A Full Web-Only Exclusive Story
of the Twelve Kingdoms

(c) 2002 Emily C. A. Snyder, All Rights Reserved

The Sun lay banished within the Golden Valley, for he had loved the Moon too much, too long, and had spurned traversing the world unless he stood above her Citadel. And so as punishment, he stayed coiled within a bud in that vale he loved so well, even while the Wood encroached on its borders and in some places conquered the fields. As the Sun lay, no larger than a seed at first, he grew - as a child might grow within a mother’s womb.

There he remained until the Moon, newly freed by gruff Brigglekin, made her first course over the the earth – shining more brightly and with greater joy and thanksgiving than e’er before or e’er since – the Sun stirred within the blossom and op’t his eyes and saw the silver stream above him.

How swelled the youth Sun’s heart to see his beloved again! At once he rose and pushed aside the yielding butter leaves and stood on his child’s feet and laughed for relief. But as she passed, he grew sad again, for here he was no taller than a human child just barely out of his mother’s milk...how should he ever hope to trace the sky again?

"I shall find me a giant," said he, "and have him toss me into my beloved’s arms!"

And so the Sun set off North, and travelled for many a long while, calling always to the Moon when she passed. But she could not hear him, although she sought him nightly. Until finally the Sun came to the foothills of the mountains of the North.

"I shall climb them," he said, matching his actions to his words, "and thus reach out when my beloved passes me."

But his little arms and legs soon grew weary and he collapsed into a thicket, and thought that perhaps, after all, he should die. But in that region, just south of Loch Corraigh - which is named after the first and greatest of the Giants, at whose silty bottom it is said he still sleeps - there lived a very gentle giant, named Östrung, an outcast from his northern bretheren for his kindliness. While out walking one day, Östrung found the child-Sun lying as if dead upon the foothills, and moved by pity the Giant picked him up and blew upon him until the Sun was roused.

"Little boy, little boy," or "Gvennik mhensk, gvennik mhensk," as the Giants speak.

The Sun stirred and grinned at Östrung, and said, "Ah, now I have found you! But I cannot understand you - so much must have changed since I was punished." And stretching forth his hand, he gave the Giant knowledge of all tongues. "There, large one, receive this as payment for rescuing me."

Östrung blinked and took a step back. "Why! You were speaking gibberish before and now I understand you!" Then in quite a different tone, "But where are your mother and father? For they must be worried sick about you! Tell me where you live and I shall return you."

"Oh no!" said the Sun. "But if you carry me on your shoulder to where the Moon sleeps, I shall be grateful."

"I do not know where she sleeps, or whom she is," Östrung replied. "But as you ask so prettily, I shall put you on my shoulder and you may tell me where to go."

So Östrung and the Sun set out, down the foothills, ever following the Moon westward to her bed. And as they walked, the Sun told Östrung many things about the world when it was young, and about how he first came to see the Moon and to love her. But of his fall he spoke little, for it shamed him.

To all this Östrung replied with shakes of his hoary head. "It may be as you say, gvennik ljuv," (for some words are best said in one tongue, and some in another, and the Giant knew no sweeter term for a little child), "but I do not know that the new light in the sky was ever a woman as you say, and I have never seen the valley you speak of – although I admit I have never wandered further than the sight of my once-home – but mayhap such things are greater even than myself, and my poor head cannot wrap itself around the notion. But if you say left or right I shall go; and if you tell your stories, I shall not mind."

At long last they came to the very western edge of the world, at a place where the earth drops away so suddenly, and the water rushes beneath one’s feet, eager for the True Earth. Here Östrung paused, for although he was as great as his brothers, even he dared not jump the many thousand miles down.

"Now we shall part our ways," the Sun said, leaning against the Giant’s cheek and dangling his feet over his shoulder – children's feet no longer, but those strong youth just come into his downy beard. "For when I see the Moon pass over, I shall leap from thee, and like we shall only ever see each other from afar again."

Östrung nodded and sniffed, for well he had come to love the Sun as his own and he was sure that the youth upon his shoulder should only throw himself to a needless death. But useless were the Giant’s common pleas; every argument Östrung could think of he had used already – and still the Sun would not be swayed. So standing now upon the very precipice, time and water flowing noisily away from the tender-hearted Giant, poor Östrung could only nod and wipe his nose and wait for the gossamer Moon to show herself.

So far west, the Moon came last to them, bringing with her a trail of stars and soughing with the wind a song no other mortal has ever heard – for she sang for her beloved and all her tears dotted the evening sky. When the Sun saw her coming, rising over the gnarled, omnipresent wood, he stood upon Östrung’s shoulders and strained his neck to see over the good Giant’s massive head.

"She is coming! She is coming!" the Sun cried, nearly dancing for glee. Silently, Östrung’s tears joined the streams at his feet.

And when the Moon passed overhead, the Sun leapt upon Östrung’s shoulder, shouting, "Lift me up! Lift me up, my dearest friend and comrade! Oh, let her not pass me by! Now, oh, now, if ever thou didst love me, or care for me to walk these many miles! Ah, look! She is nearly spent – she is fading – she is gone!"

But with his last words, the Giant reached over, and took the Sun within his hand, and cast the youth silently into the sky, where he seemed to float a while, arms outspread to catch the hem of his lady’s gown. And then the youth fell, gracefully, arched ever after his lady.

With that, Östrung sat himself down upon the edge of the world, and put his head in his hand and wept so much that he indented the earth and created a well before him. He stayed there for many hours, and saw the Moon float above him, and he shook his fist at her - although with sorrow, not with anger. And as he watched her fade into nothingness, behold! A light shone behind him - faint to be sure, but steady and rising.

"What mocks me!" Östrung cried, turning where he sat to watch the light with wonder. "Here is come another Moon, brighter than the last! Or does she come again to torment me for my kind heart that could not refuse my gvennik ljuv? Well, I shall none of it! I shall hide my eyes and look on her again never!"

Once more he buried his face in his hands and did not raise his head while he felt the light upon him – not even when he knew the light to be just before him, waiting by the well his tears had formed.

"This is a fine welcome!" a voice said beside him. "Here I am walking the sky paths and when I find thee, thou turnest thy face from me! Come, come, my dearest friend! Thou canst have forgotten your gvennik ljuv so soon!"

With that, Östrung did look up, and seeing the Sun, as hale and hearty as any youth, the Giant sprang to his feet and stuffed his fingers in his mouth to keep from shouting. "How can this be! How can this be!" he cried, dancing lightly as he could. "For I saw you fall – I saw you leap and fall!"

"And so thou didst, and so thou shalt see ever and anon, for that is part of my punishment. So too we shall never meet like this again, for I must stay the sky paths all the days of my life. But I could not let thee think, who carried me so far, that all thou hast done was in vain! No, indeed! Although thou didst not know it, and many may never know of thee, yet through thee much joy shall come – has come already – to this poor world of ours. But see, what is this Well? There was never one when I came here last!"

So Östrung told the Sun how it had been made, rather sheepishly – and the Sun laughed and clapped his hands and said, "I shall to sleep here when my work is through, on those nights I cannot catch my beloved. Mayhap it shall be granted me for thy love. But I can tarry no longer. Farewell my friend and companion! And when thou look’st in the sky, thou shalt see me, and I thee, and well remember our fond travellings!"

And so the Sun departed from the Giant, and never a day passed but that Östrung looked up smiling to the sky paths.