Would you like me to tell you a story? Yes? Good, because I already know what story I will tell you. It’s about my favorite person ever. And no, I am not referring to myself, so you can wipe that smirk right off your face, Mister. I am talking about Myth, of course—my Myth.
Yes. Yes. I know what you are thinking. You are about to groan. Then you will say, “But Izzy, people have written and said lots of things about Myth through the centuries. Who knows what is true and what is not? Myth is just a myth now. No one really knows who she was.”
Well, I do. Do not forget that, Mister. Do not doubt it, either. I shall be cross with you if you do. Trust me, you do not want that to happen.
You are right, though. People have said many things about Myth. Most of it is twaddle:
“Myth was a young elven lass living in a land dominated by humans. She saw her people suffering, so she stood up to the bigoted humans. Fearing her, the humans had her killed in order to prevent an elven revolt.” Blech! What a load of rubbish. It’s true that Myth was an elf. They got that right at least. And yes, most humans in the Holdings were prejudiced against the elves back then. Many still are, actually. But Myth was not an idealistic revolutionary... Oh! Forgive me for giggling, Mister. I was thinking about how red her face would become if she heard herself described like that.
“Myth was a ruthless elven brigand who planned to wage a campaign of terror against the Holdings. Thousands of humans would have been slaughtered had she lived.” When I heard that, I became so mad I could have slapped someone. Just because Myth did not cower before her “betters,” meaning humans, it does not mean she was a fanatic. She knew how to fight, yes. All elves did. They would have made easy prey for human bandits otherwise. But Myth fought only when she had to, when there was no other option. And she did cower before humans. Or rather, she did before she met me.
“Myth was a hero.” I heard a wee boy no older than six say that. He was smarter than all the rest were. Yes. Myth was a hero.
What makes someone a hero? Are they born with innate knowledge of what to do, of what is just and what is not? Myth would laugh at such a suggestion. So many odd things occurred during our travels together. Sometimes we had trouble just figuring out what was going on. Myth’s greatest concern was to keep the two of us safe, not to right all wrongs. That just happened along the way. No. Myth was not born a hero. The world and the circumstances of her life made her one.
To appreciate who Myth became, first you must understand who Myth had been. You need to go back to when Myth was just an elf, back before I met her...
Do not look at me like that. I know what you are thinking. It’s written all over your face. You are bursting to shout, “Oh! Stop rambling, Izzy. Tell your story already.” Well, I will. But not because you are being so impatient. My prologue is over anyway. So there. I bet you feel foolish for having thrown your little hissy fit now, right? Good. I forgive you. This time anyway. Just do not let it happen again. Now…
My story begins in Myth’s homeland, the Holding Dawn, back when she was a young woman named Mythilda Larkspur…