The Bond - Folktaleweek
Nov.2019
Sprint-project based on the instagram “folktaleweek”-challenge every november.
For this year’s Folktaleweek Challenge, the topics for each day resulted in a story about a strong connection between human and animal. I took the idea from last year and tried to combine the seven themes into one inspiring short story.
The topics were the following:
Home – Secret – Path – Smoke – Darkness – Key – Crown.
Day 1
Home
“Clashing and piercing, the cold air lay over the white landscape. The silence was so complete that one thought one could hear the snow gently falling. In this scenery, the dark figure seemed almost alien, standing out like a beacon in pitch black night. Closer and closer it came to the houses that peeked out from under the snow as if half-buried.”
Day 2
Secret
“She had always been there for him. As long as he could remember, she had been there and taken care of him. It was their shared secret, for they had a job to do. Calmly and thoughtfully, she loaded his saddle and prepared for the journey ahead.”
Day 3
Path
“They knew that the road ahead would hold many dangers. They had to climb the mytical mountains, which was covered in deep snow all year round. But she knew the way, even if it was always a completely different experience. The mountains were in constant motion, almost as if they were alive themselves.”
Day 4
Smoke
“They had to pass through the dangerous fog fields. Many hikers before them had not made it and were lost in the ever-changing weather conditions, falling with no chance of ever being rescued.
With the combined senses of rider and bear, however, they were able to follow the narrow path.”
Day 5
Darkness
“After a long energy-sapping day, it was time for both of them to take a rest. They knew that the mountains at night would mean almost certain death. So they set up camp in a safe crevice. There they were protected from the icy cold and the bittereb dangers of the mountains were. They had to gather strength for the challenges of the following days.”
Day 6
Key
“Would they make it across the key section over the abyss? Their whole journey came to a head at this moment, if they fell they would meet their fate in over 3000m down and all would be in vain. They had made it this far, but now it took all their senses and full concentration. Whipping wind and bone-chilling cold hissed around their ears – almost as if the mountain wanted to see them fail. Step by step, however, they moved forward…”
Day 7
Crown
“Against all odds, they made the arduous journey through the mystical mountains up to the white valley. There they were already expected, because the coronation of the princess was already in full swing. Now the importance of the journey became apparent, she was the guardian of the crown that had remained unworn for so long. Nevertheless, without her companion she was as helpless as the kingdom without a queen. Only as a pair were they able to survive the journey. But new tasks were already waiting in the distance beyond the mountains.”