Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 18)

Ky wasn’t interested in arguing with him or letting him mock Gaius. She glanced down at her books, not responding.

Septimus watched her for a moment longer, then strode off without another word.

Ky let out a breath of relief and walked in the opposite direction, grateful he didn’t insist on picking a fight about it. She settled down with her books, glanced between them, then cracked open the one Septimus recommended.

It had a full index on each god and the preferred offerings, alphabetized according to Upper Tongue with a side by side translation from the original Nortung.

She flipped straight to the section on Haelar.

There were three things listed:
-something dear to the worshipper
-rune bone inscribed with thanks and hopes
-nine gilded pine cones

“What’s a gilded pine cone?” She muttered under her breath, looking to see if there were pictures.

There were none, but there was a brief explanation of each on the following pages, describing why the items were significant but not describing the items themselves. The pine cones were part of a myth involving Haelar and a spirit inhabiting a pine tree. The spirit bargained with Haelar so that the tree could remain alive and continue to provide security for it and the animals living there. Haelar agreed on the condition that nine pine cones be gifted to him each year, which he then used to grow trees in order to curve his puppets, in which he could transport souls as he pleased. The gilded aspect came from wealthy chieftains looking to please Haelar further and to display their riches.

Ky scratched her chin, intrigued, but also uneasy. Was this going to be expensive, then? She wouldn’t dare ask Gaius for an expensive sacrifice, even though he’d probably give it eagerly.

She reached for the book she’d originally picked.

It was filled with old Northern illustrations depicting ceremonies, shrines, and offerings around godstones. One image had two shamans with their hands dipped into bowls of dark liquid, and another showed them flicking droplets of the liquid from their hands onto a godstone, which depicted a light-haired man with a flowing beard and skin overgrown with roots and plants. In one hand he held a whittling knife and in the other he held a chisel. Pinned under one of his feet was the image of a wood troll in agony.

Ky squirmed in discomfort but turned the page, determined to look on and try to understand who this was and what was going on.

There were runes under the picture and on the next page was a very brief calligraphied phrase: "Appeasing Fjori the Builder on the Day of Goats"

Ky shuddered slightly. Fjori was waking up, too. Probably. Would he be merciful to Rönn when he did? She hoped so. Would Fjori listen to her, as a herald? Could she intercede on his behalf? She didn’t know, so she kept skimming.

Haelar's image was on the very next page, where each of the three offerings were illustrated. Haelar's godstone showed him standing beside a pine tree, hands facing palm out.

Ky looked at the image intently, taking in every single detail that she could. More, even, than if Aleth were about to quiz her on it, if that was even possible. She looked to see if there was any text that went along.