MYTHS AND STORIES FROM THE CLANS
Creation Myth
The story of how Sunsight split the darkness by curling themself into a ball and shaped the world with their shadow. Soon they grew tired of the position and straightened out-- only to find their shadow had taken solid shape and was coated in slick, black mud. They descended onto this strange new planet and decided that it could be improved by raking their claws and kneading the mud into various shapes.
They grew so fond of these shapes, Sunsight bestowed on them names and they were transformed into trees, animals, water, and every other thing on earth. They were delighted by all the things they had done and decided to remain on the earth, sleeping in the sky when they grew tired.
Sunsight and the Two Moons
Once, when the earth was still young, two aimless moons appeared in the sky-- looking for something to do. Sunsight was wary of them at first and watched them while cleverly disguised as a piece of mica. The two aimless moons eventually stumbled upon Sunsight's clever disguise and the larger of the two began to bat them about, laughing at the way they glittered while the other watched in curious silence.
Sunsight, angry at having been humiliated so, leapt into the heavens and revealed themself to the two moons. They punished them by giving them each another name-- one that would bind them to the earth and keep them from being aimless forever: Laughingmoon and Littlemoon. And the two, no longer aimless, moons settled into the sky during the night as they were too afraid to venture out while Sunsight roamed the earth.
Laughingmoon and the Ocean in the Clouds
Laughingmoon, tired of Sunsight's rules and teasing, hovered low along the earth and found there was nothing that could be hidden from him. He thought to himself: "Aha this is how Sunsight may know and see everything we do! But if I were to cover the sky in something, then we moons could at least aimlessly wander the earth!"
But what was big enough to block out Sunsight's endless view of the earth?
Laughingmoon thought-- he thought for seven days and then another seven days. On the 15th day, he saw himself reflected in the ocean below and was admiring his pale coat when some foam drifted over his reflection. At first, he was furious at this! But his anger passed when he realized he had been given his answer. Swooping down to the earth, Laughingmoon swept up as much of the ocean's foam as he could and placed it in the heavens-- creating the first clouds.
Laughingmoon went to Littlemoon and said, "Sister, now we may move aimlessly about the earth!"
But Littlemoon had become sad. She could hear the ocean's foam wailing because it missed the place it had come from. Littlemoon went to Sunsight and told them what Laughingmoon had done and Sunsight became furious with anger, but Littlemoon's pleas to aid the clouds softened their heart and they made a deal with the clouds and the Two Moons.
As punishment for Laughingmoon's imputence, Littlemoon would continue to feel the sadness of the clouds and would be unable to frolic under their cover but every now and then the clouds could return to earth in the form of their tears to be eventually reunited with the sea.
And so, rain was created.
Littlemoon and the Cormorant
One day, Littlemoon was sitting on a rock that stretched out over the ocean when a gangly bird, the color of slick black mud, landed beside her. In an instant, Littlemoon grew to love the creature as she loved herself and named the bird Cormorant. Having been given a name, Cormorant opened her mouth and thanked the moon, saying: "I am the bird who discovers the depths of the oceans, but never have I been given anything in return. But you have named me, Moon, and for that you shall always have the aid of me and my cousins and my cousins' cousins."
Happiness swelled in Littlemoon and she told Cormorant, "I know the songs of the tides and I will teach them to you, Cormorant, so that you may always find me by following the patterns of the ocean."
And so Littlemoon tamed and riled the seas so that Cormorant and her cousins and her cousins' cousins would always know where Littlemoon was and where she was going to.
Sunsight and the Four Strangers
Sunsight was busy shaping another part of the earth when four creatures made of mud surrounded them. Sunsight was surprised. These creatures looked so familiar and yet they had no true form. In many voices the Four Strangers cried out to Sunsight: "Sunsight, we were given names and shapes by you but then we grew arrogant-- We tried to find the beginning of the sky and fell into the slick, black mud and now we have forgotten who we are!"
Sunsight took pity on the Four Strangers and was so moved by their honesty that they opened their mouth as wide as they could and sang: "Take my form, so you shall remember who has shaped you and who has given you names."
The mud dripped down from them and the Four strangers remembered they were not Strangers at all! They were Hill Wanderer, the Walker of Nothing, the One That Crosses Each Edge, and Faraway Shoal.
"Oh thank you! Thank you!" The once Strangers cried but Sunsight reminded them,
"Because I have restored you in my form, I will require that you remain in this new place I am shaping and help me decide it's shape. And, once this has been decided, watch over it in my absence. So that you may never forget what I have done or the debt you have to me, I will also take half of your names and sew them into this part of the earth-- so that you may not wander aimlessly from this place."
And so Hill, Walker, Edge, and Shoal came to live and shape the place we know as home.
Hill, Thornfeather, and the Seven Stones of Fear
One day Hill was exploring the edges of his territory when he spotted a small shape on the horizon. As it came closer, Hill recognized it to be Thornfeather, one of Walker's many hungry-eyed daughters. She came boldly towards Hill and said,
"Hill, I am Thornfeather and I have come from Walker's territory to tell you that I have fallen in love with the rocky hills and ocotillo that you wander. Though you do not know me, I intend to stay here and will not be persuaded otherwise."
Hill looked at Thornfeather. He looked at her up and down. He looked at her sideways. He turned a circle and looked at her all around. And when he had finished looking at her he realized he had fallen quite in love with her.
"Thornfeather," he said, "I would let you wander the rocks and ocotillo forever, but I am afraid your name binds you to where Walker created you. Surely, if we steal away together, Walker will grow angry and they will try to take you back."
Thornfeather just flicked her tail, "Walker has many daughters, they will not notice."
She was so convincing that Hill agreed and the two spent many days together in the hills. On the 8th day after Thornfeather had joined Hill in his territory, the two of them were basking on the red, red rocks together when Walker approached them with their tail needled out into perfect points.
"Hill!" they snarled, "How dare you take one of my daughters away from me! Without asking! Without even letting me say goodbye!"
Hill felt his throat jump into his mouth and was silent with fear, but Thornfeather stood up to her full height and reminded her parent,
"I have chosen to remain here, Walker. You have many other daughters, but I have fallen in love with these hills and I intend to stay here."
Walker was furious but did not want to anger their daughter further, and went away with their eyes spinning in thought. Thornfeather was satisfied and went back to basking, but Hill could feel a stone of fear forming in his belly. Each day he could feel it grow larger and louder, and each day he grew more afraid. Eventually, Hill sought out the advice of Edge, who was always poking their nose into other territories, and asked,
"Edge, how is it you travel so freely without feeling afraid?"
Edge, who was swimming in Shoal's sea, poked up her head and said, "I could not tell you, Hill. Crossing over things is just what I do. It is how Sunsight has made me and how I have found myself in the world."
Hill scratched his head and went away, feeling the stone had gotten larger. After three days of head scratching, Hill went to Shoal, who was always keeping to herself and did not fear the opinions of others, and asked,
"Shoal, how do you stay true to your decisions without feeling afraid?"
Shoal, who was preening with Cormorant and watching storms gathering across the ocean, said,
"I do not know how to describe such things, Hill. Having pride in myself is just what I do. It is how Sunsight has made me and how I have found myself in the world."
Hill shook his head and went away, feeling the stone of fear had gotten even larger. After six days of shaking his head, Hill left Thornfeather in the early morning and climbed up into a young smoke tree on the highest point of the highest hill in his territory to ask Sunsight about how he could be made less afraid. But as he climbed he attracted the attention of Laughingmoon, who was wandering below the clouds.
"Now there, Hill," said Laughingmoon, "Why do you look so scared and so sad?"
"Laughingmoon, you would not understand," Hill said with his whiskers drooping, "For I have fallen in love with one of Walker's daughters but Walker will surely come for me if I do not tell her to return to them. There is a stone of fear in my belly that grows daily but I do not know what to do or how to be less afraid. So I must ask Sunsight to remake me so that I do not find myself so uncertain and afraid in the world."
Laughingmoon grinned wide and said, "Dear, Hill, you do not need to be remade! How silly a thought! Your answer lies in your stone of fear, which Thornfeather and Walker have put into you, and if you agree to leave everything to me, Hill, you will not have it much longer."
Hill was uncertain but finally agreed. Laughingmoon then told him,
"Climb down from the smoke tree and lie on your side. I will bring Thornfeather and Walker to where you rest."
Hill did as he was told and waited, lying in his side until Thornfeather and Walker were brought.
"What is the meaning of this!" Walker roared, "Are you mocking me, Hill?"
"What is the meaning of this!" Thornfeather hissed, "Why have you brought Walker here?"
"What are you doing?" Laughingmoon suddenly shouted, leaping at Hill's face, "Hill, this was a terrible idea!"
Hill was so overcome by fear that the stone of fear grew seven times its size and burst out into the world from inside Hill. It hit the ground and split seven ways, into seven small kits who began to mew and cry. Laughingmoon grinned,
"Now Walker," he said, "Take four of Hill's children to replace the daughter he has taken from you. And Thornfeather, take the remaining three and name them so that you and they may be bound to these hills."
Thornfeather scooped up the largest of Hill's children, leaving the four sickly ones for Walker, who begrudgingly took them and went back to their territory. Hill, who had just caught his breath, tried to thank Laughingmoon but found that he had already left to find his sister.
Thornfeather curled against Hill and said,
"How did you know that would work, Hill?"
And Hill said, "I will not be able to tell you, Thornfeather. Fearing consequences is just what I do. It is how Sunsight has made me and how I have found myself in the world. But now we are together and I have no need to worry about such things any more."
And he was right.
Walker Makes a Drought
There was a time when the rains had become more common and Sunsight rarely showed their face, which made Hill, Walker, Edge, and Shoal more irritable than each of them had ever been.
"Why is Sunsight doing this to us?" cried Hill, "Have we done something wrong?"
"Perhaps this is a sign? Perhaps Sunsight has died and we must mourn him?" offered Edge.
"Edge, you head is full of air," growled Shoal, "Rain is rain. I only wish it would keep the ocean from swelling so. Soon I and my kin will be without a home!"
But Walker remained silent in anger and, finally growing tired of the others' theories and whining, stalked off through the mud. When they were far away from them and deep into their own territory, Walker sat under the downpour and grumbled,
"They complain and complain but I suffer the most from this rain! At least Hill may hide in his smoke tree and Edge under his creosote! Shoal doesn't even mind all that much, anyways! She just wants to seem important-- But me! Me-- I have nothing in the space Sunsight gave to me: no trees or bushes to take cover under and no love for water."
Thunder shook Walker's bony body and they cried out in anger, "It is not right! It is not fair!"
Now Laughingmoon had been very busy in this season of endless rain, since the clouds kept him from Sunsight's prying eyes, and heard Walker's outburst.
"Walker, oh, Walker," Laughingmoon said, covering them with his silvery body, "What is the matter?"
"Laughingmoon, this rain is endless but Sunsight has not provided any way that I may take shelter from it-- as they did with Hill, Edge, and Shoal. Yet they talk as if they are so long suffering, when I and my children may truly die if we cannot find relief!"
Laughingmoon turned this over in his head a few times but suddenly was struck with an idea.
"But, Walker, you are wrong! Sunsight has given you the best relief of all," and he pointed to the dark, barren mud that surrounded Walker.
"Give me permission to take some of your territory and I will make something up out of the mud-- as Sunsight did in the beginning-- that will give you relief from this endless rain."
Walker thought it over and then finally nodded, "If you truly can create as Sunsight has, then I give you half of my territory to do what it is you need to."
"Wait here then-- do not move or speak to anyone," said Laughingmoon, "And I will return with a solution."
For 13 days, Walker remained motionless in the rain. On the second day, Hill approached them from the right and said, "Walker, why are you so quiet and still? Don't you know the world is ending!?"
But Walker did not speak and did not move.
On the 7th day, Shoal approached Walker from the left and said, "Walker, why have you been so scarce and silent? Shouldn't you be learning to swim for when the world floods-- which it most certainly will!"
But Walker did not speak and did not move.
On the 12th day, Edge approached Walker from the front and said, "Walker, is this where you have been? I have been all over, giving my goodbyes, because soon there will be nothing but water and I will have to cross over into the afterlife!"
But Walker did not speak and did not move.
Then, at the end of the 13th day, Laughingmoon returned and tapped Walker on the shoulder from behind.
"Thank you for doing as I have asked," he said, "Come and follow me, and I will show you what I have created."
Walker followed Laughingmoon to the edge of their territory where they saw 13 figures that were sculpted out of the mud. Walker tried to greet them but, as they approached, saw that there was no life in the figures' eyes. Livid, Walker turned to Laughingmoon and roared,
"I waited for 13 days, did not say goodbye to my children who have probably all drowned or starved, and will be known to the others as a fool and these are all you can give me!"
Laughingmoon shrugged, "If that is how you wish to see it, then I suppose that is what happened."
Walker was so angry that they struck down 8 of the lifeless mud figures but as they made to destroy the others, Laughingmoon blocked them off, saying,
"For a creature made in the likeness of Sunsight, you are not very grateful and you are also not very smart. But I do pity you, so I will tell you how to give these remaining figures life. Remember how you were first created, Walker-- You must give them names."
"No," said Walker, "You are tricking me again!" And destroyed another mud figure.
Laughingmoon clicked his tongue, "Alright, Walker, I will name them then, but now they will only listen to me-- as I will be their creator. And though they will provide you and your children with shelter now, one day they will return and destroy you and the others, as you have first destroyed them."
And he spoke a name into the mud-- High-Walkers. For they were of Walker's land but towered so high above it. The High-Walkers' eyes glittered with life and then traveled into Walker's land and, with help from Laughingmoon, made massive monuments in his name where Walker and their children could find the driest, safest cover from the rain.
Walker was astounded by the High-Walker's abilities and tried to apologize to them, but they could not understand them as they had not been told of language yet by Laughingmoon. Then they and Laughingmoon went away.
Walker gathered their children under the monuments and, for a time, was content. Until one day, the clouds split and Sunsight appeared searing above them.
"Walker! I told you build this part of the earth in my name-- for I gave you form and restored your knowledge of your name-- but I return to find you have decided to dedicate yourself to an aimless moon instead."
Walker trembled but raised their head high to explain, "Sunsight, we did not mean any disrespect against you, but the rain was relentless and we--"
"No," said Sunsight, "I will not hear excuses. You did not once try to tell me of your suffering and instead relied on trickery and sneaking. Because of this I will punish you and all the others-- If you all despise the rain so much, then I will take it away from you for 13 times the 13 days you followed Laughingmoon's advice. On these days, and then some, the sun will dry up your doubt and wither the land. The land will be so starved for rain that when it does come, the earth will soak it up and neither you nor any of the others will be able to catch a drop on your ungrateful tongues."
And it was as Sunsight said and the land was withered by the first drought.
Edge and the Boundaries
In the days of The Drought, which Walker had made, the land was so scorched by the sun that the four who were made in Sunsight's likeness began to forget the divisions between them. Hill came down into the dying creosote forest, Shoal rolled in the dust beneath the High-Walker monuments, and Walker hid their shame among the red stones in the hills. But Edge carried on much the same: splashing in Shoal's ocean, climbing Hill's smoke tree, and carving her name into the soft parts of Walker's barren territory.
Each day he would wake up to the unbearable heat of the drought and wande out across the fading boundaries to find something else to understand and explore.
"I quite like the drought," they thought, as they bothered the sea fowl on Shoal's island, "Usually by now someone would be scolding me about going back to where I have come from but the drought has scrambled everyone's brains and now I may do as I like, and go where I please."
This carried on for many days and many days after that, and Edge continued to cross over into where she did not belong. He might have gone on crossing borders to this day if, on a particularly hot and horrible day, he had not stumbled upon Hill, who was wading in Shoal's ocean.
"Hello, Hill," said Edge and went to join him, but Hill looked at Edge with his eyes spinning in confusion, saying,
"Oh, friend, I think you are confused. I cannot be Hill, who lives up in the highest rocky parts of this land-- No, no. I am clearly splashing down in the coolness of the sea and must, therefore, be Shoal!"
Edge scratched their head but could not think of any reason to dispute this and said,
"Very well then, Shoal."
And spent the day splashing and wading with him.
The following day, which was even more hot and horrid than the one before, Edge was ambling through Walker's dusty land when she spotted Shoal chasing scorpions in the shade of one of Laughingmoon's monuments.
"Hello there, Shoal," said Edge, "You would not believe what I saw Hill doing yesterday-- He was wading in your ocean and claiming to be you!"
And Edge laughed because they found it very funny. But Shoal was silent and gave Edge a frustrated look,
"Oh, friend, I think you are confused. I cannot be Shoal, who spends her days swimming in the sharp waves of the ocean-- I am very clearly kicking up dust in this barren land and must, therefore, be Walker."
Edge twitched his tail for a time but could not think of any reason to dispute this and said,
"Alright then, Walker"
And spent the rest of the day hunting scorpions and grumbling in the shade with her.
The very next day, which was even more hot and horrid than the even more hot and horrid day that came before it, Edge was bouncing from rock to rock in the highest parts of Hill's land when he spotted Walker wandering between the red stones, looking afraid.
"Hello there, Walker," said Edge, but decided to avoid telling them about Shoal or Hill since it might only make Walker angry. But Walker quickly ducked out of sight and hid until Edge came over.
"Walker? You certainly are acting strange," said Edge, "In fact the others are also acting very odd--"
"Oh, I'm sorry, friend, but I think you are confused. I am certainly not Walker, who crawls along the dust under the High-Walker's shelters and cannot hold their anger for more than 13 heartbeats. Ah, no, see-- I am braving the sharp stones and spiky brush in the high hills and must, therefore, be Hill."
Edge shook her head but could not find any reason to dispute this and said,
"I guess you are Hill then, Hill."
And spent the rest of the day wandering the hills with them.
That night, Edge returned to his withered creosote forest-- Only to find that Hill, Shoal, and Walker were all there as well and sleeping soundly in his nest! Edge was quite confused and very tired and sprang at them shouting,
"Hill, Shoal, and Walker, wake up! Don't you have nests of your own to sleep in?!"
The others blinked up at Edge though and said,
"I think you are confused, stranger. We are very clearly sleeping in the cool shadows of the creosote and must, therefore, be Edge. Now if you would go back to where you have come from as we are trying to sleep away the heat of this terrible Drought."
Edge was angrier than they had ever been in their life and lashed their tail and hissed at the sky but could not think of any way to dispute this. And so they went to the edge of the ocean and called up to Laughingmoon, saying,
"Sunsight is nowhere to be found, but I know you have helped the others in the past and I think it is time to set this nonsense right!"
The once aimless moon drifted low over the waters and smiled at Edge,
"This Drought certainly has everyone's brains tangled up, now doesn't it? But, Edge, you are right-- I have helped the others and it is time I helped you: If you collect a piece of each part of this land and bring them to this very spot, I promise I will set everything right for you."
So Edge spent the night gathering a piece of each of the others' lands: taking a mussel shell filled with sea-water, a chipped piece of the monuments the High-Walkers had built, and the smallest, roughest, reddest stone she could find in the hills. Then they returned to where they had met with Laughingmoon and were so focused on finding the exact spot they forgot to bring a piece of their own land.
Edge called out to Laughingmoon again and said,
"I have done what you asked, Laughingmoon."
And Laughingmoon took the objects and flung them at his feet saying-- "As it should be, be again!"
The earth shook and shook and shook. It shook so loudly that it woke Hill, Shoal, and Walker, who bolted out of the creosote to see what was making the earth shake so. It shook so deeply that the ocean pulled herself back from the shore, leaving lifeless stones in her absence. It shook and did not stop. Laughingmoon called above the shaking,
"Edge didn't you do what I had asked?"
"Yes, I did!" said Edge.
"Are you certain you did what I had asked?" Laughingmoon asked again.
"Yes, I did what you asked me to do!"
"Can you claim that you, without a doubt, did exactly what I asked?"
"Yes," cried Edge who was getting tired of all the shaking, "I swear I did exactly as you asked! I swear it, absolutely, by all of my edge-crossing!"
Just then the earth stopped shaking and was so confused by itself that it split a large, smooth hole in the corner of the stone shore the ocean had left behind. The split bucked Hill, Shoal, and Walker high in the air and each of them landed hard in the places where they had come from and realized, again, who they were.
Laughingmoon shook his head and laughed and said, "See, Edge, everything is right and as it should be." And he went away laughing at what had taken place.
Sunsight, who had been watching all of these events from the tops of the ocotillo, came to Edge and said,
"Edge, I am disappointed that you have caused the earth to shake and change so, but because you tried to set things back the way that I had shaped them, I will not punish you as I have punished Walker. From now on, you and all the others created in my image must remain on the land that I have given them-- And you must stick close to yours to make sure no one falls into this hole you have created-- At least until I find something better for you to do. "
Edge looked down into the hole and felt ashamed, but Sunsight took pity on her and said,
"But, I will also spread your land so that it touches each of the places you loved to cross over into-- so you will also have no need of crossing into them again. And, so that you may still see each other, I will allow you and all the others to walk this lifeless shore whenever you choose, as long as none of you settle onto it."
"Thank you, Sunsight," cried Edge and puffed out their chest, "I swear by the rest of my name that I always come to you first when I find myself in such tricky trouble again."
And it was so.
Shoal and the Last Moon
In the final days of The Drought, which Walker had made, the Earth had grown wrinkled and brittle from the heat and the Ocean lapped low against the beaches and cliffs. Cormorant, often who dove recklessly into the sea, came to Shoal with a broken wing and said,
"Shoal, you and I are greater friends than dearest friends and I know you are of Sunsight's own image. Their Drought has sent the Ocean into fitz and withered the Earth-- perhaps you could approach them and ask if The Drought might end?"
But Shoal shook her head sadly, "Cormorant, I am afraid me and all the others may have to suffer longer through this-- for even in The Drought we forgot who we were and angered Sunsight even more."
Now Littlemoon, who had become smaller and paler from the crying of the clouds and the desperate songs of the sea, happened to be gliding across the waters when she heard Shoal say this and grew even smaller and paler and sadder.
"Shoal," she said, "Cormorant. I have heard your suffering and I shall speak to Sunsight on your behalf. Tonight, please wait in the Ocean, for my return."
And so Littlemoon climbed high into the sky, leaving Shoal and Cormorant to do as she had told them to, and threw herself before Sunsight.
"Sunsight, I know you have given this world both form and name, but I ask that you bring The Drought to an end. The Earth has become withered and Ocean becomes smaller each day. The inhabitants cry out for relief and their songs hurt me and cause me to shrink away from my own form and name. Please, Sunsight, listen to this world-- can you not see that Shoal and all the others are sorry for what they have done?"
But Sunsight only shook their head, saying, "Though you are not as aimless of crafty as your brother, and have not tried to undo what i have set in place on the Earth, I cannot grant you this request."
And they went away, leaving Littlemoon alone.
Now Laughingmoon had been spying on his sister and found that he was suddenly emboldened with anger at Sunsight's treatment of her.
"Littlemoon!" he said, "Though we are bound to this world and no longer aimless moons, free to wander through the darkness, we are still born of the same place as Sunsight and might be able to change things in our own way."
But Littlemoon said, "No, Laughingmoon, I do not want your help. Please do not do whatever you have set out to and, for once, Brother, be still and listen as I do."
Then she went away and Laughingmoon began to think. He thought for half a heartbeat and then went off to find the 7 children who had been split from Hill's Stone of Fear. When he found them, he said to them,
"How can you know where you come from, when you have been split from a thing that no longer exists?"
And the 7 children were very puzzled by this and scratched their heads. But Laughingmoon continued, "Follow me and I will end Sunsight's Drought and unify you once more, so you shall know who you are and where you have come from."
And the 7 agreed, though they did not fully understand. So Laughingmoon sewed into them Edge's ability to cross, which she had mistakenly sworn over to him in her forgetfulness, and they crossed into Walker's land and climbed to the tips of the monuments the High Walkers had made. The 7 could feel the tips of the sky brushing their whiskers and were excited for what was to come.
"Shortly, Sunsight will come this way, as they often do while wandering the sky, and when you see them do as I do," said Laughingmoon and coiled himself back, ready to spring.
Just then, Sunsight appeared on the horizon and Laughingmoon leapt into air and the 7 followed after him. Sunsight was so surprised they curled into a ball and Laughingmoon and the 7 covered them entirely, creating a new shadow that began to hollow out the Earth into the slick black mud it had first been. Laughingmoon cried out to Littlemoon,
"Littlemoon! Now we may make this our own world and never cause it the same suffering as Sunsight has!"
But as the Earth was un-made, the clouds cried out in fear and the Ocean in pain, and Littlemoon could not hear her brother over their crying. She became so overwhelmed by their suffering, she shrank until she was little more than a pale pebble and fell out of the sky. She might have fallen into the Ocean and sank into nothingness, but Shoal, who was still waiting with Cormorant as Littlemoon had asked them to, saw the flash of something in the air and caught Littlemoon in her paws.
She swam to the Stone Shore and called to the others,
"Walker! Hill! Tell the 7 to come back to earth-- They are your kin and should listen to you!"
But Hill shuddered with fear and hid and Walker shook their head angrily and claimed the Shoal would not understand. Shoal felt her own anger rise in her, but she called to Edge,
"Edge! Call out to Sunsight and tell them what is happening to the world! Surely they will listen to you!"
But Edge too preoccupied watching the hole they had created, so that their kin would not accidentally run into it. Shoal felt as hollow as the Earth was becoming but, suddenly, Littlemoon spoke to her softly,
"Shoal, if you can take me to my brother, I will be able to set this right."
Shoal was afraid and angry and uncertain but she called out to her kin, "Sing the songs of the Ocean, which Cormorant and Littlemoon have taught you!"
And her kin listened to Shoal and brought stillness to the Ocean with her own soothing songs. Shoal turned to Cormorant and said, "Cormorant, you are very gangly but if you call to you cousins and your cousins' cousins, surely enough will come that they may lift me and Littlemoon up into the sky."
So Cormorant called out to her cousins and her cousins' cousins, and Gull and Albatross and Osprey came saying, "It may be the end of all things, but we will trust you, Cormorant."
So the sea birds carried Shoal and Littlemoon high and higher still-- up past the wailing clouds and to where Laughingmoon and the 7 covered Sunsight.
"Laughingmoon!" cried Littlemoon, "I told you to wait and listen, but now you are destroying the Earth and soon I will be gone with it!"
Laughingmoon saw what had become of his sister and stopped laughing.
"Sister, I am sorry, I was not thinking-- But now the world is already un-becoming itself and we must leave it before you and I are unmade with it!"
"No," said Littlemoon, "I love too much of this world-- The Ocean, Cormorant, and Shoal-- to leave it to become nothing but mud. If you are truly sorry, you will undo this thing you have done: you and the 7 must go into the shadow and brace up the world so that it does not cave back into slick, black mud!"
Laughingmoon saw that his sister was serious and became sad, as she was, since they would not be able to see each other again, but he agreed and took the 7 down into the new shadow and braced up the world so that it did not fall into nothingness. Then Sunsight, who had been freed, looked at Littlemoon and said,
"Because you have done this thing at the cost of your Brother, I will not leave you to be lonely forever. Take your original form and fly high into the heavens, where you may always see The Ocean and Cormorant. As for you, Shoal, you may speak freely with Littlemoon, since so much good has come from your connection, and, when your time comes to die, you and your family shall be united within her for all of eternity."
So Littlemoon grew back to what she had been and carried Shoal and the sea birds down to the Earth, but did not ascend into the heavens right away, as she wanted to rest with those she loved as she loved herself.
And Sunsight was so moved, they let the clouds bring forth rain and, because they wept so much, they filled up the hole Edge had made and brought an end to the Drought.
The First Sunwatcher
Now one of Walker's children, whose name was Longroot, was always worrying about whether or not Sunsight would punish Walker and the others with another unbearable Drought. He spent his days pacing the borders of Walker's land with his claws raking at the clay, tail twitching in fear.
"How can we be certain?" he asked Walker, who had learned to grow less angry in their final days, "Sunsight might find us foolish or disobedient again and this time we shall surely die!"
But Walker shook their head and said, "Faith and patience, Longroot, faith and patience."
Longroot was not satisfied with this answer, though, and made his way down to the Stone Shore where he met with one of Hill's sons, who was lonely and liked to talk endlessly. His name was Ratchaser and he felt much the same as Longroot did.
"I too have talked to Hill," Ratchaser said, "And he told me that I must trust Sunsight and be still. It's all different ways to say that neight of them know anything!"
"It is very worrisome," said Longroot, "But I must think about it more. Please, Ratchaser, tell me if there is a secluded place in the hills where I might do so-- I cannot keep pacing Walker's land or I am certain I will become quite mad with worry."
"I know of just the place, Longroot, and I will take you there myself."
So the two set off into the hills beyond Hill's land, until they found the wide, high stone that Ratchaser was thinking of. For 13 days, Longroot sat on the wide, high stone and called up for Sunsight to speak with him. Ratchaser, though he was bothered by the same questions Longroot had, found himself growing more tired each day and, on the 12th day, curled up beside Longroot and fell asleep. Longroot longed to join him but kept calling out to Sunsight.
On the 13th day, Longroot's cries reached Sunsight and they turned their eyes to Longroot.
"Son of Walker, what is it you need to ask me?" they said.
"Please, Sunsight," Longroot said, bowing his head low, "I am very afraid for the future. I am afraid we in Walker's clan and the others may one day anger you again and be punished with another Drought. I ask for a way to reach you-- to know what you are thinking and what may come, so that we can continue to live in the land you have made for us."
Sunsight was very pleased by Longroot's concern and offered, "For your love of my will and your clanmates, I will share with you half of my name, so that you may know half of my will-- But be warned, should you choose to receive it, you will have to give me half of your own will in return."
Longroot was very troubled by this and tried to wake Ratchaser, to ask what he thought.
"Your own will?" said Ratchaser, "Even to know Sunsight's will-- no, that is too much. Do not do this thing, Longroot."
But Longroot shook his head sadly and said, "I love you as I love myself, Ratchaser, but, for Walker and the others and all that come after them, I must do this."
Then he looked back to Sunsight and said, "I will sacrifice part of my own will, my eyes that see the world and my future with Ratchaser, and I will dedicate myself to your ways as Longsun."
And in that moment, Sunsight's ways became clear to Longsun, and his eyes grew dim and sightless and Ratchaser sadly lead him back to Walker's land, so that he could share what he had learned.
Those Who Live Under the Stone
A daughter of Edge was once so wicked and turned away from the laws of Sunsight that, when she died, Littlemoon would not allow her into herself to be with the rest of Edge's clan.
"Well," said the wicked she-cat, whose name was Whiteheart, "Where am I to go then? I cannot go back to my body, because it lies cold and stiff under the sun, and I certainly cannot go to Sunsight's council because I have no interest in their ways."
But Littlemoon shook her head, "You cannot dwell with those you have so hurt by your deeds. Now leave this place."
So Whiteheart left Littlemoon and began to wander the earth without form, doing more wickedness. One day, Sunsight caught a glimpse of her carrying out her cruel deeds and descended upon her saying,
"What are you doing behaving so wickedly past your time?"
Whiteheart was very angry and snapped, "I would like to retire with my clan in Littlemoon but she will not let me in! And my body has long since turned to sand, so there is no use living in it anymore. I don't know what I am to do, so I will just do as I have always done and do wickedness throughout the Earth."
Sunsight was perplexed by this: never before had they encountered this problem. Just then the earth split open and the voice of Laughingmoon called up from under the stones,
"Sunsight," he said, "Let her come to dwell with me and the 7, for there are still many parts of the Earth that must be kept from caving in."
Before Sunsight could say anything, though, Whiteheart dove into the split earth, saying, "That's good enough for me!"
And Sunsight decided that those who followed Whiteheart's path of wickedness would go to dwell Under Stone since Littlemoon and themself would not take them.
