White Wolf and Arctic Fox

5

We don't receive word of T'Challa's return journey until two days later. I go with Shuri and Queen Mother Ramonda to await his ship. The Dora Milaje stand in lines on either side of us. We all watch as the Royal Talon Flyer lands, and T'Challa, Okoye, and a woman I don't know exit. The new woman, I assume, is Nakia.

"Queen Mother, princess" she greets with a bow, then sees my beaded bracelet. "Princesses," she corrects, smiling softly.
"My comfort, for your loss."

"Thank you, Nakia," Queen Mother says. "It is so good to have you back with us."

"Take her to the River Province, to prepare her for the ceremony," Okoye tells her first-in-command.

"Yes, General," Ayo answers.

We watch the women leave, before Shuri and I share a look. "Did he freeze?" we asks together.

"Like an antelope in headlights," Okoye reveals, and we laugh.

"Are you finished?" T'Challa asks Okoye, who just bangs her staff and leads the rest of the Dora Milaje away.

"So surprised my little sisters came to see me off before our big day," T'Challa grins.

"You wish!" Shuri jokes. "I came for the EMP beads. I've developed an update."

"Update?" T'Challa asks. "No, it worked perfectly."

"How many times do I have to teach you?" Shuri questions. "Just because something works, doesn't mean it cannot be improved."

"You are teaching me?" T'Challa smirks, handing over the beads. "What do you know?"

"More than you," Shuri quips, taking my arm and beginning to lead me away.

"I can't wait to see what kind of updates you make to your ceremonial outfits," T'Challa calls.

Shuri uses her free hand to raise a middle finger to him. Without even looking, Queen Mother knows.

"Shuri!" she chides.

"Sorry, Mother," Shuri answers, putting her hand down.

The next morning, Shuri leads me to her room, where she pulls out two outfits. Hers is browns and gold's, a mix of cloth and colorful beads. Mine is more of a rainbow of colors, mostly beads. She wears a headpiece that travels down her face in chains, with what looks to be panther teeth at her jaw. My own is the same as my dress, a simple headband with colored feathers sticking up like a crown.

"It matches your bracelet," Shuri grins as we change. "Now, for the face paint!"

She paints half of my face in black paint, which swirls, just barely creeping on to the parts of my face that are still ashen white.

The Dora Milaje lead us and Queen Mother Ramonda onto a boat, where the three of us preform a traditional dance Shuri has been teaching me for the past week. The boat, along with a boat for each tribe, apart from the Jabari, float across the Warrior's Falls, until Okoye bangs her staff, draining the water until it is ankle deep.

We all descend steps into the cliff area where the ceremony takes place. There, as we sing in Xosha (ok, I try to sing in Xosha), the Royal Talon Flyer lands, and T'Challa steps out, wearing traditional clothes and paint, with no shirt. He walks up to the High Priest, Zuri.

"I, Zuri, son of Badu," the High Priest begins, "give to you, Prince T'Challa, the Black Panther."

T'Challa steps forward, kneeling in the water.

"The prince will now have the power of the Black Panther stripped away," Zuri continues, holding up a bowl.

As the drumming continues, we cross our arms over our chest, dancing slightly as T'Challa drinks from the bowl. He shakes, and his veins become more prominent. Now he has only the strength of a normal man. Finally, he stands.