The Story of Shyran and Iwinun | Teen Ink

The Story of Shyran and Iwinun

August 2, 2018
By CTGreene PLATINUM, Aurora, Colorado
CTGreene PLATINUM, Aurora, Colorado
31 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The darker the night, the brighter the stars; the deeper the grief, the closer is God" - Fyodor Dostoevsky


The story that follows took place in the Second Negye (era: each Negye is 5000 years) of Elesaar, in the city of Inkysital, The Cliff City, which was in that time no more than a large town. Inkysital was built on a large limestone spur, divided from the surrounding landscape by two deep gorges created by the Taeurchlo river and the Oboloril river. Stone and wood houses were built along the top of the spur, but Inkysital was specially famous for its Qadrusca, or “hanging houses,” so named because these houses cantilevered over the Oboloril gorge, seeming to cling to the cliffs’ edges. Narrow cobblestone streets ran between the houses, often going under small bridges, arches, and even the houses themselves.

The story of Shyran and Iwinun took place in one of the secret places of Inkysital, near the Hidden Passage of Ehyn. The Hidden Passage of Ehyn was located along the west cliff, over the Taeurchlo gorge. Large cobblestone steps descended the spur along the gorge towards the south, where the spur opened into a large plain. If one where going down the steps of this he would have buildings and houses to his left and a stone wall to his right, separating that person from a long fall into the raging waters of the Taeurchlo. The stone wall was low but wide, and the top was rounded, like a half stone cylinder running along the top of wall. About half way down the road was the Hidden Passage of Ehyn, where a large house was built over the path and rested on the cliff edge. The passage was ten meters long, dark and dimly lit by a single torch on the wall of the passage. Large oak wood beams held the roof of the passage up, preventing the house from collapsing on the street. Attached to one of these wood beams was a small painting representing Ehyn, the Creator. 

A young maiden named Iwinun lived in one of the houses which lined this road, just a few houses up from the Hidden Passage of Ehyn. Iwinun was the only daughter of a merchant family, and therefore grew up in reasonable comfort. Nearby also lived a boy named Shyran; he was a poor laborer but of good heart. One day, as he was fixing a broken window a couple houses away from the Hidden Passage, his eyes came upon Iwinun as she strolled in the afternoon. He immediately fell in love with Iwinun. Every evening after work he went to Iwinun’s barred window to court her. The two made plans for the future, where they would live, the number of children they would have.

Iwinun’s parents were not pleased with the thought of their daughter marrying a man from a lower social class, however, and prevented the two from making a life together. One day Shyran found out that the king was calling for men to go fight the Yashab Niyr, cruel and bloodthirsty creatures that had come from the east.

The promise of riches incited Shyran to sign up to join the army; if he returned, he would have sufficient riches and social status to marry Iwinun. Before Shyran left the two lovers went to the Hidden Passage of Ehyn to swear eternal love to each other, and kneeling before Him they promised to never think about another person without certain knowledge that one of the two was dead. Iwinun remained in Inkysital without her loved one, sad and in despair. The weeks passed, then months, but Shyran didn’t return. Iwinun slowly began to forget about her promise to Shyran as many men began to try to court her. One day a clever boy named Sevan stole Iwinun’s heart and the two would spend more and more time together.

When the parents found about their daughter’s new love affair, they were deeply saddened and reprimanded her, saying, “daughter, you are living lust. Can you not wait for Shyran?”

But the daughter replied to her parents, “the years haven’t ceased to pass and Sevan has me while my body is young. Who knows if Shyran will return.” 

Two years passed and Shyran returned with more money and status than he had left with. He was crazy in joy at the thought of getting to see his beloved again and decided to surprise her, going to her window in the night to give her a lover’s kiss. The sun went down and Shyran headed to Iwinun’s window, but he was shocked to find her with Sevan; it took Shyran no time to unsheathe his sword and come after Sevan, who began to defend himself like a scalded cat. The two contenders were evenly matched, neither one breaking the other’s defense, until fate wanted that Shyran trip on a step, and Sevan, taking advantage of his tragic mistake, landed a mortal blow on Shyran.

Meanwhile Iwinun had been watching the tragic contest through her barred window, desperately screaming for help. Finally this help arrived, and Sevan fled to avoid capture. He climbed a wall with the intention to jump to the path below, but fate had him lose his balance and he fell, breaking his head on the street below. 

Iwinun was dismayed and filled with guilt, feeling responsible for the deaths of the two boys. Remembering now her promise to Shyran she went down the stone path to the Hidden Passage of Ehyn, where she knelt down and begged Ehyn to protect the souls of Shyran and his whole family. Iwinun remained kneeling there until she passed away, but some still claim that at the sunset a white shadow goes down the street from the barred window to the Hidden Passage of Ehyn and then disappears.


The author's comments:

I finally have the courage to post some of my stories. I'm far from being a professional writer, but hopefully these stories begin to get better and better.


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