A/N: This is based in one of the greatest mythological Basque figure: Mari. For the ones interested the Basque mythology is purely matriarchal and survived the Christianization that suffered the rest of Europe back in the Middle Ages. I hope to have written this story as it deserved.
Between the rain and clouds I travel alone, the thunder and cold are my gifts to anyone that dare to hurt me. I’m Mari, The Lady of Anboto and you shall ask whatever you need to know if you show me the respect I deserve.
There are tales so old that many people start to call them legends and think foolishly that the magic in them are lost in time. But they are wrong.
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There was a girl that lived in Amezketa, one of the villages that were on the slopes of Txindoki’s mountain. Her name was Kattalin.
Kattalin was poor and she had lost her parents when she was really young, leaving her alone. That’s why she worked for the rich families of the village, doing little works for them every time her services were needed.
One day, though, when she was just starting to work on the yard of one of the families that she worked for she saw a horse on the sky and soon enough rain started to fall, drenching everything and creating rivers where until then grass had been growing.
Kattalin was startled by the rain and as she had born in another village far away from Amezketa she asked to the woman of the house what was what she had just seen. The woman explained to her that it was Mari, the Lady of Anboto, which had decided to come for a visit. The rain was its signature and as long as it rained on the Txindoki’s mountain Mari was going to be there.
“Remember” Repeated the old lady to Kattalin, her old eyes looking sternly to the young woman “You can’t go to the top of the mountain until Mari is gone, she doesn’t like strangers entering in her cave”
Kattalin nodded and went back to her work, the heavy rain turning into something weaker as hours passed and when she finally arrived at the old barn that was her house she was completely drenched, images of what Mari could look like filling her mind as she succumbed to sleep.
As days passed and the rain kept pouring Kattalin learnt that Mari use to visit Txindoki every seven years and the cave in which she lived was completely covered in gold. Many were the description of what she looked like and even if Kattalin wanted to know more about it every time she asked to one of her patrons she received a glare and a barked order. Even the lady who had told her about Mari was soon fed up with the incessant questions that Kattalin kept asking about the Lady of Anboto.
Finally, after weeks of rain, the day woke up under the rays of the sun and Kattalin was asked to lead the flock of one of her bosses through the slopes of Txindoki, the top of the mountain still vetoed by the elders of the village since they still could distinguish clouds at the zenith.
Kattalin was ecstatic to finally go out of the village and her mood improved after the first hours walking up and down the place, the idea of coming across to Mari something that made smile as well as shiver with nervousness.
Unfortunately for her that meet never occurred and when the sun started to finally hide at the other side of the mountain she called the flock and tried to make them return to the village but, alas, she found that she had lost one sheep and terrified of the idea that she was going to lose her job she returned to the mountain, trying to find the lost animal, thoughts of Mari and the golden cave forgotten.
As night approached and darkness grew so did the cold and when she found an old path that directed her to the top of the mountain she took it, thinking that maybe she could find someone at the other side of it that could have seen the lost sheep.
Just as her resolve was starting to waver she saw the animal happily sleeping at the entrance of a cave, the white fur of the sheep the only thing that lead Kattalin to it. Just a she tried to it a lady appeared in front of her, the green of her dress even visible in the growing darkness as well as the gold of her hair.
“Why are you here?” The woman asked and even if her voice was kind Kattalin shivered under the stormy gaze of the blonde woman.
“I was following her, I need to return to the village with the flock” Kattalin replied, her eyes never leaving the gaze of the other woman that looked mildly amused although she kept a stern look as Kattalin talked.
“It’s yours?” Asked the woman and as she said that Kattalin distinguished the glow that emanated from the cave in front of her, the rock walls covered in something that looked gold, the soft glow that barely illuminated both of them coming from it as if a big fire was heating the place from inside the mountain.
Realizing that she was talking to Mari Kattalin gave a step back, afraid that the woman was going to punish her for not following her rules but Mari didn’t say anything, the silence stretching between them until Kattalin remembered the question that the blonde had made her.
“No, it isn’t.”
Mari eyes narrowed and kneeled in front of the animal, her gentle hands touching the white fur of the sheep as Kattalin swallowed the presence of the other woman too powerful to even think of running away.
“What is your family name then?” Mari asked, her eyes now hidden from Kattalin who found her strength to answer the question without trembling this time.
“I don’t have one, I work for the families of the village and they let me live in one old barn. I’m sorry to have interrupted you, I will go now, you can have the sheep if you want”
Mari raised her left brow and smirked at the young woman, her eyes now on full display as they burned and glowed like embers too close to a fire.
“Stay here then” She offered, leaving Kattalin speechless as she finally rose and pointed at the end of the cave. “I can give you everything you want with one condition, stay with me for seven years and help me like you help the villagers. In exchange I promise you that you won’t live under anyone’s will ever again”
Kattalin gulped as she pondered the offer, the woman didn’t look half as evil as she had been told but she still doubted that she was really safe in her presence, remembering that the villagers had told her that the Lady of Anboto must been addressed without any formality she only nodded reluctantly, her heart pounding inside her chest as Mari raised her right hand and offered it.
“Take my hand then, and in seven years for now you will be gone with my protection following you”
Kattalin realized that in the village there wasn’t anything that could actually made her happy and thinking briefly on her mother she took Mari’s hand, the eyes of the Lady of Anboto smiling reassuringly for what seemed the first time.
For the next seven years Mari taught Kattalin the magic qualities of silver and gold as well as talk with the animals, she even taught the young woman to bake and use a spinning wheel and each year she left Kattalin to walk more and more freely as the once shy woman learnt how to be confidant.
Time passed quickly and when the final day arrived Mari and Kattalin walked until the beginning of the path that Kattalin had walked when Mari had first met her.
“Kattalin” Mari said with a soft smile at the woman in front of her “You were true to your promise so I must give you what you deserve, from now on you will be free and you will never need to worry for money ever again. Take care of it as well as of yourself”
And with that in the spot that Mari had been standing there was a piece of coal.
A little surprised of the gift Kattalin picked up and left, feeling sad and worried about her return to the village. As soon as she started the descent, when the first crests of smoke appeared in the distance due to the houses of the village, she felt how the piece of coal seemed to weigh more than she had first thought when she had pocketed it. Grabbing the rock she realized that what had been coal was now pure gold and so she arrived at Amezketa where she lived under her own roof for entire life, Mari’s gold permitting her to live and have her own flock. Which she took care of it every day as long as she lived.
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