The Strength of Thoder
(On a bench under the Copperleaf Tree in the ConsBio square, Rucker shares a story with Shakan.)
There is a story the Blacktails have told for generations, a story whose wisdom has escaped me for my entire life until now... There was a warrior of the Blacktails who is in many of the stories we tell. He is always portrayed as the hero, the most skilled of warriors and tacticians. If the gods were to make their way to the Blacktail mountains, they would have paid tribute to our Thoder. Or at least, that is the fervor my clan feels for him. But the story I tell is not of his many exploits, but of his end. Before any formal peace between goliath and men, the two races existed at odds. The mountain folk were pragmatic, slow to anger, and generally only reacted to the impulsive humans. One day, Thoder encountered a human hunting party and tried to calmly speak with their leader. He was not welcomed. Instead they attacked in fear, and they were killed swiftly and simply by Thoder.
(Some humans have spread rumors the tattoos of a goliath are tracing of their victims blood splatter, but this is untrue. Younger goliaths must wait until they are strong enough to defend themselves before earning their tattoos.)
News of this spread to the local justices of men and a bounty was placed on Thoder and the head of any goliath. Many years passed and more foolish human’s died encroaching our mountains. But eventually the human’s numbers outgrew the chalice of the valleys below. A trial was scheduled that would judge all Goliath in the eyes of men. An emissary was sent to inform the Goliaths. Thoder killed the emissaries' guards. The man knelt before the goliath and prostrated himself, arms outstretched, presenting his neck for Thoder to strike. Having seen no man do such a thing, he respected this small skinny man who would surrender so wisely and bade him speak.
They spoke for many days. Thoder never spoke of what was said, but it was obvious that Thoder trusted in the wisdom of this human. Thoder said his goodbyes and took the human back down the mountain. The human placed shackles on the massive goliath, and out of courtesy Thoder did not break them. He admitted himself to the trial- a prostration of his own, on the behalf of the Blacktails and all Goliaths. (This act is what enraged me throughout my life, up to only a few days ago.) The trial was held and its result was unsurprising. But something happened during the trial on that freezing rainy day. As the council read from wet scrolls, speaking of crimes for defending his homeland, the hills surrounding the human village were filled with song. Goliaths of many clans descended the mountains and sang funeral rites to Thoder, steeling his resolve as he stood naked.
Thoder was twice the size of the biggest human, and his strength was beyond doubt. He gave one last message to his people in the form of a cacophonous war scream, breaking the chains that bound his wrists. However, instead of escaping, he waited to hear the guilty sentence and was escorted away, never to see his clan again.
What happened to him no Blacktail knows, doubtlessly starved to death in a cage or beheaded. But from his sacrifice came a truce between goliath and men. The growing number of humans in the valleys below the Stag Mountain now saw that goliath not as cave dwelling savages, but strong and formidable and proud. By recognizing men and their laws, he forced them to recognize the goliath's claims as well. The bounty on goliath heads was then seen as a disgrace. Trading began between the two and both human and goliath prospered for it.
What I see now is that the result of the trial did not matter. It was Thoder's strength of courage to submit himself to them in the first place that led to peace.
I see Thoder's strength in you. You never hesitated when you got the letter informing you of Elder Gikandi's trial, your trial. Keep your head high, there is an entire generation of people, students, who will always remember you as the man standing for what he believes.
But there is a difference between then and now. The Mudwangs will stop at nothing to show those elders the good you have done.














