Courtship of Niamb Goldenhair—by Aeife

My sister Niamb is a foundling adopted by my mother Sadb and her husband Tauros into the Clan Domnu. Though not related by blood, t'was Tauros who raised us and he is the man we call father.  As Niamb grew to womanhood, she showed ability as a smith and was sent to apprentice under Telos Agralia at the Brazen Monkey, where he maintains a small smithy. She confided to me that she fell secretly in love with Telos while under his tutelage, though she never told him. Having become a grandmaster in her own right, Niamb returned to Edinburgh and she and Telos drifted apart. Still it broke her heart to hear he was engaged to another.

News of the travails facing Edinburgh as we were beset by the golden elemental reached Telos from Spyte the Knife. He came to Edinburgh seeking to see if the Defenders of Justice might help our cause. His heart was wounded, for his engagement to Talia had been called off.  How pleased he was to find Niamb again.  Their friendship grew, blossoming again into love.

Scaramandine appeared on the scene and eventually called for Seven Champions to represent the interests of Edinburgh against his Dark Slayers. In a Tournament of Champions, our father, Tauros, was selected as one of those Champions. While acting as second to Ashton, however, Tauros could not contain his anger when he saw Ashton laid low and himself attacked the Slayer after his friend was vanquished. Scaramanding mocked the Justice Alliance saying that Tauros’ actions were unjust; that he broke the rules of the contest in attacking after the Slayer had won. A Tribunal of Justice was called, with Telos as one of the judges. Telos spoke out against Tauros saying his actions were dishonorable, going against the rules of the contest. Though the Tribunal ended in a hung jury, Tauros has confided he now holds a hatred for Telos in his heart. He feels Telos has besmirched his honor and Tauros considers himself to be a man of great honor. He is certainly a man of hasty temper.

Having declared her love for Telos, Naimb determined to dedicate her maidenhood to the Great Goddess at the annual Beltane festival on April 30. At this festival, a maiden of the village is chosen to represent the Goddess as virgin, a man to represent the Horned God or Green Man. They are joined in a ceremony at the festival and then retire to a sacred grove to mate and thus insure the fertility of the fields. On the night of Alban Eilan or the Spring Equinox, Niamb asked Telos if he would be the Horned God to her Virgin Goddess. He agreed to the role and she presented to him the sacred antlers he now wears.

Last night things came to a head. Tauros is furious that Telos is to play
the Green Man or Horned God to Niamb's Virgin Goddess at the Beltane. He is
angry Telos did not ask his permission to court Niamb, though it is Niamb
that pledged her maidenhood to the Goddess and asked Telos to be her consort
for the ritual mating. Tauros has challenged Telos to prove he is a man
worthy of Niamb by meeting him in one-to-one combat this evening in Felucca
at 8PM. Telos will pick the location for the battle. Many tried to dissuade
Telos, for he is a smith and a miner and Tauros a hardened warrior, but he
brushed them off and insists he will meet Tauros and defeat him so he can be
considered a proper suitor for Niamb.  Niamb intends to have Telos whatever the outcome.  While she loves and respects our father and wishes for his blessing on her union with Telos, nothing will deter her from having Telos as her own.