Vignette 049

The Daggertooth had been a mature male, big and fierce. Yahless'ayu bowed once to its still-warm corpse, then spread his hands to his sides, palms upward in a gesture of peace. “Mother of grazers, I am Yahless'ayu of the Elkh'uurt pride. I give you the life of this predator, and the lives of the grazers it would have hunted, in payment for the lives of your children that my pride will take in the coming year, lives saved for lives taken”

The first part of the ritual complete, he glanced quickly at the hovering pict-drone to ensure it was transmitting. “I am Yahless'ayu of the Elkh'uurt pride. I have taken this daggertooth in the traditional way, without bow or firearm, and with no more than a claw of companions. I claim my place as a hunter of the pride, and as an adult”.

He stepped back as E'kwaaay'r and the others came forward in turn for their own oaths of adulthood...


(Author's note - The canon sources don't talk much about Aslan religion, so I thought it would be nice to look at that, and also a (male) coming-of-age ceremony.

It is worth noting that it would be very hard to become an adult alone, and you'll probably die trying. It's an implicit lesson, but it's there - I see Aslan society as being quite tight-knit, as it evolved from hunting packs, and often reinforces group bonds

As an aside I have no idea what the equivalent Aslan female rite of adulthood is. Possibly they celebrate their first corporate takeover, or similar?)


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