Arcana: Everway Family Legends Project

How Snakering Drove The Serpents Into Shimmermoon Bay

A Snakering Family Legend

by Rob Barrett

How long ago was it? Well, child, you could still see the Walker's footprints leading off to one of the gates--that's how long ago it was when Grandmother Snakering first came to Everway. Of course, back then people called her Rattle-Fast. A name like Grandmother Snakering has to be earned, and that took some doing. Now, Rattle-Fast was a bold and clever woman, and she had it in her mind to make her fortune here. So she approached the base of the Great Pyramid, where the Tower King was meeting with his Council.

"King," she said, "my name is Rattle-Fast, and I can do any task you set me. Just try me!"

The Tower King was a kind-hearted man, and as Fortune would have it, he had just the task for Rattle-Fast. He said, "Young woman, we are having a problem with snakes. Namely, they are everywhere these days. They're biting people, and we can't seem to kill them fast enough to finish them off. If you can get rid of them for us, we'll give you any boon you choose."

Rattle-Fast was smart enough to see that a royal boon was as good as a fortune, so she agreed to the Tower King's terms. She climbed to the top of the Pyramid and took a look around Everway. The Tower King was right: there were snakes all over the City, and they were up to no good. So she sat down and thought for a long time. When she was done thinking, she climbed back down. Grandmother Mask was sitting next to the Tower King, and Rattle-Fast turned to her. "Grandmother, if you'd be so kind as to get me a rattle, I can get rid of your snakes in no time at all," she said. A servant ran off to the Gaming Houses and returned with a beautiful rattle, brought to Everway from the distant Sphere of Festival. Rattle-Fast thanked Grandmother Mask.

She tried the rattle out--Shk! Shk! Shk! it went.

Then Rattle-Fast walked out into the middle of the Walker's Way. She began to shake the rattle and dance and spin.

Shk! Shk! Shk!

She went faster and faster until the Tower King and his Council could only see a blur where she was dancing. The blur began to drift toward Strangerside, rattling all the way. Soon the families noticed that the serpents were following Rattle-Fast. The pythons and adders were swaying to her rhythm, and the rattlesnakes were rattling in time. The closer Rattle-Fast got to the Sunset River, the greater the number of serpents slithering behind her.

Rattle-Fast waded into Shimmermoon Bay, but she didn't stop dancing and spinning. The serpents went in after her.

Shk! Shk! Shk! Splash! Splash! Splash!

Soon all the snakes were in the water, swimming around Rattle-Fast and churning up the Bay. Suddenly Rattle-Fast stopped and started spinning in the other direction. As the Tower King and the families of Everway watched from the shore, she went around faster than she had ever gone before. The Bay bubbled and boiled, and then it burst! Snakes went flying everywhere--everywhere but the City of Everway. It rained serpents as far out to sea as Wavebreak. Rattle-Fast didn't stop her dance until there were no more snakes left in the Bay. Then she waded back to the shore and sat down until her head cleared.

As soon as she felt better, the Tower King stepped forward to congratulate her. Behind him, all the families of Everway bowed to honor Rattle-Fast (except for the Crookstaffs, but that's a story for another day). The Tower King helped her to her feet. He said, "Rattle-Fast, you've saved the City from the Serpent Plague. Name your boon!"

Rattle-Fast nodded and pointed to the Tower King's son. "I'd like to marry your son, King," she said, "and I'd like to join your Council and continue solving your problems, especially if they're as easy as this one!"

The Tower King granted Rattle-Fast her request and performed the marriage ceremony not long after. The Tower King's son loved Rattle-Fast very much. (After all, she was both bold and clever, and what man of Everway doesn't aspire to wed a woman with such qualities?) He gave her a lovely silver arm-ring as a token of his love. The Smiths had made the ring in the shape of a circle of intertwined serpents, and Rattle-Fast wore it before all the Families of the City until the day she died. That is how she earned the name of Grandmother Snakering. And that is how she drove the serpents into Shimmermoon Bay.

How Snakering Drove the Serpents into Shimmermoon Bay copyright © 2000 Rob Barrett, used with permission.