The Lost Words

"The Storyteller paused in their telling. To all it appeared to be nothing more than another Storyteller trick, a device used to encite excitement, frustration, eagerness to hear more. But this time the pause was too long. The Storyteller held none of the glee on their face that one would expect to see if such a device were being used.
Instead a flutter of nerves travelled across the Storyteller’s skin. “Forgive me,” they murmured, “I… I cannot find the word.”
Those who watched inhaled sharply. Couldn’t find the word? But that was the Storyteller’s gift, their chosen merit. They knew all of the words for they had studied them greatly and knew how to use them exactly as they intended.
Someone near the back laughed, thinking perhaps that it was a different type of Storyteller trick, one they had not come across before. But when the Storyteller did not smile back it became apparent that was not the case.
“I know it is in there, I can feel it at the edges. But I cannot grasp…” The Storyteller fell silent.
We pondered this a time.
The Storyteller had chosen this path. They chose to tell stories, to remember other’s stories, to repeat them, to enhance them, to teach us with their stories. To tell us stories about ourselves so that we may know ourselves. This was the Storyteller’s greatest gift to the world. They had chosen not to become a Bearer, to gift the world with children. Nor were they a Gifter or a Grifter, they neither inseminated other people nor bringing life from the soil around them. They chose not to Rule, for few would want such a title.
They had chosen to tell stories, and that choice had led them here, to this moment, where they couldn’t find the word. "

Summary

This story tells of the first time that Nehanna Storyteller forgot a word part way through telling a story. It tells of the experience of the audience watching Nehanna Storyteller and the uncertainty of both the listeners and the tellers when something so strange occurred.

Historical Basis

This is the first story told by Callineff, originally to Ikanta Storykeeper and later to the rest of their settlement of Abna.
What Callineff doesn't know or understand is that this story is actually about the first time that Nehanna Storyteller displayed the early symptoms of Leaving.

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Related Articles

Professions	Storytellers, Storyteller
People	Callineff, Ikanta Storykeeper, Nehanna Storyteller
Locations	Abna

Related Ethnicities

• Vellich

Related Species

• Vellikkian

Related Locations

• Abna

Related People

• Callineff
• Nehanna Storyteller