“I’m not tired Nana!”
The woman shook her head. “Even if we are not tired it is still important for us to get enough sleep. Otherwise, you will be incredibly tired tomorrow. You wouldn’t want to fall asleep during your seahorse riding lessons, now would you?”
“I wouldn’t do that Nana! I’ve never done that!”
“Just because you’ve never done it, child, does not mean that you won’t do it tomorrow. Or if not tomorrow, the next time that you choose to be childish and stay up so late.”
“Hey! I’m no child! I am twelve years old!”
The woman smiled. “Be that as it may, you are but a child compared to me. Now, what are you humming there?”
“It’s the Song of Tanatha the Faithless.”
“And do you know the story of Tanatha the Faithless?”
“Yes Nana! Everyone knows the story!”
“Well...I seem to have forgotten. Could you please remind me of the story? In my old age, I’m afraid all of the details have bubbled out of my head.” She said, sitting on a chair next to the bed.
Motala jumped up. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I’ll tell you the story! You see, it began with the first elves. They had a huge republic with lots and lots of really big cities in the world above the water.”
“And before they had that huge republic, who were the first elves? How did they come about?”
Motala squinted. “Wasn’t it that the Old Ones made them from the land?”
“Yes, child. They made them out of the land. They took the stones and they turned them into our bones. They took the took the water and turned it into our blood. They took the plants and turned them into our skin. And how did they make our minds and our souls?”
“They took their love and their happiness and sung them into us.”
“Yes. Exactly. Now, this great republic, who made it?”
“It was two brothers. Uza and Azu.”
“Yes. And did they love each other?”
“They did! But, Uza was greedy. He wanted all of the power to himself.”
“And what did Uza do?”
“He cast his brother out. He threw him to the current along with all of friends.”
“What happened then?”
“The followers of Uza began to worship him like he was an Old One. They treated him like he was Nafani or Susalu.”
“And what is wrong with loving someone so much?”
Motala frowned. “Worship isn’t love Nana!”
“Is it not? Do you not love Nafani, Susalu, Hurakana, Pusinu, and Telane? You worship them.”
“I do! But showing love to an Old One is done through worship! Showing love to a person is done through words and hugs and gifts and doing stuff for them. And showing love to an honored ancestor is through remembering them and respecting them. Not through worshiping them!”
Nana nodded. “Someone has been talking with Seaspeaker Poname.”
“Yes! He’s really funny! He told me this really cool joke! Wanna hear it?”
“Yes!”
Motala clasped her hands together. “What does seaweed say when it is stuck to the bottom of the sea?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. What does it say dear?”
“Kelp! Kelp!”
The woman chuckled softly. “My, that is a good joke. I don’t think I’ve heard that one before!”
“Really?”
“Well...maybe I’ve heard it before. I don’t know. I’m quite old. I may have forgotten that I’d heard it.”
“That must be sad, not remembering everything.”
The woman looked out the window at a passing tuna. “It is child. It is…”
The two sat in silence for a moment. The woman looked out the window. Motala looked down at the woman’s feet. After what seemed a mighty long time to Motala, the woman look at her and smiled.
“But the joy of growing old is seeing you. It is seeing new people get to have their fun and new experiences. It is getting to see you grow and learn.”
“That is really sweet Nana.”
“It is just how I see the world, dear. Now, the people in this great republic began to worship Uza like an Old One. Then what happened?”
“Then Tanatha the Faithless came into power.”
“And why do we call her Tanatha the Faithless?”
“Because she stopped her worship of the Old Ones. She threw them to the current in place of Uza.”
“That’s right. And then what happened?”
“Then they broke the republic. They took their greatest city and shattered it, destroying all of the faithless.”
“Right. And that is how we were made, isn’t it Motala?”
“Yes! Our ancestors were the ones in the city that still held the faith! While Hurakana shattered the city, Nafani protected us from his wrath. Susalu gave us the ability to see in this new world. Pusinu gave us the ability to breath. Telane led us to the Waterwalkers, so that we could learn to live and build in this new world. And Hurakana gave the Seaspeakers some of his power, a reward for our belief.”
“Yes, that’s exactly how I remember the Song of Tanatha the Faithless.”
“Nana?”
“Yes dear?”
“I’m tired.”
“I know, dear. I know. Lay down now and close your eyes. You need to get up early tomorrow.”
“I love you Nana.”
“I love you too Motala. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight Nana.”
