A.N: Sorry it was so long, but I just couldn't stop until here! I'll get up more when I get the chance, okay? And now…. Please Review, and thanks a world! (Smiles) -Dreamseeker1
*** A/N: Okay, so I like posting day after day. But I hate posting junk, so not everything is going to come this quickly from me. Hey, I try to take it easy sometimes. Anyways, this chapter was a little bit harder to write, because it wasn't already laid out in my mind. I had to write part of the ritual myself, and let me tell you, it's a bit of work. Nothing really bad here, but this first part shall be rated PG, okay? Ok, good.
Aurelia: I don't like this… *crosses arms over self*
Dream: Oh you're fine *dismisses her with a wave of the hand.*
*Liam peeks @ Aurelia during first part of chap., eyes wide*
Liam: Can I be in this part, too?
Aurelia and Dream together: No! *chases him around with pitchfork*
Dream: *huffing and puffing from her rapid workout, leaning on pitchfork* Well, (breathing heavily) the chap is shaping up pretty good. BUT, I need your suggestions folks. How is this coming along? If y'all don't like it, I'll stop, if you want. What I really need is character advice on what I do with everyone but Aurelia. They're kinda undeveloped, at the moment, and I want to write what you want to see. And another thing: I need summary help, if you've noticed by the small amount of reviews! Ahh! Thanks you all! Merry Meet and Merry Part until we Merry Meet again! -Dreamseeker
(One more note. When at the circle, they are referred to by their Wiccan names…in English. Makes it easier. ^_~ *_* ^_^ ~_~……. #_# )
Chapter Three: Of Esbats and Newcomers
Aurelia was already immersed in the books on Rune casting when she made it home that day. She committed the information to memory, so she could better lead the coven instead of burying her nose in a book. She packed her black ritual bag with salt, incense, her red robes, the books, and a few other various objects. She patted the pentacle at her neck for comfort as flutters of nervousness and excitement troubled her stomach. She looked at the clock. It was only six. She still had two hours before the Esbat, so she headed into the seashell decorated upstairs bathroom to take a shower.
She lit lavender incense in the small burner she had for the bathroom, for calming purposes, and turned the hot water showerhead on. Slipping carefully out of her brown clothing and folding it so it wouldn't get wrinkled, she stepped into the tile shower and pulled the hair tie out of her shoulder-blade-length long hair. The hot water ran down her face and down her back, and she sighed deeply, thinking. Hot water always did bring out the thoughts in her. Today had already been an eye-opener in the extreme, she thought, what with Mr. Wo - Dragon- being a witch. She never would have guessed. And soon, he would help free her from her nightmares. She gave a giddy little smile, anxious. She scrubbed her whole body with herbal soap, feeling clean as the bubbles washed away. Finally she just relaxed to soak up the warmth and safety of the blue tiles and running water.
She had gotten out and was drying her hair when the doorbell rang. She ran down the stairs, through the plain white dining room and country decorated living room to the front door. Towel still at her hair, she pulled open the door. Outside was Lily, still wearing her various shades of red, though now she had a black backpack over her shoulder. Aurelia stepped aside to let her in, saying, "Lily? What are you doing here?" She brought the navy towel back up to her hair, being careful to not get her clothes wet.
Lily sat down in a squashy green chair-and-a-half, sighing heavily. "My dad and I got in another fight. He took away my car keys."
"You walked all the way from your house?" Lily nodded as Aurelia sat on the green couch opposite her. "A fight? About what? Wicca again?"
Lily nodded glumly, trying not to cry. "Why can't he accept me, Skysong? I can't make him see that Wicca isn't wrong. I can't make him see that I'm beginning to make my own choices… He doesn't want me the way I am." Her gentle blue eyes filled with tears, making her seem years younger.
Aurelia had never had trouble helping Lillian's sensitive, emotional nature. She came over and sat next to her. "Oh Whisper," she cooed, using her Craft name and putting her arms around her, leaning her head against hers. "Of course he wants you. It's just going to take him time to see that there's nothing wrong with Wicca. It's just that he loves you so much that he's afraid of anything that might take you away from him. You need to give him time, hon. it'll all work out- I know it will."
Tears ran down her pale, delicate face. "I wish my mom were here. Mom would understand."
Aurelia felt bad about the lie she knew would make things right, but what else could she do? "She'll come home soon, Lily. When she's tired of running away from the people she loves, she'll come home to you."
"You really think so?" Hope lit her eyes.
"I really do." Aurelia smiled. "Hey, I know I wouldn't be able to stay away from you. I'd miss you within five minutes."
Lily smiled and hugged her. "Thanks. Now I remember why you're my best friend."
Aurelia hugged back. "We'll say a prayer for your mother tonight at the circle."
Lily brightened, though Aurelia could not see her.
After a brief pause, Aurelia said, "Um, Lily? Could you let me go? My hair's getting your clothes all wet."
***
They got in Relia's Geo at around 7:15 to go to James's. Both Aurelia and Lily had their hair down and were lugging bags. Lily's auburn hair was cut to frame her delicate face, while Aurelia's fell straight. They drove down the paved avenues of Johnson's Crossings as the sun began to set. Lily leaned back against the gray interior and watched it wistfully. "A sunset's a sad thing, you know."
Aurelia nodded, concentrating on the wheel.
Lily kept going. "A sunset always signals the end of a day that could've been different. That could've been perfect, if you tried hard enough to make it that way. There's always at least one failure, you know? But the saddest thing about a sunset, the thing that hurts the worst, is that you don't know how many more sunsets you'll see. You realize that the number just went down by one, and it could be the last."
Aurelia looked over, a small smile on her face. "When I was really little, I asked my grandmother where people went when they died, and she said that they became part of the sunset. I remember her saying that they would die as the sunset, and when the son rose again, they would be reborn. I asked her if that's what happened to my grandfather, and she smiled and said she hoped so, because it was him who taught her that. She said he taught her just about everything."
"That's really sweet. They must have really loved each other, huh?"
Aurelia sighed. "More than anything. Grandma used to tell me that Grandpa had left too early. That he was supposed to teach me."
Lily looked over, intrigued. "Teach you what?"
Aurelia shrugged and turned the car into an expensive sub-division. "Dunno. Grandma never told me."
They turned into the driveway of a large Tudor home. Only one other vehicle was there, a dark blue Cavalier that belonged to James. They got out, carrying their bags, and walked up the stone steps. Aurelia knocked on the door.
They heard a scramble, and the door opened. James's chipper face appeared, smiling, and he let them in, helping Lily with her bag. He set it down in the huge entryway and picked Lily up, spinning her around and kissing her. She laughed as Aurelia came in and shut the door behind her, grinning at the two.
"Did you miss her or something, James?" asked Aurelia.
He grinned in reply. "No way. Not a bit." He winked and sat her down, brushing off his clothes. Lily put her hand on the wall to steady herself.
"So, where are we having this?" asked Aurelia, shifting her bag.
James grinned wickedly. "Up."
"Up?" Aurelia and Lily spoke in unison.
He nodded. "Up. As in the attic." The attic of this house was the entire third floor as an open space. It was huge.
Lily groaned. "I'm wearing a skirt, James!" The only way up was a ladder from the second floor.
James grinned again. "All the better. You know where to go?"
Both Aurelia and Lily shook their heads and Lily said, "No, not really. We had it outside last time." James shrugged and led them up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway, both decorated in dark wood. Finally they reached the end of hallway and James opened the door to a closet. It was large, with bookcases lining the walls filled with various objects, and a ladder went upward from the back. Aurelia could see candlelight flickering from above.
Lily gave James a pleading look. "James…" she whined again.
James laughed and rolled his eyes, still carrying her bag. "Alright, I'll go first. Better?" She smiled in reply. He deftly climbed up the wooden ladder, disappearing at the top. "Well?" his voice called. "Are you coming up?"
Shifting her bag, Aurelia climbed up the ladder. When her head appeared at the top she gasped. Everything had been pushed into the corners, and the windows -one facing each direction- were all open. The entire room was covered in candles of every shape, size and color. A small table sat at the wall opposite, covered in foods and tea. Aurelia hurried and finished climbing up to see better. "Oh wow…" she said with her mouth hanging open. "You've really outdone yourself here… and everyone else."
"I remembered what we did last Samhain and I copied it… sorta." He said, blushing and referring back to the year before, when they had found an abandoned shack that they now used only on the Major Sabbats. Aurelia smiled proudly.
Lily's reaction was much the same. Aurelia walked to the window facing both south and the road to set down her bag and saw another car pull into the driveway below. "Hey James, I think Will's here."
"Ok, I'll be right back." He disappeared down the ladder. Aurelia and Lily took the opportunity to change into their robes. Though Aurelia's was a blood red, Lily's was a bright, lovely white. By the time they had changed and started to unpack their things, James was back, leading not only Will, but also Jaide, Whitney Fellows and Adam Neesin. Aurelia took in the sight of the two would-be new members. Whitney had hair a dark blonde, with black streaks and shocking blue tips on the ends of the streaks. Her face was calm, but quiet, and she had eyes a more electric blue than Lily's soft blue ones, and were naturally very large. She was shorter, built on a steadier body, and dressed punky in a black shirt and a skirt studded with metal rings. Also, she was a Freshman, making her the youngest there.
And then there was Adam. Dressed normally in long, baggy jeans and a casual white sweater, with his brown hair and hazel eyes the matched his naturally coffee-colored skin, you never would have guessed his fame for his writing talent and his friendly nature. Though he stood at 6'4", you never would have guessed from the way he hunched over.
And there also was Jaide, decked out in a long black gown and her hair wrapped in a large knot at the back of her head, though two pieces fell free to frame her pale face. She was free of make-up, for once. And she actually had a half grin on her face; you could tell she was happy to be here.
And then there was Will. Will was already dressed in his hunter green robes, with his long dark hair back in a short ponytail. The dark green of his robes only made his bright eyes shine brighter. In his hands he carried flower garlands. Aurelia gave him an odd look as she saw them and he winked in return. When everyone had quieted a little he spoke. "Female coven members, and guests as well," he added, smiling at Whitney, who blushed. "I bear thee gifts. Come forth as I name thee." Aurelia wanted to laugh, but refrained. Who ever really talked like that? "Honored Leader Skysong," he called, looking at her. She stepped forward, and he placed a wreath of wild red and russet colored roses on her head. "For the best of the women in my life."
"Thank you, Shadowfox," she said formally, and kissed his forehead before walking away.
"Whisper," Lily walked forward and was rewarded with a garland of white lilies, making her sweet nature visible. She thanked and kissed him as well.
His eyes found Jaide. "Firefrost," She stepped forward and received a garland of ivy with small white flowers that Aurelia didn't know. She kissed his head and walked away.
Finally he turned to Whitney. "Sister, if you will," he smiled charmingly and she took a few steps. He gently set daisies atop her head, and she blushed and hesitantly kissed his forehead. He winked at her and she went back to join Firefrost.
Skysong stepped forward. "Tonight we will walk our guests through the ceremonies of the full moon, and will all together learn the art of rune casting. At t he end of the night, the coven shall address the matter of Whitney and Adam. We'll begin by going over the Norse Runes: the Elder Futhark. Who wants to start?"
Adam fidgeted. "I know them all, but I don't know what they all mean."
Skysong smiled. "That's alright. I'm sure Storm Call can help you." She looked at James. "Can you?"
Storm Call grinned recklessly. "You bet."
"Go on then, try." prompted Skysong, sitting on the wooden floor. The other's followed suit. "Can you do them in order of their aett's?"
Adam nodded and cleared his throat, looking at the floor. "Frey's aett: Feoh, Ur, Thorn, Ansur, Rad, Ken, Gyfu, and Wyn. Next there's Hagal's aett: Hagal, Nyd, Is, Ger, Eoh, Peorth, Eolh, and Sigel. And then there's Tyr's aett: Tyr, Beorc, Ehwaz, Man, Lagu, Ing, Daeg, and the last one's Odel." He looked up. "Did I get them all?"
Firefrost grinned and nodded.
Storm Call rubbed his hands together. "Okay, I do remember this… Feoh is for wealth, Ur is for strength, Thorn is for energy, Ansur is for…" He finished the entire Runic Alphabet, stumbling only once, at Man.
Skysong smiled and applauded him, as did everyone else. "Now forgive me if I sound like a teacher, but did everyone do their homework?" Skysong grinned at the group. "In other words, does everyone know what Rune is theirs?" Nods of agreement came. "Well then, come on. Tell everyone which Rune you think it is and why. I'll start." She hopped up and thought for a moment. "Oh yes, I remember." She looked around and found everyone's eyes. "My Rune is Ehwaz, for the partnership of the coven that is my life, and the journey I take along the path I have chosen, and the semi-controlled-change that results because of it."
Each of them, even the newcomers, talked about a certain runes, and all were different, from Lily's Eoh to Will's Man and even to Jaide's Tyr. Then Aurelia taught them how to cast the Runes for divination purposes. Surprisingly, Whitney was quite good. But soon Aurelia could sense everyone's impatience, and she leapt up to the east window. The full moon was just coming into position so that all of it's light would pour in through the window. "I know you've all been waiting to do the Full Moon ritual, and now," She gestured with her arms. "We can."
Everyone scrambled to get everything ready -the incense lit, the water in its bowl, the stones and the southern candle. Many of the other candles were put out, and everyone rushed to form a circle. They stood and held hands - Lily holding on to James and Aurelia, who held on also to Will, who also held on to Adam, who held the hand of Whitney, who held the hand of Jaide, who was holding James's other hand.
"Whitney, Adam, do either of you want to cast the circle?" asked Lily. "If that's all right with everyone else…" She looked around to look for disagreement. No one made a reply.
"Um… I'd like to," said Whitney hesitantly. "But I'm not sure how."
"I'll show you," smiled Lily, letting go to go and get the salt and handing it to her. "I'll say the words if you release the salt." Whitney nodded. Together they walked around the circle, Whitney dropping salt, and Lily saying confidently at her side,
* "By the Eastern Wind,
By the Southern Fire
By the Northern Woods
And the Western Seas,
I call our Lady, and beseech our Lord,
To join and grant us power.
The Circle is cast" *
As she finished saying the words, both she and Whitney stepped back into place and held hands again. Aurelia smiled as everyone told Whitney that she'd done a good job. "Now, everyone, before we start, I think we should say a prayer for Whisper's mother, asking her to come home." They all nodded and closed their eyes with their heads down, and James squeezed Lily's hand Aurelia took a deep breath. "Oh Goddess, we pray of thee to return Whisper's mother to her, as she as great love and desire for her. Whisper is lost without her mother, and her mother is lost abroad. Bring these two souls together once again, by the might and strength of Nightwalker Coven. As we will so mote it be."
"So mote it be," echoed the rest of the room quietly, opening their eyes.
"And now, for the full moon ceremony. Adam and Whitney, you just echo us, all right?" They nodded. "Ok everyone, let's go." They began to walk the moon-lit circle, still holding hands, chanting:
* "O Lady of the moonlight
And Lord of the bright skies,
Join with us, be here tonight,
So thanks be given to the wise.
"I thank you for my family!" said James.
"I thank you for my love," said Lily, squeezing James hand.
"I thank you for tranquility, and for a new acquaintance," said Aurelia softly, thinking of Dragon.
"I thank you for peace of mind," said Will with his eyes closed, making Aurelia wonder what he meant.
"I thank you for my abilities," said Adam quietly, looking at the ground.
"I thank you for my friends." said Whitney, not hesitating.
We thank you always for continued blessings already on their way! Blessed Be!" *
They threw their hands up into the air as a wave of serenity washed over them, creating goose bumps. Whitney gasped, and Adam laughed aloud. The others just smiled, letting that blissful feeling settle in their stomach.
***
"So…" began Aurelia as they shared fruits and warm tea. "Any objections to Whitney and Adam?"
People all around shook their heads.
"So be it. If you still wish so, on Beltane you will be formally indicted into Nightwalker Coven." Claps came from all around. "Anyways, next week I figured we could start on candle magick. Really handy, you know. And then we can work on Herblore-"
Jaide stood. "I want to be leader of the coven." The older members sighed and groaned, saying, "not again…"
Aurelia didn't blink. "Well, ask the coven. It's their decision."
Jaide looked around. "Well? Who's with me?" No one moved. She turned to Adam and Whitney. "Well?"
Whitney shrugged. "I like the way Aurelia leads. I don't see why you want to change that."
Jaide almost screamed. "Because she's only 16! She can barely tie her shoes, let alone lead a coven!"
"She's been doing fine as far as I can see," said Will, taking a sip of tea.
Jaide glared, black eyes flashing. "Fine," she said. "I'm leaving." And with that, she dropped down the ladder and left.
Whitney started to get up and follow her. "Don't worry," said Will. "She'll be back."
"But…" stuttered Whitney as a car could be heard driving away. "She was my ride."
"I'll take you home. And Adam too. Do you need one?" asked James. Adam nodded. "See? All better."
"Where we gonna be next week?" asked Lily.
Adam quickly volunteered. "My house. My folk's will be bowling and they think Wicca's a good idea. I can clear with them tonight."
"Great. We'll talk about it at school tomorrow. Time to go home, everyone!" Aurelia laughed as James groaned.
Lily got in the car with Aurelia and yawned. "Wicca always makes me so tired," she yawned.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Hey, you want to go with me to Practical Magick tomorrow?"
"Sorry, can't. Have fun though."
"Sure." They drove away, not even thinking that tomorrow's plans could change their lives.
A/n: yeah yeah yeah, I know you hate mini cliffy, but it won't be that long, I promise. Please R&R!
*** A/N: Okay, so I like posting day after day. But I hate posting junk, so not everything is going to come this quickly from me. Hey, I try to take it easy sometimes. Anyways, this chapter was a little bit harder to write, because it wasn't already laid out in my mind. I had to write part of the ritual myself, and let me tell you, it's a bit of work. Nothing really bad here, but this first part shall be rated PG, okay? Ok, good.
Aurelia: I don't like this… *crosses arms over self*
Dream: Oh you're fine *dismisses her with a wave of the hand.*
*Liam peeks @ Aurelia during first part of chap., eyes wide*
Liam: Can I be in this part, too?
Aurelia and Dream together: No! *chases him around with pitchfork*
Dream: *huffing and puffing from her rapid workout, leaning on pitchfork* Well, (breathing heavily) the chap is shaping up pretty good. BUT, I need your suggestions folks. How is this coming along? If y'all don't like it, I'll stop, if you want. What I really need is character advice on what I do with everyone but Aurelia. They're kinda undeveloped, at the moment, and I want to write what you want to see. And another thing: I need summary help, if you've noticed by the small amount of reviews! Ahh! Thanks you all! Merry Meet and Merry Part until we Merry Meet again! -Dreamseeker
(One more note. When at the circle, they are referred to by their Wiccan names…in English. Makes it easier. ^_~ *_* ^_^ ~_~……. #_# )
Chapter Three: Of Esbats and Newcomers
Aurelia was already immersed in the books on Rune casting when she made it home that day. She committed the information to memory, so she could better lead the coven instead of burying her nose in a book. She packed her black ritual bag with salt, incense, her red robes, the books, and a few other various objects. She patted the pentacle at her neck for comfort as flutters of nervousness and excitement troubled her stomach. She looked at the clock. It was only six. She still had two hours before the Esbat, so she headed into the seashell decorated upstairs bathroom to take a shower.
She lit lavender incense in the small burner she had for the bathroom, for calming purposes, and turned the hot water showerhead on. Slipping carefully out of her brown clothing and folding it so it wouldn't get wrinkled, she stepped into the tile shower and pulled the hair tie out of her shoulder-blade-length long hair. The hot water ran down her face and down her back, and she sighed deeply, thinking. Hot water always did bring out the thoughts in her. Today had already been an eye-opener in the extreme, she thought, what with Mr. Wo - Dragon- being a witch. She never would have guessed. And soon, he would help free her from her nightmares. She gave a giddy little smile, anxious. She scrubbed her whole body with herbal soap, feeling clean as the bubbles washed away. Finally she just relaxed to soak up the warmth and safety of the blue tiles and running water.
She had gotten out and was drying her hair when the doorbell rang. She ran down the stairs, through the plain white dining room and country decorated living room to the front door. Towel still at her hair, she pulled open the door. Outside was Lily, still wearing her various shades of red, though now she had a black backpack over her shoulder. Aurelia stepped aside to let her in, saying, "Lily? What are you doing here?" She brought the navy towel back up to her hair, being careful to not get her clothes wet.
Lily sat down in a squashy green chair-and-a-half, sighing heavily. "My dad and I got in another fight. He took away my car keys."
"You walked all the way from your house?" Lily nodded as Aurelia sat on the green couch opposite her. "A fight? About what? Wicca again?"
Lily nodded glumly, trying not to cry. "Why can't he accept me, Skysong? I can't make him see that Wicca isn't wrong. I can't make him see that I'm beginning to make my own choices… He doesn't want me the way I am." Her gentle blue eyes filled with tears, making her seem years younger.
Aurelia had never had trouble helping Lillian's sensitive, emotional nature. She came over and sat next to her. "Oh Whisper," she cooed, using her Craft name and putting her arms around her, leaning her head against hers. "Of course he wants you. It's just going to take him time to see that there's nothing wrong with Wicca. It's just that he loves you so much that he's afraid of anything that might take you away from him. You need to give him time, hon. it'll all work out- I know it will."
Tears ran down her pale, delicate face. "I wish my mom were here. Mom would understand."
Aurelia felt bad about the lie she knew would make things right, but what else could she do? "She'll come home soon, Lily. When she's tired of running away from the people she loves, she'll come home to you."
"You really think so?" Hope lit her eyes.
"I really do." Aurelia smiled. "Hey, I know I wouldn't be able to stay away from you. I'd miss you within five minutes."
Lily smiled and hugged her. "Thanks. Now I remember why you're my best friend."
Aurelia hugged back. "We'll say a prayer for your mother tonight at the circle."
Lily brightened, though Aurelia could not see her.
After a brief pause, Aurelia said, "Um, Lily? Could you let me go? My hair's getting your clothes all wet."
***
They got in Relia's Geo at around 7:15 to go to James's. Both Aurelia and Lily had their hair down and were lugging bags. Lily's auburn hair was cut to frame her delicate face, while Aurelia's fell straight. They drove down the paved avenues of Johnson's Crossings as the sun began to set. Lily leaned back against the gray interior and watched it wistfully. "A sunset's a sad thing, you know."
Aurelia nodded, concentrating on the wheel.
Lily kept going. "A sunset always signals the end of a day that could've been different. That could've been perfect, if you tried hard enough to make it that way. There's always at least one failure, you know? But the saddest thing about a sunset, the thing that hurts the worst, is that you don't know how many more sunsets you'll see. You realize that the number just went down by one, and it could be the last."
Aurelia looked over, a small smile on her face. "When I was really little, I asked my grandmother where people went when they died, and she said that they became part of the sunset. I remember her saying that they would die as the sunset, and when the son rose again, they would be reborn. I asked her if that's what happened to my grandfather, and she smiled and said she hoped so, because it was him who taught her that. She said he taught her just about everything."
"That's really sweet. They must have really loved each other, huh?"
Aurelia sighed. "More than anything. Grandma used to tell me that Grandpa had left too early. That he was supposed to teach me."
Lily looked over, intrigued. "Teach you what?"
Aurelia shrugged and turned the car into an expensive sub-division. "Dunno. Grandma never told me."
They turned into the driveway of a large Tudor home. Only one other vehicle was there, a dark blue Cavalier that belonged to James. They got out, carrying their bags, and walked up the stone steps. Aurelia knocked on the door.
They heard a scramble, and the door opened. James's chipper face appeared, smiling, and he let them in, helping Lily with her bag. He set it down in the huge entryway and picked Lily up, spinning her around and kissing her. She laughed as Aurelia came in and shut the door behind her, grinning at the two.
"Did you miss her or something, James?" asked Aurelia.
He grinned in reply. "No way. Not a bit." He winked and sat her down, brushing off his clothes. Lily put her hand on the wall to steady herself.
"So, where are we having this?" asked Aurelia, shifting her bag.
James grinned wickedly. "Up."
"Up?" Aurelia and Lily spoke in unison.
He nodded. "Up. As in the attic." The attic of this house was the entire third floor as an open space. It was huge.
Lily groaned. "I'm wearing a skirt, James!" The only way up was a ladder from the second floor.
James grinned again. "All the better. You know where to go?"
Both Aurelia and Lily shook their heads and Lily said, "No, not really. We had it outside last time." James shrugged and led them up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway, both decorated in dark wood. Finally they reached the end of hallway and James opened the door to a closet. It was large, with bookcases lining the walls filled with various objects, and a ladder went upward from the back. Aurelia could see candlelight flickering from above.
Lily gave James a pleading look. "James…" she whined again.
James laughed and rolled his eyes, still carrying her bag. "Alright, I'll go first. Better?" She smiled in reply. He deftly climbed up the wooden ladder, disappearing at the top. "Well?" his voice called. "Are you coming up?"
Shifting her bag, Aurelia climbed up the ladder. When her head appeared at the top she gasped. Everything had been pushed into the corners, and the windows -one facing each direction- were all open. The entire room was covered in candles of every shape, size and color. A small table sat at the wall opposite, covered in foods and tea. Aurelia hurried and finished climbing up to see better. "Oh wow…" she said with her mouth hanging open. "You've really outdone yourself here… and everyone else."
"I remembered what we did last Samhain and I copied it… sorta." He said, blushing and referring back to the year before, when they had found an abandoned shack that they now used only on the Major Sabbats. Aurelia smiled proudly.
Lily's reaction was much the same. Aurelia walked to the window facing both south and the road to set down her bag and saw another car pull into the driveway below. "Hey James, I think Will's here."
"Ok, I'll be right back." He disappeared down the ladder. Aurelia and Lily took the opportunity to change into their robes. Though Aurelia's was a blood red, Lily's was a bright, lovely white. By the time they had changed and started to unpack their things, James was back, leading not only Will, but also Jaide, Whitney Fellows and Adam Neesin. Aurelia took in the sight of the two would-be new members. Whitney had hair a dark blonde, with black streaks and shocking blue tips on the ends of the streaks. Her face was calm, but quiet, and she had eyes a more electric blue than Lily's soft blue ones, and were naturally very large. She was shorter, built on a steadier body, and dressed punky in a black shirt and a skirt studded with metal rings. Also, she was a Freshman, making her the youngest there.
And then there was Adam. Dressed normally in long, baggy jeans and a casual white sweater, with his brown hair and hazel eyes the matched his naturally coffee-colored skin, you never would have guessed his fame for his writing talent and his friendly nature. Though he stood at 6'4", you never would have guessed from the way he hunched over.
And there also was Jaide, decked out in a long black gown and her hair wrapped in a large knot at the back of her head, though two pieces fell free to frame her pale face. She was free of make-up, for once. And she actually had a half grin on her face; you could tell she was happy to be here.
And then there was Will. Will was already dressed in his hunter green robes, with his long dark hair back in a short ponytail. The dark green of his robes only made his bright eyes shine brighter. In his hands he carried flower garlands. Aurelia gave him an odd look as she saw them and he winked in return. When everyone had quieted a little he spoke. "Female coven members, and guests as well," he added, smiling at Whitney, who blushed. "I bear thee gifts. Come forth as I name thee." Aurelia wanted to laugh, but refrained. Who ever really talked like that? "Honored Leader Skysong," he called, looking at her. She stepped forward, and he placed a wreath of wild red and russet colored roses on her head. "For the best of the women in my life."
"Thank you, Shadowfox," she said formally, and kissed his forehead before walking away.
"Whisper," Lily walked forward and was rewarded with a garland of white lilies, making her sweet nature visible. She thanked and kissed him as well.
His eyes found Jaide. "Firefrost," She stepped forward and received a garland of ivy with small white flowers that Aurelia didn't know. She kissed his head and walked away.
Finally he turned to Whitney. "Sister, if you will," he smiled charmingly and she took a few steps. He gently set daisies atop her head, and she blushed and hesitantly kissed his forehead. He winked at her and she went back to join Firefrost.
Skysong stepped forward. "Tonight we will walk our guests through the ceremonies of the full moon, and will all together learn the art of rune casting. At t he end of the night, the coven shall address the matter of Whitney and Adam. We'll begin by going over the Norse Runes: the Elder Futhark. Who wants to start?"
Adam fidgeted. "I know them all, but I don't know what they all mean."
Skysong smiled. "That's alright. I'm sure Storm Call can help you." She looked at James. "Can you?"
Storm Call grinned recklessly. "You bet."
"Go on then, try." prompted Skysong, sitting on the wooden floor. The other's followed suit. "Can you do them in order of their aett's?"
Adam nodded and cleared his throat, looking at the floor. "Frey's aett: Feoh, Ur, Thorn, Ansur, Rad, Ken, Gyfu, and Wyn. Next there's Hagal's aett: Hagal, Nyd, Is, Ger, Eoh, Peorth, Eolh, and Sigel. And then there's Tyr's aett: Tyr, Beorc, Ehwaz, Man, Lagu, Ing, Daeg, and the last one's Odel." He looked up. "Did I get them all?"
Firefrost grinned and nodded.
Storm Call rubbed his hands together. "Okay, I do remember this… Feoh is for wealth, Ur is for strength, Thorn is for energy, Ansur is for…" He finished the entire Runic Alphabet, stumbling only once, at Man.
Skysong smiled and applauded him, as did everyone else. "Now forgive me if I sound like a teacher, but did everyone do their homework?" Skysong grinned at the group. "In other words, does everyone know what Rune is theirs?" Nods of agreement came. "Well then, come on. Tell everyone which Rune you think it is and why. I'll start." She hopped up and thought for a moment. "Oh yes, I remember." She looked around and found everyone's eyes. "My Rune is Ehwaz, for the partnership of the coven that is my life, and the journey I take along the path I have chosen, and the semi-controlled-change that results because of it."
Each of them, even the newcomers, talked about a certain runes, and all were different, from Lily's Eoh to Will's Man and even to Jaide's Tyr. Then Aurelia taught them how to cast the Runes for divination purposes. Surprisingly, Whitney was quite good. But soon Aurelia could sense everyone's impatience, and she leapt up to the east window. The full moon was just coming into position so that all of it's light would pour in through the window. "I know you've all been waiting to do the Full Moon ritual, and now," She gestured with her arms. "We can."
Everyone scrambled to get everything ready -the incense lit, the water in its bowl, the stones and the southern candle. Many of the other candles were put out, and everyone rushed to form a circle. They stood and held hands - Lily holding on to James and Aurelia, who held on also to Will, who also held on to Adam, who held the hand of Whitney, who held the hand of Jaide, who was holding James's other hand.
"Whitney, Adam, do either of you want to cast the circle?" asked Lily. "If that's all right with everyone else…" She looked around to look for disagreement. No one made a reply.
"Um… I'd like to," said Whitney hesitantly. "But I'm not sure how."
"I'll show you," smiled Lily, letting go to go and get the salt and handing it to her. "I'll say the words if you release the salt." Whitney nodded. Together they walked around the circle, Whitney dropping salt, and Lily saying confidently at her side,
* "By the Eastern Wind,
By the Southern Fire
By the Northern Woods
And the Western Seas,
I call our Lady, and beseech our Lord,
To join and grant us power.
The Circle is cast" *
As she finished saying the words, both she and Whitney stepped back into place and held hands again. Aurelia smiled as everyone told Whitney that she'd done a good job. "Now, everyone, before we start, I think we should say a prayer for Whisper's mother, asking her to come home." They all nodded and closed their eyes with their heads down, and James squeezed Lily's hand Aurelia took a deep breath. "Oh Goddess, we pray of thee to return Whisper's mother to her, as she as great love and desire for her. Whisper is lost without her mother, and her mother is lost abroad. Bring these two souls together once again, by the might and strength of Nightwalker Coven. As we will so mote it be."
"So mote it be," echoed the rest of the room quietly, opening their eyes.
"And now, for the full moon ceremony. Adam and Whitney, you just echo us, all right?" They nodded. "Ok everyone, let's go." They began to walk the moon-lit circle, still holding hands, chanting:
* "O Lady of the moonlight
And Lord of the bright skies,
Join with us, be here tonight,
So thanks be given to the wise.
"I thank you for my family!" said James.
"I thank you for my love," said Lily, squeezing James hand.
"I thank you for tranquility, and for a new acquaintance," said Aurelia softly, thinking of Dragon.
"I thank you for peace of mind," said Will with his eyes closed, making Aurelia wonder what he meant.
"I thank you for my abilities," said Adam quietly, looking at the ground.
"I thank you for my friends." said Whitney, not hesitating.
We thank you always for continued blessings already on their way! Blessed Be!" *
They threw their hands up into the air as a wave of serenity washed over them, creating goose bumps. Whitney gasped, and Adam laughed aloud. The others just smiled, letting that blissful feeling settle in their stomach.
***
"So…" began Aurelia as they shared fruits and warm tea. "Any objections to Whitney and Adam?"
People all around shook their heads.
"So be it. If you still wish so, on Beltane you will be formally indicted into Nightwalker Coven." Claps came from all around. "Anyways, next week I figured we could start on candle magick. Really handy, you know. And then we can work on Herblore-"
Jaide stood. "I want to be leader of the coven." The older members sighed and groaned, saying, "not again…"
Aurelia didn't blink. "Well, ask the coven. It's their decision."
Jaide looked around. "Well? Who's with me?" No one moved. She turned to Adam and Whitney. "Well?"
Whitney shrugged. "I like the way Aurelia leads. I don't see why you want to change that."
Jaide almost screamed. "Because she's only 16! She can barely tie her shoes, let alone lead a coven!"
"She's been doing fine as far as I can see," said Will, taking a sip of tea.
Jaide glared, black eyes flashing. "Fine," she said. "I'm leaving." And with that, she dropped down the ladder and left.
Whitney started to get up and follow her. "Don't worry," said Will. "She'll be back."
"But…" stuttered Whitney as a car could be heard driving away. "She was my ride."
"I'll take you home. And Adam too. Do you need one?" asked James. Adam nodded. "See? All better."
"Where we gonna be next week?" asked Lily.
Adam quickly volunteered. "My house. My folk's will be bowling and they think Wicca's a good idea. I can clear with them tonight."
"Great. We'll talk about it at school tomorrow. Time to go home, everyone!" Aurelia laughed as James groaned.
Lily got in the car with Aurelia and yawned. "Wicca always makes me so tired," she yawned.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Hey, you want to go with me to Practical Magick tomorrow?"
"Sorry, can't. Have fun though."
"Sure." They drove away, not even thinking that tomorrow's plans could change their lives.
A/n: yeah yeah yeah, I know you hate mini cliffy, but it won't be that long, I promise. Please R&R!