Chapter Fifteen, Dae'toror, Dae'salka, Mal-loki
"Good, Dae'toror," Ooro said as he called me by his personal nickname for me, "Shadow Brother", "for this is the first step in the Dae'salka. The Shadow Dance." he explained. "Which is why most of our kind choose to eat only plants, including the dangerous ones." Ooro said. "For animals can smell animal flesh easier than they can smell the plants we eat. Even cooked plants." Ooro taught. "It would be wise for us to begin your herb training and poison consumption today."
"Eating poison!?" I asked, "but wouldn't that kill me?"
"Not so, Dae'toror, for if you eat but a little each day, you will become immune to certain kinds." Ooro said, calming me a bit. "I will also teach you to cure a hide with plants, so the smell of the hides will not give away your position." Ooro said, holding up the edge of his hide vest.
"That, and you shall receive the honor of choosing a color today!" Ooro said in a congratulatory way, as though I should be proud, so I smiled. Though at the time I didn't know what in the world he was talking about.
At this, Ooro let out a great hoot and holler toward the woods, raising his bow high in the air and the Elves of the village all came running toward us! Upon reaching our position, they began chanting "Dae'fara!, Dae'fara! Mal-loki! Mal-loki!", Shadow Hunter! Shadow Hunter! Golden Snake! Golden Snake!, and they picked me up in a group upon their shoulders and led me back toward the village and the council tree-house, whereupon that night I was to receive my right of passage and inclusion into the tribe.
Though I am honor-bound not to discuss the ceremony, I can say that it was the most interesting I had ever been a part of, and that the color the tribe chose for me was almost a forgone conclusion, for they chose Golden Yellow to represent my spirit. Just as I knew they would…
