The Fall of the Keepers

Chapter 37 Old Acquaintances

I awoke the following morning to the sound of beating drums and loud chanting outside my own personal wigwam that Niyah had shown me to the night before. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, grumbling to myself about the racket. There came a voice from outside the blue and white woven curtain that acted as a door.

"Princess? Are you awake yet?"

How could I not be?

"Yes."
I called throwing back the scratchy wool blankets and getting to my feet.

A slender young woman poked her head into the wigwam, watching me with wide eyes.

"Good morning?"
It came out unintentionally as more of a question than a statement.

"Good morning!"
She replied back eagerly.

"Chieftess Niyah sent me with clothing for you."
She held out a large cloth bag that was nearly bursting with the items that had been stuffed inside.

"Um, thanks."

"Warriors Nyssa and Aro will escort you to the Long Hall when you are ready. The celebrations have already begun!"

"So I've noticed."

I took the bag from her and plopped it on the dirt floor rummaging through and pulling out odd articles of clothing.

"Can I assist you?"
The woman asked, still standing in the doorway.

"I think I can manage to dress myself."

She bowed her head respectfully.

"Of course Princess, I shall leave you to it."

The clothing I had been given was much like the get up the warriors wore with a few alterations. I stripped out of the nightclothes I had been given by Leil, shivering in the chilly morning air. My fire was down to mere embers and though the wigwam held the heat well, it had begun to dissipate with the freezing temperatures outside. I wrestled a turquoise tunic over my head followed by charcoal-colored leather leggings that were fur-lined. My feet I slipped into knee-high leather boots that matched the leggings, with dark fur along the edges and on the inside. They were by far the most comfortable pair of shoes I had ever had the pleasure of wearing.

Then there was an insulated breastplate, crafted with beautiful swirls and spirals decorating it. It also was of a dark metal, unlike the Wind Warriors who wore silver armor. I had two arm guards to match the breastplate that I easily strapped on, followed by a long cloak that was woven with a dark thread which was held together 'round my neck with a navy colored clasp that had a strange swirled symbol on it I couldn't identify.

Over this cloak came the final piece, the pelt of a wolf that was as white as snow. It came in stark contrast to my other dark-colored accents and I wondered if there was some significance to the colors I wore. The clothing wasn't a perfect fit, but it was close enough to feel relatively comfortable in.

At the bottom of the bag, I found a wooden hairbrush, what I assumed to be hair ties, and a plethora of beads. Suddenly I understood why the woman had offered to assist me in getting ready. I hadn't the foggiest idea of how to braid such things into my hair like seemed so popular with the Clan. My pride wouldn't very well allow me to call her back now though, so instead, I ran the brush through my tangled silver locks and left it loose around my shoulders.

I pulled the daggers out of my old Keeper boots and strapped them to my calves, hiding the hilts beneath the black fur. Then I adjusted my shard necklace so it was hanging front and center, just above my armor. The final touch to my outfit was strapping Judicium to my side, a familiar comfort despite the strange clothing I was wearing and the even stranger place I found myself in.