For all of you scholars of First Age Ralios, here is a story told by the noted Bemuri traveler, Erp of the Two Sisters Singing clan. During that fascinating era when clans from Dragon Pass travelled into Ralios, spreading the Lightbringers' Message, Erp was a Bemuri Hsunchen who often acted as a go-between for the Theyalans and the Bemuri.
It is unknown why Erp acted this way, since he never accepted the Lightbringers' Message and joined the cult of Orlanth, nor did he accept gifts of horses and livestock. Scholars still wonder at his motivation.
Anyways, my fellow scholars, allow me to present the Erp-Saga:
So my lovely darling, you wish to hear again how I, Erp the Stud, was the first to mate with a woman of the Sword and Beer People? Ah, truly the Bull is great and has blessed me often. Just thinking of her arouses the Bull. . . . oh, you don't want to hear about me mating with the Sword and Beer Woman? But truly, that is a grand story! Oh, you want me to tell you of the time me and my brothers first met with the Sword and Beer People? That's a good story, but not as IMPRESSIVE as the other. You're sure?
OK let me tell you about the time that I, Erp the Stud, and my four brothers - Big-Wilb, Buthnot, Drunken-Mockingbird and Bile-That-Talks-To-Spirits - first met the Sword and Beer People.
It was many years ago and our wise herd mother had decided in her wise way that we should give a gift of many beautiful cow-sisters to the herd mother of the Tea on the Fire herd. Ah, such hospitality is given by the Tea on the Fire Herd. Did I ever tell you about the time I mated with six sisters from the Tea on the Fire Herd? Three times, you say? Oh. Well, it's a good story too and one that greatly pleases the Bull.
Anyways, come a little closer while I tell you the story. We were travelling across the land with our gift herd, looking forward to the fine celebration and many willing women who would be awaiting us at the Tea on the Fire Herd.
One day I heard the howl made by the Telmori before they attack. Have you ever heard that bloodcurdling howl? If you had, you'd remember it, by the Bull.
Thus forwarned, me and my brothers awaited the Telmori pack. First one appeared atop a hillock, then two more appeared atop another hill. Big-Wilb, in the true spirit of the Bull, called out to Father Bemur and charged the lone Telmor. Rather than allow our cow-sisters be the food for Telmori, Bile, Drunken-Mockingbird (except he wasn't called that then) and I faced off the two Telmori atop the hill with our trusted bows.
It was a great and glorious skirmish. We took many wolf-pelts after the fight and I gained this scar on my thigh. Of course that scar would be much worse had it not been for what happened next.
After the battle, Big-Wilb bandaged our wounds. In the distance, I saw a gleam like the Sun spirits dancing atop the River on a clear day. As the gleam got closer, we saw that they weren't sun spirits but men wearing pelts of spear-metal. Yes, like my grand Bull-helmet, but I didn't know that then.
Thinking that they were a new type of spirit-folk, we called to them and told them that we were the Children of the Bull. One of them, whose pelt wasn't of spear-metal but of the gift-fur we received last fall, addressed us in the tongue of the Bull. He said that they were travelers who wished to tell us of their great wind spirit named Orlanth.
I asked Bile if he had ever heard of this Orlanth, for we knew the great wind and he was Humath. Bile said no, so I asked the Orlanth-speaker if this was a different wind than Humath. The speaker said yes, Humath is the brother of Orlanth. Bile and I were quite startled by this, for neither of us knew that Humath had a brother.
I asked the Sword People about this Orlanth and they said that he was the King of the Gods. Surely not, we scoffed, for no one is master of the Bull. But these strangers said that Orlanth is indeed master of the Bull. Then they showed us their scratch-drawing for this Orlanth. It was a strange combination of three legs, which they said is Orlanth's ability to move freely and unhindered; a twisted line which they said was Orlanth's winds; and a three horns which they said was Orlanth's hat of mastery.
Three horns, I thought. This Orlanth has three horns, he must be related to the Bull! At first I thought this Orlanth was another name for Bemur, but they insisted that Orlanth was no bull. Now I know that this Orlanth is the younger brother of the Bull, a lesser Bemur for those not lucky enough to be the Children of the Bull.
I wanted to know more, as did my brothers. The speaker could not answer all our questions but he knew a man who could. Seek Godi, he told us, Godi will have the answers. I asked how far off this Godi was and the speaker gave me a ridiculous number of days to the north. Perhaps he feared that Bile and I would discover Orlanth's secrets and convince him to be a spirit helper for the Children of the Bull. I do not know the answer, but even though I later met Godi, I never saw Speaker-for-Orlanth again.
That's right, I did meet the shaman Godi - a shaman almost as learned as Old Gnoo, but that is the same story you didn't want me to tell you, my darling. Not only have I glorified the Bull by mating with the Sword and Beer Women but I have met their shaman too. In fact, that is the same story where Drunken-Mockingbird gained his name, but I grow tired of speaking. I can see in your eyes that you are thinking of a more pleasant subject. . . .
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