By Valiente Rook
There once lived an elderly couple out in the countryside; the couple lived a happy and simple life. The husband would tend to his crops and toil on the little land he had, whilst the wife would look after their home. The only source of sadness was that they could not conceive a child, despite years of trying. However, that did not cause any friction between the couple but rather brought them closer together.
One day whilst the husband was labouring away in his field, he came across a poor injured bird. This bird was red all over and was the size of a fist. Taking pity on the bird the husband took it home and with the help of his wife they patched the bird up, tending its injuries with care. They looked after the bird, fed it and helped it regain its strength.
After a month of looking after the bird, the husband awoke one morning to find that the bird had gone. The husband was surprised to find in the place where the bird had rested lay a small red egg. The husband and wife contemplated what to do with the egg and in the end, they decided they would look after the egg and make sure it was kept warm in case the bird ever returned. As the days went by, the bird did not return, however they noticed that the egg was growing in size. From the size of a longan fruit, in only a week it grew to a size of a grapefruit. It did not stop growing and in a month it had grown bigger than a large watermelon. One evening when the couple were eating, did the egg start to shake; startled the couple realised the egg was about to hatch. Cracks started appearing on the shell and soon enough, to the shock of the couple, a tender hand had worked its way out from one of the cracks. The couple rushed over and gently started to peel away the cracked shell. Once the top half of the shell had been broken off, did the couple see a human baby boy with red hair and red eyes staring back at them. The couple looked at each other not believing what they were seeing, but soon wonderment turned to delight as the wife picked up the baby and told her husband that it must be a miracle sent from the heavens to honour them with a child. They decided to raise the baby as their own and named him Altan.
Now Altan was a strange child; he did not cry, as a baby normally would, and he learned to speak pretty quickly. Before he was even one, he was forming full sentences. He learned to walk fairly quickly as well and had strength far beyond his small build suggested. By the age of two, Altan looked like he was six and was far developed for his age. He seemed to grasp and understand things really quickly. The couple loved Altan and doted on him, making sure he was fed and clothed and they played with him whenever possible. Altan was a carefree and happy child. He was also very curious and would wander off into the woods that surrounded the couple’s modest home. This worried the woman endlessly but she could not stop him, as Altan was also mischievous and would sneak out when she was busy with her chores. Altan enjoyed spending time in the forest. He had befriended many animals and his three closest friends were the bear, the wolf and the fox. The four of them went on many adventures and would race, wrestle, fight and see who was the best at catching prey. Altran would always win, for he was stronger than the bear, faster than the wolf and more cunning than the fox. He would often bring home all kinds of game from rabbit to deer for them to eat, and the old couple could not bring themselves to scold him, so they would sigh and gently remind Altan to be careful when he ventured out alone.
As Altan grew, he also matured and started to help his mum with the house chores and he would help his dad out in the field, clearing weeds and nurturing their crop. He still went out into the forest and played with his animal friends, but he made sure to inform his parents first. He was content with life and loved his parents very much, he understood how much they trusted him and he would make sure to be home before dark, always bringing back game or fruits or herbs he found in the forest. Then one day on the eve of Altan’s fifteenth birthday, he fell sick. He had lost his strength and could not even walk, he struggled to eat and even the light of the sun harmed his skin. He grew pale and not even the doctor could reason the cause of his ailment. The old couple became despondent and felt helpless in the face of their only child’s condition. They prayed and sat by his side, day and night.
It was on the tenth night when a knock was heard on their door. The old man went to see who could be at their door well into the night. When he opened the door, what greeted him was the sight of a beautiful and ethereal lady, with red hair and eyes. She smiled as she looked at the old man and gently pushed the stunned man aside and strode forth into the home. The old man quickly came to his senses, but he was too late to stop the lady as she had already disappeared up the stairs and out of sight. He quickly ran upstairs only to see her leaned over the face of Altan, delicately stroking his hair. The old man knew that she was Altan’s real mother. Even the old lady could not stop her from going over to Altan’s side. The lady looked at the two and smiled. She informed them that she was the little red bird that they had treated all those years ago. That she was grateful and to repay her gratitude gave them a gift from the heavens: a child to call their own. However, since the child was not of mortal origins, once he matured he would be struck with a malady that would take his life. The only cure was for him to return to the land of the faeries, and absorb the energies that freely gathered in their world. This would strengthen his body and allow him to grow even stronger. The couple wanting to see their child healthy were resided in losing him forever. They cried and bade Altan goodbye, and told him that they would forever love him. Altan, who heard the entire conversation, had tears falling down his cheeks. He did not want to leave his parents, but he had no choice as he had no strength to protest as the lady picked Altan up and disappeared into the night. Do not think this was the last time Altan would see his adopted parents, for fate works in mysterious ways and for Altan, this was only the beginning of his tale: a tale of adventure that would change the course of history.