Ohniahnis and Her Shadow

A Yahgahn Fable

A long time ago, beyond all remembrance, when the world was just newly created, was a young Goddess name of Ohniahnis. Ohniahnis loved plants and flowers so much that wherever Her feet trod, life flourished in those places. She would run about All Creation, laughing and frisking all day long.

One day, Ohniahnis was running through Her favorite forest when she accidentally tripped over a dark something lying on the ground. It was a Shadow, and one without an owner!

“I’m sorry,” said the Shadow, “I was just lying in the sunlight.”

“That’s okay, apology accepted.” She said.

After a little while of talking, Ohniahnis found out that the Shadow’s owner had died, and the Shadow, thus, was ownerless. They soon began to play, and it did not take long for them to become best friends.

Yet one sad day, the Gods figured out that the Shadow was ownerless. Since a Shadow needs an owner, they had to pull him back to the Other Side. Yet Ohniahnis did not want to lose Her new best friend, so She followed Him.

She continued to follow Him into the Land of Eternal Childhood, and then on down his path to the Land of Darkness, where Shadows live.

Though She was cold and scared, Ohniahnis continued into the Land of Darkness. There, it was so dark that She could not see Her hand in front of Her face, but She followed the Shadow anyway. Such was the power of Her desire. But Her presence did not go unnoticed; Morshenda, the Goddess of Darkness, was startled to see Her there. She leaned close to Ohniahnis, and asked gently, “Why are you here, little one? It is so dark and cold here, surely you are scared?”

“I would brave any creation of the Gods to be with my best friend Shadow. I have followed Him this far; if I must go to the Heart of the Chaos itself, I will ignore all fear to be with Him.” Ohniahnis said firmly.

“My, my, but We have a brave child with Us. I admire your courage, but I regret to tell you this, my dear, but this Shadow needs an owner.”

“Then let ME be his owner!” Ohniahnis shouted.

Morshenda had to think on this for a moment, but She finally said yes.

“I have never heard of a Goddess with a shadow before, but sure, you may be together for as long as you both will.”

So from that day forth, Ohniahnis and Her Shadow never parted again. It was a friendship to last all eternity. Even now, when you walk in the forest, if you listen carefully enough, you can hear Ohniahnis and Her Shadow playing together.

The moral of this story is that

Sometimes love will

Not let go.