore a surcoat in the dark grey with green braiding and edges that was usual for the Lodge and the Lodge's emblem on the chest. Underneath they had armouring made from incredibly dense and hard leather scales, each individually strengthened and infused by the druids. This glade was one of the outmost places of power in Sturreland, so it received increased protection during such a great gathering of people.
It was difficult to host so many people in a spiritual glade without the spirits being calmed first, so ample sacrifice would be prepared, incense lit and some of the underbrush and weeds that had grown since spring cleared. The glade itself was a large clearing big enough to have two of Elissa's hut built on it. A large slab-like stone covered most of the centre and in its middle stood a stone block just large enough to serve as altar, the altar of probably thousands of rituals to the spirits living in these woods and the surrounding areas over the previous centuries. People from many different towns bordering the forest would come, not just the closest one. Even so, the number of people attending seemed to diminish each year. A church by the name of the Communion of sanctified Trade drew many followers in the countryside. They were fairly new, focussed on far-reaching trade, and offered a well-established trade-network, exchange rates and access to a large market, so for those who wanted to sell their goods further away, they did bring prosperity. They did not however bless the fields and bring fertility to all the life in the land, so for the bulk of the population of Sturreland, they were not preferable to the spirits that accompanied the lives of many here. The Communion paid their tolls and needed the Arch-Druid's approval for most actions, but still, they were weakening the Lodge's influence and many members of the Lodge resented Loganna for her leniency.
In Garrett's prolonged absence, Elissa had taught the girl quite a few dance moves and exercises. She herself would dance for the spirits tonight and needed to get back into it either way, so training together with the girl allowed her to keep up the stringent exercise Garrett had set up for her. Whenever Nannade had nothing to do, like carry things, or listen to what Elissa had to tell her, she would skip around, practicing the steps Elissa had already taught her. A skip onto one leg, a twirl on the toes, a pivot on the heel, a handstand, a disgraceful drop over onto her back, a quick recovery, another attempt. The girl was hard to keep down, now that she had discovered the joy of movement and exercise. On some days she would refuse to go to bed if she didn't get this one dance step right or hold the handstand for a little bit longer first. Elissa was thinking she was doing something right but at the same time she was sure that Garrett would push the girl's enthusiasm to the breaking point. But the girl would forgive him. A deep respect and gratitude for him spoke out of her. When she heard the news that Garrett would stay away longer than planned, she was disappointed, but his gift had helped her get over it.
As the day moved on, the preparations progressed at a good pace and when the sky began to dim, the first people came onto the clearing. Almost all of them scattered grains of wheat and barley on the ground as they walked towards the large stone slab, knelt down and said a short bid to the spirits. The glade filled more and more and soon a merry crowd was lining it on all sides. Finally, Elissa could see her friend Melanie come onto the glade with her family. She had introduced Nannade and Melanie to each other before, since she needed someone to watch over the girl during the festival. Elissa pulled the girl close and whispered in her ear "remember the story we all agreed on. Other than that, be very careful and stay close to Melanie." Nannade nodded eagerly and Elissa could feel at ease, now that Melanie had arrived. She was that sort of woman who somehow gained clairvoyance through parenting, which manifested in her being able to sense mischief and accidents a few seconds before her children caused them. The two boys already knew Nannade from when Elissa had introduced the girl to the class in town. They started chatting and playing with the girl, being ever vigilant for anyone trying to pick on her, for example, by pulling her tail. Elissa invited them all to come along as she walked with Nannade back to the hut to get changed.
Elissa got Nannade dressed first. She had ordered a dress for her at the tailor's and it came just in time, complete with orange shoes. A girl should have something pretty to wear for such an occasion. It was of a dark grape colour, had short puff sleeves, an orange sash and a slit for her tail, Elissa had made sure the tailor got that point right. Nannade insisted on wearing the red bow Garrett had gotten for her, but tied on her head like a hair band instead of the neck, the girl stepped back outside. The sight of this beautiful girl in her adorable dress and bow flooded Elissa's heart with soothing happiness. She remembered her own first dress and her time with her friends. Nannade was so alone, but tonight, she could just be among other children. Elissa had to suppress a tear, then she sent the girl back to Melanie so they could go ahead to the glade. Now she could get dressed herself.
The spirits rarely saw clothing as something of notice, but the emotions of the audience were important as well. Her dress was not as revealing as what she would wear for the Beg for Fertility, but still much more exciting than anything she'd wear every other day. A straw skirt that ended just above her knees, a durable linen cloth cross-wrapped across her chest and around the neck to up perk up her breasts, and wrappings for her hands and feet. All made within the towns surrounding the forest, of course. Elissa questioned whether that made any difference to the spirits or whether they could even tell, but it was a custom she liked to uphold anyway. How much of this was proven knowledge and how much was just for show and sentimentality, nobody could say, but then again, with spirits, the lines were blurry. She left the 'knowing' and 'proving' to the arcane magisters in the city's towers. Out here, she could feel the lifeforce of the land streaming over her daily, that's all she needed to know, and the glade was a much more intense place.
Outside her hut, one of the Guardians waited with a torch. He accompanied her back to the glade. As the two came closer the people on the glade grew silent. She threw off her cloak and entered the glade. The people formed an alley for her to walk towards the centre. Before the slab stood the mayor of the nearest town. He held a crown of this year's ears of grain. She walked up to him and Elissa knelt down as he put the crown on her head to crown her the harvest priestess for this festival. A cheer went through the crowd as Elissa stepped up on the slab and got the crowd started with the rhythm. More people joined in with their instruments, timbrels, bells, flutes, rattles or even just their voices. She reached for her flux powder, recited her incantation and summoned thick smoke that engulfed the entire slab. With her mightiest leap, she jumped up into the air and when her feet slammed on the ground all the smoke turned to flame and sent a huge ball of fire into the air.
A roar went through the crowd and out into the forest. She had done this many times before and every time she was on edge. Displeasing the beings that gathered here could mean dire consequences for everyone present. She focussed on her steps and jumps. Her twirls, her pivots, her handsprings, her sweeps and her other movements. She tried to get a glance of the girl the few times she dared to let her eyes sway across the crowd, but she could not find her anywhere. She already felt and saw the spirits gathering and so did the people, the streams of life force crossing at this glade started to turn aroused. The spirits' presence this night was powerful enough to make even unbelievers see, and so, people came to the braziers to throw their offerings into the fire. Handfuls of grain, shot game, berries, wine, many things they were thankful for.
The evening went on, the chanting and bellowing among the people carried deep into the forest and Elissa could feel her sweat pooling on her skin and being flung far away from her with every movement. This year again the spirits were pleased with her display and so they carried her on their spectral hands, like a cloud of energy enveloping her, her muscles cried with both pleasure and pain, her mouth and nose were filled with salty air, the soles of her feet were sore and slippery, but still she danced on. The aroused life force softened the barrier between their reality and the mystic world, already thin at a place of power, and made the impossible perceivable, just for this night.
Finally, helpers threw incense and powders into the braziers to turn their smoke fragrant and colourful. That was the sign for the spirits to linger a while more, and for Elissa that she could stop. With the thick smoke rising, the music of the people reached its climax. In a last pirouette she sank to the ground and let her body be cooled by the cold smooth stone. The music ebbed down and turned from a passionate screaming into a happy murmur among the trees.
The hopes and wishes for the coming winter were in the air and the spirits agreed with the people. Elissa's heart was beating against her resting chest, she tried to calm her breathing, sucking in the fresh night air and incense. Eventually, Nannade popped up at the edge of the stone slab to congratulate Elissa and tell her how amazing she was. She was accompanied by two girls roughly her age and Melanie's boys, Frederick and Carstennus. Elissa managed to pull together some strength and walk over to them. One of the Guardians put a thick robe around her shoulders. For the rest of the evening, Nannade did not allow Elissa to leave her side, dragging her along to every person the girl had met that night, telling her all about how good friends they were now.
The crowd marched down the slopes and out of the forest. On one of the fields between the towns the people had prepared rows of benches and tables for a feast, which was to the be opened by the priestess proclaiming that the spirits were pleased. If they were pleased. And so, Elissa opened the night's feast. The people cheered and heaped pie, venison, vegetables, bread, fruit and many more things fresh from the harvest onto their plates. This was her favourite time of the year. And now she enjoyed it with Nannade, who was completely blown away by the amount of food and jubilation. It was probably the first time in her life that she had gotten everything she asked for and more. She and the other children talked about all the spirits they had seen, foxes, snakes, owls, tiny men with leaves for hands. All of them and many more were present, dancing between the feet of the townsfolk, in the branches above, on the slab with Elissa. The presence of a spirit was something mesmerizing. They seemed to be there, yet not completely real. Like the possibility of existence, the presence of observation but not interaction. Whenever Elissa had helped a non-medium experience the presence of a spirit, they would find different words but describe the same feeling. And exactly like that, the townsfolk tonight have felt this night. The difference was, a medium could track and pinpoint the spirits' actions, interact with them, clearly describe them, while to non-mediums it would seem like a half-remembered dream, slowly fading and becoming obscure after a few moments.
Elissa could relax, talk to her few friends and even to a few of her peers, druids, shamans and witches who had no responsibilities like Elissa's tonight. She knew Nannade would be taken care of. Yet she could not stop herself and look over to the girl now and then. Her heart skipped a beat when she could not see the girl. Once she was chasing another girl around the tables. Another time, she was asking for seconds or thirds. Once she was talking to another adult. But each time, she was safe and Elissa's heart calmed down. She thought of Garrett and what he was doing right now.
Eventually, the children fell asleep and Melanie and the other women carried them to sleep on bales of hay. Nannade had a large assortment of different foods smeared all over her mouth and a bulging belly. Throughout the night she seemed to enjoy life on a completely different level. Would Garrett manage to break that part of her to make her fit into his concept of "freedom" or would she be able to break free from him before that happened? Elissa laid the girl down on the hay and put her own cloak over her for the night. She would get a blanket from Melanie to stay the rest of the night out here with the children. It had been a good day, was Elissa's final verdict. Below the swirl of stars, she fell asleep, accompanied by the dreams of children.