Irene stepped deeper into the house which she found particularly freezing. Even though the sun outside was shining, it was still undoubtedly below freezing point.
She greeted her grandmother by placing a gentle kiss on her cheek then joined her on one of the cushions that surrounded the table.
"I was training to be a knight," Irene admitted. "However, I came home because I need you to fulfill your promise of giving me the protective tattoo."
Kara’s eyes widened and she clasped her granddaughter’s hand.
"You are growing up unbelievably fast," the old woman marveled. "Now I have to prepare a few things."
Despite how frail and old she might seem, getting up from a cushion on the floor was almost impossibly easy for her. Even Arthur couldn’t sit that low to the ground or his knees began to ache from all he had put them through as a knight.
The rest of the family opted for chairs pulled from her kitchen table. However, before Arthur would finally settle down, he went to the fireplace and built up the fire to be larger and warm the place more quickly.
"You’re going to use all my wood, Arthur," Kara objected as she went through a few cupboards to find the tools she had been looking for.
"I’ll bring you more," he insisted. "I am here all winter. Even longer than that."
"Right," Kara responded. "Since you were forced out of the knighthood by a woman less than half your weight."
Rochelle’s eyebrows rose at the bickering but she wasn’t particularly offended. Kara never minced words and Rochelle was firm in her decision for Arthur to leave the knighthood or she would take their children south.
"You weigh even less than that and still manage to force my hand in a lot of decisions," Arthur continued. "It’s only alright if you do it, of course."
Kara only grinned at this, her brown eyes practically disappearing amongst the wrinkles on her face. She then returned to her seemingly disorganized cupboard but she found what she was looking for easily.
The woman came back to the table where Irene sat with hollow bird bones, a packet of black powder, and a vial of some unknown liquid.
When she placed the items on the table, she sought a book that was already sitting on the table and she opened it to a place that had been earmarked long before. The words on the pages were undoubtedly handwritten and extremely old.
"Shall we begin?" the woman asked. "It will take some time and I need you to focus. You must listen and take these words to heart. Remove your cloak and show me your left shoulder."
Since the place was warming up slowly but surely, Irene nodded and obediently did as she was asked.
The woman placed down a square of flat stone and dumped some of the black powder made from burnt animal bones. She also poured the thick substance from the vial and began running one of the mana stones through the mixture, ensuring that it was, not only combined but tiny enough to fit in the needle which would then be used to be put in the girl’s skin. She scraped the substance into a small bowl and added more liquid so it was less viscous.
She was ready for the next step.
"We place the Vanuk 1 on your shoulder because that is where spirits cling to the body," Kara explained. "It is the gateway to your heart which gives control to the rest of the body. From today onward, you will be impervious to spiritual attacks and allowed to fulfill the destiny that has been put out before you in this lifetime. If you agree, repeat the words sampykki goro until I am finished with this prayer."
It seemed to be happening so quickly, but Irene had prepared for this moment her entire life as far as she could remember. Even in the life before when she fell away from her warrior bloodline, she still sought out her grandmother when she entered this phase of her life and received a small tattoo on her shoulder.
However, in the life she presently lived, Irene wanted it to be larger and bolder and a silent cry of who she truly was. Even if the other apprentices spotted the tattoo, it was unlikely they would understand its significance as something more than the ’weird’ Sünsto beliefs she carried with her each day.
As requested, Irene repeated the words of binding contract and mutual consent all through her grandmother’s prayer that she took from the book she had opened. Since her understanding of Kara’s native tongue was little, only a few words could be picked out that she understood.
Her grandmother held her hand the entire time.
When the prayer was complete, and Irene was able to stop chanting the words, she met her grandmother’s eyes.
"It will hurt, child," Kara warned.
"Life is often painful, grandmother," Irene uttered. "I have been raised to be strong."
"That you have," Kara agreed.
After wiping Irene’s pale, freckled shoulder off with a wet cloth, Kara then scooted closer to the girl.
"I will do it as large as I see fit to protect you," Kara explained. "Through your touch, I can tell that you have been conflicted about many things." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel•fire.net
"That’s what I want," Irene agreed. "I want to be attached to this life as I am supposed to be."
Her words had double meanings. She didn’t want to lose how much she had changed her life for the better. Even through all the tragedies that befell her because of the path she chose instead of the one she saw, she still didn’t regret anything. Her father’s assurance that he would never make a different decision than the one he made to save his daughter gave her the confidence to move past it.
Without further questioning, Kara began the first few pokes of the sharp animal bone into her granddaughter’s arm. She was immediately satisfied with the payoff and darkness of the first few pokes.
Irene immediately braced herself but Kara would tap on her shoulder when she needed her to relax. Poking something hard through flexing muscle would hurt far worse than something relaxed.
However, Rochelle soon moved to the cushion on the other side of Irene and she gently clasped her daughter’s hand that wasn’t attached to the arm being tattooed.
"Squeeze me if you have to," Rochelle requested.
They had a long day ahead of them, but she was prepared with all the people she cared deeply for around them.