Post by kitsune ! on Jul 17, 2010 18:38:04 GMT -5
Once upon a lullaby, in the dawn of the world, there was chaos. Herbivores roamed the world in starving hordes, decimating miles and miles of fields and valleys until they were nothing but seas of dirt. Cowardly predators took only the weakest, frightened by the impressive antlers and incredible speed of their prey. What's more, there was trouble in the celestial realms. The moon and the sun refused to cooperate with the grand scheme and did as they pleased; the sun would shine for days and nights on end, then suddenly lose interest and retreat to her home in the ocean. The moon would flicker and flash in the sky like a beautiful bauble at random, often sharing the sky with the sun. Massive fires caused by the sun's careless rays were common, but there were also long stretches of devastating cold when neither sun nor moon hung in the firmament. The tortured world cried out in terror.
When all other creatures had taken leave of their senses, only the overlooked birds had retained their gifts and their wiles, but none were strong enough to mend the problem on their own. Finally, each flock sent a single representative to Owl's mountain to ponder the problem. The bloodthirsty shrike wanted to feed the earth with rivers and streams of steaming blood. The nightingale, timid and meek, wanted to try to charm the sun and moon into harmony with song, but she was too shy to loan her magnificent voice to the cause. The ever-precocious jay wanted to seek out the second sun at the earth's core and chase it into the open. Many ideas were suggested, but none met all of their needs.
Finally, the mighty eagle's voice won over most of the assembly: he proposed that they create a new predator, a creature mightier than all of its predators that would not only lessen those that ravaged the earth but would be an ambassador between mortals and the beings of the sky.
This idea was well recieved by the rest of the assembly, and Eagle set off to find a form for this new predator. His wings created gusts that soothed the earth's wounds, and where his talons scraped the dirt new grass took root. After several days of roaming the lands, he found two creatures that he saw as decent guidelines for a new creature: the coyote and the jackal. He picked them up in his claws and spirited them away to the mountainside, where the restless birds gawked and jabbered as they considered the pair. When the coyote and the jackal were found to be appropriate prototypes, the eloquent wren proposed a name for the future species: the "wolf."
As the graceful eagle set to work designing the new creature, others set to work crafting boons for it. To the wolf the glossy-feathered raven gave cleverness, so that they would be able to outwit their prey. The proud and preening pheasant gave the wolf the ability to work in groups called 'pack' to bring down those mightier than itself. The crimson robin gave it a shadow that could speak and reason as well as the blood-and-flesh wolf, a shade to keep the loner company on its travels. There were many gifts, large and small, from the jay giving it curiosity to the shrike giving it cruel claws and fangs. The greatest of the gifts was perhaps the least noticed: the humble nightingale gave the wolf a song to sing, in hope that it would soothe the bleeding earth.
Finally it was time to release their new creation onto the world: while the falcon and the kite escorted the frazzled coyote and jackal back to their homes, Eagle carried the newly-formed wolves down from the mountain and released them unto the fields and forests.
Within the season the birds could tell that their scheme had been a success: the clever and social beast could plan and ensnare deer, driving them out of flourishing areas so that the land could heal itself. Soon there was a new balance in the world, and all rejoiced.
The greatest gift of all, though, wasn't known until the first wolf had perished. His pack gathered around him in mourning and howled a lullaby to soothe his spirit and their own aching hearts. The moon was enchanted by this novel sound and hung in the sky all night to listen, and then disappeared when day came and they ceased their song. When night came again, the moon forced the sun out of the sky again so that only he could hear the wolves' majestic songs. Even the songbirds were amazed by the beasts' howls, and they all gossiped amongst themselves jealously as they tried to learn who had given the wolf a song purer than their own. Nightingale, mild and shy, only smiled as she listened and said nothing.
All was right as the world's dawn ended and the morning began.
When all other creatures had taken leave of their senses, only the overlooked birds had retained their gifts and their wiles, but none were strong enough to mend the problem on their own. Finally, each flock sent a single representative to Owl's mountain to ponder the problem. The bloodthirsty shrike wanted to feed the earth with rivers and streams of steaming blood. The nightingale, timid and meek, wanted to try to charm the sun and moon into harmony with song, but she was too shy to loan her magnificent voice to the cause. The ever-precocious jay wanted to seek out the second sun at the earth's core and chase it into the open. Many ideas were suggested, but none met all of their needs.
Finally, the mighty eagle's voice won over most of the assembly: he proposed that they create a new predator, a creature mightier than all of its predators that would not only lessen those that ravaged the earth but would be an ambassador between mortals and the beings of the sky.
This idea was well recieved by the rest of the assembly, and Eagle set off to find a form for this new predator. His wings created gusts that soothed the earth's wounds, and where his talons scraped the dirt new grass took root. After several days of roaming the lands, he found two creatures that he saw as decent guidelines for a new creature: the coyote and the jackal. He picked them up in his claws and spirited them away to the mountainside, where the restless birds gawked and jabbered as they considered the pair. When the coyote and the jackal were found to be appropriate prototypes, the eloquent wren proposed a name for the future species: the "wolf."
As the graceful eagle set to work designing the new creature, others set to work crafting boons for it. To the wolf the glossy-feathered raven gave cleverness, so that they would be able to outwit their prey. The proud and preening pheasant gave the wolf the ability to work in groups called 'pack' to bring down those mightier than itself. The crimson robin gave it a shadow that could speak and reason as well as the blood-and-flesh wolf, a shade to keep the loner company on its travels. There were many gifts, large and small, from the jay giving it curiosity to the shrike giving it cruel claws and fangs. The greatest of the gifts was perhaps the least noticed: the humble nightingale gave the wolf a song to sing, in hope that it would soothe the bleeding earth.
Finally it was time to release their new creation onto the world: while the falcon and the kite escorted the frazzled coyote and jackal back to their homes, Eagle carried the newly-formed wolves down from the mountain and released them unto the fields and forests.
Within the season the birds could tell that their scheme had been a success: the clever and social beast could plan and ensnare deer, driving them out of flourishing areas so that the land could heal itself. Soon there was a new balance in the world, and all rejoiced.
The greatest gift of all, though, wasn't known until the first wolf had perished. His pack gathered around him in mourning and howled a lullaby to soothe his spirit and their own aching hearts. The moon was enchanted by this novel sound and hung in the sky all night to listen, and then disappeared when day came and they ceased their song. When night came again, the moon forced the sun out of the sky again so that only he could hear the wolves' majestic songs. Even the songbirds were amazed by the beasts' howls, and they all gossiped amongst themselves jealously as they tried to learn who had given the wolf a song purer than their own. Nightingale, mild and shy, only smiled as she listened and said nothing.
All was right as the world's dawn ended and the morning began.
