Chapter 305: Moonlight Planting Ceremony
Chapter 305: Moonlight Planting Ceremony
About a week into the Christmas break, Liam received an invitation from Aunt Betty in Emerald Dream. The letter invited Liam and Hermione to be guests of honor at her son’s Tree Planting Ritual in Centaur Village the following evening.
"This means we’ll have to leave during curfew", Hermione exclaimed when Liam told her the news.
"Of course. From what I know, the Centaurs hold this ceremony at the break of dawn. That means we won’t be back before curfew. If you don’t want to go, I can go alone; it’s no problem."
"Who said I don’t want to go? A ceremony that isn’t even documented in books is a rare honor to witness", Hermione said excitedly. "Besides, it’s the Christmas holidays, so coming back a bit late isn’t a big deal—why are you looking at me like that?"
"I’ve never seen our Miss Granger willing to break school rules on her own initiative, so I’m a bit surprised", Liam replied with a straight face.
At nine o'clock the next evening, the two of them quietly slipped out of the castle gates. Guided by Wolf, they headed straight for Centaur Village. Under the moonlight, the snow-covered forest gleamed silver-white, illuminating everything around them clearly.
The Centaur village was no exception. The river at the edge of the village was frozen over, covered with a layer of snow. The houses in the village were also blanketed in snow, their tall wooden roofs looking as if they were topped with thick layers of cream.
Following Wolf, they passed through the quiet village and arrived at Aunt Betty’s home on the left side. She was already waiting for them. On one side of her horse was a basket lined with a thick layer of fur, where her child lay.
Centaur children are much smaller than foals, resembling human infants with the lower bodies of horses. Aunt Betty’s husband, Bane, was attentively playing with their son, using a small toy made of golden leaves and vines. Bane looked much neater than when Liam had first met him in first year, his fur neatly groomed. Because it was winter, he was also wearing a bear skin cloak over his upper body.
"Welcome, welcome", Aunt Betty greeted them with a smile. "Thank you for coming to our son’s full moon tree planting ceremony. You can go warm yourselves by the bonfires in the center of the village."
Aunt Betty then opened the gift Liam had brought and exclaimed in surprise, "These arrowheads are far better than most of ours. Only the top-tier arrowheads stored in the Altar can surpass them. Thank you so much; we really appreciate this gift."
These arrowheads were not only made of Valyrian Steel, but Liam had also imbued them with various practical magical properties. Just holding them, one could feel the power they contained.
Bane, standing nearby, showed even more appreciation for the gift. He carefully wrapped one of the arrowheads in a vine and placed it under the pile of furs in the basket, then gently placed his child back inside.
"If a Centaur has a male foal, the parents will place what they consider their best weapon at the bottom of the foal’s basket, blessing him to become an excellent warrior in the future", Wolf explained quietly, describing what Bane was doing.
By this time, Liam and Hermione were already sitting on warm stones by the bonfire, each holding a cup of herbal tea infused with specialties from the Forbidden Forest. Wolf lay beside them, a wide-mouthed cup of the same herbal tea in front of him.
"You can try it. This is something special, only brought out on important occasions. The Centaurs usually don't share it otherwise." With that, Wolf dipped his furry snout into the cup and started drinking.
Liam followed suit and took a sip. The tea had a noticeable bitter taste at first, but as it reached the back of his tongue, it turned sweet. It felt like a warm current flowing down his throat into his stomach, warming him up and dispelling the chill that had seeped into his bones after nearly an hour of running through the snow.
The Centaurs truly are nature's favored children. After the elves left the material world, it seems only the Centaurs possess such remarkable talent in herbology. After observing for a while, Liam noticed more details. For example, the Elder Centaur sitting by the fire occasionally added twigs and leaves, which, despite containing minimal magic power and being disregarded by human wizards as herbs, made the fire emit a faint white smoke when combined.
This smoke carried a fresh scent of grass and trees, and anyone who inhaled it felt their fatigue slightly alleviated. Noticing Liam's gaze, the Elder Centaur smiled kindly at him.
"Child, you are the human Friend of Nature, I presume. Thank you for your help. Otherwise, little Bettie wouldn't have fulfilled her long-held wish."
"I just happened to gain a small insight into nature", Liam said modestly. "May I ask your name?"
"Lanie. We Centaurs are not as complicated as humans. Just call me Lanie. I am the Shaman of this Centaur tribe and Bane's grandmother. I watched them grow up from a young age. After Bettie was cursed, I've been searching for a solution, but to no avail. Thankfully, your help has brought their relationship to fruition. So, when you enter the Emerald Dream, you can come find me. I am willing to share some knowledge about nature and elixirs with you."
Centaurs are very straightforward, so they don't use flowery language like humans. For example, the Shaman of the Centaur tribe clearly told Liam that she was willing to share her knowledge as a token of gratitude for helping her descendants continue their lineage.
"Thank you so much", Liam sincerely expressed his gratitude. However, Lanie the Shaman didn't think it was a big deal. In the Centaur tribe, knowledge is openly shared, unlike human wizards who guard their knowledge jealously and set up countless barriers for its exchange.
For the rest of the time, Liam chatted with the elder. Her wealth of experience was a valuable lesson for both Liam and Hermione. Lanie was also pleased to have someone willing to listen to her stories from her youth. After all, the Centaur tribe is small, and everyone in the tribe is familiar with her tales after hearing them multiple times.
For instance, when she started telling a story, Wolf immediately carried his cup to the other side of the fire. Lanie simply shook her head and mentioned to Liam that she had been telling Wolf stories since he was a young wolf pup. She suspected his current behavior was due to hearing the same stories too many times.
Time passed quickly in their conversation. Suddenly, a deep, resonant sound of a bull horn echoed throughout the village. Lanie, still enthusiastic, stood up. (Unlike horses, Centaurs often rest on all fours.) She shook her tail to brush off the dust and said to Liam and Hermione, "Bettie's child's full moon tree-planting ceremony is about to begin. We need to hurry to the Altar."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
