True Education

Once upon a time there lived twin sisters, Folashade and Zafnet. On the day of their birth, The Midwife declared that one of them would be a great queen and bring peace to their land while the other would live in the shadows and die unknown to the world. The sisters' parents saw Folashade as a bright, outgoing child while Zafnet was never able to keep up with her sister. Because of this, the parents gave all of their attention to Folashade, educating her on all subjects regarding politics, science, math and philosophy. To Zafnet they taught home-bound skills; sewing, weaving, cooking, cleaning.

Folashade knew this was unfair to her sister, so at night, when they were alone, she shared with Zafnet all that she had been taught. As they grew, many complimented Folashade's beauty and wisdom. They knew that she would be the one chosen to be the queen. To Zafnet they gave encouraging talks about how she would make a wonderful wife and mother some day. Folashade and Zafnet had discussed the prophecy of The Midwife several times, they had no doubts Folashade would be the future queen. Zafnet would often say to her sister, "When you are queen, I will disappear to another land and you will never have to worry about me." To which Folashade would respond "Fie upon prophecy. When I am queen, I shall keep you at my side as my head adviser. You are as smart as anyone, especially me. Why should you fade into the background?" Zafnet would always thank her sister.

When she was old enough, Folashade was sent to the best school the family could afford. She studies politics, philosophy, economics and foreign languages with the greatest of minds. Many times her professors were surprised at her insight and did not always have immediate answers to her questions.

Meanwhile, Zafnet was trained in the marketplace. She learned to haggling, foreign relations, folklore, traditions and how to defend herself from unwanted advances. She was able to earn her family a profit every day she went to the markets to sell their wares. Zafnet wanted to make sure her sister was able to stay in school and become queen.

When the college had a holiday, Folashade came home for a time and tried to join her sister in the markets, believing that her knowledge of economics and foreign languages would help her profitable sister become more profitable. The parents believed this was an excellent opportunity to show the world their daughter's skills and told Zafnet to take Folashade with her. Zafnet was hesitant, but accepted.

Before they got to the market, Zafnet stopped Folashade and told her "there are many ways in which someone new to the market can be taken advantage of. Do not take the first price you hear. Do not trust Virilius. Do not tell the Ajalan that you are Aadideven. These three rules are imperative for you to survive here."

Folashade scoffed at her sister and said, "do you think me so ill educated that I cannot converse with common people? I can blindside them with my intelligence. Just watch." And she walked into the middle of the market, disregarding her sister's yells.

Around this time, a young man came into the market, looking to sell silver from a far off land. Folashade saw the silver jewelry and wanted some so she approached the man, "how much for this necklace?"

"30 fedhas," he replied.

"You must think me an idiot to buy the necklace for that much. The cost of the silver alone is only worth 10."

"Ah, but you are forgetting about the craftsmanship that went into it. That is where the real expense is. This necklace alone took me five days to properly smelt and forge. Then it took another week to design!"

Folashade was at a loss, she had no idea if this man was telling the truth or not because she had never seen jewelry created before. Her face betrayed her lack of insight and the man knew he would not be talked down any more, "either pay the 30 fedhas or be gone. I have too much to sell to waste my time on one person." Folshade walked away in shame.

She ended up at a local tavern and thought that she would get herself a small drink while she thought about where she went wrong. While she was there, a group of people began a heated discussion about the true story of Hero of Canton. Once side said that he was a hero of the highest caliber, the other said that he was nothing more than an unlucky thief. Folashade, thinking that she could put her education to use interjected by saying that he was both, according to the official records.

Both sides glared at Folashade and each yelled at her for bringing up official records "which could be doctored by anyone" and "were irrelevant to the conversation" and "said nothing about the meaning behind the actions". Folshade paid her tab and walked out in shame. But she was followed.

A older man named Virilius had seen her and taken a liking to her. He followed her out of the tavern, maintaining a distance of a few feet, waiting for his opportunity to grab at her. Folashade was oblivious to him and just went looking for her sister to take her home. She wandered in between a couple of kiosks and Virilius followed after. When she saw she was at a dead end, Folashade turned around and was face to face with Virilius. He grabbed at her and forced his mouth onto hers. She tried to push him away, but he was much stronger. She tried to scream, but his mouth covered hers.

Folashade had had enough. She had been shamed for the last time. She grabbed Virilius' throat and roughly pushed his neck back until he couldn't breathe and he had to let her go. Folashade was beyond enraged and grabbed the knife that he had at his side and slit his throat.

She stood there, frozen from shock, for what seemed like hours. She woke up out of her trance to a scream from the owner of one of the kiosks. Folashade looked at the woman, looked at the knife and dropped it. Then she ran. She forced her way through the market square, towards her home, ran into her sister's room and locked the door. She collapsed and began crying.

After the sun had set, Zafnet knocked on the door. Folashade let her in and then collapsed again on the bed. Zafnet hugged her sister and held her tight.

"There was talk of a murder in the market place today," Zafnet began. "They say Virilius was killed by a woman who looked much like me, much like you. My whereabouts can be vouched for by all those I sold to today. My time line is set in stone. Yours, however, is a mystery. I will not ask you if you did it, and I pray you do not tell me if you did. I'd rather be ignorant of the subject."

"I was useless," Folashade began. "I should have just been by your side all day. I couldn't do anything right and I finally got fed up with it and now a man is dead. I cannot go back to the college. I cannot stay here. What can I do?"

"There is a group," Zafnet began hesitantly, "they take in refugees and people of unknown origins. All they ask is that you put in your share of the food at the end of the day."

"Is this my only choice," Folashade cried. "I am no thief. I only killed out of self-defense, a moment of weakness."

"The law of the land says you are to be put to death. I wish I had better news for you, better opportunities, but it is not safe for you to stay here."

"Dear sister," Folashade whispered, "there is another way. There is a group, the Ah Puch. It is said that after your first kill, they will hunt you down and offer to let you join them. They will train you in the arts of death and you will never want for another family."

"Folashade!" Zafnet cried. "How could you think of joining the Ah Puch? They are servants of the darkness! They kill for money, some for fun!"

"They are what I want," Folashade whispered. "They will train me, and I will use that training to protect you, be your informant and complete those tasks that no one needs know of."

"What are you saying?"

"You are to be the queen. Not me. Queens relate to their people, I don't. Queens are intelligent in the ways of the people, are able to sooth discord where it arises. That is not me. Zafnet, you will become the queen of these people and they will love you. I will stay in the shadows and protect you."

"Since that is your decision," whispered a voice from the window, "we gladly accept you into our ranks."

"You are from the Ah Puch?" Folashade asked.

"Yes."

"Then take me to where I am to go."

"Follow closely." And with that, the voice was gone.

Folashade made for the window but Zafnet grabbed her and begged, "please don't go! You are my sister! You are to be queen!"

"Zafnet," Folashade whispered, "I am of no use to you in the eyes of the public. I have shamed my parents and made their investments in me worthless. I will no longer be a waste to them or to you. I don't know how it will happen, but one day you will be queen." With that, Folashade slipped from her sister's grasp and fled out the window.

As the years passed, Zafnet grew more beautiful and more knowledgeable about the people in the market. It seemed that every day she was being proposed to. All of them she declined.

Soon, the king of the land heard about a beautiful girl in the marketplace whose kind words could bring the most ill-tempered drunk to a stop. Curious, he dressed in the clothes of a commoner and went to investigate. Sure enough, there she was, a woman of beauty, intelligence and courage. He fell for her instantly.

The King walked up to Zafnet and asked, "could I talk with you for a while? I am a lost man and need a friendly face to converse with."

"I'm sorry sir," Zafnet replied, "but I just opened shop and I need to make sure to sell everything here if I am to go back to my parents with my head held high."

The King dropped 500 fedhas on her kiosk and asked, "will this be enough to buy everything?"

Rather than being impressed, Zafnet was suspicious, "how did you get this money?"

"It is money that I have earned, not stolen, if that's what you are wondering."

"Then tell me how you earned it."

The King smiled and said, "I am a person of influence in The Council."

"My sister warned me about people like you. I'm sorry sir, but I cannot take money that was used for a bribe."

The King was unable to speak for some time. When he was finally able to collect himself he asked, "how can I prove my intentions are good?"

"My sister will let me know," Zafnet replied. "At the end of three days, you will either be someone I can trust, or a dead man."

The King was shocked again. He had never been addressed in such a fashion. All of the women of the courts and councils were only out to marry him for his crown. They were always so agreeable and disgustingly flirty. Never before had a woman made a threat on his life. The King walked back to the palace and waited the three days.

As the fourth day began to rise, the King was awakened by a servant, "My Lord, there is a woman at the gates waiting to speak with you. She says that you have passed her sister's test."

The King smiled and ran out to greet Zafnet, "may I talk with you now?"

Zafnet smiled, "you may, but keep it short, I have a shop to run and parents to support."

"Never mind that. I will take good care of you and your family, including this mysterious sister of yours."

"You will never meet my sister. But she assures me that when you were questioned in your sleep, your answers were those of a good man."

"May you never cease to shock me," the King smiled.

Soon after, the two were married and Queen Zafnet was praised by all who met her. She counseled her husband regarding who was being honest with him and who was not. She bartered with other countries for the goods that her land needed. She was arbitrator of arguments that arose that the King could not handle.

All the while, Folashade, true to her word, kept her sister safe. No kidnappers, no assassins, no threats were brought to Queen Zafnet. Rumor spread that the Queen was protected by the gods themselves. When presented with these rumors, Queen Zafnet would smile and simply respond "I am protected by love."

How Spiders Got Eight Legs

Once upon a time there was a woman who was gifted in the crafts of weaving, sewing and writing. No one could tell a story as she could; she would tell her stories in the form of weaves, embroidery, quilting and written word.

As her society dictated, she needed to marry. Many men came calling for her hand but she refused them all. When approached by The Council about why she would not marry, she answered "any man can provide for a good family and look good, but these traits only last a few years at best. Find me a man who can tell a story as well as I, and I shall marry him."

The Council was aghast at her arrogance. All of their sons had been refused. So they devised a plan to punish her and teach her a lesson.

The Council collaborated for weeks crafting the finest story they could think of. When they were done, they gave it to Amleth and told him to tell it to The Storyteller and she would marry him. Amleth had never been able to get a wife for he was mean, cruel and used his fists more often than his words. Excited at the prospect of being allowed to marry, he rushed to The Storyteller's home and proceeded to tell the tale, accompanied by The Council.

"What a story Amleth," she exclaimed when he finished. "But you did not write it and you have no others. Therefore I will not marry you."

"That was never the agreement," The Council retorted. "You only asked for a man who could tell a single story. There was never a requirement that it be his own or that there be more than one."

The Storyteller had been caught in her own trap. She reluctantly agreed to marry Amleth and he was eager to have a wife to do his bidding. Years passed and Amleth became meaner and meaner, especially when their union produced no children. Amleth blamed The Storyteller for not being able to carry a child to term and beat her continuously for it.

In desperation she sought the aid of The Healer. She begged him for the means to carry a child to term, using her storytelling art, she conveyed to The Healer the pain she suffered and the importance of having a child. He was moved by her words and gave her a potion, but warned her to only drink one drop each time she wanted a child. The Storyteller thanked him and ran home.

When she got there, she was so desperate for a child that she drank the entire potion right away. That night she conceived and soon her belly swelled with pregnancy. Amleth was pleased and let her be for a time. Soon, however, she felt that there was something unusual about her pregnancy. She sought the advice of The Midwife who told her that she was in such pain because she was carrying more than one child. How many, she couldn't say, but she knew The Storyteller's womb to be full of life.

Finally The Storyteller gave birth to four children, three boys and one girl. Amleth was please with three sons and let her be, but so did everyone else. The Storyteller had no one to help her care for these four children while still fulfilling her duties as a wife and partaking in her crafts. She grew frustrated and realized she would need more arms than what she had.

Using all of her weaving skills, she wove for herself two sets of arms and attached them to her sides. They were strong enough to hold each of her children, even as the children grew older.

At the age of one, each child was finally given a name. To his sons, Amleth gave the names Gahiji, Andrej and Hariraja. To her daughter, The Storyteller gave the name Ebru, in the hopes that she would take after her mother's talent. The Storyteller was not disappointed.

As the children grew, Amleth's fuse shortened. He demanded more his children and his wife, expecting them to show how great he was by their being perfect. The boys began training with weapons and hunting when they were taking their first steps. They were ripped from their mother's arms and trained to be men before they were boys. Amleth demanded more children from The Storyteller and beat her soundly when she failed to produce more. Ebru he did not acknowledge.

The children developed a hatred for their father that mirrored The Storyteller's. She weaved stories to encourage this hate. It built and built until it was time for Ebru to marry.

Ebru had inherited her mother's talents which made her highly desirable as a bride. The Council brought their male descendants to forward as prospects and gave Amleth bribes to win over his favor. But Ebru's desire was for Tomomi, the son of The Healer. Tomomi had proposed, but Amleth had chased him away and starting breaking his daughter's will so she would marry a child of The Council. The Storyteller refused to have her daughter follow in her path and wove poisonous threads into her arms and legs. Amleth died on contact that night when he tried to lay with her.

The Storyteller was brought before The Council and given one chance to defend her actions. The Council had been against her for years so she would be doomed if she did not tell the greatest story of her life.

She started softly, calling upon all of her skills and began weaving her tail of woe, frustration and anger. She called upon Calliope, Clio and Melpomene. Soon her daughter joined her story, adding Terpsakhore and Euterpes' touch. The Council began to weep at the beauty and tragedy that these women were able to weave.

When their story was finished, The Storyteller and Ebru were silent and awaited The Council's judgement. The Council decreed Amleth to have been a poor man, not worth the talent that he married into. Therefore, The Storyteller would have to be the one whose approval was sought after regarding the hand of her daughter. However, murder could not go unpunished. The Storyteller was condemned to weave extra arms for all of her female descendants that whoever sought to marry into the family would know that she and hers were dangerous.

After Ebru and Tomomi were married, The Storyteller saw the effects of the potion The Healer had given her as her daughter gave birth to several children, many four at a time. Using her extra arms, she was able to help Ebru take care of them, earning herself the nickname Grandmother Spider.

So remember this, those who tangle with Grandmother Spider's kin, do not treat them lightly, or ruin their works, for she has weaved them many arms of poison and power, and they will use them.