WITCH - The Queen

Bonus 22

The Pale Redback tribe was a proud tribe with ancient traditions and its own religion. They believed that the world and the centaurs had been created by a celestial horse.

The Skyhorse ran through the starry sky until it found a star it liked. It had traveled for a long time. His body consisted of the light of the stars from which it had been born. After a long journey, it lay down tired to rest on the star. When it woke up the next morning, the first grass grew on the star, and the first river passed through the stone. Through the presence of the Skyhorse, the star began to live and soon it was no longer alone. Many creatures populated the star.

But none of the creatures resembled the Skyhorse.

Soon quarrels arose among them. Some wanted to scare away the Skyhorse because it looked so different from themselves. However, to those who stood by the horse, it gave some of its power. These creatures grew horse bodies, and they defended the Skyhorse, the first grass, and the first river. The other creatures were thus forced to populate other parts of the star. The newly formed people of half-horses called themselves centaurs. And they henceforth defended the country from invaders.

Rasmus loved it when his mother told him the legend of the Skyhorse. The two sat in front of their tent. She was just making beads out of wood. For a necklace. Rasmus watched her.

"Mom?", he asked. "Why is the Skyhorse no longer with us?" He was a smart boy. His parents were very proud of the six-year-old.

"It dissolved into stardust and returned to its origin. From the starry sky, it watches over us and our country", she replied. "Do you know what day is tomorrow?"

Rasmus nodded eagerly. "Tomorrow is the Feast of the Gift of the Stars!"

"And what are we going to celebrate tomorrow?"

"That we were created! And we're celebrating that with a big fight! In honor of the Skyhorse! Mom?"

"Yes?"

Excitedly, the little boy scratched his hooves. "Daddy is taking part in the fight, yes?"

His mother ruffled through his hair. "All warriors will."

"Can I fight, too?" Rasmus wanted to be a warrior. Like his father and his two aunts.

Most of the centaurs of the tribe were warriors, but not all. There were also other, equally prestigious tasks. Like making the jewelry that the adults wore to impress their enemies. His mother had chosen this task for herself.

At the Feast of the Gift of the Star, all the warriors painted their backs with the blood of a rabbit. And then they fought each other. A bloody battle in which rarely a warrior was killed. This was considered a special honor. In the end, the winner was decorated with wreaths of flowers by all the centaurs who were expecting a little one. The victor, on the other hand, touched their cheeks with his bloody hands. A good luck charm so that the new family would prosper.

After that, the tribe lit a big fire at sunset, and everyone watched as the flames stretched up to the sky and the stars. In doing so, they thanked the Skyhorse for its protection and favor.

And although this festival was not a peaceful one, the children, in particular, were looking forward to it. Because when the fire was lit, they were allowed to dance around the high flames with the winner. Most of the time, this ended in absolute chaos. In the end, the children tried to catch the winner. This, too, was a tradition. And just before sunrise, when the feast ended, there was sweet bread and sweet milk for all the children. Rasmus couldn't wait. But much more, he wanted to fight.

"May I?", he repeated.

"Fight?" His mother shook her head. "You're too young for that. When you're grown up and be part of the warriors, then you are allowed to fight. But you get to try to catch the winner. With all the other kids."

Rasmus nodded, pouting. "I'd rather be the winner."

Laughing, his mother hugged him. "Do you know why you children are allowed to catch the winner in the end?"

He shook his head. "Because it's fun?"

"Also, yes." She laughed softly. "So that our future also grows into strong warriors! In honor of the Skyhorse."

"I'm going to be the strongest warrior!", the boy announced.

His mother nodded. "I'm sure of that. But you don't have to be a warrior. The Skyhorse watches benevolence over us all. Also at those who choose a different path."

Rasmus shook his head. "But I want to! I want to be a warrior!"

(c: sasi)