Interlude 10: The Swan's Eggs
A Folktale
Once there was a beautiful woman with bewitching green eyes and auburn hair in full waves that framed her face. As beautiful as she was, she was also barren and had no child of her own. She was a devout woman and prayed daily to the Maker for a child to bless her and her husband, who was a faithful knight to his arl.
The arl appreciated the knight's loyalty and greatly honored him above all, but the arl's younger brother was jealous of the knight's prestige and lusted after the knight's lovely wife. He felt a deep envy that steadily poisoned his soul and hardened his heart into onyx. Eventually, he planned to rid himself of the knight and usurp the loyal man's position in the arl's favor. His plotting consumed him night and day until fate intervened.
A dispute erupted between the arl and a neighboring bann. The arl's brother saw his chance and counseled the arl to send the knight as an emissary to the bann in order to broker a peace. The arl, trusting in the knight's fairness and loyalty, agreed to the brother's recommendation. He called the knight before him and explained his desire for him to travel to the bann and sue for peace, giving the knight a letter sealed with wax and the impression of the arl's signet that guaranteed the knight safe passage as a diplomat for the arl. The knight heartily agreed to the request in the interest of peace and only stopped briefly to bid his beloved wife farewell before going off to fulfill his duty to his arl.
The knight, true to his nature, brokered a fair peace for both the arl and the bann. It was agreed upon by both oath and steel in the sight of the Maker before the knight took his leave to return to his arl with the news. He rode with great anticipation to return to his beloved and his king and refused to stop to rest, but at the border of the bann's lands, the knight was ambushed and killed by an assassin that the arl's younger brother had commissioned. The knight fought valiantly, but he was overwhelmed and cast to the ground before having his throat cut and left for the wolves. The assassin, to prove that his job had been completed, brought the arl's brother the letter with the seal.
When it was discovered that the knight was killed within the border of the bann's lands, the bann was blamed and the arl declared open war upon the bann in response to the loss of his devoted servant. The ensuing struggle was bloody and caused vast losses on both sides until it was finally resolved and brought to a close.
The woman, on hearing of her husband's death was inconsolable. She prostrated herself before the icon of Andraste and refused to leave the Chantry until the sisters were frightened that she would take her own life in the throes of her grief. The Maker, fully aware of the evil that had been done to her and in recognition of her devotion, decided to bestow a great blessing upon her.
When the sisters finally succeeded in sending the woman home after a fortnight the woman collapsed in exhaustion upon her bed and did not awaken for a night and a day and another night. On the morning she was roused by a rapping upon her door, which she reluctantly answered after dragging herself from her bed. Outside was a wizened old woman dressed in a black dress, carrying a basket covered over the top with a scrap of black velvet fabric. The old woman smiled warmly at the grieving wife and offered her the basket with the words, "Your husband sent this for you and I was charged to deliver it. Bring it into your home and care for it and bring glory to the Maker."
Confused, the wife peaked under the velvet and was startled to see a black swan peer quizzically back at her with a beak the deep crimson color of blood against its black plumes. The swan was quite alive and nestled gently in the basket and the wife nearly dropped it in her shock, jerking her head up to question the old woman. The wizened old woman, in less than a heartbeat or a breath had stolen away, leaving the grieving wife alone in the doorway holding the basket with the swan.
The woman carried the peaceful bird into her home and the bird roosted in the corner of the woman's kitchen close to the fireplace and made no sound or fuss. As instructed, the grieving wife cared for the bird, feeding it and making sure its needs were met while feeling completely baffled by her guest.
Three days after coming to live with her, the swan awoke the grieving wife with a strange, mournful and melodious singing. The wife rushed into her kitchen just as the song stopped and saw the swan standing beside its basket nest, looking expectantly up at her as if requesting her to look inside the basket. Nestled within was a grand egg of gold the size of a large man's fist. The wife carefully lifted it and discerned that it must be solid gold based on weight alone. Once the egg had been removed from the basket the swan climbed back into its nest and tucked its head beneath its wing to rest.
Three days after that, the grieving wife was again awoken by the same strange, mournful and melodious singing. Again the wife rushed into the kitchen just as the song stopped and again she saw the swan standing beside the basket with a look of expectancy. This time, nestled within the basket was a large ruby shaped like an egg the size of a large man's fist. The gem took the woman's breath away as she lifted it and it caught the light streaming in from the window, casting a rich red hue across her kitchen table. When the egg had been removed from the basket the swan climbed back into its nest and tucked its head beneath its wing to rest.
In another three days, the wife was again awoken by the same song and rushed into the kitchen quickly, but again the song was ended before she even came through the doorway. The swan looked up at her with the same expression of expectation and she peered in the nest. This time, nestled within the basket was a large emerald shaped like an egg the size of a large man's fist. Within its depths danced a blue flame that was entrancing and the wife watched it for a number of moments before returning her attention to the swan and became concerned.
The swan struggled to return to its nest and the bird seemed listless in its bright eyes. Concerned that the creature was ill, the woman devoted the next two days to nursing it to help it return to health. The swan, though appearing to appreciate the wife's ministrations, continued to deteriorate. At the end of the third day the bird could hardly lift its head and the woman remained in the kitchen during the night, perched on stool near the basket, stroking the bird gently until she dozed off.
In the morning, instead of being awakened by the sound of the song, she was awakened by the sound of the cooing of babies. As her eyes fluttered open, the wife looked into the basket to see nestled within two infants, a girl and a boy, surrounded by fractured fragments of a bright amethyst colored eggshell. The kitchen window was opened wide and the black swan was nowhere to be seen. The wife was overwhelmed with joy at the arrival of the children and kneeled in an earnest prayer of thanksgiving to the Maker there on her kitchen floor, gathering the infants in her arms.
A week later she dedicated the infants at the Chantry with the names Cedany for the girl and Drake for the boy. When the wife explained the fantastic circumstances of the infants' birth, the sisters were amazed but could not argue with the wife's joy and readily accepted the explanation as a miracle demonstrating the vast mercy of the Maker. The infants were welcomed into the community of faith with graciousness and word spread of the Maker's compassion that provided the woman with the comfort of children in the face of the loss of her husband.
Word of the infants spread and eventually reached the ears of the arl's brother and he decided to try to use the miracle to his advantage. He went to offer courtship to the woman, hoping that she would accept his suit in order to better provide for her children, but the man was to be sadly disappointed. The woman refused his suit, stating that the Maker would provide for her and her children through the fruit of the land that her husband bequeathed to her in his will.
The arl's brother trudged back to his mansion and spent the night gnashing his teeth and tearing his hair, scheming a way to force the woman to accept his suit. Within the dark hours of the night, he orchestrated a plan guaranteed to not fail. He went before his brother, the arl, and stated he feared the woman had made a deal with a malificar and the children were actually the spawn of a demon. In the interest of protecting the people from the potential evil these children could unleash once grown, the arl was advised to imprison them with their mother in a tower. The arl's brother offered graciously to serve as their guardian and would vigilantly observe them for signs of evil. If they showed any sign of possession, then he would execute them.
The arl, greatly concerned for the welfare of his people, agreed to his brother's plan. The woman and her children were shut away in tower with the brother visiting them daily. Every time he visited he tried to woo the woman and she would have none of his advances. She claimed the mercy of the Maker and refused to taint herself with the man's lustful touch.
Three years passed, and the man continued to propose to the woman and the woman continued to refuse him. His disappointment and ire caused his heart to burn like sulfur and he began to resent her in a way that eclipsed his previous lust for her. To revenge himself upon her, he planned to claim that he had seen evil manifest in her children and have them put to the sword by the guards.
The Maker heard the dark wish of the man's heart and caused a kind knight named Percival to ride close to the tower where the woman was imprisoned with the children. On riding by, the good knight could hear the woman weeping out the window far above him and his heart was filled with pity for her grief. He became concerned for the woman and her woe and inquired at the Chantry as to the story of the tower. He was informed of why the woman had been imprisoned with her children, but he felt within his heart that the woman had been wrongly accused and determined that he would help her to escape.
That night, before the arl's brother could ennact his evil plan, Percival stole to the tower in the dark and picked the lock. He released the woman and her children and helped them to steal away into the night; the only things the woman brought with her were the three precious eggs that she felt was the birthright of her children, carrying them in a sling around her neck leaving her hands free to carry her daughter, Cedany, while Percival carried Drake. They travelled for weeks, going from village to village in the hopes of avoiding detection.
The arl's brother begged the arl for aid and sent guards and spies out to search for them, but it was as if the ground had swallowed them. Years passed and the woman and her children finally found a secluded village where they could live in peace Percival remained with the family as their protector and the children's godfather. They tilled the land and brought forth lush crops. The village was blessed by their presence and prospered.
One day, word reached them that the arling that they had once called home was failing, as if the Maker had turned away from it. The woman was dismayed when she thought of all the people she had known and loved. The children on seeing their mother's distress discussed what to do. They felt the Maker whisper to their hearts urging them to return, but they were sorely afraid. They prayed and requested the Maker send them a sign.
The following morning the entire family was awakened by the sound of singing on the morning air: strange, mournful and melodious. They ran outside to see the dark shadow of a great swan circling thrice around their land before flying in the direction of the arling. This sign convinced the family to return, bearing the precious eggs with them.
As they neared their former home, they saw the deterioration and fields scorched by a merciless sun. Children begged for bread on the roadsides. The trees were stripped of their leaves and were dying. The family was moved with compassion. They came to the court of the arl, concealed by dark cloaks except for Percival who came forward, and presented them to the arl as a family blessed by the Maker with the means of saving the arling.
The arl was desperate after witnessing the suffering of his people and agreed to allow the family to share their blessing with the people. The arl and his court followed the woman, her children and Percival out of the castle and beyond its walls into the square. The woman pulled out the golden egg from beneath her cloak, dug a small hole, planted the egg in the ground, covered it with earth and carefully stepped back. A moment later the ground quaked and there was a rumbling like thunder in the sky. Suddenly, with a rain of earth, a great tree burst forth from the ground, covered with golden tinged apples dangling from its branches. The apples filled anyone who ate them with joy.
Then Cedany stepped forward with the ruby egg from beneath her cloak, dug a small hole, planted the egg in the ground, covered it with earth and carefully stepped back. A moment later the ground again quaked and there was rumbling like thunder in the sky. Suddenly coiling vines of red grapes erupted from the earth, coiling around the ground and snaking up any standing piece of timber. The grapes were sweet to the taste and refreshed the soul of any who partook of them.
Finally, Drake came forward with the emerald egg from beneath his cloak, dug a small hole, planted the egg in the ground, covered it with earth and carefully stepped back. A moment later the ground again quaked and there was rumbling like thunder in the sky. Suddenly a great fountain burst forth from the ground, creating a river that quenched the scorched ground of the failing crops. This river enabled the land to become green again and helped to quench the people's thirst.
The arl was grateful and offered them all the riches of his kingdom in exchange for such a wonderful gift. The family refused the arl's riches, but asked for justice in the face of their persecution and revealed their true selves to him. On seeing them, the arl knew that they had been wrongly accused and begged their forgiveness. Their lands were returned to them and they lived the rest of their days in peace. The arl also vowed to execute his brother for his role in their suffering, but the family requested that the unhappy man be shown mercy and merely banished from the land.
The arl's brother was escorted to the border of the land under heavy guard and given a small bag of gold with which to start a new life. He sneered at the paltry sum and lamented his loss of title and esteem, but felt no remorse in his harde onyx heart. He had barely left the border when he was dispatched by the men of the bann whose peace the arl's brother had thwarted years earlier through the villain's plotted assassination of the loyal knight.