It is said that there was once a woman who lived in a village where the winters were long and lonely. For all of her life, she struggled against the wind and the snow. During those long months, her body froze right to her soul. When she was grown, she could stand it no longer. She declared that she would marry Winter himself, if only he would grant her reprieve from his tyranny.
That night, there was a knock at her door. Outside stood a man who had never before been in the village. He was bundled in beautiful furs, and while he was not much taller than the woman, but there was a strong presence about him.
The woman asked him his name and what business brought him to her home. He replied that he wished to see if she meant to keep her word. When she said that she had no idea what he was talking about, he reminded her of her promise. He asked her, if he kept her safe from his wrath, would she truly marry him?
And that is how the woman realized that Winter himself was at her door...
There were once two brothers who were born on the same day, and who were so alike in appearance that it would have been impossible to tell one from the other. Yet as similar as they were in appearance, they were the opposite in personality and behavior.
Alfred, who was older by minutes, was brave and commanding. He learned from their father how to hunt, becoming very skilled at it. When he was old enough, he became a soldier and set out to fight in a battle.
Matthew, the younger brother, was quiet and clever. He helped his mother with the household chores, but what he truly loved was to solve puzzles. Whenever he had the chance, he would sit behind the kitchen stove and think of riddle after riddle. Seeing as the only people he saw were his parents, he quickly grew to lament a lack of people to solve them.
One day, a letter reached Matthew and his parents. It was from Alfred, informing them that the battle was over. He was not coming home, however. Having tasted his first bit of freedom, Alfred was determined to see a little more of the world.
Upon reading the letter, the parents were saddened but proud. They knew that Alfred was now an adult, and it was high time he set out to seek his own fortune. Matthew, however, was very worried at this. His brother surely had little money and knew no trade beyond being a soldier. How in the world would he survive? Matthew had to know! And he knew how to learn of his brother's fate. He would consult with the four wise men.
The wise men lived half a day's walk from Matthew's house. No one knew where they were from. They came from a far-off land, many years ago. They never strayed from the little hut they built at the base of the nearby mountain, but they received a number of visitors. There were weary travelers seeking shelter for the night, who found a room for the night no matter how small the hut was. There were curious pilgrims seeking spiritual enlightenment, for it was rumored that the wise men were blessed with gifts from divine beings. And there were those who came from all over seeking answers, because the four wise men seemed to always know what must be said.
Matthew only knew of the wise men what the villagers whispered. He suspected that most of them had never visited the four. At this point, he had little to lose. There was no reason to fear them, and the possibility of an answer was better than no answer at all.
When the hut was within his view, he saw a man sweeping the walkway in front of it. The man had long, black hair. When he looked at Matthew, the boy saw that he had beautiful, almond-shaped eyes, unlike the eyes of anyone in the village.
"Ni hao," said the man, his voice thick with a strange accent. "Can I help you with something, young one?"
Matthew breathed deeply. "Sir, I have come from the village to seek relief from my worries. My twin brother has left home, and now is traveling alone and without money or knowledge of a trade. I fear for his safety. Please, can you tell me if he is safe?"
"With that, I can help you, aru." said the man. "I am the Scholar, and there is little in the world that happens without my knowledge. Come with me, aru."
The Scholar led Matthew to the back of the hut. There, Matthew saw a pond, a large pile of rocks, and (hanging on a tree) a fan.
Without saying a word, the Scholar knelt next to the pond. "Oh Panlong, Spirit of Water, come to me!" he chanted. "I have need of your knowledge, aru."
There were ripples in the pond, and then a figure emerged. It was a beautiful, young woman, wearing a lotus flower in her hair. Her robes were a shimmering blue, contrasting with her dark hair. "Sensei, what is it you need to know?" she asked.
"This young man's twin has gone out into the world to seek his fortune, aru. In your travels through all of the world's water, have you seen him?"
"Oh, sensei! I have! As I swam through the ocean three days ago, I saw a young man who looked exactly like the one standing here. He was sailing towards this land, talking happily to the others on the ship about his plans for adventuring."
"And was he safe at that point, aru? Was he unharmed?"
"He was safe and unharmed when I saw him, sensei."
"Very good. You may go."
As the woman returned to the pond, the Scholar turned to the pile of rocks. Once again, he knelt. "Oh Mago, Spirit of Earth, come to me! I have need of your knowledge."
There was a clattering sound, and a boy unburied himself from the rock pile, his hair and brown robes rumpled. "Sensei! Sensei! What do you need my help with?" he eagerly asked. "I know a lot, because I invented a lot of things!"
"Hush now, aru! Tell me, in your travels, have you seen the twin of the young man that stands with me, aru?"
"I have! He reached land, having been discharged from the army. I invented armies, you know! It was just two days ago, and he was traveling through a forest with trees made of gold, ivy made of silver, and flowers made of precious jewels. I invented those plants, incidentally!"
"Enough of that, aru. Was he safe and unharmed at this point?"
"He was both, sensei!"
"Very good. You may go."
"Sensei, did you know that I invented adventuring?"
"GO, ARU!"
The boy crawled back into the pile of rocks as the Scholar rubbed his forehead and turned to the fan. He took it in his hand and waved it, calling "Oh Izanami, Spirit of Wind, come to me, aru! I am in need of your knowledge!"
Upon being waved, the fan created a small whirlwind. As the whirlwind died down, a man in rich green robes appeared. "Ohaiyo gozaimasu, sensei," he said. "What is it that you need from me?"
"The twin of the young man standing here has left his family to go see the world, aru. In all of your travels, have you seen him, aru?"
"Hai, sensei, I have. When I was on my travels yesterday, I saw the twin entering a cave near the edge of the forest of gold and silver and jewels. What he was doing there, though, I can not say."
"And was he safe and unharmed at that time, aru?"
"He was, sensei."
"Very good. You may go."
The man nodded and slowly drifted apart in the breeze, as if he were nothing but sand.
The Scholar turned to Matthew. "So you now know that your brother is alive and well, aru," he said. "Does that ease your concerns?"
"I do feel a bit more calm," Matthew admitted. "Only..."
"Only what, aru? Speak your mind, please."
"I know that he was safe yesterday," said Matthew. "He is almost certainly safe today as well. But I am worried about tomorrow and the day after that, and the one after that. How am I to know that he will remain safe?"
"No one in this world will remain safe if you give it enough time, aru," said the Scholar. "Be satisfied with what you know, aru. Looking too far into the future is never wise."
But Matthew was not convinced, nor was he at ease. The Scholar was troubled, for he truly did not like to turn away visitors unhappy. "Listen, aru," he finally said. "There is one in this hut who can tell the future of your brother. Come with me, aru. I will take you to see the Oracle.
The Scholar led Matthew into the hut. The room they entered was small and dimly lit, with the only light coming in through a solitary window. Matthew stumbled against a chair as his eyes adjusted to the dark.
"Careful, aru!" the Scholar warned him. "You do not want to disturb the others who live here!"
"How do four of you live in this tiny place?" Matthew whispered, rubbing his leg.
"The only large home that brings happiness is a home with many people. Large walls and beautiful ornaments do not bring people together, aru."
Matthew wanted to say that it still must not be comfortable to live in such cramped quarters, but the Scholar hushed him and led the way to what had to be the only other room in the hut. Peering inside, Matthew could only just make out four beds, three of which were empty. On the fourth, though...
"Go on, aru," hissed the Scholar, gently pushing Matthew towards the fourth bed. "Ask him what you wish to know. He alone has any chance of telling what your brother's future is!"
Matthew approached the fourth bed. There was a figure lying on it, a man not much older than Matthew himself. It was difficult to make out the man's features in the scant amount of light, but Matthew could see he looked off from the people who lived in the village. His hair hung down to his shoulders, standing out against olive-toned skin. He was wearing a strange outfit, as if he had wrapped bedsheets around himself.
"Ask him!" the Scholar hissed, and Matthew realized that he had been staring at the man - the Oracle, the Scholar had called him - for the past minute.
He leaned towards the bed, uncertain as to whether or not he should try to wake the Oracle. Finally, he simply cleared his throat and began: "Sir, I come to you for relief from my worries. I have spoken with the Scholar and learned that my twin brother has been safe for the past three days. Now, I wish to know if he is fated to remain so. Do you foresee prosperity in his future? Or will he fall prey to danger?"
"It is difficult for me to see his future through the whiteness," said the Oracle. His voice was slow and sleepy. "I see tears and blood and claws and teeth. Do not worry," he added, seeing the look on Matthew's face. "I see prosperity as well. He will be safe...mostly."
"Mostly?! What do you mean 'mostly'?" asked Matthew, panicking. "Will he be dead? Hurt? Don't fall asleep!" he added, as the Oracle gave a loud yawn and began to roll over.
The Oracle glanced at the frantic man at his bedside. "Your brother may fall victim to a terrible bout of misfortune," he said. "It's all caused by a bear in the snow. If this happens, you must be the one to go save him."
"What misfortune?" cried Matthew. "What bear? When will this be? How will I save him? What else do you see? Tell me!"
His cries were in vain, however. Gentle snores rose from the Oracle, and it became clear that he would not be answering Matthew's questions. The boy shouted and shook him, but to no avail. The Oracle was either in a trance, or was a very heavy sleeper.
Disheartened, Matthew left the room. The Scholar was no longer at the door, but Matthew paid that no heed. No doubt he had gone back to sweeping the walkway or tending the yard or whatever he did with his time.
"Tashi delek, dear visitor. What is troubling you?"
There were now two new people in the room, peeling potatoes over a bucket. The last two wise men, Matthew realized. One was a lean man with tanned skin and a scarf wrapped around his head and almost all of his face. The other - the one who spoke - was a short man with a shaved head and orange robes.
"I'm sorry," said Matthew, "I fear that there is nothing to be done for me."
"Is that so? Please, let me be the judge of that. Tell me your problem."
"It is my brother," said Matthew, for the third time. "He has left our home to seek his fortune, and the Oracle has told me that he may suffer misery at the hands of a bear! I was told that I must be the one to save him if that is the case, but how can I manage that? I do not even know where he is, let alone if he will fall victim to misfortune to begin with! What am I to do? How am I to know?"
"Ah, honored guest, worry not!" said the orange-clad man. "I am the Monk, and I can help you. Have you something to offer me?"
Matthew searched his his first pocket, but there was nothing there. He reached into his second pocket and found a white handkerchief. His parents had always insisted that he and Alfred carry one at all times, in case of emergencies. As he handed his to the Monk, Matthew wondered if this was the sort of thing they had in mind.
"Giving and receiving go hand in hand," the Monk said, as he held the handkerchief, rubbing the cloth between his forefinger and thumb. "This is the rule of karma - the more you give, the more you receive in return. But it is important to remember that this does not only apply to material things. Life, love, gratitude, those things follow all the same rules. Remember that, dear guest. Hold out your hand."
Matthew obeyed, and the Monk tied the handkerchief around the boy's wrist. "As you have given to me, now I give back to you. With the handkerchief that I returned, I give to you a blessing of protection. Wind and rain and snow will not harm you, dear guest, as long as you wear this. You will find your brother again. Whether or not you will save him is up to you."
Matthew examined the handkerchief. "Many thanks for this," he said. He was about to leave the room, when the second wise man held up his hand.
"What is it?" asked Matthew, as the second wise man stood up and walked into the bedroom.
A moment later, his question was answered. The wise man returned, something clenched in his fist. He took Matthew's hand and pressed the item into it.
It was a small amulet on a chain. Even in the small amount of sunlight, it glittered like nothing Matthew had ever seen before. It was silver and was so light, Matthew almost felt as if there was nothing in his hand at all.
"Ah, the Prophet has given you a charm!" said the Monk.
"A charm? What for?"
"To know," said the Prophet. His voice was softer than Matthew expected, fluttering like a bird's wing. "When it tarnishes, you will know."
"What will I know?" asked Matthew, clutching the amulet tightly in his hand.
The Prophet gave him a look, before going back to peeling the potatoes. Matthew thanked both of the wise men and took his leave. He would check the amulet every day. He would never let it out of his sight.
After all, there was only one thing he needed to know. The amulet would tell him if the thing he feared had happened. It would tell him if his brother had fallen prey to the bear and its misfortune.
The days passed in one way and another. Matthew helped his mother with the baking and the washing. He never took the handkerchief from his wrist, and he never stopped checking the amulet. As time went on, he worried less and less about his brother.
And then, the amulet began to tarnish.
Notes of interest:
- Panlong is the name of a Chinese water dragon
- Mago is the name of the Chinese goddess who was the start of all creation
- Izanagi was the Japanese god who begat, among many others, Amaterasu (goddess of the sun), Tsukuyomi (god of the moon), and Susanoo (god of the storms and tempests)
- If it's not apparent, the Monk is meant to be Tibet. Tibet really is a character from Hetalia, but he only shows up once in the webcomics
- The blessing the Monk gives Matthew is based off of a real-life Tibetan practice, in which one gives the Dhali Lama a white scarf (a kata) and he, in turn, blesses it and returns it