Hushed Willows a swell of smoke arose and filled the air [festival]

Thank you all for joining! Let’s start the second round — third round begins on Feb 27th

No need to respond if you’re already in a side thread, but y’all may want to come back in a round or two for the official ‘blessing’ :)

The festival is still open for wolves who want to come; round here, there’s no such thing as ‘tardy to the party’

To Olive’s delight, more and more wolves took heed of her call and began to trickle into the willows, coming from all directions but funneling in through the single opening at the base of the mountain range’s embrace. They were beings of all shapes, sizes, colors and packs; their scents were as varied as their coats, their voices, as well as their reason for being at the festival. Some she knew, but many she did not know. Either way,  each wolf that arrived received a smile and a bow from Olive and Seabreeze respectively. Despite this being Elysium’s ground, they were all equals here. They were all welcome.

The wolves of Moonspear arrived, and Charon approached her directly. Had this been the Olive of a year ago — or even two years ago — she might have seized up and assumed the worst. However, Olive found that time easily erased the incongruousness of their families and she greeted Charon with wonder that the universe might happen to reacquaint them. “Yes,” she greeted with a smile. “We hope to offer hearth and home to all those who are in need — much like the generosity you gave to my family, all those years ago.” Without much ado, Charon moved on, and so did Olive.

When it seemed as if all the wolves who might arrive had already done so, Olive strode to the center of the gathering. She felt all the eyes upon her, but bloomed in the spotlight of so many different energies. “Welcome, all!” the sylph called out cheerily, waiting a beat for the side conversations to cease. “Thank you for being a part of this peaceful gathering. The gods have smiled upon us this evening.” She glanced around at the group of relative strangers, seeking to meet each one’s eye. “Please — eat and drink your fill, talk and laugh with others, even dance if you please. If you’ve brought gifts of food, they can be placed with the other dishes. Other gifts can be placed around the altar.” With a flick of the chin, Olive indicated where all the different things she referenced were to take place — as if it weren’t already obvious. 

Olive hauled in breath, trying to quell the rapid beating of her heart. “Tonight we celebrate fertility and abundance in its many forms. To the mothers-to-be, we wish you health and happiness. To the fathers-to-be, we wish you many offspring to carry on your namesake. To the earth, we pray for a fruitful and nurturing spring seasons. This is a time of light and life, of happiness and joy. Celebrate in whichever manner calls to your heart.” As long as no one meant harm or ill-will, almost anything would be tolerated here. “Make merry and meet others — there will be a formal blessing in just a little while. We will announce it just before, if you would like to take part.”

With the welcome done, Olive gracefully bowed her head and exited the limelight, allowing all the different interactions to commence and resume. She kissed Seabreeze’s cheek as the woman went on to entertain her own guests, and Olive sought out a wolf amongst the crowd who’s gaze had caught her own: Rannoch. His large size and stark coast stood out from the many others and she wove her way to him, stopping by the pile of flowers to pick out a pale blue one and tuck it into the soft, downy fur on her chest. Then, she picked up another between her lips and offered it to Rannoch when she drifted ever closer. “@Rannoch, come dance with me, won’t you?” she offered, almost too eager to grab one of the maypole’s ribbons and begin her exuberant dance with her friend.