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The Blessing

The magic of the land stems from the presence of a resident god. When a god settles somewhere, his divine life force permeates the land, plants, animals, soil, and air. And when people settle near a god, they have the opportunity to improve their lives. If we earn this god's favor, our harvests will be bountiful and our hunts will be successful. A god's favor is like a blessing that rests on the land and the people who live there.

The strength of this magic, this blessing, depends on the god's power. I have heard of lands in the south that grow so many grapes that people have to dry them to keep them from spoiling. Where wine flows from full jugs, the god's blessings must be truly something!

Our goddess, Epona, may not have been as powerful as the mighty Father-God, but her magic was strong. When my ancestors settled in this small village at the foot of the mountains and on the edge of the forest, they quickly gained her favor. They offered her sacrifices, and in recognition of their willingness to sacrifice, she gave them dense, golden fields of wheat. The goddess of fertility and horses gave them lush orchards full of trees and strong, wild horses, which proved to be the best companions for farming. The goddess was good to the villagers, and everyone lived well. Those were good times, without war or the fear of losing a child to a weapon.

But when Epona disappeared, her blessings disappeared with her. The old magic in the earth is slowly fading, and the fruit trees have long since weathered away. The apple trees are bare, the cherry trees are dying, and the wheat grows so slowly that it rots before we can harvest it. The horses have been gone for generations. Death creeps out of the mountains and into the forest, making even the game scarce. Hunters come out of the forest empty-handed, and farmers have no wheat left. Even the chickens and ducks barely lay any eggs!

But where has she gone - she who gave this land its magic and life? Ah, I wish I knew what happened. I wish there's something I could do, but there is not.

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