I think there must be a need for such a thing. The staff here at Stokesley mostly avoid Kudshayn, and half of them are afraid of him. (Rebecca hides any time she thinks she hears him coming.) I can only imagine other people will react the same way when their delegation comes here next winter to talk about what’s going to happen to their homeland. People, humans that is, will need to know how to interact with them. And that will be even more true if the Draconeans start establishing enclaves of people like Kudshayn who can live outside the mountains.
(Uncle chastised me yesterday for calling them “people” instead of “Draconeans.” But that’s the word Audrey uses, and she’s dealt with them a lot more than he has, so I think she’s probably right. I’ll try to avoid it around him, though—I don’t want him to think I’m being disobedient or ungrateful.)
Tablet V: “The Fledging Tablet”
translated by Audrey Camherst and Kudshayn
The time had come for the four siblings to undergo the rite of fledging. Hastu had promised it. He sought out a dream to consider the question of how they should be tested. In his sleep he considered it, during the times of noise, during the times of quiet.1
He woke and addressed the people, saying, “I have dreamt2 of a sun in the sky and a cavern in the earth, of the sea ahead and the forest behind. Each of the four shall go in a different direction; each of the four shall have a separate trial.” The people were much surprised, because it was the custom for clutches to undergo their trials together.
Hastu the šiknas3 said, “Samšin will go to the east, where the sun has its birth. Ektabr will go to the west, where the sun descends into the caverns of the earth. Nahri will go to the south, where the forests grow tall. Imalkit will go to the north, where the waters4 lap the shore. Each will journey until they meet their trial, and return if they can.”
The four embraced each other with their wings. Samšin said, “Be careful. Never before has a clutch been sent out in four directions at once. But I believe this will all be for the best: each of us must find our own strength, so that when we come together again we will be stronger still.”
But Ektabr said, “Our strength is in each other. If we are to be parted, then we must give one another tokens, so that we will remain together even as we go in four directions at once.” The others saw the wisdom of this, and so each gave to each of the others a gift. Then they parted.
Ektabr went to the west. For many days and many nights he journeyed, across plains, across rivers, across mountains, across forests. He came to an opening in the ground. He said to himself, “Hastu had a vision of a cavern, and so this is where I should go. But caverns are the mouths of the earth; they eat up5 what descends into them. How can I return to my sisters, if I go into this cave?”
He remembered his gift from Imalkit. She had given him a length of gut, many lengths tied end to end. He wrapped one end around a stone at the mouth of the cave and unrolled the ball as he went, so that he could find his way out again.
The cave was filled with dangers. There were pits to fall into, pools to drown in, spiders who stretched their webs thickly across the way. But there were wonders also, beautiful forms of crystal and stone. Ektabr sat for a long time and considered these things, fixing them in his mind. He took a stone in his hand and made marks on the wall, images6 of the beasts of the land and sky, which had never been seen in the depths of the earth before. Then he followed his cord out of the cave and into the light once more.
Imalkit went to the north. For many days and many nights she journeyed, across plains, across rivers, across mountains, across forests.7 She came to a place of water. She said to herself, “Hastu had a vision of waters lapping the shore, and so this is where I should go. But waters are the edge of the earth; they drown whatever goes into them. How can I return to my siblings, if I go into this water?”
She remembered her gift from Nahri. She had given her a bundle of reeds, many strong reeds in a bunch. She took the reeds and tied them together so that they floated upon the water. Then she climbed upon her raft and went out.
The water was filled with dangers. There were storms, rough waves, creatures with many teeth to eat her alive. But there were wonders also, bright fish and the light upon the water. Imalkit played with them, dangling leaves from her raft to mislead them, using her shadow to make them flee. She made a trap to trail behind her raft to capture the dangerous ones. Then she spread her wings and let the wind carry her back to shore.
Nahri went to the south. For many days and many nights she journeyed, across plains, across rivers, across mountains, across forests. She came to a place of many trees. She said to herself, “Hastu had a vision of a forest, and so this is where I should go. But forests are the traps of the earth; they ensnare whatever goes into them. How can I return to my siblings, if I go into this forest?”
She remembered her gift from Samšin. She had given her a mace, a stone head on a [. . .]8 her. Then she went in among the trees.
The forest was filled with dangers. There were wild beasts, poisonous plants, branches that blocked the light of the sun. But there were wonders also, beautiful flowers, bright insects, abundant life on all sides. Nahri gathered up seeds; she gathered up nuts. She spoke to the animals and the trees, showing them patience and kindness, and they taught her their ways. Then she followed the deer to the edge of the forest once more.
Samšin went to the east. For many days and many nights she journeyed, across plains, across rivers, across mountains, across forests. She came to a dry place without water.9 She said to herself, “Hastu had a vision of the place where the sun has its birth, and so this is where I should go. But there is nothing here. What have I come here to find?”
She remembered her gift from Ektabr. He had given her a prayer, words to recite in a strong voice. She recited them as she went forward.
The desert was empty. There was barren stone, barren dirt. There was nothing for Samšin to find. She walked on and on. She had nothing to drink, nothing to eat. She began to think she would never return to her siblings.
Then a shadow fell upon her from above. An issur descended toward her with its jaws spread. Samšin continued to recite her prayer. The issur landed in front of her and waited. Samšin continued to pray. She laid her hand upon the issur’s head; it bowed its head low. She thanked it and left the desert.
The four came back together. Ektabr told his sisters what he had seen under the earth. Imalkit told them of how she had tricked the creatures of the sea. Nahri told them what she had learned from the animals and trees. Samšin told them how the issur had lain quietly under her hand. She said, “Let us go to Hastu and tell him that we have completed our rites. I think he will be much surprised.”
And so they went back to their people. Hastu came to meet them, saying, “No one has ever under gone rites like yours, and come back with such things they have learned.”
“That is your doing,” Samšin said. The four gave thanks to the Ever-Moving, the Ever-Standing, the Light of the World, the ones who had given them life.
After that, the people followed the four who hatched from a single shell.
1 Day and night?—K
I assume so. That’s an unusual way of describing them.—AC
2 Strange that the dream is not repeated, according to the usual poetic custom.—K