How the Wind Came to Exist - Mylin Gudiel

In the fields, there was a Raven that was always staring at the chief’s daughter, Chica. Chica was the most beautiful girl that lived in the tribe. She would dance ,sing and be happy. One day, her father got ill and the shaman of the tribe was nowhere to be found. As she lay near her father, she heard him say, “Daughter, I will die soon, but I leave only these words behind, I LOVE YOU, remember me, and keep me in your heart.” Chica, at that moment, remembered her father’s stories of the Raven and it’s magical powers. She also remembered that in the fields, there would always be a single one. So she went to him.

“Raven, I call on you and your power.” At that moment, Chica saw the Raven flying at her.

“Who called on me?” said the Raven.

“I did,” said Chica, frightened. “I have come to you for help. My father is dying, please help him.”

“I will help him get better, but in return, you will marry me.”

“But how ?”

“A young native will come to your tribe needing help. Help him and fall in love with him. After you reach your home, your memory will erase these events.

Days later, the chief felt much better. He asked himself how he had survived when he had been so sick and felt his spirit rise from his body. It was like being pushed down a cliff back into your corpse.

Days later, Chica was in her tipi, when she heard someone call out, “HELP!” She ran outside and there was someone laying on the dirt, practically dead. She called for help to lift him. When they got him inside the tipi, Chica thought it was her duty to cure his cuts and bruises, and she did. As night came, Chica’s memory started to come back. She remembered the promise she made to the Raven. She remembered that the Raven said that she was going to fall in love with the young man. She just ignored it, because she thought that this young man could not be the Raven.

The next morning, the young man awoke and asked where he was. Chica told him that he was in the tribe of her father. Chica was so curious to know his name and where he came from, that she suddenly just blurted out the question. Startled, the young man replied, “My name is Raven and I come from nearby. Yesterday, I was out hunting and a wolf jumped at me and started attacking me. I was very lucky to get away. I think I just blacked out. I don’t now how I got here.”

“You say your name is Raven?.”

“Yes.”

“How did you get your name ?” asked Chica, very curious to know if this was the Raven that she had promised marriage to.

“I got my name from my mother, who saw a Raven when she gave birth to me. At that moment, she was almost certain that this could not be the Raven that one day she had promised to marry. Days had passed and Chica was falling more and more in love with Raven. At a tribal feast, Raven stood up and asked for Chica. She was shocked at Raven’s question and also because everything happened exacly as Raven had said. She had found a man injured and she cured him. She fell in love, and now she would marry him. Her thoughts raced across her mind, like a stampede of buffalo.

That night had passed so quickly, that she felt sick. She didn’t even remember if she replied yes or no. As she woke up the next morning, she heard someone say “Can you believe that Chica is going to marry Raven ?”As she heard them talking, Chica suddenly realised that she had to run away, that she had to get far away from Raven. But first, she had to explain to father about what happened to her that night. “Father, I have something to tell you about that frightening night that you were about to die. I went out and ....”.

“Daughter, what have you done ?”

“I was frightened and didn’t know what to do, so I went to the Raven and asked him to help you get better. He said he would help you, but I would be required to marry him.”

“You must go daughter. Go far away, so Raven will not find you. That same night, Chica left the tribe, making sure that Raven didn’t follow her. The next day , Raven was looking for Chica . He went to the chief and asked where Chica was. The chief responded, “She left ! And I know who you are. You are the Raven that gave me my life back but was trying to marry my daughter. She told me you know about what happened that night.”

“How did she remember ? I put a spell on her, so she wouldn’t remember.”

“But she did , and that is what matters.”

“You are going to tell me where she went.”

“I wouldn’t tell you if my life depended on it.”

“At that moment, Raven turned back into his real form. Miles away,Chica was now getting tired and lay down to rest. Back at the tribe, Raven was furious and started on the hunt. He flew off as fast as the wind. Chica now started to get up and to run again. As she ran she remembered the other part of the story . If you betrayed Raven, he would not rest until you died. And that made Chica run faster. Chica kept running and Raven kept following her as fast as the wind. No one actually knows if Raven stopped following her and whether Chica stopped running, but they say that you can feel a gust of wind when Raven passes, and you can hear a moaning cry, when Raven is close to her.