Byna's Blessing

Quietly seated in the temple, the older woman prayed. And prayed.

She was advancing the last week of pregnancy. It was her second. She now prayed frantically for guidance, and a name. It was the temple of the Goddess of Hunting, and the woman, though a labourer, had been born under the Goddess Byna’s sign, and had been spared her life in what could have been an unfortunate hunting accident, so she was faithful as they came.

A word came to her outside the incomprehensible whispers of the goddesses. “Latro…”

Humbly, she thanked the goddesses, a triumphant smile on her face.

Meanwhile, the goddess Byna was in the same position; at least, she was advancing later periods of pregnancy. It was hard for her to keep her thoughts silent. ‘Latro’ was the name she had come up with for her son, and the woman who had heard it and took it for her daughter she could only pity.

Byna was too happy to pity anyone, though. She had tried and failed many times to produce offspring. Now, she was finally receiving one, and that was why it was not so much a curse than a blessing that she was receiving a son (as men ruled in their mortal lives, women were forever placed higher in the Heavens).

Instead of pitying her follower’s misunderstanding, she was happy that her devoted worshipper may have the same happiness as her.

Blissfully sitting in the Heavens, thinking of nothing in particular, was when Byna’s blessing began to pester.

He wanted to come out.

Byna had been forbidden from the company of the gods whilst with child, as was the custom, but, still, she cried for her husband.

Luckily, one of her friends heard her. It was Roella, the Goddess of Autumn, and both had been childhood friends, so she gathered up several goddesses and rushed to Byna.

In the mortal world, Byna’s follower (whose name was Manace) also entered labour, inside Byna’s temple. She made to get up, but was struck down by pain from her stomach. Manace could no longer stand very well or move very far, and inching along was painful, for her ankles were also swollen.

It was uncustomary to spend more than an hour in a temple; in actual fact, it was considered rude to be in a goddess’ prescence for more than an hour. Manace’s husband, Hylance, went looking for her, with their son Cadace, and both had axe in hand in case they had to fight off a wolf or rabid dog.

When they found her, Hylance rushed to her side while Cadace ran off to get family members and friends to help. He thought it inappropriate for him to see his mother give birth, so he ushered a few more women in and made himself scarce around town. He returned his axe. It was supposed to be a weapon, but he felt his mother had only given it to him for work. It gave him some legacy to the goddess Byna, however he knew his mother was waiting for a girl to shape in Byna’s image and offer up to the Goddess as a servant, for the ultimate sacrifice on Manace’s part.

So it was that, in the early hours of the morning, Byna’s son, and Manace’s daughter was born.

Byna’s husband, Daston, was overjoyed with his son. He took overwhelmingly after his mother. As his son matured and developed over half a year, Daston did not see one aspect of himself mirrored in Latro.

Doubts arose, but Daston was wise. Instead of going to Byna, he went to Nayce, Roella’s friend, as he knew how gossip spread. Byna certainly was not known for her fidelity.
He asked, demanded, and attempted to bribe her. None of this worked. As Nayce was no particular friend of Byna and would not immediately report back, Daston decided he would torture her.

This worked.

Sobbing, Nayce told him that his wife had often been out with lots of men on hunting parties, where she herself would be disguised as a man, and, on pretty much every outing of this nature, slid into the bed of a different one. Although, in Byna’s defence, she was intoxicated with wine at the time.

Daston’s fury was immense, and, before he knew what he was doing, he impaled Byna’s son. Having some strain of mortal blood, the child itself was mortal.

“He belongs to the mortal world,” said Daston, “and the mortal world can accept his corpse.”
Saying this, he threw the child to the earth, much to the dismay of his mother, who had come across her husband to see him pulling his sword from the child’s chest.

Byna was crushed. Her first child was dead. How could she have another with this barbaric man?

She fled into mourning, refusing to speak to anyone, even Roella, or eat, or drink, and, after three years when she was little more than a skeleton, she gradually came out of it.