Telmori Legends

The Sad Beauty

Share this night with me, listen to the oldest stories with the most potent magic.

In our time war, death, disease and fear are not unknown, one would say they are parts of the daily life. My tale is set in a time where this was not so. A time lost to us for reasons unknown.

Atr was a joyous wolf, he was like any other wolf. In those time all the wolves were joyous. Everything could be done and there was still enough land so that men and wolves need not argue. Our Tergavi could still drive forth every little spirit of the Slow Death before it could do even the smallest harm. Our warriors were mighty, their hrugr were still long and biting, no one could stand before them. Our Kings bore magic so mighty that even foreign gods were friendly to us. Thus it was not surprising all wolves were happy.

This went on for many, many years. The constant happiness was not good for us Telmori, for we wolves began to forget to be grateful for what we got. Atr learned this first when his children did not thank Telmor and Yrr for their life but him and his bride. It was strange, many wolves found this not unusual but quite right, only Atr and a blind Tergavi objected. And so they we cast out of the tribe and there was no other tribe which would tolerate their „extreme“ opinion.

Atr had to struggle hard to feed himself and the blind Tergavi and it looked like all the other wolves lost touch with Mother Yrr and Telmor. All but one. It was a female wolf, with eyes like stars, fur soft like a breeze in orutr and a scent of life which could make even the oldest wolves, behave like youngsters.

The blind Tergavi greeted this wolf in the most ancient of wolftounge which Atr hardly understood. The female replied and her voice revealed that she was weeping. The blind Tergavi told her why Atr and he were to wander outside the Telmori territory and she told her story to them.

The Sad Beauty, for that was her name, was cursed at her birth by Mother Yrr. It was impossible to her to feel even the smallest joy. Sadness was all she knew her whole life through. And it was a life full of pain. At last she was outcast by her own dezaker when she could not feel any joy during and after a Heturavi.

Tears rolled from the blind eyes of the Tergavi, never in his life did he hear a more sad story than this. And then Atr had a great idea, he whispered some words into the ear of the Tergavi and the Tergavi recognised this great event and thanked Telmor for Atr.

The blind Tergavi, Atr and the Sad Beauty went for Telmori territory and when they met the first of the guardians the Sad Beauty told her story and he wept for the first time in his life and he let them pass.

And thus the Sad Beauty told her story to all Telmori but one tribe, the tribe where she was cast out from. Every Telmori recognised their faults and learned from it but for one tribe. For the tribe of the Sad Beauty has traded their souls for eternal happiness. Many years later this tribe was defeated by puny humans for they were even happy when they died.

But regardless how many wolves learned to be sad the Sad Beauty never learned to be happy. And it is said that she will not find peace before she finds happiness.