Part 1 - The Birth Of Girthamus

Tales of a Barbarian

Part One:

As the sun rose over the tree line, Tyrr's heart was very heavy. He knew that this day would change his clan forever. For two hundred years the Krone-Tuk clan, which has been led by members of his family since the time of the beginning, has been feuding with the Mol-Ta-Hon clan from the western territory. Their king, Makkhen, is the third generation descendant of Mak-Hon. On the eve of Rahmsen, the holiest of the horde observances 204 years ago, Mak-Hon was to join with Kee Sa who he loved more than life itself. Two days before their rite of joining, Kee Sa and her two sisters were bathing in the lake. Koor, a battle teacher and great grandfather to Tyrr, was instructing young warriors in the discipline of defensive strategies. An arrow that missed its target, found a place directly in the heart of Kee Sa. She didn't suffer as the arrow mercifully dealt a fatal wound that instantly killed her.

Mak-Hon, who was the son of the king and heir to clan leadership, convinced his father to banish Koor, his family and his students to the badlands. Many of the clan members who believed that Kee Sa's death was not Koor's fault, left for the badlands with Koor. For twenty years Koor and his clan, named Krone-Tuk, which means beginning again, struggled but thrived in the badlands that now became the eastern territory. Since no one from the west ventured far enough east, they did not know of the wonderful, fertile land that lay beyond the rocky badlands. A large, deep sea offered protection from the east. The Krone-Tuk, already great hunters became good farmers and fisherman as well. The sea was teaming with life and offered a near endless supply of food fish and whales whose blubber was used for oil and bones were used for tools and weapons.

During one clan celebration, a young farmer wanted to expand his land, but was turned down by Koor. This wasn't done in malice, but was not possible at the time. The young man left the clan during the late night and traveled back to the Mol-Ta-Hon territory. After telling the tale of the Krone-Tuk's growth and advancement, Mak-Hon, whose father had passed on and was now leader of the clan, assembled his army for the purpose of exacting revenge on Koor for the death of Kee Sa. After all this time, he still held anger. Even though he had several wives, he loved none of them as he loved Kee Sa.

For two centuries now the KroneTuk, whose population now outnumbers the Mol-Ta-Hon, have been repelling attacks by Mak-Hon's descendants. Tyrr has seen six wars and was now growing weary in his thirtieth year. Tyrr has not hatred, but pity for Makkhen. He knows that Makkhen is only following blindly in his ancestors' hateful footsteps. The reason for Tyrr's heavy heart now is because his wife, Malreeh is bearing his child. The Krone-Tuk have been a peaceful people except where the Mol-Ta-Hon were concerned. Tyrr wishes to raise his child in peace. If it is born male, he wants to teach his son to hunt, to farm and to be respectful of the earth and the gods who provide life. If a female, he will provide support to Malreeh in teaching her to prepare food and make clothing. Either way, he wants to show his child a good life.