Fanfiction 51
Anakin stood straight, his hands raised in the air, as two warriors wound a 'capaline'-the traditional fur wrap worn by warriors- around his waist. Then they tied a thick leather belt around it to hold it in place. One side of the capaline reached the top of his thighs, the other side elongated down to his knee.
Anakin felt rather self-conscious in the rather insufficient clothing, but Liane assured him that he looked the picture of a brave warrior and the village girls would probably swoon at the sight of him in this manly garb. Anakin rolled his eyes and thanked the force there would be no girls, he felt rather silly in it. But for once he wouldn't mind Padmé seeing him like this he thought as he looked in the full length mirror, puffing out his chest and flexing his arms, amid shouts of 'show-off' and 'that's enough' from his fellow warriors.
"You folks are just jealous," Anakin said turning away. More than one strong arm pushed him forward irately, "Well very, very jealous." Anakin repeated as he pulled a spear from a boy near him and began pulling fighting stances with it in front of the mirror.
Liane returned with a gold cloth that he spread across Anakin's shoulders, then led him out a broad platform. Anakin lost his gallantry when he saw the sea of heads filling the center of the village; the grounds were filled to capacity.
The courtyard in front of the platform was full to capacity. The same set of haughty chiefs again sat in a neat semi circle of chairs set at the end of the platform.
A small table covered in red velvet stood in the middle, Chief wakabu stood at its side, grinning at Anakin as his friends led him out. What the chief saw was a sober, serious looking man striding proudly towards him, and not the flippant young boy of a while ago. Leaving Anakin with the chief, the warriors accompanying him backed away, taking the cloak with them. The cool evening air brushed gently against Anakin's bare body.
Anakin stood straight his hands locked behind his back as the chief, read a mandatory albeit short speech to the assembled chiefs and warriors.
It was Anakin's Acceptance ceremony, a ceremony that every warrior had to undergo once he graduated from warrior training. This ceremony would induct him as a warrior and member of the Capa tribe. It is in this ceremony too that the warrior is tattooed with the emblem of his life partner as all warriors marry just after graduating.
The graduation is a test of the warrior's strength, courage and bravery, in which he proves that he is ready for manhood and to take on the responsibility of a family. This test is held twice a year and the graduates are then married en masse within the next one-week. One day for each village where the graduate warriors of that village are married, then the next village and so on. The weeklong festivities would continue and culminating finally in the acceptance ceremony of all the graduates in the main warrior village.
It was rare for a single warrior to graduate at any one time, except in very special cases where a particular individual had displayed extraordinary bravery or leadership. Anakin was special in that he had hunted three soraboo's in one day, a feat that may take months for other warriors, that too with the help of his fellow warriors, but Anakin had done it alone, plus the next ceremony would not be around for another four months and perhaps the fact that he was consort to a queen made him very special too.
After the welcoming speech, chief Wakabu then went on to recount the acts of bravery of the warrior in question, the inductee was encouraged with war like cries and whoops from the crowd of warriors jammed in front of the stage.
Finally the ceremony started, first two warriors walked up to the stage and proceeded to tie a black string with a small amulet attached to it on each of his arms-one for luck and the other to ward off evil.
Then an old chief walked up to Anakin and tied a stringed necklace with two mean looking claws dangling to it, around his neck. The chief explained that one claw belonged to his first kill and other belonged to the soraboo that had been slaughtered at his bride's feet on the wedding day so that the goddess of fertility would look down upon her with benevolence-it was slaughtered in her name hence it became her first kill.
The actual tattooing was the final act of becoming warrior and member of the tribe. This job was an honorable one, for eons a master thought his apprentice, who in turn thought his apprentice the skill so that the ancient art had been preserved and carried on for thousands of years.
The old master stepped forward; he surveyed his tools spread on the table before them. The gathering fell silent as the old timer held Anakin's arm and began to chant in whispers as his eyes closed shut. He opened his eyes after what seemed like hours, then proceeded with his job.
First he cleaned Anakin's arm with a special solution then he took out a piece of clothe on which the emblem Anakin had chosen was painted; dampening it with some liquid from a small bottle he pressed it onto Anakin's right arm. When he moved it off, Anakin glanced slightly side way and saw an impression of the emblem on his arm. The man then reached out for a needle tipped contraption and began to jab him with it. Anakin stood stiff as a statue, it hurt but not so much that a warrior or Jedi for that matter could not endure.
The old master worked away quickly his apprenticed stood at his side handling him the tools that he asked for. Soon it was all over and the old man lifted his hand in the air to indicate that it was done. Once again, the air was filled with hundreds of voices whooping and shouting.
Chief Wakabu was all smiles as he stepped forward to embrace the young man, welcoming him warmly. The chief unsheathed a small dagger,
"Now you are a Capa warrior, we bestow upon you the Capa name of 'En Sol Vader', the fearsome hunter of the night." the chief said as he handed Anakin the dagger, Anakin thanked him as he accepted the dagger with a small bow.
"Vader, Vader, Vader," The crowd shouted in unison, he turned to the crowd bowing lightly in their direction. Anakin examined the intricately carved handle and curved blade of the small weapon before pushing it into the empty scabbard on his belt.
One by one all the chiefs' embraced Anakin and welcomed him to their fold. Tears stung Anakin's eyes at their show of camaraderie and acceptance. He thanked them profusely and told them that he was honored to be a member of such a noble tribe, he promised to uphold and honor the laws and rules of the tribe with his life.
The ubiquitous drums began to roll and the young men broke into their frenzied dances. The minute the chiefs stepped back Anakin was swamped by a mass of muscled bodies as his friends tried to hug him at all at once. Whooping away-they pulled him into the fray of the dancers, he tried to resist but they were too many, soon he too was jumping and somersaulting away to the frenzied music. He was no longer conscious of the silly wrap around his waist. He was a warrior now, a man, and not a boy any more.
Anakin stood straight, his hands raised in the air, as two warriors wound a 'capaline'-the traditional fur wrap worn by warriors- around his waist. Then they tied a thick leather belt around it to hold it in place. One side of the capaline reached the top of his thighs, the other side elongated down to his knee.
Anakin felt rather self-conscious in the rather insufficient clothing, but Liane assured him that he looked the picture of a brave warrior and the village girls would probably swoon at the sight of him in this manly garb. Anakin rolled his eyes and thanked the force there would be no girls, he felt rather silly in it. But for once he wouldn't mind Padmé seeing him like this he thought as he looked in the full length mirror, puffing out his chest and flexing his arms, amid shouts of 'show-off' and 'that's enough' from his fellow warriors.
"You folks are just jealous," Anakin said turning away. More than one strong arm pushed him forward irately, "Well very, very jealous." Anakin repeated as he pulled a spear from a boy near him and began pulling fighting stances with it in front of the mirror.
Liane returned with a gold cloth that he spread across Anakin's shoulders, then led him out a broad platform. Anakin lost his gallantry when he saw the sea of heads filling the center of the village; the grounds were filled to capacity.
The courtyard in front of the platform was full to capacity. The same set of haughty chiefs again sat in a neat semi circle of chairs set at the end of the platform.
A small table covered in red velvet stood in the middle, Chief wakabu stood at its side, grinning at Anakin as his friends led him out. What the chief saw was a sober, serious looking man striding proudly towards him, and not the flippant young boy of a while ago. Leaving Anakin with the chief, the warriors accompanying him backed away, taking the cloak with them. The cool evening air brushed gently against Anakin's bare body.
Anakin stood straight his hands locked behind his back as the chief, read a mandatory albeit short speech to the assembled chiefs and warriors.
It was Anakin's Acceptance ceremony, a ceremony that every warrior had to undergo once he graduated from warrior training. This ceremony would induct him as a warrior and member of the Capa tribe. It is in this ceremony too that the warrior is tattooed with the emblem of his life partner as all warriors marry just after graduating.
The graduation is a test of the warrior's strength, courage and bravery, in which he proves that he is ready for manhood and to take on the responsibility of a family. This test is held twice a year and the graduates are then married en masse within the next one-week. One day for each village where the graduate warriors of that village are married, then the next village and so on. The weeklong festivities would continue and culminating finally in the acceptance ceremony of all the graduates in the main warrior village.
It was rare for a single warrior to graduate at any one time, except in very special cases where a particular individual had displayed extraordinary bravery or leadership. Anakin was special in that he had hunted three soraboo's in one day, a feat that may take months for other warriors, that too with the help of his fellow warriors, but Anakin had done it alone, plus the next ceremony would not be around for another four months and perhaps the fact that he was consort to a queen made him very special too.
After the welcoming speech, chief Wakabu then went on to recount the acts of bravery of the warrior in question, the inductee was encouraged with war like cries and whoops from the crowd of warriors jammed in front of the stage.
Finally the ceremony started, first two warriors walked up to the stage and proceeded to tie a black string with a small amulet attached to it on each of his arms-one for luck and the other to ward off evil.
Then an old chief walked up to Anakin and tied a stringed necklace with two mean looking claws dangling to it, around his neck. The chief explained that one claw belonged to his first kill and other belonged to the soraboo that had been slaughtered at his bride's feet on the wedding day so that the goddess of fertility would look down upon her with benevolence-it was slaughtered in her name hence it became her first kill.
The actual tattooing was the final act of becoming warrior and member of the tribe. This job was an honorable one, for eons a master thought his apprentice, who in turn thought his apprentice the skill so that the ancient art had been preserved and carried on for thousands of years.
The old master stepped forward; he surveyed his tools spread on the table before them. The gathering fell silent as the old timer held Anakin's arm and began to chant in whispers as his eyes closed shut. He opened his eyes after what seemed like hours, then proceeded with his job.
First he cleaned Anakin's arm with a special solution then he took out a piece of clothe on which the emblem Anakin had chosen was painted; dampening it with some liquid from a small bottle he pressed it onto Anakin's right arm. When he moved it off, Anakin glanced slightly side way and saw an impression of the emblem on his arm. The man then reached out for a needle tipped contraption and began to jab him with it. Anakin stood stiff as a statue, it hurt but not so much that a warrior or Jedi for that matter could not endure.
The old master worked away quickly his apprenticed stood at his side handling him the tools that he asked for. Soon it was all over and the old man lifted his hand in the air to indicate that it was done. Once again, the air was filled with hundreds of voices whooping and shouting.
Chief Wakabu was all smiles as he stepped forward to embrace the young man, welcoming him warmly. The chief unsheathed a small dagger,
"Now you are a Capa warrior, we bestow upon you the Capa name of 'En Sol Vader', the fearsome hunter of the night." the chief said as he handed Anakin the dagger, Anakin thanked him as he accepted the dagger with a small bow.
"Vader, Vader, Vader," The crowd shouted in unison, he turned to the crowd bowing lightly in their direction. Anakin examined the intricately carved handle and curved blade of the small weapon before pushing it into the empty scabbard on his belt.
One by one all the chiefs' embraced Anakin and welcomed him to their fold. Tears stung Anakin's eyes at their show of camaraderie and acceptance. He thanked them profusely and told them that he was honored to be a member of such a noble tribe, he promised to uphold and honor the laws and rules of the tribe with his life.
The ubiquitous drums began to roll and the young men broke into their frenzied dances. The minute the chiefs stepped back Anakin was swamped by a mass of muscled bodies as his friends tried to hug him at all at once. Whooping away-they pulled him into the fray of the dancers, he tried to resist but they were too many, soon he too was jumping and somersaulting away to the frenzied music. He was no longer conscious of the silly wrap around his waist. He was a warrior now, a man, and not a boy any more.