The Celebrations of the Festival || Iona & Akin
Akin didn't want to give The Greeting of Spring any more than the smallest of acknowledgements. The fauns' festivals were renowned for their parties where ale flowed and all the creatures of Braemer lost all inhibitions, dancing and feasting and fucking under the stars as a tribute to Cern. In the past, Akin looked forward to these festivals and drank his fill of ale, happy to pick out a pretty faun, mermaid, or even drunk human to take with him to properly celebrate.
But that year, he simply wasn't in a celebratory mood. Akin wanted to stick to the deep forests and give a small tribute in recognition of Cern out of respect, but even the taste of the fauns' ale and the promise of a woman wasn't enough to drive him to the heart of the Black Forest and participate. It was only a dream that changed Akin's mind. Rhor came to him, telling him that if he wanted to keep the small clan he had, he would have to do things he did not always like. And so, begrudgingly, the next morning, he led his clan to the site of the festival.
For their offering, the boarmen brought several birds for the feast - ducks, quails, and turkeys - enough to feed a large clan of boarmen (which was no small feat). Once the celebrations started, Akin mostly stayed on the fringe, only drinking a few cups of ale through the nights while he watched the fires burn.
A couple of nights into the celebrations, however, he noticed another figure standing on the fringe of the celebrations. Walking toward her, he recognized her quickly as Iona, perhaps the only other creature underneath Asena's moon that understood his reluctance to join the festivities.
"Surprised that you are here," Akin commented, taking a sip of ale. "I can't decide if I hate them all for celebrating so freely or if I am just deeply envious that they can..."