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I was back inside camp and we had him ready for Mourning. I sat with my Father while they finished it up. "Did you think about what you are going to say?" Ishaan asked. I nodded. I was going to speak about how much we loved him and how great he was at telling stories and such. Ishaan got up in the next second. He walked over to the Great Tree and stood atop it. Everyone turned their attention to him by instinct.
"Everyone who wishes to attend step out and into the centre, surround Henry Akatai with your love." Some of us circled him and Ishaan stood taller as he looked to the stars. "Our Ancestors have honoured us with such a great man, we in turn honour the time we were allowed to spend with him. We will miss him for sure, but he has gone to see The Great Alpha Lupus and Sirius. We know they will take great care of our fallen ally. Henry was our friend. He was our comrade in arms. He was our mentor. He was a great father. I can still remember all the great things he has accomplished in his life. Now as we take the transition into the Cold Season, that is what we should keep in mind. Now I wish to let Camoi, Mathew and Tyler speak. Lastly, we shall hear from Seisal and Casandra. Camoi please, come up here." So Ishaan and Liz traded places. She had lost her father. I felt terrible for her. I cannot imagine how it would feel to lose my father.
"Henry was one of the best men I had ever known. He was kind when I needed comfort. He was strong when I was in danger. Heh. He was stern when I needed discipline. Overall… He was always there for me. I know that if he could he would be here with us. I will miss him but as Ishaan said, he has gone to a better place, where a werewolf such great as himself, will NEVER die. That is why I will not cry for him, but feast for him. Long live Henry!" We chanted after her, I smiled. She had done well speaking of her dead father. I hope I will do just as good.
"Now Mathew please take her place." Ishaan said after we died down. Mathew took her place and Camoi sat down with tears in her eyes.
He was licking his lips. He had been Henry's fifth apprentice. "I wish to say that Camoi was right about Henry. He protected the clan like his own children. Once, back when I was his apprentice. I had fell from a tree and broke my leg. I was not allowed out of the camp for a month and I felt useless. Henry however would make me feel better. He would stay with me on his free time, which was quite often but when he did leave, I was supposed to take a sleep anyway. When I would wake, I would find a piece of prey in front of me and Henry would tell me of his outing. He made me feel helpful when I could not move. I want to say that Henry feels and cares for the sick and that he always has. Even when the sick was not me, he would still care for them. Long live Henry!" We chanted again. He spoke a wonderful piece. What was I going to say? I thought I had it but it slipped my mind.
"Tyler please take Mathew's place." I took his place on the Great Tree and stared at all of them. I thought of a little speech I could give.
"I believe that Henry is still with us. We just cannot see him or touch him. Just like all our Ancestors from the past. Henry was wonderful when it came to Retellings. I believe that now that he is with Lupus and Sirius that he will be telling them retellings of us. Henry helped to raise me when I was a kid. For that, I thank him. He told me stories, helped me evade trouble. What was more important to me was that he helped me learn what it means to be a wolf. Without him, I believe that this clan would have suffered. We should be happy that we got so much of his life with us. I know I shall always remember him, even in the future. Long live Henry!" They chanted after me and I traded places with Casandra and Seisal, though they did not get up on the Great Tree because they could not climb that well.
"We want to say that the others are right. If Henry had not been here this long, we would have lost our new-borns last Cold Season. He was the one who dedicated his time to building on more of the Inoperative den and the Young Den. Had he not, seeing as we almost froze overnight, every night, that our children would have passed on before their time." Casandra stepped away from Seisal and he spoke up.
"I guess that Henry was more like a father, to all of us. He was strong and fierce in battle, maybe arrogant at times but it is all the same. He was kind and gentle when in the camp. He knew when to be quiet and he knew when to be loud, sometimes. He was just an all-around great kind of guy. And for that, I say we cherish the time we had with him instead of mourning the time we lost with him." Casandra and Seisal both stepped together to shout the last part of their speech.
"Long live Henry!" We chanted again and then Ishaan slowly took their place up on the Great Tree.
"As we know, Henry was a great man and he shall be remembered through the ages. He will become one with the Ancestors! Long live the Akatais!" we chanted that over and over again until they brought Henry out of the Healing Den and placed him in the middle of camp, between the food pile and Ishaan's den.
"Now I suggest we make peace with our fallen friend. We will sit vigil with him until Moon High! We shall bury him for all his Ancestors to see so that the stars might guide him to where he needs to be." I went and sat by his head and sat with him. I watched the Elders lay their hands on him and I followed suit. After a while, I stopped and let someone else take my place. Instead, I went to sit with my Father.
At Moon High, Ishaan got up as did the Elders, Jacob and Florence. I followed suit. "Do you wish to help bury him?" I nodded and helped them pick up Henry's body. I followed them as they took him to Sacred Grounds. Ishaan and I sat down and waited for the Elders to dig up earth and soon they had a hole big enough to place Henry. We lowered him in and then Casandra and Seisal looked up at the sky.
"Please hear our plea, Great Ones. We wish to deliver unto you Henry Akatai. A great friend and a fierce warrior. A Great Wolf. Please take him with open arms and deliver him into your graces. Long live Henry Akatai, The Son Of Jalak!" Ishaan chanted that and I followed his lead again. We stood there for a while and then we left after another, but shorter vigil.
"Let's go home and rest on this." Ishaan said. I followed him home and I headed toward the Warrior Den but he called me back. "Tyler, I think you should sleep with me tonight. We will be going over to the Cave of Secrets so that you can talk with Henry. Tell me, have you had dinner yet?"
"No Sir." I replied. "Am I supposed to?"
"No. You need an empty tummy for the meeting. I still need to teach you a few lessons before your time to be Alpha." I nodded and followed him into his den, the prospect of sleeping in here with him made his den all that much bigger. I got into his big bed and he laid next to me, wrapping me in his arms. I fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Knowing that Henry was in a better place.
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