Yahvi

Silax and Elara were both leaning on a log opposite to where Kal was fast asleep, he laid there like he didn't have a care in the world. Elara no longer had her cloak on, she had taken it off after disposing of the bodies the direwolves. Silax had made efforts into cleaning his clothes, although the spots where he tried to rub off the blood on his sleeves were still visible.

Silax had a throwing knife in his hand, which he was spun across his fingers as he stared into the flames meant to keep them warm.

"You should go back to sleep; I'll wake you up when it's your turn to keep watch." Silax said.

Elara shook her head in response to his suggestion.

"I can't, the battle and the cleanup after woke me up completely. Besides four hours of sleep is more than enough, especially when you're in a place like this where you got to keep vigilant constantly." 

"Alright then. Since you won't be sleeping, is it okay if I asked you a question? It's concerning the Rite of Yahvi."

Elara's eyes seemed to shine at the mention of the Rite of Yahvi, she appeared to be thrilled by his interest in it.

"Sure, you can. I'd be glad answer any question you have about it."

Silax stopped spinning the knife and tucked it back into the bands on his thighs.

"I came across the rites once when I was researching the Asorin. I later realized that the Yahvi tree was not the same as Asorin. The book mentioned the rites, but there wasn't much information about it in the book I read. Although, it seemed to be more complicated than just burying the bodies of your kills and saying a few words. Is there more to it, or did I not properly understand what the book was saying?"

Elara turned around to face him, a smile on her face.

"No, you're right. The actual Rite of Yahvi is more complicated than that. What I did was just a simplification of it, which also isn't necessary. It's only done by a few of the people from my hometown, and that's when we have the time and chance to do it.

"I come from a community that's to the west of Artiyaem, the town exists where the desert meets Central Artiyaem. There's a story about the first settlers of the town, it's about a girl named Yahvi. It is said that she held the life of everything that lived and breathed in high regard, she never shed the blood of any creature throughout her whole life.

"The land the pioneers settled in was mostly desert, making it difficult for them to find food and the essentials needed to survive. That all changed due to Yahvi, she was seen has eccentric by everyone in the community at the time.

"Whenever people came back from hunting, she would always go around collecting the parts of the animal which they wanted to discard, then she would bury it at the base of this little tree which she took a liking to. Since the land was a desert, most plants didn't thrive, and this one wasn't any different.

"At least that was the case at first, after a while people noticed that the plant was becoming bigger and after about a year it had become a full-grown tree. It began to bear fruit, helping to diversify the diet of the settlers. That though, was only the beginning.

"When the fruits of the tree were plucked, it only took a week for it to be filled with fruits once again. They realized that there was something special about the tree, even though the fruit itself didn't seem to have any special effect. The leaders in the community realized that they now had a solution to the limited amount of food that had always been a problem.

"They then decided that only a select few would be allowed to handle taking care of the tree, because it was a lifeline for the community. The little girl was thus prohibited from going anywhere near the tree, this made her sad, but she understood that it was for the good of the community, so she complied.

"The tree continued to produce fruits and continued to be source of sustenance for them, but a problem occurred about a month later. They realized that the tree was dying, its leaf began to fall off, its branches wilt, it stopped producing fruits, it became a husk of what it once was. It was on the verge of withering away, and no matter what they tried nothing worked.

"They even tried burying the complete remains of animals, but that didn't work. They asked the girl exactly what it was that she did, she told them, and they did that, but that too didn't work. Eventually one of the leaders suggested that Yahvi be allowed to tend to the tree, they brought several remains for her to use, but she picked only one and buried it, by the next morning the tree was revitalized and bearing fruits once again. From then on Yahvi was given sole responsibility over the tree, and a house was made for her close to the tree."

Elara was smiling brightly as she narrated the tale of Yahvi, the story of the young girl seemed to excite her a lot. Silax saw her smiling face and are her eyes glittering with joy, and he became captivated by the charm she exuded. 

'I didn't notice it before, but she is quite pretty, not the kind of beauty that stuns you when you see her. Her beauty has an ethereal feel to it, it slowly sucks you in, giving you a sense of comfort.'

"Is this a true story?" Silax asked.

"My mother always told me the story of Yahvi, and whenever she did, she would tell me that we were direct descendants. Although, I think she just said that because it is the kind of thing a little girl would like to hear. I've never come across anything that suggests that Yahvi ever existed.

"That's the story of Yahvi, as for the Rite of Yahvi; it is a sacred practice done at the beginning every new year. It emphasizes respect for the life force and the delicate balance of nature. A group of elves are selected for the hunt, and after a successful hunt, a series of rituals are done, ensuring every part of the creature returns to nature and is used to nourish the tree.

"There's the Dividing; the separation of the body with reverence. Flesh is prepared for consumption, hide and fur are treated and used for essential items, bones are carefully arranged at the base of the tree, where they decompose and provide valuable minerals to the tree.

"Then there's the Bloodletting; this is the drawing of runes on the bark of the tree. Blood is the essence of life and is treated with special care. Only a small portion is used to draw the runes at the time of the ceremony, while the rest is collected and used all through the year to reinforce the drawing of the runes, keeping them fresh.

"Next is the Offering; this is the dedication of the hunted creatures to the tree. This is done by the spiritual leader of the village, prayers are offered to the spirit of the tree, thanking it for the bounty and acknowledging the sacrifice of the prey.

"The final part of the ceremony is the Blessing. Songs are performed as thanks to the tree for its bounty, and the spirit of the hunted creatures is implored to find peace within the cycle of life and death."