Lady of the Lake

We all have our stories but none can be told as righteous as a beauty that the water holds.

The story of the lake begins with a girl of No Name and her brother, who live near a Lake. Not just any Lake, the lake of Mystery which was surrounded by beautiful hills and mountains. Willow trees graced it's bed with massive roots and long limbs that blew gently in the icy cold wind. You see, the lake of Mystery was very magical to the people, as it appeared overnight on the coldest night of the year. Those who lived around it, felt blessed by its presence.  Brought fresh drinking water in abundance supply two crops, livestock and its people.

No-Name was much older than her brother by 5 years. No-Name adored her little brother, she watched over him like a big sister should. Ever so mischievous little brother would be, always climbing or stumbling in two places unexpected.

Just a curious fellow by Nature, No-Name would have to watch over him while Mama and Papa cared for cattle and the fields. Most days are spent on the farm, in the house or at the barn playing tirelessly.

At night, Grams would tell them stories about the Ice Queen, who graces the snow capped mountains, some stories about unicorns with silk hair running through rivers giving chase to dragonflies, and other stories about Mystics, who with only a touch can calm the woodland folk into disarming the forest for mankind.

Little brother would be inspired by the unicorn stories Grams told, leaving him looking out the window at the cattle in question. Then, on schedule the next morning, no name would be chasing her little brother off the fences all day; as he desperately tried to ride one. Leaving No-Name with more than her fair share of Battle Scars.

No-Name didn't really care much about the stories: flopped over the bench, feet swaying, hand tucked under her chin. Once when she was little, they might have mattered but overtime, her interest had changed. As older sisters take on responsibilities, childish things turn into realities and the mysteries of the world unfold. The nearby lake still had its mysteries, but she never questioned its danger. Mother never let No-Name forget the boundaries of the farm nor the fields.

The nights when little brother was fast asleep in his bed, No Name would visit Gram's cottage in the forest. Grams would tell gathered on lookers tales of the lake and all its mysteries. Folks would come at night to Grams for medicines, fortune telling and charmed trinkets to ward off evil intentions for a simple fee. No-Name would get a small reward for helping Grams out and learning the older ways long forgotten by her mother. Once home again, No-name would place her reward inside the stitching of her blanket. By now each corner had a good weight, mother would always washing and fixing the stitches but No Name would hide the blanket on wash day for good reason. No-Name was saving for the day she would journey with her family to Mystic Lake where she would choose her name. Choosing a name was forbidden until you reached 16, the age of forgetfulness. From there she would be able to journey to towns or villages with her father to trade.   

Little brother and No Name had played hard all day long in the barn that they fell asleep in the warm hay. Papa found them thinking nothing of it he tuck them in for the night within the safety of the barn. It was not unusual for some morning to wake up in the cold brisk Barn, as Papa would be with the cattle across the field protecting them from the wolves. Papa lit the fireplace and started his journey out to the field dawn wouldn't be for another 4 hours. Was not long after, little brother awoke rejuvenated from his cat nap; not realizing he was tucked in for the night. He rose then started towards the door to see what the snow filled night had in store for him.

Lites danced along the lining of the field in magical melody heading in an unfamiliar direction; little brother's foot prints could be seen as he stumbled across the snow filled field into the woods. Destiny's hand has come to claim it's fate, soon No-Name's fate will be placed.

No-Name woke up at first light as it set over the mountains with the cold brisk air filling the barn. Stretching and standing she looked around yawning. Not seeing anyone about she started towards the house, never minding her coat lying in the hay nor her boot tracks in the fresh snow.

The cold has never brought her fear as it was a home that she has known all her life. No coat needed, nor shoes really; the ice never took effect to her body as she was made for the ice cold winter land. Papa wouldn't fuss over coats nor shoes where she was concerned as he knew his daughter had a gift that would have to take its place in this life. This made him sad sometimes but mama would have her bottom if she missed a coat or boots. Never understanding the give of one parent and the need for the other parent. A secret that was tightly sealed upon her birth, a secret that will come to pass soon.

No-Name entered the house finding mama at the stove. With little brother not in sight, she proceeded to take her boots off at the door. Ready to go back into bed herself, she climb the staircase that led to their room. Her little head popped just above the foot boards and she realized little brother wasn't there. In fact, little brother was nowhere!

Sliding down the ladder, No-Name ran past mama in the kitchen; and out the door. No name sled into the barn to find two blankets laying in the hay next to a pile of coats. She stomped passed the coats barefoot to the opening at the other end of the barn. Standing frightened looking out into the snowy field No-Name spotted smaller prints in the snow heading to the woods with her papa in the field she ran towards the tracks in the snow.

From a distance papa saw No-Name running towards the woods; with alarm papa began scanning towards the house backtracking the steps: only one where there should have been two? As he rose to see where No-Name went he realized mama coming out into the snow with her coat and No-Names Boots in hand.

No-Name had in hopes that little brother was hiding from his older sister. No-Name started in the woods calling out his name, while papa disappeared into the house and mama was not too far behind.

As No-Name ran along the path in the woods leading to the lake she could hear mama & papa not far behind calling out for little brother. Both gaining momentum as time was slipping away, making them all desperate to find little brother. No-Name entered a clearing that parted to the Lake. By this time, No-Name was exhausted not noticing her hands and feet had turned blue from the cold winters kiss. The blue gray skin was climbing her legs and by the time she got to the lake No-Name was covered in little blue crystals. Looking down into the ice covered edge of the lake, No-Name realized her new strange color. No-Name noticed her hands while her eyes combed the Lake for any sign of her little brother. Frantic she started rubbing her hands together. Not noticing the cold, No-Name became panicked as a dark figure in the water floated in the center of the lake, broken was the ice around the center. No-Name began to run towards the dark mass thinking the worst when she realized she was no longer on stable ice, thin and cracking under the weight of her feet. Pausing above the dark figure under the thin ice, No-Name fell to her knees pounding her fists into the ice frozen shell. crack crack

Papa's voice rang out from the edge of the woods as the ice broke under No-Name's feet.

Ice, water and the dark figure rose up around No-Name like an offering as she sank into the lake. Wishing to have one moment of clarity, one last goodbye before falling trying to account for each hug, kiss and loving word exchanged. Heavy the limbs she had been carrying for years; the burdens of others had taken their toll. Now as she sank into a place of being, her heart froze over. Grabbing for her last memory, sliding past the unconscious body of her brother as his eyes opened with confusion time stood still.

Like a bad dream his face was ever so fearful looking for one last affirmation. With an ever so small smile No-Name gave him the love she felt for him and that reassurance that everything would be okey. Just like that he was gone, Little Brother was pulled up with a mighty force of will. Papa handed him off to mama as he began searching for No-Name endlessly reaching deeper and deeper into the darkness that claimed her. Soaking wet and freezing mama cradled Little Brother inside No-Names coat rocking him back and forth as papa kept searching. Grams stood quietly at the lakes edge weeping secretly knowing her granddaughter was no more. 

No-Name's own eyes now closed in relief with realization that she was saved for all this time: The work at Gram's, the nightly bedtime stories, everything came into place. The lake of Mystery that appeared the night No Name was born, everything lead to this moment. The realization that she alone knew from the day she was conceived, the knowledge of the lake.

Within her conscious, she heard a voice, one that was ever so familiar to her. She was not afraid or worried. The voice spoke of a time of knowing, a time before she was born. Ever so Soft the voice spoke of a couple who asked of a gift, a git of great value to the lady of the lake. The lady of the lake created them a special gift, one that would need to be cared for, cherished and adored. However, that gift would be returned if mistreated and claimed back into the lake.

Now returned, The Lady of the Lake called No-Name by her name, Nemoway.


Gypsy