Eidra heard the muffled thump of the front door. She opened her eyes, squinting in the light of the lamp by the bed. Loki was standing by the wardrobe tying the laces of his breeches, humming softly to himself.

"Are you going with him?" she mumbled, drawing the coverlet tighter about her.

"I am. I told him to head off on his own, I would catch up with him. 'Twill give him more time alone to meditate."

"mmmm..," she heard the soft click creak of another door and she peered over the edge of the coverlet to see Brenna stick her head into the bedchamber.

"Are you decent?"

Loki nodded, "Half...," he took a folded tunic from one shelf, "Come in if you are of a mind..."

Brenna walked to the bed, dropping down beside her mother, gathering her nightgown around her feet.

"So today is the day, is it?"

Eidra's hand snaked out from beneath the covers to rub Brenna's arm, "That it is. Now you will have to address your brother as a man."

Brenna shook her head, "Not until he completes the ceremony. Tell me so after the celebration."

Loki had sat down in the dressing table chair to pull on his boots, now he looked up at Brenna, "Do you not expect your brother to pass the test?"

"I did not say he would not pass. I only said I would not call him a man until he was indeed a man," she gave Eidra a sly grin, "Of course he will always be a little worm to me."

"Bren," Eidra sighed.

"So now he is to travel to the temple in Cole, make offerings and meditate...," Brenna ignored her mother's chiding.

"Until just before sundown, yes," Loki stood, walked to the bed, "He will purify himself in water from the Western Sea, then he will travel to Idavoll where we will have prepared the pit for the auroch.."

"All alone," Eidra moaned, "Speak no more of it. My heart is fair ready to leap from my chest."

Brenna patted her mother's hand as Loki nodded, "He is traveling from boyhood to manhood. He will not always have someone to rescue him from danger. He must begin to rely upon himself."

"He is yet a baby," Eidra whispered but softer and Loki bent down, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead.

""And so he shall always be to you, my love...but he must also be a man."

Downstairs they could hear the thump clang of a kettle, muffled voices shouting to each other.

"Hal and Gretten," Eidra sat up, "They will be at each other all day preparing for the celebration feast tonight."

"Hole yourself up in Sally's room with the children, let them play and stay out of their way." Loki stood, rubbing Brenna's shoulder as he headed for the door.

"I cannot let them labor all alone. I will be busy helping Vesta and Ingrid clean the house. There shall be no hiding from chores today."

Loki stopped at the doorway, "Bren, see that you help your mother. Help with your brother and sisters."

Brenna rolled her eyes, "Do I not always?"

Loki smiled, "Until tonight then."

Fen reached down once more to touch the quiver hanging from the pommel of his saddle.

"It is still there, the Gods wept," Gunnar laughed.

"I know," Fen felt the soft suede rim. Last night just before bed, Brenna had come to his bedchamber holding the quiver.

She sat down on the coverlet and handed it to him, "I had this commissioned for you. It was to be your present at the celebration tomorrow evening but seeing as I expect the auroch to come out the winner, I thought I would give this to you tonight."

Fen gave her a half smile, "I know you do not mean it."

"The present or the expectation that you will catch the auroch's horn across your behind?"

Fen laughed, "Your expectations. You know I will soon be a man."

Brenna traced the tooled workings on the quiver with her finger, "Did I ever tell you about the night I tried to leave you in the woods for the wolves to find?"

Fen tilted his head, "What?"

Brenna lay her hands in her lap, "One night, soon after you were born, I took you from Mama and Papa's room and brought you out into the woods. I wanted to leave you there for the wolves. I was jealous of you, so jealous. You were taking Mama's attention away. Like the foolish child I was, I thought if I could be rid of you, she would pay attention to me again."

Fen's mouth had dropped open by then, "What stopped you?"

Brenna shrugged, "You started to cry when I lay you down on the ground. You were cold and wet...and I thought about how sad Mama had been when Silas had died. I knew I could never bear to break her heart even though I knew she would dote on you because you were a baby...so I picked you up and brought you back home."

Fen looked down at the quiver, "Did Mama and Papa find out what you did?"

Brenna nodded, "Yes indeed but Papa never spoke of it to me and Mama forgave me."

Fen hugged the quiver to his chest, "Do you regret not leaving me in the woods?"

Brenna gave him a solid punch in the arm, "Yes every day...no, of course I do not, you little worm. Besides, who else would I have to blame when things go wrong or when chores are not finished? Cait and the twins are too little yet."

All at once, Fen was on his knees in the bed, his arms around her neck in a fierce hug, "The quiver is beautiful. Thank you."

After a moment, Brenna pushed him away from her, "Gods, I told you I gave it to you early because I might not get another chance...use it well tomorrow evening," she put her hand atop his head, "And stay out of the way of that devil cow's horns."

"I would you could come with me to the temple," Fen sighed.

Gunnar nodded, "As do I.."

"But if I am to be a man, I must make this pilgrimage alone...," Fen finished, "Still I am...," He didn't want to use the word nervous. He felt it made him sound like a woman, as did frightened.

"You are worried."

Fen kept his eyes trained on a spot between Agathon's ears, "I am excited...and perhaps a little worried."

Gunnar reached across, clapping him on the shoulder, "My friend, I was terrified at my rite of passage."

All at once, Fen felt as if wings had sprouted from his back. If he tried hard enough he imagined he could fairly fly to the temple. His best friend, fledgling Royal guard, the bravest boy Fen had ever known had been terrified?

"Truly?"

Gunnar laughed aloud causing his horse, Star, to sidestep a bit, "Of course! Imagine yourself standing in that pit, naked as the day your mother birthed you, your bow in hand, sword at your waist," Gunnar waved his hand over the road before them, "And across the way stands the giant Auroch, long curved horns, eyes lit in the torchlight like black diamonds, drool hanging from the corner of his mouth just waiting to run you through. And that is not the more frightening aspect of it all for above you at the rim of the pit stand your peers, friends, family," Gunnar shuddered, "Your father. If you fail in your rite, you risk dishonor upon your family. I would welcome the Auroch's horns ere I brought such shame to my father's house."

"I thought fear was weakness." Fen turned to Gunnar.

"I would think a fool anyone who was not afraid. Only do not let your fear follow you into the pit and you will come out a man."

Fen smiled, his heart lighter than it had been that morning when he set out, "I will, indeed."

Colin spurred Lightning to a gallop, not only wanting to make the manor house by midday, but needing an outlet for his frustration. He had finished his daily visit at the longhouses, had stopped in to chat with Simon who was still on shore leave, so to speak, then he'd headed back to the manor. He'd not gotten halfway there when he'd met up with Brenna on her way to the encampment. Purely out of spite, he'd remarked upon the fact that she must be quite privileged to be able to escape from the preparations at the manor. Expecting an outburst of anger in reply, he'd been distressed to find her suddenly in tears. She had stammered an answer, saying he was completely right, turned Willow and galloped off in the direction she'd come before Colin could say anything more. He wasn't sure if she'd been truly penitent or was merely playing him in order to avoid further discussion on the matter. He considered looping back around to the longhouses, instead deciding he would leave her to her own fate. It was her problem after all. As he rode further away from the longhouses, his irritation grew until he was racing toward the homestead.

Upon arrival at the stables, however, he was surprised to see Willow in her stall, munching contentedly at her feed. When he entered the foyer, he could hear Brenna's voice in the dining hall. She was speaking to Cait. Steeling himself, he continued through the house, passing her by, giving her not so much as a glance as he reached the kitchen doorway.

The kitchen itself was overrun with people, some he didn't recognize. Eidra had told him members of the High Council would be in attendance at the rite of passage, their wives would be helping in the preparation of the celebratory feast. Colin was happy to see Lily sitting at the kitchen table. He nodded to her and she gave him a polite smile as Eidra looked up from her work.

"Oh Colin. My husband was looking for you. He and the rest of the men have set out for the Utiseta," Eidra rose from the table, headed for the kitchen door where sat a satchel. She picked it up, thrusting it into his hands, "Inside is a linen wrap, a parcel of cheese and bread for the conclusion of the ceremony; you will need it. Also a bundle of lavender for the smudge fire. Give it to the fire keeper for an offering. Make haste, Loki said to send you as soon as you arrived."

"Yes, Mother," He smiled at her. She returned the grin, hurrying him out the kitchen door into the back yard.

"Off with you now, you impertinent boy!"

A few minutes later he was mounting Lightning yet again. The horse canted his head about, shaking it at Colin who shrugged, "Sorry, boy. Don't want to be tardy today. You can rest yerself later."

Colin clucked his tongue and they were off down the grassy path along the fields behind the manor.