A group of dancing Skaars Dancers.
Skaars Dancers were wolves who danced until the brink of death. They hoped to die so that Skaarsgard would come to the earth with the Star Ladder to take them up to the Cave of Souls. Once a wolf is in this trance, its chances of survival and snapping out of it are extremely slim.
Description[]
The Skaars Dancers were "hypnotized" and put into a trance by the wolf known as The Prophet. Snow, bark and blood may smear their fur, and they may also wear the pelts of other animals. They gather in circles and dance until they pass out and/or die. It is next to impossible to get them out of the trance, even when the Prophet attempted to unmask himself as a fraud.
History[]
Frost Wolf[]
Skaars Dancers are mentioned many times in Frost Wolf. It is called 'like a disease' because of how it spreads to others. Many of the dancing circles in the Beyond seem to take place in the south, in the MacDuff territory, and near the Blood Watch. It is mentioned that the Prophet is the one telling them to do this so that they can get to the Cave of Souls.
Skaars dancing first appears when The Sark of the Slough sees a Skaars circle, with the Prophet himself in the center, but is unaware of what is going on.
The Whistler is the first to mention the strange dancing. After being rescued by Faolan, Edme, Mhairie, and Dearlea, the Whistler explains about the desperate wolves using the ringing rocks to send a message to the Prophet. He tells them that certain wolves are literally dancing for death. The group decide to stop the dancing as well as building up the Blood Watch.
The group discover a Skaars circle on their journey and struggle to resist the strange temptation to join in. All of a sudden, one of the wolves loses their caribou pelt, and Mhairie and Dearlea instantly recognize Caila. However, their mother does not recognize them and in her strange state, reveals that they were adopted. Out of nowhere, an outclanner attacks a nearby wolf, but misses and bites Caila. The stunned she-wolf wanders off into a blizzard.
Upon arrival at the Blood Watch, Tamsen permits the group to spare some meager food for the Skaars dancers. No attempt to make them eat succeeds. The wolves are exhausted, but determined to dance their way to the Cave of Souls.
Tully finds a Skaars circle on his mission to find Gwynneth, but is only able to save two wolves. The survivors mistake him for the Prophet, telling him this mysterious creature will help them find Skaarsgard and the Cave of Souls. Creakle then appears and tells him of the problems in the Beyond.
The five travelers attempt to feed another dancer, but he tells them the dead mouse they offered will become spirit food for the Prophet. Edme develops a plan to lure him and leaves it by a rock at the unwary dancer's instruction. When the Prophet is exposed as Liam MacDuncan, Tamsen orders the group to unmask him before the dancers. However, even when his helmet is removed, the dancers are unable to see his true identity. Myrrglosch pleads with his parents to realize who it is, but both of them ignore him. His father encourages his mother to keep dancing.
Spirit Wolf[]
In the Outermost, Heep was able to find and nurse two fallen Skaars Dancers back to health. The rescued wolves are forever grateful to him, and swore to obey him and stay in his rout. Upon one of the wolves is a female, whom Heep took in as a mate and named Aliac. Together they have a pup named Abban. One day, Aliac decides that she does not want to live with the outclanners, and leaves Heep, fleeing into the night with Abban. She finds Mhairie and Dearlea, and regains her original name: Caila.
Behavior[]
The Skaars Dancers believed that their only hope was to dance themselves to the point of death, and they could call Skaarsgard to guide their souls to the Cave of Souls. They were told by The Prophet that they should not eat. Whenever any other wolf or owl tried to feed the Skaars Dancers, they would eat only enough to stop dancing momentarily. They feel that by not eating, they are filling their spirits with "spirit food". They try to feed the Prophet when he is around the circles, believing that his powers transform the food to feed all their souls. The Skaars Dancers are more often than not oblivious to their surroundings even while conscious. When they faint, they believe they were in a "Skaars trance". Skaars Dancers celebrate the deaths of their own, believing that in coming close to death their souls were becoming radiant.
Known Skaars Dancers[]
- Caila
- Myrrglosch's mother
- Myrrglosch's father