Chapter Two: Myths

It was late the next morning before the traders awoke, most of the men of the village had left for the mines early. A group of women sat at the far end of the square sewing dresses and gossiping. A girl with long chestnut brown hair drew a bucket from the well.

" Nice of you gentlemen to join us." a voice from behind them said. A young women slide past the tired men beckoning them to fallow. " You all look like you could use a bite to eat and a cup of Jeve" she directed them to a fire and past then each a pastry and a cup. The latter was quickly filled from a large pot situated over the fire. " My name is Isabell, you already met my husband Jeremiah, and that little girl over there is my daughter Amber" said Isabell pointing in the direction of the girl. Isabell wasn't a tall woman, she did however carry herself as though she was the tallest person around at any given moment and she did it with elegance a noble woman could be jealous of. Like her daughter she had long brown hair which she only half braided. Had the child been ten to fifteen years older they may have passed for sisters. " Would any of you boys be interested to hear a story. “Isabell glanced around the circle to the wagon trains leader Demerol, he nodded agreement.
The story of the mountains
" Long ago" she began." before people ever came to the world, there was the earth and the sea, the sky and the mountains. Now the sea had fish of every color and the sea was happy, and the earth had plants of every color so it was happy, the sky had birds which few and sang beautiful songs and it was happy too. The mountains where not happy, they had no fish to swim with or plants to cultivate or birds to sing to it, and the mountains grew jealous. One day the mountains couldn’t take it anymore and so it cried and lava can from its mouth and smoke poured into the sky and the water boiled. Everyone suffered. Then some of the birds had an idea and they went to the sky and volunteered to stay with the mountain if the sea gave some of its fish to the mountains so that the birds might not starve, and the sky thought this was a good idea. The sky then went to its brother the sea and ask it to give to the mountains some of its fish. Now the sea was not as generous as the sky and it did not wish to lose any of its subjects so it thought for a moment and made a decision. The mountains could have its subjects once every year for a little while but the fish must always come back to the sea for the sea is where they belong. This the sea would agree to if the earth would also give something to the mountains. and so the sky went to the earth and said I am giving some few of my lovely birds to the mountain and your brother is giving some few of his fish to the mountain will you not also give something to the mountain so as to quiet its cry’s. And the thought and thought and finally it decided. The earth turned to the mountains and shook them harshly until they stopped crying and it said to them look at the ruin you have caused to us your three brothers and are we to give to you our things so that in your next outburst they will be destroyed!" Isabell shook her head sadly and continued " I will give you nothing for a year more and only then a few seeds will appear on your sides and the birds must come then and the fish and they must stay with you until your warmth is all gone away and my plants leave again. The mountains where sad but did not complain about the idea because it was afraid of the earth. The next spring the mountains where covered with flowers and grass and birds and the rivers were populated with the fish come to spon. And the mountains where happy." Isabell stood and refilled there cups.