Fools

We continued our journey just a little after sunup. The dwarf was groggy, but the men were bright eyed and bushy-tailed after chewing on what Sir Knocks described as 'magic beans'. The day was long and boring, spent entirely in the saddle, without any friendly banter. I wasn't completely upset by this, but I was rather discontent at the whole situation. Halfway through the afternoon, I pulled a scroll out of my saddlebag, hopeful that my horse (who I had mentally began to call Algaeca) wouldn't notice that I wasn't holding the reins. The dwarf noticed, however, and called out,

"Oy! What've you there?"

"A scroll of myths" I replied as calmly as I could.

"Why'd you bring that?"

"To entertain myself."

"Why should you be the only one entertained?" I had no response to that. Sir Knocks, ever the diplomat said respectfully, "Perhaps you would be so kind as to read us a tale or two?"

Slightly miffed, I looked to the scroll. I guess it wouldn't be that bad sharing... They were just myths after all. And I did love reading aloud...

"The Story of Fortune's beginning. Long ago, when the world was fresh and new, and only the gods existed, there was a whisper on the wind. That whisper was Prosperity. It was what caused the plants to grow, and the birds to sing. No one, not even the gods know how Prosperity came to be, but it has been with us since before the moon left the sun's womb. As the years went on, the whisper grew in volume. When dwarfs, elves, and men were created, Prosperity was so loud, that it could embrace all of the new-created souls. They all were aware of it's presence, and thanked it with all their hearts when things were good. The creator grew jealous of this however, and banished Prosperity to the center of the world, where it could embrace no one. Soon, everyone forgot about Prosperity, but for one elven maiden, who had fallen in love with the mysterious being that had embraced her as a child. She thought about it constantly, forsaking her duties in order to seek after it. She spent her whole life looking, but never could find it. When she was old, white-haired and withered, she found herself in the Forest of Peace. Her steps were weary, and her mind gone. She collapsed by a stream, where the freshest water flowed. She looked into the water and said to herself, "If only I could find it, I would die happy." The creator had watched her all these years, and hearing her plea, was moved with pity, and allowed Prosperity to rise up through the stream. Prosperity had heard her cries as well, and when it saw her, was overjoyed, but sad, for her life was almost at it's end. Prosperity looked to the creator and said, "Let me have just this one love. I will never embrace another if you let me have but her." The creator was moved, and with his power, renewed her life, and made her into something more. "There is a clause." The creator declared. "She can be yours, but she also must serve the world, bringing what good things I give to those that deserve it. She shall be called fortune, and she shall be your wife." Prosperity and the newly-born Fortune were glad, but were unaware of what was to come. For while Fortune is Prosperity's wife, she must serve elves, dwarfs and men before she can serve her husband."

At the end of the story, the dwarf snorted.

"What a load of feces."

"It matters not what is real and not," Leonard Stone said, "But what you believe."

"Do you believe that some elven broad seduced the creator into making her a goddess?"

"No, but I do believe that Prosperity and Fortune are united."

The Dwarf shook her head.

"You men are all fools."

"Bari ne, cortrul bari ha." Leonard Stone replied. I covered to hide a laugh with a cough, hearing the familiar elven phrase. It was one James had quoted at me several times over the years.

The dwarf glanced at me, then glared at Stone. "I get the feeling I've just been insulted."

"Please don't be." Sir Knocks was quick to interject. "It is merely an old Elven phrase, something along the lines of, He that says fool, is fool." The dwarf darted dark glances at us all, but said nothing more, and there was silence among us until it was time to set camp.