Letra and Cobar Trial of Faith

The night had fallen and the fires roared in the village. At the largest fire an old woman sat with her blankets wrapped about her. Soon, from the huts of the village, young children ran towards the fire and the old woman. From 5 years up to 12 or 13, boys and girls alike raced to the fire, for it was time to listen and to learn. Twenty plus children found a spot around the fire close enough to hear the wise words of the Tribal Seer, and to learn more of the past of their tribe.
         Smiling at the eager faces of the children, Motu the Seer waited for the last child to settle in before telling her lesson for the night. With a voice strong and sure she began. “Children, how many of you know why when we join mates in our village they ask for the blessing of Letra and Cobar while holding the red and white staff of joining?” After seeing several heads shaking and eager eyes waiting for the lesson, Motu began.
         “In the summer before my father’s father’s father, the mighty river that still runs by our village,” Motu pointed in the direction of the river, “ran strong and provided a rich supply of fish; the water was clear and sweet as it is today. Then, one morning the tribal Chieftain found the river had dried up over night; in the muddy riverbed fish lay dying. The wise Chieftain sent two of his fastest runners up the river into the mountains to see how far back the river had dried up and why it was dry. Days passed and the tribe danced to Gura, the river goddess, to restore their river that gave them life. The dances continued day after day until, on the third morning, a single runner returned to the Chieftain. Although the runner was a brave member of the tribe, a look of great fear filled his eyes as he dropped to his knees in front of the Chieftain.
The runner told of the journey up the dry riverbed, far into the mountains, past the great cliffs and rocky fields until he and his companion found the reason for the river to have stopped. Fear filled his voice as he told of a great pale snake that had curled up in the river and was now blocking all water from flowing down to the lands below, including their village. The runner also told of how the great snake was eating all the fish that had once feed the village. The Chieftain asked where the other runner was. The Runner bowed his head and told of how the other runner, braver than he, had tried to talk to the snake but had been eaten.
         “The Chieftain called for all members of the tribe to meet at the great fire.” Motu pointed to the fire that roared in front of her and the children. “This very place. The Chieftain had the runner repeat the story and he then said, ‘We must send our strongest brave to kill the great snake.’ Among the members of the tribe the Chieftain’s own son, Cobar, stepped forward, ‘I will kill this snake and free the waters to our people.’ Cheers from the tribe filled the air but the Chieftain called for silence. ‘My son, we know of your bravery and your strength, but your place is here; you will be Chieftain when I am gone. We cannot chance that you would be hurt or killed in your efforts to complete this deed.’ As the tribe talked among themselves of their own opinion, one-stepped forward next to Cobar; it was Letra, the pale skin woman who had been found as an infant in the rushes by the river and raised by the tribe. Letra spoke above the others. ‘Let me go and kill this snake for this is my tribe, too, and if I fail, the tribe loses nothing.’
“Cobar stepped in front of Letra. ‘She is skilled as a hunter yes and her lance and bow are sure, but she is now truly one of us, and she is a woman; her place is in the village, or hunting for wild pig or deer.’
         “The Chieftain raised his hand for silence. ’This decision is up to the elders; we will meet and decide.’ Later that day Cobar approached his father the Chieftain. ‘Father, you have raised Letra as your daughter since she was first found by the river, and the truth is, I love her and do not wish to see her hurt. Send me; I will kill the snake.’ The Chieftain put his hand on his son’s shoulder. ‘The elders have met and Letra has been chosen to be sent for, if she fails, our tribe is still whole, for she is not one of us.’ Cobar dared not speak what was on his mind but he knew what he must do.
         “The next morning before the sun rose in the sky Cobar slipped out of the village and headed for the place where the great snake lay holding back the water. Later, with the rising of the sun, Letra was told that the journey and the honor was hers. All the tribe came out to see Letra begin her journey; all but Cobar. Letra searched the faces but Cobar was nowhere to be found. Sorrow filled her heart for she had come to love Cobar and wished to see him one last time in case she failed.
         “For a day Letra followed the riverbed until she came to encampment of a young brave she had never seen before; this brave was pale of skin as she was. The young brave told Letra his name was Tomaik, that he was from a village far to the east and that he was looking for his sister who had been lost many years before. Letra smiled and told Tomaik of her being found and raised by the tribe. The two embraced for each felt the kinship of the other. Tomaik told Letra that in the morning he would take her back to their parents and her people. When Letra explained that she had something she must do first, Tomaik became angry and said she did not belong to the other tribe but to his and to her true family. Letra agreed that she would go with him in the morning.
         “At the first light of day, Tomaik awoke to find Letra had left to complete her journey. Soon Tomaik began to trail Letra for he was the older brother and his word was law. While Letra continued her journey the thought of her true family burned inside her, but she had given her word. Towards the end of the second day, Letra found a fresh gravesite on the riverbank. High on the poles and the bed of sticks the form of a fallen warrior lay in silent peace. Letra bowed and wished the warrior a peaceful journey to the next world. Then as Letra rose to leave a sound from the grave bed caught her ear and, as she looked on, a long shield and a lance that had been place with the warrior fell in front of her. The shield was hard, harder than any she had ever seen, and the lance seemed untouched by the funeral fire. Letra thanked the warrior’s spirit for the gifts and continued on her journey.
         “By mid after noon, Letra heard the sound of hissing and a man’s voice; the sounds of battle soon filled the air. Letra suddenly recognized the voice of Cobar and raced toward the battle cries. As Letra came around the bend in the riverbed she froze as she saw Cobar in the coils of the great pale snake. Seeing the snake squeezing the life from the one she loved, Letra ran as fast as she could. Ten feet from the snake Letra watched in horror as the great snake swallowed Cobar whole. As if to mock Letra, the great snake laughed and spoke with its serpent’s tongue, ‘Another tasty bit.’ Then the snake struck at Letra. Letra drove the lower tip of the shield into the ground and it fended off the strike. Before the snake could strike again, Letra threw the fallen warrior’s lance with all her might. The lance buried deep in the snake’s head; it thrashed about so violently it landed on the riverbank and the waters were released. Soon the great snake lay dead. Letra then took out her knife and cut the great snake’s belly open. From the belly of the snake flowed many, many fish back into the river, and then Cobar appeared.
“Cobar gasped for air but once in the arms of Letra recovered quickly. Cobar said, ‘The snake, Tomaik, told me that it had already killed you and it drove me insane.’ Letra asked Cobar to repeat the snake’s name and he did. Letra told Cobar of the pale brave that claimed to be her brother, and how she had wondered why his embrace was so cold. Tired of the journey and battle with the snake Letra and Cobar each picked a walking stick to aid them on they return trip. Upon returning to the village, Letra and Cobar told of the journey they shared and of the killing of the great snake.”
As Motu finished the story, one of the children asked what happened to Letra and Cobar. Motu said, “For the great journey they took, and for the tests that Letra faced by the trickster who tried to mislead her with promise of her lost family, the spirit of the fallen warrior granted her the shield and lance. Because she had saved the Chieftain’s son and killed the great snake, bringing the river’s waters and the abundance of fish back to our village, she was made a full member of our tribe, and they were joined. On the morning of their joining the two walking sticks was found by the river, they had been twisted in to one, a gift from Gura the water goddess.  That is why, when man and woman are joined, the two hold the twisted stick between them and we ask for the blessing of Letra and Cobar for their love, even unspoken, gave them great strength to endure all hardships.”