“Hush children.” said an elderly voice.
After hearing this the children started to settle down. When the elder decided they were ready she began to speak, “It is time you learn the tale of our people.”
At those words, the children grew wide-eyed and mouths fell open slightly. They did not know there was a tale of their people, it never even crossed their minds that there would be. Seeing the looks on their faces the elder smiled, “Yes little ones there is a tale of our people, not all our tales are about the Tide Walkers, though they are in this one as well. This tale has a sad beginning but do not worry it does not end that way.”
In the distance, waves could be heard crashing against a hard surface and a low rumble echoed through the valley the village was located in. “Ahhh it seems this Tide Walker is also interested in our tale.” The elder said with a chuckle, the children also letting out small giggles at the comment.
When the giggles quieted down the tale began, “Long ago, our people lived on the mainland,” there was a rise of gasps. “It is true, we lived in harmony with the beasts we now fear.” The elder could see the looks of disbelief on their faces, “I know many of you do not believe me and will grow up thinking the same, but nonetheless, it is the truth of our people." She sighed and continued, "One day, this harmony was broken, by a human or a beast we do not know, all we know is when it broke our people almost disappeared completely. Broken, desperate, and dying the last of our people arrived at the edge of the mainland where the tides meet the land. When the last of our peoples' hope began to fade, four turtles arrived with the tides.”
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At those words, the elder heard the children whisper, “The Tide Walkers.”
The elder let out another chuckle, “Yes little ones, these were no normal turtles, but the Tide Walkers. They were Bora whose shell is a tundra with snow and ice, Gobi whose shell was once a lush land- but is now a desert, Fen whose shell is a swamp with many plants both dangerous and not, and finally Denali the Tide Walker whose mountainous shell we are currently on. Each Tide Walker's shell offered their own dangers but they were safer than staying on the mainland. They offered our people safety and we accepted, even now we still live with the Tide Walkers on their shells.”
Sensing the end of the tale the children started talking amongst themselves. One of them had decided to ask the elder a question she hoped none of them would ask. “Elder, if the Tide Walkers shells are so safe, why are you covered in so many scars?”
The room went completely quiet and no one moved as they looked at the elder's face which looked sad yet her eyes looked like they brought a message of death.
The room stayed like this for a few breaths before she finally answered “You are still too young for the true answer to that question, but I will tell you that we all have a price to pay for the safety that was offered, a trial of the tribes.”