Tunoral's First Mask
Tunoral was a minor figure at the great court of Heliakal and Reladiva. He was dutiful and tidied up after his betters, but no one paid him any attention. He was never known to say a word and few knew he was even there. He hoped that the maids of Reladiva would give him some attention, but they didn't, preferring the company of the companion dogs. Tunoral envied the companion dogs, for they accompanied their mistresses everywhere and curled up beside Reladiva's maids when the latter slept. Tunoral wished to be one of them so that he could receive the maid's affection and also satisfy his desire for them.
In the days after the shadows were revealed, Tunoral was tidying up when he found the discarded shadow of a companion dog. Tunoral had his own shadow, but he picked this discarded shadow up and tried it on, putting it even over his eyes. He went on his way, wearing this new shadow. Others greeted him as if he were a companion dog, too. Tunoral then got an idea. When all the maids of Reladiva slept, Tunoral, wearing the dog shadow, stole into the room of Negalla, one of the maids. She awoke briefly as he lay down next to her, but she was comforted to see that a companion had joined her. She stroked his fur and scratched his ears before she lay down to sleep with Tunoral beside her. She thought Tunoral slept, too, though he was fully awake.
Tunoral's desire came upon him then. He stroked the sleeping Negalla as she had stroked him and stirred her desire. Then Tunoral entered her, but Negalla came awake then and cried out, for this was not the action of a companion! Tunoral fled, though not before Negalla seized the dog shadow. The shadow was torn from Tunoral, leaving only a ragged bit covering his face. Other companion dogs heard Negalla's cried and came barking after Tunoral. Tunoral climbed into the trees that then covered the land and made his escape.
Tunoral found a quiet place away from the dogs high in the branches of the trees where he could rest and sleep. When he awoke, he found that the ragged bit of shadow still clung to his face, a dark mask across his eyes. He tried to remove it but while it would stretch and shrink making new shapes, it would not come off. Thus, did Tunoral gain his first mask. And the children which Negalla bore were also marked with the mask of Tunoral--thus they were called the masked dogs or raccoons.
Harald
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