The Western Desert

This is an in-setting written work. It is written from a particular perspective and may or may not be factually accurate.

The Western Story

By unknown

A traditional Amshani story describing the tension of pastoral life on the edge of the desert

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A figure of strength was Addir, in possession even in youth of the vigor to fell the beasts that threatened his flock. A mind of cunning was his, such that it could outwit even the craftiest bone-men.

And Addir was restless. In his village along the river, his mind withered, his body was disused. There were no feats for him in his homeland, no great deeds to be done. He tended to his sheep in their fields and aided his elders in their homes, yet even as he cared for all he found his responsibilities dull. In his uncertainty, Addir walked to the river. There he spoke to the Heron.

"Heron, you see more than I. Through your wings you see as if atop a mountain. Through your feathers the world is opened to you. I know of the desert to the west and the sea to the east. Where else have you traveled? What else have you seen?"

The Heron replied. "There is much beyond your village. There is much wonder, but so too is there much danger. Should you leave, great foes await you. Should you leave, you will surely be injured. Stay here, where the water is fresh. Stay here, where the bread is plentiful. Do not die in a faraway desert where your family cannot recover your bones."

Addir considered the Heron's words, but remained uncertain. His walk brought him to the hillsides, where he spoke to the Jackal.

"Jackal, you are swifter than I. Through your speed you outrun danger. Through your swiftness you steal from those larger than you. Is there truly only peril beyond my village? Is the Heron speaking the truth?"

The Jackal replied. "The Heron speaks lies by what she does not say. Nothing can be gained without risk. Nothing can be earned without thrill. Go, steal from the mountain-hoards as I steal from the storehouses. Go, outwit great foes as I outwit the guard dogs. Do not stay here and spend your elder years tending to your sheep."

Addir considered the Jackal's words, but remained uncertain. His walk brought him to the gir-forests, where he spoke to the Auroch.

"Auroch, surely you are hardier than I. Through the strength of your herd you have seen lands beyond this gir-forest. Through your size few oppose you. You travel nearly as far as the Heron, and run nearly as fast as the Jackal. Are the Heron and the Jackal speaking the truth?"

The Auroch replied, "The Heron and the Jackal speak the truth, but incompletely. Danger lurks in the desert and in the sea, but so too can it be found in this gir-forest and in your village. Could you not be harmed by a snake just past these trees? Could you not be harmed by poison in your beer? If your feet desire to leave, leave. If your heart desires to stay, stay."

Addir could not abide this answer, for he expected more than mere uncertainty from the Auroch. He pressed him further.

"Auroch, should I stay here, I will spend my elder years tending to my sheep. Should I venture into the world, I will die and my family will not recover my bones. How am I to make a decision? How am I to soothe my feet and my heart both?"

The Auroch replied. "One decision does not preclude another. One’s youth shapes one's later years, but it does not define it. If the Scales pull your feet afield in one year, their tilt may pull your heart back the next."

Considering this, Addir spoke to the Auroch in the gir-forest. "Thank you for your wisdom. I have learned that my wanderlust must not suppress my care of my home, and that my care of my home must not prevent me from venturing beyond my village."

Retracing his path, Addir spoke to the Jackal on the hillsides. "Thank you for your wisdom. I have learned that I must embrace some danger, for little can be gained without it."

Retracing his path, Addir spoke to the Heron at the river. "Thank you for your wisdom. I have learned that I must moderate my ambitions, for wantonly abandoning my home can only lead to ill."

Addir returned to his home. There, he packed his travel-sack. There, he gave his sheep to his neighbor. Walking into the western desert, he sated his desires. Adventurous, he did not spend his days tending to his sheep. Cautious, his family never needed to recover his bones.