Legend of Yutarray

Yutarray was a centaur of the Sunchaser Herd, known for her skill with plants and medicines. Many generations ago, a great drought struck the land. The grasses dried, the antelope were scarce, and many of the Sunchaser Herd succumbed to famine. In an attempt to help her herd, Yutarray struck out on a quest. For many weeks she travelled until she discovered a place where the mountain weeps into the earth. The place was fraught with peril and monsters abounded. Amongst them was a fearsome giant, who captured Yutarray and forced her to work the garden in his castle, high in the clouds. In the giant's garden Yutarray discovered a great bush with berries of flaming yellow. Though small, each berry was enough to nourish her for a day. Knowing that berries such as these would help feed her people, she plotted to steal the bush and escape. Working diligently for many days, she clipped part of the bush, from root to branch and planted it in a small satchel of soil at her side. One night, after setting the giant down with a powerful sleeping draught, she stole away from the castle in the clouds and began the journey back to her people. When the giant awoke, he was furious, and quickly left to hunt for his slave. As he followed Yutarray into the Steppes, the clouds from his castle followed with him. Every day Yutarray stayed ahead of the giant, and every day the giant's anger caused the clouds to swell and burst with rain. For weeks the giant chased after Yutarray, his angry clouds soaking the earth. Slowly, the grasses and plants long dried from the drought began to bloom again, rising higher and higher from the soil. Soon they grew higher than Yutarray herself and she used them to hide from the giant's sight. Angry at Yutarray's disappearance the giant stamped the earth and caused many rifts in the flat lands, but still Yutarrary remained hidden. He caused bolts of lightning to rain down and scorch the earth, but still Yutarray remained hidden. Furious beyond measure, he cursed at Yutarray, promising revenge if he ever saw another of horse kind, and stalked back to his castle in the mountains. As the giant left, so did the clouds, and in the sunlight Yutarray saw a beautiful land before her. The soil was turned from the giants stamping, the ground made fertile by the rainwater and lightning's fire. She took the small plant from her satchel but it had grown wan and sickly looking during her desperate weeks on the run. Undeterred, she planted the small plant in the earth, nourishing it with sun, water, and song. To her delight it took root almost immediately, spreading its branches and flowering in the sunlight.
Many years have passed, and now the small plant has grown tall, and thick, and strong. Late every summer it unfolds its buds to reveal flaming yellow flowers and berries. Like those found in the giant's garden, each berry has magical properties, able to nourish a person for a full day. Something was lost in Yutteray's escape, however, for each berry is without seeds and because of this, can never reproduce. The Sunberry Bush is well known by the animals of the Steppes. Every year its fruiting brings creatures from near and far, who feed voraciously until the bush is barren once again. Many of the centaur herds visit the bush during this time, taking small amounts for themselves and trading goods between their herds.