Words for Wednesday - Easter Holiday 5

Trying to catch up with myself, I now bring the next installment in Susan's tale. These are the words provided by WiseWebWoman for July 24th. 

Mountain
Scrabble
Traffic Lights
Insane

Arrival
Lasso
Wonder
Gadget

And a photo of a fox

Saturday as darkness fell, they were all gathered round the big stack of firewood, placed behind the farm, where it would be less visible both from the sea and from the highway on the mainland. Gilvi who were by far the oldest of the people at the Unicorn Farm, took a piece of wood from the stack and pared thin shavings with his pocket knife. Everybody formed a loose circle around the fire to be and looked while he struck the iron and flint together several times and the sparks flew. Finally the shavings caught, and soon the fire began growing.
"Tonight," Gilvi intoned, "in the night where darkness was subdued by light, we stand gladly by this fire, lit by simple means, by stone and steel and wood. This is the night that is bright as the day and full of gladness. The power of this night dispels wickedness, washes away faults, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to the sorrowful. It drives out hatred, fosters unity, and brings down the mighty."
Gilvi fell silent, stood as lost in thoughts. Susan covertly looked around, all the other apprentices stood still and looked at the fire. Susan followed their example, and watched with a growing sense of wonder as the flames grew stronger and leapt skywards.
When the stack of wood was engulfed in flames, Gilvi raised his head and spoke again: " This is the Easter Fire, a new fire. Now that the Easter Fire is burning brightly, let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord." *
At this everybody began clapping, shouting and singing. And if those from non-magical families were a bit slow in responding, nobody noticed.

The happy noises were cut short by the arrival of  the nisser** carrying trays laden with small cakes and chocolates and every delicacy imaginable. The last pair - the Icelandic ones - carried a large cauldron from which an enticing smell emerged, that lassoed the apprentices and professors alike and made them scrabble for a drink or two. It was refreshing, sweet, tangy and just a bit bubbly. "Is is an old, secret recipe from the deep wastes of Icelandic lava-fields," my lord, Susan overheard the female nisse say to Gilvi. She presumed it was an answer to his questioning the contents of the cauldron. "We brew it inside the volcanic mountain of Krafla near Mýwatn." More you'll not know." The nisser kept close watch on the contents and poured it into waiting cups with big, wooden ladles. Everybody could eat as much as they wanted from the brimming trays, but only the older apprentices and the teachers were served more than once from the cauldron. Susan was sure she saw Gilvi, Thora and maybe even Sif and Elvin, the two oldest Icelandic apprentices, have a very small third cup.
As darkness fell, the flames grew

When the fire burned a bit lower, the jumping began. First all the teachers jumped through the fire. Gilvi first, he walked through the roaring flames just like he would have through a doorway. Susan was disappointed, that no actual jumping was involved, but when the Finnish Taathi bowed on by Taavi with an old fashioned flourish walked daintily through the flames, she saw the reason. Nobody could see through the curtain of flames, and an ill-timed jump could result in sprained ankles or worse. Taavi then stepped out. Thora was next, she was as elegant jumping through fire, as sitting on her broomstick or casting a spell. Then Torben jumped, holding onto his long beard and swinging cape with both hands. Jon and Birgitta began discussing who were to jump next, Finally Jon bowed to Birgitta and said: "Ladies first." That settled it, she was not liking the idea of having to admit that she was older than the black-skinned Jon, which actually she was.
Martine was the youngest and last of the teachers, she put aside her kimono before jumping, and had problems getting through the fire.
Everybody who neede it, had had permission from their parents to jump through the fire, even My, who were only 10 years old. and had to wait till everybody else had had their turn. The apprentices lined up, only a bit of jostling and elbowing taking place in the queue.

Sif and Elvin, the Icelandic sister and brother having had an extra cup from the bubbling cauldron, were the first in line. This confirmed Susan's suspicion that the two redheads were somewhat older than the other apprentices. Most of them were between 14 and 11 years old, with My at only 10 being the youngest and obviously Sif  being the oldest, at 16 or most probably 17. She and Elvin, both still looking worn from their illness, walked through the fire smiling. Helge, the gangling, accident prone Swede was next. Susan held her breath while he walked through, and from the sounds of sudden intake of breath and sighs as Helge came unharmed out on the other side, she had not been the only one.
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* If you think you recognize these words - you're right. they are a slightly altered version of the Paschal blessings. Only a small percentage of Danes are Catholic - estimates wary between ½ and 3 percent of the populace - so the chances of anybody recognizing them were slim.

** Nisser: singular nisse; plural nisser are the Nordic equivalent of elves, goblins, the little people and such. Wikipedia tells of them. It is NOT the modern, christmassy tribe we're talking of here.