A long time ago when Gear was a world of wild magic and the gods and goddesses still walked its surface, the two lunar goddesses descended from the heavens. Selene, the goddess of the silver moon, and her sister Elatha, goddess of the green moon, came down to the land riding on moonbeams.

There were few humans in the world of Gear at this time, but they were curious people and would flock to see any god or goddess who walked among them. So, the sisters picked a beautiful spot in a secluded river valley, on the eastern side of the Adelaide mountains. The mountains formed an impenetrable wall on three sides and the valley was thick with dense undergrowth and trees. The goddesses found a little sun-drenched clearing on the river banks where their attendants set up a picnic.

Selene brought one of her famous mooncakes. The top of the cake had been decorated with a second layer of almond pastry forming an intricate pattern. More white-almond pastry surrounded the cake which had a centre made from crushed lotus seed paste, and to Elatha’s surprise there was a whole salted duck egg in the centre. Elatha said it should be called a moon pie and the two goddesses, who currently looked like beautiful women, laughed. Determined not to be outdone by her sister Elatha had brought a matcha mille cake. They ate the matcha mille cake which consisted of twelve pancakes, which were sandwiched together with sweet, whipped cream, which complemented the slightly bitter green tea that had been used to flavour and colour the pancakes green. On the top layer of the pancakes was a dusting of matcha powder and a selection of edible flowers forming a delicate crescent. Both goddesses complemented Elatha’s master chef on his hard work.

In the afternoon they listened to music played by their attendants and the Luna Maidens of Selene’s court performed a ritual dance. When the sun began to set, the attendants gathered together all that had been brought, ready to ride on the first moonbeams of the new night, back to the Luna palace from whence they had come.

The sisters embraced ready to say a final goodbye, when the quiet of the evening air was broken by a chorus of beautiful bird song. Moving apart the goddesses watched a procession of tiny brown birds fly down from the trees to the river. Four of the largest birds carried in their claws the corners of a hammock supporting a fifth bird. Elatha began to cry golden tears as she realised that the fifth bird was dead, Selene wept silver tears as the song the little brown birds sang, told of great love, loss and grief.

The little brown birds paused at the edge of the river and lowered the dead bird to the ground, as the goddesses approached.

“Tell me little brown birds who do you sing so mournfully for?” asked Selene.

The bird who had been leading the procession flew over to the goddesses, and madly spiralled in the air until Selene stretched out a hand and extended a single finger for it to perch upon. The little brown bird was so small his entire body was no longer than the goddess’s elegant pale finger.

“We sing a song of morning, for my mother, queen of the babbler birds,”

“I am so sorry for your loss,” said Elatha as she wiped away her tears, a few of the golden drops stuck to her fingers. “I’m deeply moved by the beautiful song you and your fellow birds sang for your mother. Take these golden tears as my gift to honour the love you have all shown for your dead queen.” As Elatha touched the head of the little brown bird with her fingers coated in her golden tears, the bird instantly turned golden. “From this day forth you and your kin will be known as the golden babbler birds. It will also be known that you were blessed by myself, the goddess of the green moon, and you and your kind should never be hunted or caged.” When she drew away her hand, it was not only the prince of the golden babbler birds who had changed colour, but all the others now shimmered gold.

“My sister is right, the love and respect you have shown your deceased queen has moved me also to tears, but I do not know what gift to give you,”

“Please oh goddess Selene, can you not restore our beloved queen to us?” pleaded the prince.

“That power is beyond me, but I can call upon Death and ask it to return her,”

As Selene spoke, she waved a hand across the river to a shadow, that had always been there. With the summon from the goddess the shadow left the ground and rose up to form a pillar of near darkness. Details came and went as the shadow shifted, one moment it was old, the next it was young, then a man and then a woman in less time than it takes to blink. After all, death comes to everyone and everything eventually, regardless of age, gender, or even wealth.

“You summoned me goddess,” stated Death in a voice that shifted with every word, it was clearly heard by all, although it was barely more than a whisper.

“I ask you to return the queen of the golden babbler birds to her people, who love her so.”

Death considered the request before answering.

“It is within my power to return those who I have taken, but there will be a price.”

“I will do anything!” exclaimed the prince. “To have my mother returned to me and my kin, we would do anything to have our queen restored.” The little golden babbler bird, who was still perching on Selene’s finger bowed to Death as he spoke.

“Very well I will return your queen when you have completed a task for me,”

This time there was a chorus from the golden babbler birds, swearing they would do anything for the sake of their beloved queen. As patient as the world, Death waited for the clamour to die down.

“I ask that all you golden babbler birds follow the chain of the Adelaide mountains to its southern tip, from there you will follow the coast until you come to a lonely mountain on the edge of the world,”

“You mean Mount Kirkjufell?” Interrupted Elatha.

Death nodded.

“That’s more than a thousand miles away, such a journey for these little birds would be a mighty task,” stated Elatha ,she looked concerned.

Once again Death nodded, before continuing its demands.

“Once you and your kin reach the mountain you may spend one day pecking and scratching at the rocks. When you wear the mountain away to nothing, I will restore your beloved queen to this world.”

Both goddesses looked shocked, Death always asked for a high price to be paid, to return one it had claimed, but this was unbelievable. Before the goddesses could protest and plead for a better deal, the prince extended his tiny wing to the shadow of Death to accept the terms. In the moment before Death and the little bird broke contact, Selene demanded an amendment.

“The golden babbler birds will get one day every year until the end of time, if needs be, to complete this task and you will honour your word.”

It was impossible to tell whether Death was shocked or displeased by this amendment, as its face changed as quickly as the beating of a heart. The shadow of Death nodded in assent to this change.

“One day every year, but just one day.”

Without another word Death bent down and picked up the lifeless body of the queen of the golden babbler birds, and walked with her across the river, before vanishing into the shadows.

“I’m sorry little prince that you have been burdened with such a task,” Elatha spoke with clear sadness in her voice.

“I too wish I could have done more to help your kin, brave little prince,” stated Selene.

“You do not need to be sorry my goddesses, both of you tried your best. I should have been wary to offer anything to Death. Thank you goddess Elatha for our new golden feathers,” the prince bowed to Elatha, then hopped onto Selene’s finger to speak to her. “And many thanks to you goddess Selene, for buying us more time from Death, to complete the mighty task it has set us.”

“I wish I could have done more,” Selene paused and considered what she could do. “I will grant you the eternal strength of the silver moon, to aid you on your long journey to the lonely mountain at the end of the world and back again. All I ask is that you sing for me at sunset and my strength will be yours.”

“You ask nothing of us truly, goddess Selene, as we love to sing, that is why we were called the babbler birds.”

With a final bow the prince leaped from Selene’s finger, and in a moment he was lost in the flock of his kin as they spiralled up towards the setting sun singing a song of joy, and began their long journey to Mount Kirkjufell.

 

A thousand years or more has passed since that fateful meeting of the lunar goddesses, the prince of the golden babbler birds and Death. Mount Kirkjufell is still visited by the golden babbler birds for a single day in the heart of winter every year. It takes the little golden birds three months to complete their journey from their home in the Armay river valley, down to Mount Kirkjufell and then just as long to get back. They are gone from their home all winter, although they do not complain. It may have been hundreds of generations since the deal with Death was made, but the golden babbler birds still honour their word and make the trip.

Many people tell this story as an example of patience and determination in the hope to inspire these qualities in others. Whilst the golden babbler birds sing throughout the day, their most beautiful songs are sung as the sun sets, to honour the goddess Selene, who continues to grant them the strength to continue despite their task seeming impossible.

 

The end.