Owl maiden - 1. Chapter 1

I had found a camp of the elusive race of people known as the Eadromnir, and stayed with them through the winter. Contrary to the thoughts of our noble civilization, they were welcoming and kind, Far from the Slaving race of demons that they are thought of as.

Many were a night that I sat and listened to their stories, about ancient gods and mythic things, many of which are lost to us more civilized people. Such is the night I learned about the Owl Maiden.

I walked into the Lore-keepers tent as the beautiful but elderly woman began to tell the children huddled around the fire for warmth a story, but it was much different from ones I had heard before, so I sat and listened.

“Listen children to the winter's snow and the song of the wind, listen now to the story of the Owl Maiden....

Once long ago, the gods walked among us. They were divine beings known the Children of Lyth, mighty and majestic, they ruled our world and walked among mortal kind.

There was Larkin Eldest, and mightiest of the children of Lyth, God of Balance and the Star filled Night Sky, of knowledge and Magic...

There was The Dragon God Anun, the fiery god of Time, and keeper of our Laws, and the laws of all beings, he whom banished our civilization into its demise.

There was the majestic Artera his twin, the goddess of the twining moons, of the hunt and wild things.

And then there were the youngest Twins

Malencia The Goddess of Nature and of Energy, who’s power encompasses all of us and nothing, and whom plots twisting mortals for her benefit.

And Finally there was Midras, the god of Forbidden Knowledge, of Metal, of Conflict and of Death, He whom we now know as Baltesk lord of Destruction and Madness, but his is a story for another time.

Remember children that the gods taught us mortals all that we are, Midras the forging of metal, Larkin, how to weave magic...Anun gave us laws, Malencia, the more supple arts, and Artera how to hunt.... But my children there was a sixth child of Lyth, the twin sister to Larkin, her name is now lost to all but us, it is sad too for she is all around us in the winters heart and in the night, She was the goddess of Chaos, and she was the goddess of Light…her name was Luminati.

She exists still in that ring of shinning fabric that crosses our world, but alas she is lost mourn her children… For she'll not be seen again, and because of her death the gods refused to walk among mortal kind, for it was we mortals who killed her… It was she whom gave us the greatest gifts of all, of fire and our own lives....

It was one night long ago during a winter as cold and as harsh as this one. Our people huddled around their tents, cold and dieing, so a maiden pregnant with the her first born left the safety of her camp to beseech the Children of Lyth to give the people something to warm them in the night, for her child and for the future of the people.

The young maiden walked for hours in the woods and in the wilderness, clothed in buckskins, and carrying her wedding dress as a token for them… Her most prized possession beyond her life, though she was quite willing to give that as well for us.

In that night the winds began to blow as they are apt to do, and the snow picked up and the maiden lost her way…

Lost and confused she finally fell into the snow, not six feet from her destination. As exhaustion and the cold took her into the abyss of Baltesk’s Embrace she heard the hoot of an owl, a single owl… Then the maiden saw her, a beautiful woman, walking to her, dressed in nothing but a spotted white feathered cloak. The woman bent down to her and smiled, touching the maiden’s cheek gently.

Sadly though the young woman succumbed to the cold and blacked out, dreaming of Beautiful blue and green eyes, that shifted in the supple light of the night.”

The old woman had paused for dramatic play, taking a drink from a bowl of water, many of the children asked what happened next, indeed I too was eager to know what happened to the young lady and learn more about this goddess I had not heard of…

The old woman smiled then, “Hours seemed to fly by or was it moments, one never knows with the great ones, and the young woman awoke before the crackling flame of a fire. Across from her sat the woman, she had brown hair going down her shoulder…and she smiled kindly at the woman, “good you are awake young one…I was a bit worried….” her voice sounded like the subtle melody of a hidden song

It was at that moment that the maiden noticed the lady was wearing her wedding dress, both fear and anger played in her mind at the moment so it is said.

The woman smiled knowing the maidens mind, heart, and fears…speaking softly “I am Luminati, and I find your offering most suitable young one, and thus I give you fire, and I give you wings, may you live long and have many children, now hurry before your people die….” With that the Goddess of Light, held out her hand and changing the young maiden into a beautiful white spotted owl.

The young maiden was very alarmed by her state, and more the a little angry for her self and her unborn child, for it seemed the goddess had been cruel in changing her and her child into something else not human.

But the goddess smiled, “do not cry my child, and do not be angry, for you are my messenger to mankind and though someday I will falter and fade, you will still carry hope to them, through yourself and your children… Go take the fire to your camp.” Luminati held up a burning brand and smiled warmly.

The Owl Maiden had little choice and flew into the air, picking up the brand with her talons.
Taking Flight back to her camp, the winds and the snow seemed to form a tunnel around her as she flew to what was once her home…dropping the Brand into the center of camp.”

But as you all know children water destroys fire…” the old lore-keeper smiled warmly at the young faces, “but not this time, for the brand had been blessed by the goddess and melted the snow to a log which it lit on fire…

The people scrambled around the flame in fear and wonder, until they heard a hoot of an owl and the maiden’s voice in their hearts and heads, she was crying, “I gave myself and all that I am to the gods for you, take up the fire and live my people”

The first wise woman took up a stick and added flame to it, directing her people on to building similar flames. It is from that time we the people of the Eadromnir lived and have had fire and light. We are the Light People, for that is what Eadromnir means, the children of Luminati, foreigners think it arrogance that we call ourselves the Children of light or that it is a lie and that we are the children of that foul god Baltesk and thus lie about ourselves, but no, we serve her whom gave us life, and she is chaos, and all that we are, are what she taught us to be, which is a paradox.”

The old woman smiled, “But the story does not end there my children, oh no, Three months later that same wise woman, whom lit the first non god flame, found a newborn babe, in a woven basket by the river, he had three soft black spotted, white feathers growing out of each side of his head… He became the first great chief of the Eadromnir, and his descendants all have that feather pattern in their hair… And the owls? They still exist they are the beautiful white birds that follow our camps, that shine and roost in our ancient halls, the Valmeran Owls.

The Owls that outlasted our Goddess and our Civilization, that give us hope still that she’ll return from the Shimmer Weave…”

The graceful old woman smiled, looking strait at me, “you probably would like to know more about Luminati, the goddess unknown to the Civilized people of the world, the one whom sacrificed herself, much like the owl maiden did to save us all a second time, but that will have to wait for another time…for I must sleep, after all one whom has lived for 506 years must sleep more then those whom are young…come back tomorrow my children, and I’ll tell you more…about her fall and ours”

Sadly though, when I woke the next morning the old woman was dead, and her successor as lore keeper, grieved too much about her to tell me more, though I did get to witness a burial rite that could only be termed as one used for those greatly honored among their people.