Apologies in advance for bad grammer and spelling. I hope you enjoy it...
How Vinga Saved Orlanth
Vinga the Dark
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Orlanth had gone. He'd taken all the best of his stead. The mightiest
warriors and the most
cunning advisors. Into the dark they'd disappeared on their dangerous
quest to bring back
Yelm. Behind them they'd left the old, the sick, the injured, the women.
They left behind
Vinga.
To say that Vinga was upset would have been an understatement. She was
furious. All her life
she'd tried to join Orlanth's warband and now, on the greatest adventure
of all, he had left
her.
"Look after the children and help Elmal whilst he defends the stead" was
what Orlanth had
commanded her. But being the storm god's little daughter, his
rebelliousness ran strong in
her veins.
Each day loyal Elmal took the remaining warriors outside into the
darkness. Each day Vinga
would secretly follow them carrying a sword she'd stolen from a fallen
thane.
Each night Vinga would return to the stead radiant with her victories
and hide her weapon
under the bed. Each night Elmal would return wounded and with fewer
warriors. And each night
the darkness would creep closer to the stead.
Time passed till the darkness covered all of Orlanth's hall. Even the
stars could not been
seen. Elmal had no more warriors to help him, but even so he refused
Vinga's help.
"Orlanth commanded me to help you" begged Vinga.
"And Orlanth commanded me to defend the women and children" countered
Elmal.
Then, once more he walked off into the dark knowing that this would be
his final battle.
Vinga opposed his decision and followed him. All too soon Elmal came
across his nemesis
Zorak Zoran. He fought valiantly, but succumbing to his previous wounds
Elmal fell before
the rage of the troll god. Before his skeleton could be ripped from his
body, Vinga strode
out of the shadows and struck a mighty blow upon Zorak Zoran. The dark
god ran away in fear.
Elmal accepted Vinga's arm and they returned to the stead together. He
rewarded her for his
rescue by granting her the fire sword charm. From then on both Elmal and
Vinga stood atop
the palisade wielding light against the darkness. Neither trolls nor
chaos managed to breach
their defence.
Then one day great Yelm rose back into the sky and soon after Orlanth
returned home, weary
but satisfied. He saw Vinga guarding the gates, sword in hand.
"Why have you disobeyed me little daughter? I forbid you to bear
weapons. It is not a
woman's way."
Elmal spoke for his new found friend. "Lord Orlanth, if it were not for
the skill of your
daughter's sword arm all of the women and children would be dead, and
your stead would be a
pile of rubble. She deserves a reward for her help. Not harsh words."
Orlanth was angry, but he offered Vinga a single boon.
"I have saved your stead, and I have saved your people. I wish to become
a weapon thane!"
was her answer.
"Skill in weapons does not a weapon thane make," he replied. "You must
show cunning too. I
will grant you position of Carl so that you may wear your sword
lawfully." Then muttering
under his breath about women warriors he entered his hall for a good
long sleep.
Meanwhile Eurmal looked upon Vinga's angry face and fell immediately in
lust. There was
something about dominating women he could not resist. As he enviously
watched Elmal hold
Vinga he made plans for obtaining his own cuddles.
Vinga the Golden
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Years passed peacefully before trouble struck again. Orlanth was
normally only grumpy when
he saw Vinga wearing her sword. He regretted the reward he'd granted
her. But today Orlanth
was in a foul mood.
He walked through his stead picking fault with everyone. He pounded the
table in rage when
his porridge was cold. He shouted at Vinga when the noise of her weapon
practice woke him
early in the morning.
Finally Vinga tried to find out what was wrong with her father. Asking
him was difficult
since he usually shouted at her. So she went to her room and for the
first time since being
made Carl, she clothed her self in a dress. She asked Ernalda to comb
her thick red hair and
put on a necklace which Eurmal had given her. Everybody who saw her
thought that Vinga was
very beautiful indeed.
At the evening banquet Vinga took Orlanth's dinner to him. She acted on
her best manners,
and was so gracious that initially Orlanth did not recognise her. When
he saw her wearing a
dress he became mollified and allowed her to speak to him.
"Why are you so troubled my lord?" she asked.
"Because my child, who has now shown good sense, a new god has been
born. The elder races
have constructed a perfect golden god to worship. Ossenaka they call
him, but perfect he
isn't. I look upon him and I see Gbaji, the deceiver. He is stealing my
people and using
chaos to corrupt them!"
"So why do you not strike him down father?"
"My hands are tied. Our pact with Arachne Solara denies us all the right
to walk amongst
mortals. And that includes you too!"
Orlanth's gaze caught sight of the necklace Vinga wore. His face turned
red with anger. "Why
are you wearing my mothers jewels!?". Without listening to Vinga's
excuse, he had two of his
thanes pick her up and cast her out of the stead.
Vinga kicked the stead doors in frustration but they would not open. So
she took Eurmal's
gift and cast it back into the stead. Then the goddess walked of into
the hero-realm to find
another place to live.
On a whim she journeyed west. As darkness fell Vinga realised that she
had left her sword
and armour behind. From out of the evening mist came a figure.
Vinga picked up a stout stick with which to defend herself and turned to
face whatever it
was. The figure resolved itself as a man. In fact a rather handsome man.
His eyes were wide
with wonder as he looked about himself. The goddess knew it had to be
young hero on his
first quest. Not being one to hide, Vinga stood boldly on the path.
As he saw her the young man's face faltered for a moment and then became
shy. "Dear lady,
why are you here in this dangerous place. Allow me to offer my
protection. I shall stand
guard for you if you wish to share my camp this night."
Vinga was about to give him a piece of her mind when she remembered that
she was dressed as
a gentle woman. The young hero did bare a good sword which she could
take if they were
attacked. And he _was_ very handsome.
The hero soon found a place for them in a secluded glade and made a warm
fire. He made
pleasant company though it was obvious that he was not a follower of
Orlanth. He did not
boast, he offered her all his food and blanket to use, and he did not
try to woo her. Vinga
was taken by his strangely modest and shy nature. By morning she had
seduced him good and
proper. With the morning light he proclaimed his eternal love.
Vinga sighed at this complication. "Tell me valiant warrior. What is
your name?"
"I am called Sir Arkat. Might I stay here for all eternity and become
your knight defender?"
The goddess had a cunning idea. With beautiful smile and fluttering
lashes she said "My name
is Vinga and I am the daughter of Orlanth, king of the gods. Though my
heart might yearn,
you cannot become my champion unless you perform a quest mighty enough
for my station. If
perhaps you brought me the head of some great evil, such as Gbaji, then
my father would be
more than willing to offer my hand. Until that time I cannot ever see
you again."
The young hero stood proud and swore an oath "My lady. Even if I have to
destroy the world I
shall bring you this monsters head." Then strapping on his dark sword
the hero resolutely
strode off seeking a path back to the world.
Nearby perched a large crow. Its yellow eyes glowed with anger and it
squawked in
frustration. It was Eurmal who'd searched the night for Vinga, wondering
if he could take
advantage of her exile. He had seen the dying embers of their fire and
the trickster had
found his belusted in the arms of another man. Eurmal thought hard and
decided what
vengeance he would take on Arkat.
The crow flew after the hero, landing further along the pathway. Then
Eurmal took the guise
of Elmal the loyal god of light. As Arkat approached the trickster
challenged him.
"Halt hero. I seek a hussy with scarlet hair. Vinga is her name. Do you
know of her?"
Arkat full of love, boldly faced down the god. "Why do you see the
goddess, and by what
right do you sully her name with profanity?"
"Because little mortal she helped my enemy Zorak Zoran escape my
clutches at the hill of
gold," lied the trickster boldly. "Her mother was a mistress troll, and
she would lay down
her life for any Uz. She regards them as kin. Thus I will slay her if I
can ever find the
shadow loving trollop."
With a cry the young hero launched himself at the disguised Eurmal. But
with a laugh the
trickster turned into a worm and crawled away unseen. Even though later
Orlanth caught him
for the stealing of Kero Fin's necklace, Eurmal suffered his punishment
with a broad smile.
Vinga returned to her fathers stead to collect her sword and found that
her exile had been
revoked.
Many years passed.
In the mortal realm a mighty hero rose in glory. The knight learned the
arts of war and
sought to defeat the empire of Gbaji. Vinga sometimes watched and sent
signs to her
champion, until Orlanth forbade anybody to use his cauldron of scrying.
Soon after, Elmal
appeared to be a shadow of his former self. He grew thin and drawn and
Orlanth had to ask
the stronger looking Humakt to take the champions place.
An age passed and the compromise started to fray at the edges. Vinga had
taken to walking
the hero paths seeking knowledge of her champion. She walked with the
lecherous Eurmal who
seemed to be the only one who'd accompany her. No matter where he guided
her, they found
nobody who knew about Arkat.
One day she travelled to the clearing where she had seduced her hero. A
great troll jumped
out of the trees in front of her. Vinga drew her sword. "Be gone foul
creature, else I smite
you as I did your lord."
The troll's expression changed from joy to stunned amazement. "But Vinga
it is I, Arkat. I
have returned to you successful in your task. I have Gbaji's head." The
troll lifted a red
stained hessian sack.
"Arkat!?! Where is your handsome face, your lithe body?" said the
disgusted Vinga.
"I though you liked trolls. So I quested to become a chaos fighter of
Zorak Zoran."
"I loath trolls. Especially the fire eater himself. I can never love you
as you are Arkat.
Leave me else I become sick."
The distressed hero dropped the sack in front of the goddess. "I will
always love you," he
stammered and turned from the glade with a shattered heart. Then Arkat
journeyed to a dead
star. From that day he never left it, pining for his lost love.
Vinga sighed at the actions of love struck men, and eagerly took the
sack and returned to
Orlanth's stead. The great hall was full of singing and dancing.
"What is the celebration for my father?" asked Vinga coyly.
Orlanth was so happy that he gave his errant daughter a hug. "Gbaji is
dead, the world is
freed from chaos and my worshippers are praying correctly again."
"Then father you owe me a boon."
Orlanth sobered quickly, giving his offspring an appraising stare. "Why
do I owe you a
boon?"
"For I am responsible for the death of Gbaji." Vinga opened the sack and
placed the head on
the feast table. "Father, you told me that although I had skill with
weapons I lacked
cunning. I have now proved my cunning. I wish to be made a member of
your Einheriar."
Orlanth bristled at being upstaged. "Daughter you might have skill and
cunning, but you lack
bravery. I shall make you thane. That is all you deserve."
Vinga was so angry that she almost started a fight, and punched Eurmal
when he felt her
breasts. But Humakt ensured that no swords might be drawn that night,
and the disgruntled
goddess pouted for the entire evening.
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #514
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