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Author's Note
This tale is told for those who inspired it. I pray I have done no injustice to the ancestors whose legend I have borrowed.
The watchers sit quietly, waiting for the spirit of the Poet to choose among them. For many nights now, one has sat silent, listening as each new tale unfolds. She is a stranger, a visitor from the far north, but she is of their people. She rises and all eyes turn to her. She is no longer young, but not yet old. Her hair is purest white and is pulled back from her face in a maiden's knot.
"Gracious cousins, I have lived among you now for four ten-days. You have shared your food, your lodgings, your songs, and your stories. Tomorrow I must return to my home and tell them of you, for we are one people. I shall tell them of the warmth of both your sands and your souls. I shall tell them of the beauty of your land, and how the wind sculpts a new world for you each day.
"It is not so in my homeland. Our landscape is cold and remakes itself in lifetimes, not minutes. We do not revere water, for in my land, water falls from the sky, but it is hard and sharp, as is the tale that I will share.
"I have not the poet's voice but I have heard this tale since my cradle-days. You speak of James the Fair and Spock the Wise, of the Sea King and Spock cha'Sarek. We also tell of these two but ours is a different history."
In the days when our world was young and the gods walked easily among us, there lived a boy known as James K'yrr, which in the old tongue means the Bright One. He revered the gods and was beloved of his people.
There also lived another boy known as Spock, which in the old tongue means the Dark One. He revered the gods but he was not beloved of his people. For Spock kept himself apart and the people thought him fearsome and cold as the scream of a frost hound.
None called him friend except James K'yrr, who called him both friend and brother, for they were t'hy'la. The Bright One was the sun to the other's darkness. And the Dark One was the bitter wisdom to the other's light spirit. They grew together, loving and tempering one other until each was honed to the best of himself.
Now James' mother was the goddess T'Pela and she wished to see her son placed high above other mortals. So when James had achieved thirty winters and the sun had banished the frost, his mother dressed herself in her finest gown and went to the All-father.
"Gracious All-father," she said. "On this, the longest day of the year, when life embraces us most fully, I come to thee with a request. Grant to my son James the gift of immortality, that his brightness may not pass from the world."
"Beloved daughter T'Pela," replied the All-father. "I will grant thy wish if thee can prove that it is the wish of all. Bring me word that every creature, every tree and stone, every river and mountain has agreed that James K'yrr should dwell among them forever."
T'Pela traveled swiftly over the whole world, asking each creature, each tree and stone, each river and mountain to give an oath that no harm should come to her son. And all knew James K'yrr's brightness and agreed. But as T'Pela returned to the city, she passed a small yulen tree at the gates. And in her eagerness to share the good news, she did not ask an oath of this smallest of trees. So the seed of fate was planted and grew outside the gates of the city.
James and Spock grew to men and became mighty warriors, fighting many battles. They were never beaten, for their courage was unfailing. James even defeated the frost giants who had long threatened their homeland. He fought them alone, for Spock's strong arm was injured and he could not ride to battle. But the Bright One prevailed and the giants were driven back beyond the mountains.
A great celebration was held to honor James' victory. On the tenth day, his warriors wished to celebrate their leader's strength and devised a game that would bring greater renown to his name, so that all would know him immortal.
The Bright One took the field and stood alone, without shield or weapon. His shining hair curled around his face, the fairest ever known, and his laughter rang out sharp and clear as each of his warriors rode to him and slashed at him with sword or spear. And he was whole and unharmed because of his mother's gift.
Spock stood apart, as he always did, watching the games. At his side was his wife T'Pring, whose name is cursed forever.
"Husband," she said. "Why does thee not honor thy friend?"
"I cannot, my wife," he replied. "My arm is not yet strong enough to wield a sword."
"Can I not help thee? I am but a woman but my arm is strong."
"Thee could not even lift my sword to place it in my hand."
"Could I not guide thy hand? I will give thee a spear and ride behind thee. I am small and thy friend shall see only thee."
And T'Pring brought to her husband a spear made from the wood of the yulen tree. For her heart was harsh and cold as the spirit of q'Phyr, the wind that roars at midwinter. She had grown jealous of the love between the two men and had long sought the knowledge of how she might have her revenge.
As the snow dancers whirled around the Bright One, T'Pring helped her husband to mount his steed and climbed up behind him.
When the dancers saw Spock take the field, they fell back for, though he was one apart, they knew that his tribute would swell James' warrior heart as no other could.
So Spock rode toward his t'hy'la and his wife guided his arm straight and true and the spear made from the wood of the yulen tree pierced the heart of James K'yrr.
When Spock saw the blood of his lover staining the snowy ground, he turned to T'Pring and cried, "My wife, what has thee done?"
"I have rid me of the one who brightened thy nights so that thee left me unwarmed."
And Spock put his hand around her neck and strangled her slowly, granting not even the mercy of tal'shaya. Then he went to James and saw that he yet lived. But the spirit of V'hail'a was all around him.
"Death shall not take thee," he said.
Then Spock went to the All-Father.
"Gracious All-father," he said. "On this, the shortest day of the year, when death hangs over all, I come to thee with a request. Bar the gates of V'hail to my t'hy'la James, that his brightness may not pass from the world."
"Beloved son Spock," replied the All-father. "I will grant thy wish if thee can prove that it is the wish of all. Do not remove the spear from thy lover's breast and bring me word that every creature, every tree and stone, every river and mountain weeps for him. Do this and he shall dwell among them forever."
Spock gathered the greatest warriors of the city and placed them all around James, to guard that none should remove the spear.
Then he travelled swiftly throughout the world, asking each creature, each tree and stone, each river and mountain to weep for his lover. And all knew the brightness of James K'yrr and mourned. Even the frost giants cried hoary tears, for he had been a worthy adversary and honor is due such a one.
At last Spock came to the cave at the edge of the world. There he found an old woman, keening a sad lament.
"Grandmother," he said, "I thank thee for thy tears."
"My tears are not for thee or thy lover, Dark One," she replied. "For thee has slain my beloved daughter, T'Pring."
And then Spock knew her for T'Pau, she who ruled second only to the All-father. And her heart was hard and cracked as the Lake of Seeing at midwinter.
"Go back to the city," she said, "and remove the spear from the breast of thy beloved, for this day he shall pass from the world."
And Spock took all the tears that he had gathered and poured them out, for they were nothing to him now. And the tears formed the great river Q'syr'n in which all shall perish on the last of all days.
Spock returned to his home and sent away the warriors who guarded his lover's bier. Then he pressed his lips to James' forehead and said, "All the world but one mourns for thee. And yet it is not enough."
"Then I must leave thee," James replied. "And thee shall guard my back, as always."
Then James K'yrr, whose name means the Bright One, pulled the spear from his own breast.
And Spock, whose name means the Dark One, took up the spear and drove it deep into his own heart that he might follow his t'hy'la beyond the gates of V'hail.
Thus did James K'yrr and Spock pass from this world, never to be seen again. And we, their children, shall dwell in the grey mid-light until the last of all days.
The woman who is no longer young but not yet old bows her head and puts her hand to her heart, for she cannot tell such a tale and be unmoved. Then she stands straight and gazes around the circle.
"Gracious cousins, I beg pardon if I have given offense. But that is how the tale is told among my people. We live far to the north and our stories have not been warmed by the sun."
She sits down and all is silent once more as the spirit of the Poet hovers over the watchers.
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