It's a young Alatien female, working with clay.
It's Neema.
Why's he perched on top of that pillar?
He's guarding the entrance to the tower.
It's a little Alatien girl.
Her name is Sa'ena.
It's a nest. They don't all seem to live in nests, though. There are quite a few inhabited buildings in this village.
An Alatien nest.
Halt! Who would visit the Teller?
My name's April.
I'm the Windbringer.
I've come to trade with your people.
And what would you with the Teller, human?
I'm not sure, but I need to speak with somebody in charge.
The Teller is our teacher and our mother, but she will not speak with foreigners who walk into our city. And how, pray tell, did you get here? The road is closed, and guarded.
It's got to be my female charm.
It will not work on me, human. Please -- leave our village and return to your ship.
I'm April, remember?
All humans look the same to me. Why are you still here? Did I not tell you to leave our village?
Yeah, you did.
Then leave. Now.
Traders are not allowed into our city. Return to your ship, and we will send an emissary to negotiate.
I don't have a ship.
Then how did you get here?
Long story.
And not one I care to hear. Leave our village, and return to your own people.
I've come to trade, remember?
All humans look the same to me. Did I not tell you that traders are not allowed in our village?
Yes.
Then leave.
The Windbringer? You are not the Windbringer...are you?
How else would I've been able to get up here? I am the Windbringer.
If so, you must prove that you are of the Alatien. There are four tales from the four corners of the world that you must know by heart...
I will ask you one question from each tale, and you must answer each correctly, or you can not be the Windbringer. Are you ready?
They are the Tale of Winds, the Tale of Stars, the Tale of Sea, and the Tale of Homecoming.
Yes, ask me the questions.
No, give me some time to prepare.
Then return when you are ready, and I will test your knowledge of the four tales.
In the Tale of Winds, which mountain did Iuana fall from in her vain attempt to fly higher and further than anyone else?
Mount Everest?
Mount Kilimanjaro?
Mount Bak'ta'ana, the Tower of Light.
I have no idea.
That is correct. In the Tale of Stars, what did Mon'aa see in the sky that helped her find her way home?
Then you should pay more attention to the tale next time. Come back when you are prepared, and not before.
That is wrong. Pay attention to the tale that is told to you, and do not return until you know it by heart.
That is wrong. Pay attention to the tale that is told to you, and do not return until you know it by heart.
Stars?
An airplane?
The spirits of five Tellers.
That is correct. In the Tale of Sea, what creature did the Lost One battle in his quest to recover the sacred jewel?
I couldn't tell you.
You have not heard the tale, have you? You must learn the tale before trying to answer my questions. Return to me when you are ready.
What is an airplane? Do not guess when you don't know the answer. Learn the tale well before returning.
Then don't ask to be tested before you are ready. Prepare, and return when you know the tales by heart.
A Snapjaw?
No. You were doing well, but you must learn all the tales before answering my questions.
One of the Maerum?
The Lost One did battle the Maerum, but they are a people, not creatures. Listen closely to the tale before attempting to answer my question again.
The Octa'wo.
That is correct. My final question to you is this. In the Tale of Homecoming, what was given to Moran by his Teller when he returned from his pilgrimage?
Who knows?
Not you, it would seem. Learn the tales better before returning to me, human. You waste my time.
A kiss?
A homecoming party?
A broken pot, to teach him that absence may break a heart in two.
You have correctly answered all my questions, and so have proven your knowledge of the four tales. You are the Windbringer. The Teller would see you presently.
Sorry, I don't know.
This last tale is as important as the rest. Listen to it, learn it by heart, and then return to me.
No! This is not the time for jokes. Go, listen to the tale, then return to answer the question correctly.
There was a feast, but this is not what the Teller gave Moran. Learn the tale better, then return to me.
Are you ready for the questions now?
You have passed the test, Windbringer, and so the Teller would see you.
Hi there, what'cha doing?
Playing.
Yeah? What are you playing?
Nothing. My Daddy is in the castle watch. He's allowed to sharpen his claws.
Really? My Daddy owns a farm.
Yeah? Do you have animals there?
Sure, he has some cows, and some horses, and--
What's cows and horsies?
Well, cows are big, brown, fat animals, with four legs and white spots. And they go "mooo" a lot.
(giggles) And horsies?
Horses are fun to be around. They run really fast, they can jump over tall fences, and they look beautiful and graceful...but the best thing about horses is that you can ride them.
I can run fast too! But I can't fly yet. My wings aren't fully...formed? But when I grow up, I'll fly far away and see everything. I'll go see your horsies.
That would be nice. My name's April. What's yours?
Sa'ena. Will you be my friend, April?
Of course, Sa'ena, as long as you promise to be my friend.
I promise.
Hi, Sa'ena.
Hi, April!
Do you know where the Teller lives?
Over there, in the castle tower. My Daddy's watching the entrance so that only nice people can get in.
Do you think he'll let me in?
I dunno. If you're nice. But you have to ask my Daddy.
Do you know one of the four tales of Winds, Stars, Sea and Homecoming?
Yes! My Mommy taught me the Tale of Stars. It's a really pretty story. Do you want me to tell it?
Please, Sa'ena. I would like that very much.
Okay.
Have fun, Sa'ena.
Are you leaving?
Yes. I'm sorry, but there are some things I have to do.
Grown-ups are always too busy.
Bye-bye, Sa'ena.
You're leaving again? I wish you could stay.
Me too, Sa'ena, believe me.
Where are the other children in your village?
Oh, they're in school now.
And why aren't you in school?
Because I'm ahead of everyone else. I'm really smart, you know. I'm the only youngling to have learned her first tale this soon. So some days I get to do what I want.
It's a little boring, though. I wish I was in school. At least, there I could sing and play and jump around with the other children...
Why don't you go to school anyway?
Because they say I would just distract the other children who are still learning their first tales... It's not fair... I mean, I get to play by myself and everything, but that's not fun all day.
And my Mommy's working on her pottery at home, and she doesn't want me disturbing her, because she might make a mistake.
But the day after tomorrow I get to go back to school, because then we are going to learn some more flying lessons! They're always a lot of fun, and I'm getting pretty good at that too.
I bet. I wish I had wings like you do.
Yes, they're very good to have when you fly.
Bye-bye, Sa'ena.
Good-bye.
This is my tale, the Tale of Stars, and I tell it to you in my own words, as it was told to me by my teacher, in her words.
In the small village of Jin'jei near the rumbling hills of Unyin, there lived a girl called Mon'aa. She was a curious girl, and she would always get in the way of the grown Alatien.
"Go play somewhere else!", they would say to Mon'aa, but she didn't want to play with the other children. She wanted to be where the grown-ups were, to see what they were doing, and to learn from them.
But one day, after getting many complaints from the pottery-makers, and guardsmen, and traders, and soldiers in the village, Mon'aa's mother told her that she wasn't to interfere with the grown-ups any more...
...and that instead she should go play with the other children, or sit still and draw or work with clay. But Mon'aa was always curious, and now, since she wasn't to be among the grown Alatien any more...
...she decided to go exploring the forest that lay just outside the village of Jin'jei. She had many times been forbidden to enter the forest, because it could be a dangerous place, but Mon'aa was curious.
Of course, she wasn't planning on going far into the forest, but then her eye caught sight of a white Flufftail hopping through the tall grass, and Mon'aa, curious as ever, gave chase.
The Flufftail ran away into the forest, and Mon'aa followed, blind to where she was going, and interested only in catching the Flufftail so that she could keep it as a pet.
But then, after a good while, the Flufftail disappeared into a hole in the ground, leaving Mon'aa alone in a small clearing somewhere deep inside the forest.
She was exhausted after running after the Flufftail for so long, and as she looked around the clearing at the unfamiliar trees and flowers, she realized that she hadn't paid attention to where she was going.
Not for the first time, her curiosity had got the better of her, but this time it was serious. Mon'aa was too young to fly, and she had little sense of direction. And chasing the Flufftail had made her dizzy, and tired.
It was getting darker, and Mon'aa was all alone inside the deep, dangerous forest. Too sleepy and scared to be able to go anywhere, Mon'aa curled up with her wings wrapped around her under the leaves of a tree...
...and began crying. Soon, it got really dark, and somewhere, not far away, wolves started howling at the moon. Mon'aa was so scared she was petrified, but after a while, her exhaustion got the better of her...
...and she fell asleep.
She woke up when she heard a voice calling her from somewhere far above. Looking up at the starry sky, Mon'aa saw a vision of the spirits of five Tellers, gazing down at her.
"You have let your curiosity lead you astray," said one. "You are lost, and you deserve to be lost," said another. "Poor little girl," said a third. "We will help you home," said a fourth.
"But remember this," said the fifth spirit, "we will lead you back to your village and to your mother only if you promise us one thing."
"I promise," said Mon'aa. "Whatever it is, I promise I will do it." "Very well," said the first spirit, "you will make the story of this night into your own Tale, and you will call it the Tale of Stars."
"It will be a Tale to warn the curious to be careful," continued the third spirit, "and to not let their curiosity get the better of them." "And," said the second spirit...
"...to remind the Alatien that the spirits of their Tellers watch out for them when they most need it." And so the spirits of the five Tellers guided Mon'aa through the forest, and by dawn, she was home.
And Mon'aa did tell her Tale, the Tale of Stars, to everyone in the village, so that everyone would remember that the curious must be cautious, and that the spirits of the Tellers are always watching.
This was my tale, the Tale of Stars, and I told it in my own words, as my teacher did to me.
That was a beautiful tale, Sa'ena.
Thank you!
Be careful, don't come too close! I'm almost done with this pot.
Sorry.
Are you here to buy pottery? I didn't think traders were allowed up here.
No, I came to speak with your Teller.
Really? I didn't know the Teller spoke with anyone from the outside. You must be a very special girl.
Supposedly. My name's April, by the way.
Neema is my name. Neema of Ta'ama, the only Alatien village on Alais.
Hi, Neema.
Hi, April.
I like your pottery.
It's our craft. That and storytelling. But storytelling can't buy merchandise or food.
I know a lot of people who live by telling stories. Although I guess that's kinda different.
They are lucky, then. Not that I don't enjoy making pottery. It's good to feel the wet clay between my claws, to shape it into whatever I wish.
It's almost like creating a new life. I think. I don't have a husband yet, so I haven't tried. Have you? Do you have a husband and children?
Neither, thank God. I don't think I'm ready for that yet.
I was eighteen turnings this spring. I'm ready for a husband, but I've yet to court anyone who could make me soar on the winds. (sighs) I think the men of Ta'ama are dull and timid.
What about the guard on the road below the village? He's our age, isn't he?
Isam? He's quite pretty, and his wings are big, but I don't think he likes me. He never looks at me, or talks to me.
That doesn't mean anything. He could just be shy.
Maybe you could talk to him, find out who he likes? But don't say I sent you!
Sure, I can do that.
Thank you, April!
Do you know one of the four tales of Winds, Stars, Sea and Homecoming?
I had to learn the Tale of Homecoming. It took a long time, but I think I got it now. I'm better with pottery than I am with the tales, unfortunately. Do you want to hear it?
Thank you, Neema.
You're welcome, April.
Moran was a handsome young Alatien man with strong wings and a hardy beak. He lived below the white cliffs, where the water was salty and the fish plentiful.
Moran was betrothed to Anara, the loveliest girl there ever was. She was fair, and slender, and tall, and her eyes were the clearest shade of blue.
But Moran was hesitant to enter into union with Anara, to become her husband and to give her children. He would always come up with a new excuse for why they had to wait a little while longer.
Now, Anara was skilled at pottery, but even more so with stories, and the Teller of the village had many times asked Anara to be her apprentice, to learn all the Tales so that some day she could take over as the Teller.
But Anara refused, knowing that if she did accept the Teller's offer, she would never be able to marry Moran, because a Teller cannot have a husband nor children of her own.
Her refusal to become the Teller's apprentice was unheard of, because who could refuse such an honor? But to Anara, love was more important. Her love for Moran was beyond honor, beyond reason.
Very well. This is the Tale of Homecoming, my Tale, and I shall tell it in my own words, as told to me by my teacher, in her words, and by her teacher in turn.
Please.
But despite Anara's love, Moran was still hesitant. And then one day he told Anara, "I am traveling on a pilgrimage to the far shores. I will be gone for some time, and while I am traveling..."
"...and in accordance with our traditions, I will be freed from our betrothal. Not until I come back will the bond between us be renewed."
It was not unusual for a young Alatien man at that time to go on a pilgrimage, and the bond between the betrothed would often be cut while he was away, to be formed again upon his return.
But Anara was heartbroken, because she had thought that Moran would soon want to marry her. When Moran saw her tears, he said to her, "Do not weep. When I come back, I promise I will marry you."
"Just wait for me, and stay with your pots, to make the time pass quickly." And then Moran left on his pilgrimage to the far shores.
Many years went by, and Moran had exciting adventures on the far shores, but by and by, he began to long for home, and for Antara, and now he had finally realized that he loved her, and that he wanted to marry her.
But when he returned, he could not find Anara amongst the pot makers. He went to visit her family, and they told him that, after waiting for many years, Antara accepted the Teller's offer of apprenticeship...
...and that when the Teller left on the last wind during the previous winter, Anara herself became the new Teller.
Angry, Moran made his way to the Teller's nest, and when he saw Anara he said to her, "You promised me you would wait!". But Anara did not say a single word in answer. She just turned around...
...and lifted something wrapped in leaves from the cot behind her, and gave it to Moran. Moran unwrapped the package, and inside, he found an old pot, cracked and broken in two.
"What is this pot?" he asked. "And why did you not wait for me like I asked you to?" And finally, Anara spoke, and she said to Moran, "I made this pot for you, my dear Moran, when you left..."
"...because I wanted it to be my marriage gift to you. But when many, many years passed, I finally realized that you did not love me the way I loved you, and to live hoping otherwise would be death."
"But I want to marry you!" cried Moran. "I came back!" But Anara just nodded at the broken pot in Moran's hands, and said, "Like an old pot that is left without care, a heart may break in two..."
And so Anara turned away, never to speak with Moran again. And Moran's heart, like the pot that was left untended, broke in two, because absence makes a heart brittle.
"...and a broken heart can never be mended."
This was the Tale of Homecoming, my Tale, and I told it in my own words, as told to me by my teacher, and as I will tell it to my student when the time comes.
Bye, Neema.
Good bye, April.
