Birth
"Oh, and one more thing," the soothing vibrations in his head formed words.
Sometimes it felt like there was never an end to the "one more things," but it was hard to argue with a living deity.
"You will encounter a child on your way back to Village, already bound to her animal companion. See that she is cared for and raised well. We will speak of her more in the future. We will talk again soon." The voice dismissed itself.
Carsi waited until the silence was lonely again. He hadn't encountered a newborn in many years and it was considered generally considered to bring good luck. He found himself a bit excited as he stood up from the smooth, circular rock that had become one of his favorite meditation spots since discovering it taking a "shortcut" that ended up adding two days to his journey. He turned back toward the nearby village, Loh'ran, and started walking.
He knew the path well and had no problem letting his excitement influence his pace. It wasn't long before he could hear the cries of a newborn just a bit further to the southeast. He found her not feet from a midnight panther unlike any he'd ever seen, not that he'd seen many. Carsi was tall for an elf and this creature, to shoulder, was nearly at Carsi's waist. It could have easily weighed more than him and it could have easily snatched up this child before he even had time to react.
But it didn't. Instead, it had bonded with her. This two hundred pound feline covered in a grey-purple fur was watching over her. It's large, piercing, golden eyes looking directly into his from around the tree between them and then back to the child.
He approached and picked up the child, cautious to move slowly so as not to scare the cat-guardian. He trusted in their already apparent bond, but also knew he probably seemed a stranger to them both. Carsi cradled the child using his overcloak and carried her back toward Loh'ran, the panther following a few steps behind the whole way.
Adoption
Since it was still morning, the Elves of Loh'ran were out and about, so word that Carsi had returned with a baby spread fast. There hadn't been a Hunter Elf born in 10 years and many of the tribes members were eager to meet its newest. Those that heard informed a few others to spread the news and then left to meet up with Carsi and perform the ritual.
Good Elves, it was known, had good and fulfilling childhoods and needed to be raised by good parents. If the future of the tribe depended on its children as the wartimes had proven, it was important that new babies are entrusted to a stable and loving home. For this reason, an adoption ritual was, well, adopted.
Everyone met at the village center, a large circular clearing with a raised center. It was commonly the site of ritual or storytelling or performance. Carsi stood atop with the child in hand, an extra head and a half above his normal height. The panther had lagged behind and was sitting upright next to a tree on the outskirts. Somehow, animal companions had a strange intuitive understanding about things and this one managed to be so invisible as to not cause a scare. With all the attention on Carsi and the baby, the panther was near-invisible.
When Carsi was sure everyone in the village had arrived, he started.
"Our tribe is blessed with another!" he held the baby up and everyone bowed their heads in prayer. "I propose this child be raised by Elidyn and Vulmar. Would any propose another?"
It was part of the ritual to entertain other parent choices and it was also part of the ritual to accept a challenge to his choice.
"I can think of no one better," said one villager. A second voice was all that was required to solidify the ritual.
"They are pillars of our community," said another.
"Then it shall be!" Carsi's voice boomed louder. "Elidyn and Vulmar, please step forward."
The ring of villagers cleared around a two tall Elves. Elidyn, the thin one, still wearing his reading glasses and a robe that was far too elegant for outside work, was overjoyed and having a difficult time containing himself. Vulmar, the thick one, still had black on his muscular hands from digging through coals and smiled with pride anyway. He did his best to wipe his hands on his heavy apron and they both walked up to Carsi, stepping up on the platform.
"We accept!" Elidyn exclaimed, breaking his own tension at just finally being able to say it.
"We certainly do," Vulmar's response was more calm but he was no less excited, backed by a wide smile.
Together, they held the child up and showed her to the rest of the village for a few moments as they clapped. As the clapping died, Carsi gently dismissed everyone with a heartfelt "thank you for coming." Carsi followed the new family back to their home-tree to ask Vulmar for his assisstance in an official capacity, occasionally getting stopped to talk with other villagers.
/\/\/\
"Me? I mean, I can fight, but what can I do that you or Yumanea can't?" Vulmar asked, referring to Carsi's known agent and implying the many unknown ones.
"Your Gift, of course," Carsi explained, "Some Mountain Elves have it in their head to deliver a new long-burning substance to a base North of here to restart the deforestation efforts. You're the logical option for destroying it up close and making sure we keep the damage minimal."
"On our first day as a new family?" Elidyn asked, clearly concerned for the potential danger involved.
"I wish the timing were better, Elidyn. Unfortunately, they're moving it by road tonight and breaking into the fort to destroy them after they arrive will prove much more difficult," Carsi explained.
"I'll do it," Vulmar decided. He looked over at Elidyn, flexing his arm, "Don't worry too much about me." He winked and kissed in Elidyn's direction. "But same as last time, no one dies," he continued, looking back at Carsi to make sure the message was received.
"No one dies," Carsi repeated, nodding. This was always Vulmar's stipulation. Vulmar didn't know it, but it was Carsi's stipulation, too.
Elidyn sighed, but gave in to the charm. He knew that flexing his arms was Vulmar's way of reminding him of Vulmar's unprecedented strength. Elves generally had varying muscular densities, it was observed, and Vulmar's muscles were denser than anyone he'd ever seen. And also anyone they had ever seen, apparently. Not to mention, Vulmar was also quite muscular and with shoulders almost three times as wide as his. In the whole world, it was quite possible that Vulmar was one of the physically strongest elves alive. He had done a couple of these missions before and they had always been expertly planned and executed. Elidyn trusted in Carsi's expertise there.
"Alright," he conceded. Rushing over to his cabinet full of various jars and samples, he filled up a couple of travel satchels. "Here, the usual. Pain, bleeding, breathing underwater if you need it." Elidyn passed the small herb pouches to both Carsi and Vulmar. "For Yumanea," he said to Carsi, knowing Carsi probably wouldn't be executing this one himself from the sounds of it.
