Sarabande: River of Falcons Book 4

39. Into the Storm

Outside the hollow old willow tree, the storm intensified, tossing the long branches wildly and pressing the grass down under a punishing flood of heavy rain. Inside, they ignored the creaking of the tree and the howling of the wind. The three girls, sitting cross legged, turned their eager faces toward the old woman.

Spring smiled. "If you wish me to be your teacher, Vine, then let me guide you in this matter of your name. It is time." She picked up the cards and neatened them, then handed the deck to Drift, who wrapped it in the cloth and tucked it carefully into an inner pocket of her cloak.

"You will help," Spring said.

"Me?" Drift asked. "With what?"

"We will summon their names now." Spring closed her eyes and began to hum. After a while, she began to weave words into the melody she was humming. Drift nodded and smiled as the words began to well up in her, too.

It was different from the chanting at Drift's naming because all the words of Spring's chant were simple and ancient words of power. Drift realized that namings had become more complicated in her time, and she began to suspect that the additions had not made the ceremony stronger, just longer. Spring's chanting seemed to be at one with the natural elements around them. The wind and rain outside the hollow tree joined in, and the waving willow branches whispered, too. Soon two bright balls of warm light came floating into the hollow of the tree and hovered; one in the air between Spring and Corey, the other in the air between Drift and Vine.

Spring reached out and held the ball of light while Corey bowed and closed her eyes. "Corey, let your true name merge with you and make you whole," Spring said, and she released the light over Corey's head. It lit her head and shoulders for a moment, revealing an ecstatic smile on her face, then it seemed to soak right into her. She sat up straight and opened her eyes, and they were glowing with joy and life. "I am Catocala Counselor," she announced. "Thank you for finding my true name!"

Drift exchanged happy smiles with Corey, then turned her attention to Vine. Reaching out, she cupped the ball of light gently in her hands. It tingled with energy and tried to float up and away from Drift's grasp. Drift felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as her own well of magic swelled and spilled out into her body. Her hands lit up with her own golden light and the little ball began to glow more brightly in response. Soon the light of Vine's name was so bright that Spring and Corey had to shade their eyes. Drift held it over Vine's bowed head and opened her mouth to speak the same ritual words that Spring had used, but she found herself speaking different words instead (in Falcanto, translated roughly as follows):

There is a circle whose beginning is its end

Into this circle I step, reaching back

To the child who will become the mother

To the hunted who will become the hunter

To the egg that will birth the falcon

Let my name greet hers and hers greet mine

Regina flowing along the line

The line that curves upon itself

A figure woven in threads of time

With you I share my name: Praevela Regina

So that you may reach me across the waters

And now I give you your name: Ovum Regina

Marking you forever

As the source of our royal line.

Then Drift spilled the brilliant ball of light out of her hands and it engulfed Vine. Vine sat up very straight, her eyes wide and startled, as her entire body glowed brightly and a humming filled the hollow tree.