The Sisters, Tonild and Aethelu
Hildegyth, daughter of Tatfrid, agrees to marry the despot Beornstan, the greatest chieftain of the Bothelm. Beornstan is a notorious tyrant who has been pillaging the other Bothelm tribes. He is known to rape the women and burn down the homes of every land he raids. Hilegyth beseeches her father Tatfrid to decline Beornstan's proposal for marriage but Tatfrid knows that if he is refused, Beornstan will send his army to destroy the tribe of Tatfrid. Tatfrid attempts to console his daughter saying she must be brave, for only her marriage can save the tribe. Hildegyth eventually consents to the marriage, believing that her sacrifice is more important than her happiness.
A large retinue is gathered to accompany Hildegyth to the lands of Beornstan for the wedding. During the trip to Beornstan's tribe however the princess and her entourage is attacked by bandits. Hildegyth and her handmaids are captured and taken hostage by the chief Jambert who also longs to marry Hildegyth. Jambert locks the princess in his fortress demanding that Beornstan pay a heavy ransom or that he will instead marry Hildegyth. Beornstan is furious but unwilling to concede and instead gathers a large army to attack the tribe of Jambert. The battle between the chiefs is fierce and bloody and the warriors of Beornstan in retaliation set the fort of Jambert ablaze while the princess Hildegyth is trapped inside.
Hildegyth and her attendants trapped in the burning fort manage to escape, Hildegyth's entourage however is killed to a man. Hildegyth wanders the wilderness afraid and alone for days, exhausted and thirsty she stumbles upon a spring. Drinking deeply sating her thirst she falls asleep next to the spring. While she sleeps Hildegyth has a vision of a grand city surrounded by thick fields of grain, a winged cat, the divine tressym, speaks to her, telling Hildegyth that she will bear twins who will one day lead all tribes in peace. She is to raise the babes until they come of age and have them return to the sacred river where they will be granted power over the water and land. As Hildegyth sleeps next to the spring warriors of Beornstan's tribe find her and bind her to be returned to their chief.
Beornstan having already returned to his fortress learns of Hildegyth's acquisition by his men. Upon learning of her pregnancy however he becomes enraged intent on having her executed. Beornstan's favored shaman Regenhere however gives counsel to the chieftain that he should be merciful and simply exile Hildegyth instead, for Regenhere also has visions and knew the divine seed that Hildegyth carried. Beornstan having found a more suitable wife acquiesced to Regenhere's pleas and instead banished Hildegyth from his lands.
Hildegyth having been exiled is unable to return to her tribe for her father Tatfrid unwilling to encourage the wrath of Beornstan also banishes her. Hildegyth begins to journey as a hermit begging for food. Upon her travels she encounters the wise Elfswitha, a shaman and healer, who offers Hildegyth sanctuary among her tribe. Soon Hildegyth gives birth naming the twins Tonild and Aethelu, she raises them among the elder shamans, who teach the children about the spirits of the land. Hildegyth in fear for her children safety never share with them their divine nature or instructs them to return to the sacred waters. While Tonild and Aethelu are still very young, Hildegyth becomes ill though Elfswitha attempts to heal her, Hildegyth dies. The children Tonild and Aethelu are adopted by Elfswitha and raised among her tribe.
Upon her death Elfswitha requests that Tonild and Aethelu deliver her remains to the forest to be buried near the sacred river. Tonild and Aethelu agree and journey to the head of the river where the spring feeds a small lake. After they complete the burial ritual and inter Elfswitha's body to the ground the twins relax exhausted near the lake. Tonild exclaims that they are dirty and should bathe in the lake but Aethelu afraid of the beasts in the water disagrees saying they should instead sleep on the shore. Tonild being the braver sister jumps into the water while her sister rests upon the bank.
As Tonild submerges beneath the sacred water she is quickly pulled down into the primordial waters where she meets the divine tressym. The creature tells Tonild that Beornstan's raids are causing the people to much suffering and must be stopped. Tonild swears a divine oath to fight Beornstan and end his tyrannical rule so that the Bothelm may be free. The tressym gives over three divine gifts to Tonild. The first is Liegetu, a magical lightning sword; the divine Pegasus, Fribengest, who can speak her language and has the ability to cross endless paths and fly to the sun; and lasty Scildan, a magical shield which would self-deploy.
Meanwhile Aethelu sleeping upon the bank was also visited by the tressym as her body was pulled into the earth. The tressym told Aethelu that a powerful demon had been gathering the souls of Bothelm's dead and holding them in the underworld. The tressym bade Aethelu to find the path to the underworld and defeat the demon so that the souls of the dead could rest. Aethelu was gifted Lind, a powerful staff that could shape the earth and the Tablet of Andefn, which held all knowledge of the natural world.
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