The excitement had reached a fever pitch, from the center of the black stone circle in the middle of the ethereal plain the encampment of the clans was an unbroken circle. Each lived peacefully with their neighbors, learning new skills, where before they were villagers they were all now proud clansmen. All the Druids had returned all the villages that would come had come, the Great Druid had worked tirelessly and now the time was near. The Spirits had smiled upon him he could not have imagined this day when the journey to this point began as he had stood on the cliff watching the winter festival.
In the holy plain the Great Druid stood watching as the preparations continued all around him even now. Here at the end, and the beginning, they had come to the death of the year this was the longest night of the year. The solstice, excitement ran through the camp like wildfire the word had gone out a week before, from clan to clan, friends and brothers spread the news, each man said to each other in fevered voices the Council would soon begin!
At midday the Druids went forth, each to the clan they had invited to the Council and to them they said, Brothers, Friends the Council will begin at moonrise. When the clansmen heard these words they began to sing and dance, traditional songs and rituals of the winter festival. At dusk the Clans will gather in the center of the Holy Plain. May the Spirits guide us and show us the way! then the Druids departed to their own people to prepare for the great Council.
Shadows grew long across the plain.
In the gathering darkness they came, a few at first those who could not wait and then more hundreds and thousands gathered on the ethereal plain. The wooden support structures stood in the center of the black stone circle. Each clans name engraved on one of the polished black stones set in the earth. In the plain there were pyres standing seven feet tall stacked logs soaked in oil, the anticipation was palpable the excitement electric, the spirits were in the air.
As the sun sank below the horizon drums began to beat from the rim of the circle and the masses of people parted as logs just wide enough to support the monolithic stones thundered across the plain. Each stone was moved by rolling it across the logs and each was accompanied by one of the Druids, they moved slowly, approaching the center of the circle. As the stones passed through the crowd the new clansmen stared in amazement, these stones were polished and identical they were like nothing the people had ever seen. The masses jumped in and began to help moving the giant stones; the pace quickened and before the last light had faded from the sky the stones had reached the center.
The Great Druid stood on a wooden platform, which stood with a deep hole at its base, as the last stone was moved into place sitting on their logs looking like the rays of the sun splayed out in a circle. The flames leapt up in the single pyre in the middle of the circle fifteen feet separated the flames from ring of wooden towers. The last stone came to a halt just below its support tower; each had a very deep identical hole at the foot, the Great Druid raised his arms and began to speak.
Brothers, Friends, The great Druid began, silence fell in the masses and he continued. The Council will begin at moon rise, the Spirits smile upon our brotherhood. This holy place will be a temple to the Spirits; it will stand for all time!
Workers sprang into action, ropes were thrown around the monoliths and tossed to other men who scampered up the wooden towers and soon they were calling HEAVE! A roar went up from the masses as the first of the incredible stones began slowly to rise from the earth and stand reaching for the heavens. They were set up in pairs, inside the black stone circle, before long the lever and pulley system began to function like clockwork and the large ring of stones began to take shape. As the work continued and the stones rose to stand like giants, marvels that the once simple villagers had never hoped to see, through the masses another procession of stones moved each identical, curved blocks of marvelously cut stone.
By the time the second procession reached the center of the singing and dancing masses the last of the enormous blocks had been set in place, workers packing the earth around the stones foundations placing support wedges and ensuring the precise measurements. Leavers were put in place, hundreds of men pulling together they strained calling HO, the first of the cap stones began to rise from the earth slowly to the heights of the towers. Once in place the master artisans took the place of the workers on the towers, working together to precisely position the cap stones to ensure the integrity of the temple. The cap stones each shared the giant monoliths, fitting together perfectly as they were slowly inched into a perfect unbroken circle. Thousands of people worked together and the work took place all around the circle at once, workers heaved the stones slowly from the cold ground and set them high above the earth on top of the tall pillars.
When the circle was complete ropes were thrown again around the cap stones and they were pulled inward, all pulled as one and the stones of the circle pulled tight a blade of grass could not slip between them. The stones made a huge impressive ring, even the Clansmen who had come all the way from the far north were astounded at the beauty and the power of the temple. As the ropes fell away more logs were piled on the great blaze in the center of the wooden support towers, the Great Druid once again climbed one of the towers, again raising his voice and silence fell.
Friends, Brothers, the hour is near. The Spirits indeed smile upon our fellowship, this marvel which has been planned all this long year is the gift of the Druids to the Spirits and the Clans who belong to them. He paused then raised his arms, The festival will begin at moonrise! He sat talking with his Druids as the time passed, before long he stood again calling out to all the people.
The time is neigh, brothers friends, the moon rises. he pointed and the people turned to see the shining white light peeking over the horizon. The masses roared and began to stomp their feet in their excitement Let the Council begin!
Flames leapt up in the pyres all around the plain the people began to dance and sing again wine was brought by servants and spits carrying roast pork, steak, and venison were brought and laid near the fires. The feast began and the revelry reached new heights, dancing wildly the many became one, singing the songs of ancient tradition and new songs praising the spirits and the druids. The Spirits were in the air, the people were drunk with excitement the wine flowed and the feast continued all night, the pinnacle of the festival was the beginning of the New Year at dawn. What would come with the rising of the sun?
Only the Spirits knew.
