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Despite the late night at the dance, Toby and I both found ourselves awake early the next morning. There had been some noise out in the parking lot, a couple tenants having an argument near their car. It was loud enough to wake us from upstairs, with the windows closed, and neither one of us was really able to fall back asleep after. I rolled over and looked at the clock.

"Hey, hon. What time is Michelle's church, today?" I wagged my tail while I waited for his answer.

"Umm..." he grabbed his phone and looked it up on their website. "'Bout an hour and a half from now. Why?"

"I'm curious. I'd like to see what they're about. Interested?" I rolled over and propped myself up so I could look into his face, my tail perked.

"Hmm. Well, if you're game, I'll check it out with you. What can it hurt?"

I decided not to answer that, since it had hurt me quite a bit when my parents threw me out of the house based on their religious beliefs. I had hope that this would be a much better experience. Michelle seemed to have suggested so, anyway. But I got out of bed, and headed for the closet in the office, where I kept my nicer stuff. "How nice should we dress, do you think?"

"I'd go with button-down and tie, I think," called Toby as he headed for the bathroom. It's a good middle ground. Not too casual, but not risking being overdressed, either."

"Oh, and we should call Michelle, too, eh?"

I heard Toby slap the door frame as he looked around it at me. "Good point. You do that; it's your idea."

I did. Michelle was very excited about it. We decided not to risk waking Roger, since it was a last-minute plan, but that if we liked it, we'd bring him along the next time. After all, he seemed to have been having a very good "just friends" date and was probably out much later than the rest of us. We agreed to meet at Jack and Michelle's apartment in an hour, which gave everyone enough time to prep and eat a little bit. And the last thing before ending the call, she reminded us to dress warm.

By time I got off the phone, Toby had finished in the bathroom and come into the office, where he was looking through his makeshift bookshelf, a stack of cinder blocks and planks that leaned a little against one wall where he could organize his study texts. His striped tail flicked as he hunted for whatever book he sought. After a moment he reached out and pulled down a book. "Got a Stormbook, here. It's a modern-ish translation, so if they only use the old English one, it won't be too hard for us to follow along," he explained.

After a few minutes of activity, we were in the kitchen working on breakfast. Toby had sagely advised that we hold on ties until after eating, but we were otherwise dressed and ready to go, and I was working on eggs, while he cut some fruit and made toast. After breakfast, we donned our ties and headed out, meeting Jack and Michelle just as they left their front door. Our attire had been a good choice. Michelle was wearing a comfortable dress, and Jack was dressed like us, and had added some fresh shine to his horns and was wearing a small gold ring in his nose.

It was decided that we would take one car, piling into Toby's Jimmy since it was already warming up and we were in the lane, not parked. Michelle sat up front to navigate, while I sat in the back with Jack. It was a little tough, sitting that close to him, without getting excited about it. But my nerves were picking up, and that helped me keep my focus off the ox's muscular physique.

Michelle gave us a run-down of the service, so we would have an idea what to expect, and know when to sit, stand, sway, or kneel. "That sounds pretty complex," Toby remarked.

Jack laughed. "Just watch the people around you. And when you sway, make sure you sway towards the south, because it's the North wind."

"No one would be offended if you swayed the wrong way," said Michelle. "But you'll bump into other furs if you do."

"Which way does the chapel face?" I asked, my tail flicking a bit at the tip.

"It doesn't," Michelle nickered. "The room is built in the round, with the priests in the center. But the directions are pretty obvious, once the fans get going. Just lean with the breeze."

We arrived with about ten minutes before the service began, and Michelle led the way inside. The auditorium was indeed a large circle, and she wove between benches until she found her favorite spot. We set down our coats and books, and then Michelle led us to the central podium, where she waved to one of the celebrants, a Badger in a long, lightweight robe. The cloth was varying shades of blue, as was much in the room, though the swan sitting in the great chair at the center of the dais wore the darkest hues. Everyone else had robes that were lighter than his by varying degrees, until the youth who were wandering around with candle lighters were wearing almost pure white. The darkest color on this one's robe was sky blue, and it matched the pointed cap on his head.

"Hi, Max! I want you to meet my friends, Toby and Craig," she gestured to us in turn, and then to him. "Max, er, reverend Hughes, takes care of the youth and family ministry program. He ran the program we had last night."

The priest, who looked to be in his mid thirties, doffed his cap and greeted us warmly, taking each of our paws in turn. "Hello! Michelle mentioned you last night, but didn't say I'd be getting to meet you this morning. I'm delighted! How was the dance?"

I looked at Michelle, who nodded assurance, so I turned back to the man. "Hello," I said. It was fun. Toby and I won the contest for best paired costumes." It didn't occur to me until after I said it that I would be revealing more than I intended, by mentioning that we went as pairs.

My worries were assuaged immediately, though. "Congratulations," he said, genuinely. "I've seen some of the costumes that students put together at the masquerade. That's quite an accomplishment. What did you go as?"

"Pirates," Toby answered. "I was the captain, and Craig was a ship's mate."

"Excellent," the priest laughed. "I hope you haven't come here to do more brigandy, though?"

Jack interrupted, now. "Don't worry, Max. I'll keep them in line, if the notion takes them." We all laughed at that. The swan in the center chair cleared his throat, which made Reverend Hughes look over his shoulder.

"Please excuse me. I still have a couple more things to take care of before the service begins. It was nice meeting you, Toby, Craig. Enjoy the service." With that, he bustled off to do whatever things an assisting priest must do before the services begin. One of them was apparently to test the fans, because they started with a slow breeze and got higher and higher, until we were very nearly blown back to our seats. As we got there, I looked back and saw Max hit another control on the board he was watching, and the fans shut off. He turned to talk to the high priest, but we could not hear him over the third celebrant, who had appeared and was testing microphones.

As the service began, the fans were set back on a gentle breeze. A small group of musicians appeared on the dais and introduced the first song, inviting everyone to sing along. It was an upbeat piece, and talked about the freedom of flying on the breeze. As the music began, a few people in the pews began to wave their hands gently with the wind. I sat still and watched, but noticed that Michelle had closed her eyes and was swaying her neck as she sang the song. Jack sang, but sat still, until he saw me and grinned softly, nodding at his wife. He leaned around Toby, who sat next to him, and said, "Everyone responds differently. Only do what you're comfortable with; no one will judge you if you just sit still, as long as they can see you're respectful." I nodded, and continued to watch, humming as I began to pick up the melody to the catchy tune. Toby heard me and wrapped an arm behind my shoulders, smiling.

After the song, Max got up and gave the invocation. He welcomed us all, then everyone stood up and those who knew recited a response. While we were still standing, he offered a blessing and we all sat back down as he prayed. Then he said, "We also want to welcome our first time visitors. Michelle Pfingstochse introduced me today to her friends, Craig, and Toby. He pointed at us. Are there any others who are here for the first time?" No one replied. "Well, guys, we hope you enjoy the service. Our winds may be cold, but our hearts are warmed by your joining us today."

Several people were now looking around at us, and Toby and I waved nervously. I heard Jack chuckle. When everyone's attention went back to the front, he murmured, "You can expect a lot of greetings on the way out, now."

Reverend Hughes added a few announcements including events leading up to Thanksgiving over the coming month, and then the other assisting priest stood up to remind everyone that today was All Saint's Day, a day that was set aside to remember those whose spirits had blown away on the winds. If one listened carefully, one might hear them calling to us on the wind, encouraging us to be strong and carry on. At this point, the fans went up quite high, and everyone stood and swayed. Several different people called out names of people, presumably of those dearly departed, invoking blessings on their windward sailing. The fans eventually turned down, but everyone continued to stand as an organ began to play. Jack pointed to the selection number in the program and helped us find it in the hymnal. It was actually a pretty interesting piece, and as Toby and I shared a hymnal, we were getting pretty into the song. It sang of the pain of loss, and loved ones left behind, but that the winds fill our hearts and dry our tears, and also blow us on to new things and new days. I found myself wrapping my arm around Toby's waist, thinking that that is exactly what had happened to me. My family might not be dead, but they surely considered me to be so, but I had been blown into Toby's way and we had found new strength together. By time the song was done, I found myself whispering a prayer on the winds, thanking them for blowing me his way. The fans were slowing and he must have heard me, because I felt him pull me tight against him as we sat down once more. My tail thumped softly against the bench.

The rest of the service reflected on the same theme, remembering those left behind, and the new things that lay before us. There were readings from the Book of the Winds, and Toby was very pleased to discover that they used the same translation as he had brought with us. At about this point, my stomach rumbled, and I pulled out my phone to check the time. I was startled to see that the service had already taken two hours! The church we attended back home held services that were exactly one hour, and people began to get nervous around fifty minutes in, wondering whether it would end. But here, everyone was clearly relaxed and eager for the next step, and had I not felt hungry, I wouldn't have even noticed the passing of time. There was definitely a huge difference here, and I was enjoying it greatly.

Finally, the congregation began to sway again. Some were humming, some were chanting. But there was an anticipation in everyone. As I looked around, I saw all of them fixed on the podium, and the large chair where the head priest sat. His eyes were closed and his lips were moving slightly, but otherwise, he gave no motion. The intensity of the chanting grew, but I still couldn't make out the words. It must have been in another language. Michelle had told us there was a chant before the homily, but she didn't really explain it. She said we'd just have to see. The winds began to increase, the organist added tones, holding them on the organ, beginning in the lowest registers and slowly adding higher and higher notes. The guitarists in the musical group strummed lightly on the strings, holding out the notes. Congregants began to raise their arms, and a few stood. The intensity grew and grew. Toby and I looked at each other and I could see the wonder I felt reflected in his eyes. Eventually, one woman across the dais from us jumped up from her seat. She shouted and raised her arms, and began to dance in circles. Then two more, a man to our left and another woman a couple rows behind the first jumped up. Around the room, several others began to jump from their seats and dance. It gave me the feeling of leaves blowing in a strong wind. Their movements got more and more frantic as the wind grew stronger and the chants louder.

Then something changed.

The people began to lean, not in the direction of the fans, but everyone swayed to their right. There was a strange pull in the air. I couldn't hear the fans anymore, even though the wind was still there. It felt different, somehow. I looked up, and saw that Max had shut off the fan console. This wind... was blowing on its own! As the intensity of the people grew higher, so did the wind. It swirled around the circular room, growing in intensity, until it began to form what looked like a funnel around the central dais. The head priest stood up, and his robes began to lift and spin with the current. I could tell the ankles were tied - he was obviously prepared for this, because had they not been, the suction of the wind might have pulled them completely off of him. As it was, they flapped and fluttered around him. He held out his wings, increasing the effect, and it looked like the wind might even pull him up off the stage in the tornado - for that is exactly what it was - that was filling the room.

Suddenly, I realized that I was humming, too. Toby looked at me, wide-eyed, but I couldn't explain. I just felt the need to make sound. Jack raised his arms and chanted, and Michelle got to her feet, swaying, but stayed in place. People who had moved to the aisles began to dance around the room, as the cacophony increased in pressure and intensity. I began to blow out sharply, trying to clear my ears against the suction.

Eventually, a climax was reached, and there was a loud crash like a gong, and everything stopped, beginning with the wind, which fell silent. People who had been swaying and chanting fell silent and lowered their arms. The dancers collapsed to the floor, though none of them appeared harmed. As the echoes of the gong faded, people around the room quickly got up and helped them back to their seats, shaky, but smiling. I looked up at the priest and saw that he held a heavy dowel in his hand, and had hit a metal drum that I hadn't noticed before, because it was standing upright like a table, behind his seat from my angle. As the room fell silent, he set the striker down, and moved to the podium. He looked around at each of us, moving his long neck around to view, rather than turning his whole body away from the stand.

"The spirit of the wild wind blows," he intoned.

"And we are carried with it," the people answered.

"Blessings to you," he said, and began to preach. He spoke about the stark beauty that can be found in the pain of loss, that we make ourselves suffer needlessly when we focus on it as a weakness, instead of embracing it and using it to carry us forward. He talked about the importance of finding the love that is needed to grow out of the hurts we've suffered. I don't think he meant it quite the way I had found it, but my paw slipped into Toby's as he said it. Toby looked at me and smiled, squeezing my paw as I leaned lightly against his shoulder.

Eventually the homily ended, we concluded with one more song, and people began to file out. As Jack had warned us, we were mobbed by people greeting us and shaking paws, welcoming my Tiger and I to the church. We couldn't even try to make our way out until the crowd began to dissipate, and Reverend Hughes appeared to thank us for coming.

"Hey, Max, would you like to join us for lunch," Michelle asked. "We'll probably hit The Cottonwood."

"Oooh, I haven't been there in a while," said Toby. "What a great idea!"

"You know I can't resist a chance to have their Dark Chocolate Brownie," the priest smiled. "I'll follow you there, so you don't have to bring me back here."

Leading the way out, Toby grinned at me. "This place is great; you'll love it!"

* * *

We were scanning the menu at Billy's when Reverend Hughes arrived. He had doffed his robes and was now dressed in a button down shirt that matched the main colors he had been wearing, and a white tie over black slacks. There were more paw shakes all around, and as we all sat down again, he looked to Toby and I and asked us, "So what do you think, guys? Today's service was a little unusual, but mostly, it followed form."

"I enjoyed it," said Toby. "Didn't even realize so much time had passed. I'd heard that churches usually go only for an hour, and then you're out. But this was what, three and a half hours?"

"Yes, we start on time, and follow where the wind blows," said Reverend Hughes, smiling. "As long as the spirit breathes, we continue."

"About that," I said. "Reverend Hughes-"

"Max," he smiled. "We only really worry about formality when we're wearing robes, or with regards to Reverend Swanson, the Head Pastor."

"Max... I've been to a few services in my life, but none were quite, uh, quite so... eventful," I managed to get out, my tail tucked nervously under my chair. "What was that?" Michelle and Jack were trying not to chuckle. They had declined to give any explanations in the car, saying that they had asked the priest to join us for lunch, specifically for this."

"You mean the bit before the homily, right?" Max's smile was charitable.

I nodded. "Yeah. It was like a tornado!"

"Precisely. And no, it was not artificial. Well, I mean, I had the fans on at the start, but once it picked up on its own, I turned them off."

"Do you do this every Sunday," Toby asked.

"Oh, no!" Max chuckled. "This happens of its own accord, and only once in a while. I'd say it happens three or four times a year. But it's pretty rare that All Saints' Day passes without it."

"But it certainly looks like you engineered for it," said Toby. "What with the round room, and there were fan louvers around the room. I could see it being something controlled."

"Those are just the heaters," Max explained. "They've got nothing to do with the service. But yes, we did design the room with this in mind. Many Borean churches have this happen. I'm surprised you've never heard of it before. These Storms began shortly after we first enclosed our buildings and started using fans for wind, so about a hundred and fifty years ago, when electricity first started becoming a marketable utility."

We were interrupted by the waiter looking to take our orders, so the conversation paused at this point. Once everyone had announced their decisions, we went right back to the conversation.

"Every Borean church is built in a circle," Michelle volunteered. "Even going back to ancient times. And before electricity, they usually were open-air amphitheaters with only partial roofs. Even if they had a shade roof, the central dais was under open sky."

Jack added, "We visited a couple in Europe last summer, on our honeymoon. The architecture is pretty amazing. And even in the ancient ones, where the roof is long gone, you can still hear someone talking at the podium from anywhere in the amphitheater."

"But the problem is, it's hard to have a service to the winds on a calm day. And with the 1800s being the century of the skeptic, most churches enclosed and added fans," Max went on. "Anyway, when the churches were enclosed, this tornado effect started happening. Scientists are still baffled; they insist that it has to be something to do with the air pressure and the movement of the people in the sanctuary. But when the sanctuary is as tall as ours, with fans as large as ours, even if the room is full, a bunch of furs aren't going to be able to make the wind spin like that."

"So what does it," Toby asked. His tail was flicking, revealing his skepticism.

"The spirit of the winds brings us a blessing," Max shrugged, with a smile.

"There's got to be more to it than that," Toby said.

"Not really," Jack grinned.

At this point, our meals arrived, and so we paused to thank the server and took a few bites before Max continued, "well, I can tell you the scientific data about it, that there is a significant drop in the air pressure, and that it's always cyclonic, which means in the northern hemisphere it's counterclockwise, and clockwise in the southern. I can tell you that the funnel forms center out, and that the wind speed is higher than anything our fans generate, but that it's always below seventy-five miles per hour, so it almost never causes any significant damage. But as to a literal cause? Only Aeolus knows."

I still wasn't satisfied. "Max, there's more to it than just wind, isn't there?"

"How do you mean, Craig," asked Jack.

"Well, when it was nearing the climax, I found an uncontrollable urge to start humming. I felt a pull on my arms, but that could have been the suction of the wind. But it certainly didn't make me hum." I paused. My tail was wagging as I recalled the feeling. "And the funny thing is, if I tried right now, I don't think I could match the notes for anything."

Now Max's smile spread across his entire face. "The blessing of Aeolus."

Toby made a face. "Come on, now."

"No, really, hon," I touched his shoulder. "You looked so surprised at me, when I did it. But I don't think I could have stopped if I wanted to. I just... there was a pressure inside me, and I had to let it out. And humming was the only way."

Michelle whickered. "How cool! I was in the church for years before I first felt the spirit during a Storm."

Jack looked right at Toby. "I still have never experienced it, either. But I've seen it enough times, that I know it's real. Craig's heart was in just the right spot for whatever it is."

I grinned. "All I know is, once I started humming, my heart felt light, and it was a joy to let it out. I nearly burst out laughing for the pure mirth of it when Toby gave me that shocked face."

"Good," said Max. "When something like that comes on you, don't keep it in. But we also ask people, don't try to fake it if you aren't really feeling it. We can usually tell. Like you said, you probably couldn't replicate the notes right now, because the spirit isn't touching you. We prefer that people keep their experiences genuine. If you don't feel it again, there are plenty of ways to participate. You can sing, chant, or just sway. But don't try to force anything."

"Got it," I smiled. "I kinda hope it does happen again."

"You mean we didn't scare you off," Michelle cheered, flicking her mane.

"Nope. I want to see more," I smiled.

"Great!" said Max, Michelle, and Jack, all at once. Toby didn't look to sure, but he hugged my side anyway.