The Broken Bargain - A bedtime story.
In the time before Civilization was Devastation, punishment of the world for sinners untold. In the heart of the Devastation was the Unnamed Choas which the Devouring Mother defeated and shattered .... but fragments of the spirt of Unnamed Choas remained to be blown on the winds through the Realm, wind being fickle and chaotic itself, and sometimes the fragments find their way into the hearts of men.
Beside a lake lived a young woman. She was fine to see and pleasant to hear. She lived alone and often wander along the edge of the lake to collect rocks and sticks. These she took back to her home to make decorations and useful things.
People from the villages would come to see what things she had made and if they fancied them buy them. A young man came, and like a pendant she had made. It was of green and red rock like the eyes and lips of his lover.
The young woman wanted to sell him the pendent, but he refused to pay the asked price, so instead, when she was not looking he stole it. She did not know this and so looked for the pendent for many days. And, saddened because she thought she lost it, she eventually gave up.
Many years passed and age came and took the woman's youth. She was no longer fine or pleasant, but she still walked along the beach. One day she met a young lady on her walk. And, this young lady was wearing the pendant.
The old woman of the lake was so furious upon seeing the pendent that she stuck down the lady and took her to her home. There the old woman of the lake tied up the lady and called her names, Flaxin Their, Sneaky Wrists, Knoby Hands. And, she kept the lady there until she died. But, the old woman by the lake discovered who had given the pendant to the lady, and all the people that that person loved and cared for.
She went to the village and trapped the mayor in his house. There she broke his toes and ankles until he told her were all of the friends of the man who broke the bargain lived. She then went to all of the homes in the night and slit the throats of all of their pets and children. Until only the home of the man who broke the bargain remained.
By that point the whole village thought that they were cursed. No one left their homes at night. All the doors and windows were locked or barricaded. Children were never left alone. And, everyone was afraid of the old woman of the lake. They knew the nothing could stop her because she was in the right. A bargain was broken.
For days and days and days she waited. The village was captured by fear. Mothers and Fathers argued and fought, children behaved badly and became like devils. Finally, the mayor with the broken toes and ankles decreed that the man who had broken the bargain should be given to the old lady from the lake. And the villagers did.
His friends, who had lost thier children because of his greed, were the first to rip him from his hearth and home. Other villagers beat down his wife and children, so they would not interfere. The mayor slit the man's legs, and crushed the man's hands so he could not run or escape. And, then they threw him down on the shores of the lake to bleed out into the water.
And, there .... rising from the lake, the old lady came to claim her justice. The man was dragged down into the still waters screaming and thrashing against the grasp of the old woman, but she was too strong. He had broken a bargain.
From that day onward, the old lady waits for others to break a bargain and be thrown on her shores where she will claim they blood and bodies whole.
The watery grave is the fate that waits all who break bargains.
Beside a lake lived a young woman. She was fine to see and pleasant to hear. She lived alone and often wander along the edge of the lake to collect rocks and sticks. These she took back to her home to make decorations and useful things.
People from the villages would come to see what things she had made and if they fancied them buy them. A young man came, and like a pendant she had made. It was of green and red rock like the eyes and lips of his lover.
The young woman wanted to sell him the pendent, but he refused to pay the asked price, so instead, when she was not looking he stole it. She did not know this and so looked for the pendent for many days. And, saddened because she thought she lost it, she eventually gave up.
Many years passed and age came and took the woman's youth. She was no longer fine or pleasant, but she still walked along the beach. One day she met a young lady on her walk. And, this young lady was wearing the pendant.
The old woman of the lake was so furious upon seeing the pendent that she stuck down the lady and took her to her home. There the old woman of the lake tied up the lady and called her names, Flaxin Their, Sneaky Wrists, Knoby Hands. And, she kept the lady there until she died. But, the old woman by the lake discovered who had given the pendant to the lady, and all the people that that person loved and cared for.
She went to the village and trapped the mayor in his house. There she broke his toes and ankles until he told her were all of the friends of the man who broke the bargain lived. She then went to all of the homes in the night and slit the throats of all of their pets and children. Until only the home of the man who broke the bargain remained.
By that point the whole village thought that they were cursed. No one left their homes at night. All the doors and windows were locked or barricaded. Children were never left alone. And, everyone was afraid of the old woman of the lake. They knew the nothing could stop her because she was in the right. A bargain was broken.
For days and days and days she waited. The village was captured by fear. Mothers and Fathers argued and fought, children behaved badly and became like devils. Finally, the mayor with the broken toes and ankles decreed that the man who had broken the bargain should be given to the old lady from the lake. And the villagers did.
His friends, who had lost thier children because of his greed, were the first to rip him from his hearth and home. Other villagers beat down his wife and children, so they would not interfere. The mayor slit the man's legs, and crushed the man's hands so he could not run or escape. And, then they threw him down on the shores of the lake to bleed out into the water.
And, there .... rising from the lake, the old lady came to claim her justice. The man was dragged down into the still waters screaming and thrashing against the grasp of the old woman, but she was too strong. He had broken a bargain.
From that day onward, the old lady waits for others to break a bargain and be thrown on her shores where she will claim they blood and bodies whole.
The watery grave is the fate that waits all who break bargains.
Summary
This is a myth about the consequences of lawlessness at a basic level. Agreements between citizens are just as important as Her Statutes and the civil law.
The horrible vengeance of the Lady of the Lake speaks to the unknown consequences of breaking your agreement, the impact those consequences may have on people and the true cost of such a betrayal.
The villagers turning on the man in the end reminds all citizens that it is their duty and moral obligation to make sure that each and everyone is accountable for the actions and that citizens are the keeps of law even when She and Her Will are not present.
The taking of the man by the Lady of the Lake is a metaphor for the total cost and ultimate loss of a citizen's soul/honour when they break a verbal agreement.
The horrible vengeance of the Lady of the Lake speaks to the unknown consequences of breaking your agreement, the impact those consequences may have on people and the true cost of such a betrayal.
The villagers turning on the man in the end reminds all citizens that it is their duty and moral obligation to make sure that each and everyone is accountable for the actions and that citizens are the keeps of law even when She and Her Will are not present.
The taking of the man by the Lady of the Lake is a metaphor for the total cost and ultimate loss of a citizen's soul/honour when they break a verbal agreement.
Spread
This is common tale in Ti Sti'duram'iti and the Sèk Tela Hringhafi. It is often told to children or referenced by adults who are worried thet the person they are making an agreement with will go back on their agreement or attempt to change it.
Phrases such as:
"Oh, Ware the Lake Lady."
"The lake will take you."
"Is this going to be a toes and ankles issue?"
or such, are common references to this myth and comments on a person's questionable reliability to follow through on their end of the bargain.
Phrases such as:
"Oh, Ware the Lake Lady."
"The lake will take you."
"Is this going to be a toes and ankles issue?"
or such, are common references to this myth and comments on a person's questionable reliability to follow through on their end of the bargain.
Date of Setting
Long ago at the beginning of the Restoration when civilization was beginning.
Comments