She greeted each new face as they introduced themselves, marveling quietly to herself on each distinctive creature. She still hadn't become entirely accustomed to the horns and feathers of the natives of this land. Some frightened her, some amazed her, and others were utterly baffling. She wondered on the parents of the foals now gathered, how beautiful and strange they must be, with their huge wings and bright eyes and powerful horns. Every new sight pricked at her wanderlust, made her hunger to see the wide world she'd been thrust into.

She was naturally charmed by her first spectators, finding herself quickly brimming with reflected excitement. She laughed as he tugged at his sister, an equally fantastical creature. "He was pink," she chimed gleefully, her voice rising just a little on every word. "And orange and red and purple and blue!" She tossed her head for effect, little ears flopping gracelessly against her face.

Another voice drew her eyes to a darkly colored colt. She was perhaps as pleased as Volterra to see a fellow equine, but she grinned at him just the same as the other two. She heard his theory quietly, her lips quivering until she let out a soft, deep chuff of affectionate air. Guess the days of storks and 'when a mommy and daddy love each other very much' are over… "That's very clever," She admitted indulgently. "But Raven's story is a little different, you see..." She trailed off to welcome the final spectator, a splendidly speckled filly. "Oh yes, yes! You're more than welcome. Make yourself comfortable, dear." She made sure that the small group was settled before she continued, positively glowing with anticipation.

"Well, it's a pleasure, my friends. Glad you could join me. My name's Cheska, and this is the story of why Raven is black." As she finished her introduction, the persistent lilt slipped out of her voice to be replaced by something more mysterious. This was not the voice of an ordinary mare telling a foolish story, but of the fable keeper passing a piece of herself. Her voice hushed, and her head lowered to their eye level, she began…

"Long ago, Raven was the messenger of Moon God, and was her most beloved companion. Each night, he would fly across the world, delivering her orders and protecting her people. In exchange for his service, Moon God made Raven the cleverest and most beautiful of all birds. He shone every color of the rainbow… pink and gold and red and spotted." And here she acknowledged each child as she chose a color. "He wore a beak and talons of silver. His feathers were soft and shiny. He was blessed by all the gods with a lovely song and a clever mind. But despite his many gifts, Raven was also conceited, and he desired to be as beautiful as the gods themselves. Each evening, he would sing in his beautiful voice:

More fair am I than wren or dove
Fair I should be as gods above

One evening as he was singing, Raven was approached by a chickadee. 'What need have you of more finery?' the little songbird asked. 'You are the handsomest bird in this glen.' Raven agreed, but said, 'There is a fish in the stream that shines brighter even than I. If only my feathers could be a little finer.'
The chickadee nodded. 'If you could catch a bolt from the God of Spark, surely you would have the finest feathers.'
So Raven found Spark God in his home, and he gently laid his wings over the god's eyes. Before the god could wonder of the softness of those wings, Raven snatched a bolt of electricity from his horn. Sure enough, the moment he returned with it to his nest, Raven's feathers smoothed like silk and glowed like moonbeams. Raven was pleased with his beautiful wings for a week, but soon he found himself wanting once more. So he sang:

More fair am I than wren or dove
Fair I should be as gods above

This evening, a nightingale landed in his tree. 'What need have you of more finery?' he asked. 'You are the handsomest creature in all the forest.' Raven agreed, but said, 'There is a wolf on the plains that howls a more beautiful song even than I. If only my song could be a little sweeter.'
The nightingale nodded. 'If you could take a feather from the God of Earth's wing, surely you would have the sweetest song.'
So Raven found Earth God tending to a nest of rabbit kits. Eager to distract him, Raven set a fire in the nearby wood. When Earth God beat his mighty wings to extinguish the flames, Raven stole away with one of his shed feathers. Sure enough, the moment he returned to his nest, he sang a song sweeter than had ever been heard on the earth. Raven was pleased to sing his new song for a few days, but soon he desired more. So that evening he sang:

More fair am I than wren or dove
Fair I should be as gods above

This evening, he was visited by a parrot. 'What need have you of more finery?' he asked. 'Surely you are the greatest creature under the sky.' Raven agreed, but said, 'There are Pegasus who fly higher even than I, with hooves and feathers of sparkling gold. If only my beak and talons could shimmer like theirs.'
The parrot nodded. 'If you could take a just a drop of gold from the God of the Sun's tail, surely your beak would glow even brighter.'
So Raven found Sun God as he lifted the dawn across the horizon. With a flash of his beak, he reflected a beam of sunlight into the god's eyes and blinded him. Sun God was very angry, and as he stomped his feet and swished his mighty tail, a drop of liquid gold landed on the ground, and Raven snatched it up in his beak and hurried home. By the time he'd returned to his nest, his beak and talons had turned sparkling gold and he could fly higher than any of the other animals. This time, Raven was pleased for only one evening before he desired more. So he sang:

More fair am I than wren or dove
Fair I should be as gods above

Finally, he was visited by a swan. 'What need have you of more finery?' she asked. 'Surely you are the greatest mortal who ever lived.' Raven agreed, but said, 'What use is it to be the finest of mortals if I will someday die? If only I could be one of the gods.'

The swan rose up and transformed back into a goddess. Moon God was furious with Raven, and in her anger she took back Raven's beautiful colors, silky feathers, his sweet song and his golden talons, and Raven was left as black as the moonless sky. 'Your greed knows no end, Raven,' Moon God said, 'so you must be punished. I take back all my gifts but one… Your clever mind you shall keep, so that you may know how your arrogance has cost you. You will no longer be welcome in my realm. You will fly by day, but by night you must shut your eyes like other birds, never to look upon me again.'

Raven begged for forgiveness, but Moon God would hear no more. She returned to the sky and Raven never saw her again. And that is why Raven and all his children are black."

Cheska was quiet for a long moment. It was not the most cheerful story she knew, to be sure, but she did not believe in shielding children from stories like these. The lessons could be difficult, but any lesson worth learning was. When she'd first heard it, she'd cried for poor Raven, but her mother had hushed her. "We all have our gifts," she repeated the familiar moral, "and those of us that use them with kindness and generosity shine brighter than greedy Raven ever could have." Drab though the speckled roan was, it was a sentiment she would appreciate for many years after.


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tags] @[Breccan] @[Tempe] @[Volterra] @[Myrrine]
ooc]