Once, there lived two great princes. Children of the mighty Queen who ruled the eastern lands. The elder was Eran, and his passion was the sea. The younger was Felin, and his heart was in the woodlands.

Eran dwelt in a palace by the sea. When he was grown, Eran built a beautiful vessel from driftwood. He loved the small ship, and named it Emeli.

In honor of the sea which he loved, Eran labored on a figurehead for his ship. His masterpiece of silver and gold held the likeness of a sea-hawk, with wings outspread and beak ajar in silent authority. Such fine craftsmanship was placed in the figurehead that tales of it‘s splendor spread even to the western seas.

Now Felin loved the hills and woodlands. He lived in happiness among the Lily people, who made their home in the forests of the East. In return for his love, the Lily people gifted him with a crown of white lilies crafted from ivory and precious gems. This was a great gift, and Felin wore the crown with great pride.

On a great feast day, the two brothers met one another in their mother’s house. They rejoiced to see each other again, for they had been parted for some time.

“Oh brother!” said Felin. “How time does flow swiftly in both land and sea. We have been parted for so long, I barely know you as my brother now.”

“Then don’t despair,” said Eran. “If it will satisfy you, I shall ride with you to the woodlands for one month. Afterwards you may join me by the sea for the same span. In this I hope we may make stronger our bond as brothers.”

The two agreed, and Eran left his palace by the sea to dwell with his brother in the woodlands.

But soon, Eran’s heart began to ache. The wind upon the high leaves recalled the waves upon the shore, and the arrows which his brother let fly reminded him of the lovely seabirds. The solitude of the landless sea also tug at his heart. At last, Eran could take no more, and declared to his brother that he must return to the sea. Felin was disappointed that his brother wished not to remain with him longer, but he accepted.

“Then the sooner I may join you in your realm.”

Together the two brothers journeyed down the great river and dwelt in happiness for a time in Eran’s realm. But soon Felin too felt a longing for his own realm. Often would he gaze upon the green hills and weep over the familiar sound of leaves.

One beautiful day, Eran offered his younger brother a chance to accompany him out to sea upon the Emeli. Felin agreed, since he had never sailed upon a ship before. But as he gazed from the deck of the Emeli at the waters of the sea, his strength began to fail as the sickness of the sea overcame him.

As land disappeared beyond the sight of Felin, his courage utterly failed.

“Dear brother save me!” cried Felin. “No more can I see the land which I love, and now I am surrounded by the realm of Mari whom has made me ill. Please brother! Return me to the shore before my mind fails me.”

Eran returned in haste to land, where Felin rode quickly back to his realm.

Long did Felin keep silent to his brother, ashamed of his loss of courage on the sea. Eran respected his silence, not asking for his brother even as the months passed swiftly by.

There came a day when Mari became wrathful, and the sea was set into turmoil. So fierce was her rage that many shipwrights and sailors abandoned the harbors to seek shelter inland.

But when Felin greeted the retreating sea men, he found his brother was not among them.

“He was returning from a voyage upon the Emeli.” said the sea men. “We fear he is caught in Mari’s fury.”

Hearing this, Felin rode swiftly to the sea through gale and rain. From a high cliff he spotted the Emeli, glittering white upon the angry sea. But to his horror the waves crashed upon the ship, breaking it and casting Eran into the mighty waves.

In fear and panic, Felin rode to the beach and leapt into the raging shallows. Fear of loosing his brother consumed him more than his fear of the sea, yet he would have been lost himself had Mari not calmed her fury just then. Felin bore Eran onto the shore and breathed life back into him. As the clouds parted and the sun shown upon his face, Eran looked out to the turbulent sea and cried:

“My pride and joy is lost!”

With a final breath, he fainted in his brother’s arms.

Felin bore his brother back to his palace, and there he lay for many days.

Out of sadness and guilt, Felin remained at the seashore, where he and the shipwrights gathered up the remnants of his brother’s ship and restored the Emeli to its former glory.

But the radiant figurehead of silver and gold could not be found, no matter how hard they searched. Fearing that the masterpiece was lost, Felin sat himself upon the sandy shore and wept, even as the tide rose around him.

A dolphin heard his lamenting, and emerged from the depths of the sea.

“What a sad day to find a prince so young and fair weeping bitter tears!” exclaimed the dolphin.

Drying his sodden face, Felin responded.

“Fair creature; during a great storm my brother’s ship was destroyed by the ocean waves. I have tried with great effort to restore his ship, but the figurehead which he had fashioned has vanished into the depths. Oh dolphin, what I would give to see his figurehead upon my brothers ship, so that he may smile when he awakens.”

The dolphin was so moved by his lamenting that she took pity on him.

“Despair not, for I have good news. My master, the Sea King of the East, has in his possession such a masterpiece.”

Forgetting his grief , Felin cried

“Sea-friend! Take me to the realm of the Sea King if indeed he holds the figurehead!”

“He dwells in the deep abyss of the sea, far from the sight of land,” said the dolphin. “Do you have the courage to seek him?”

Felin heart froze at the mention of the landless sea. But with his brother in his thoughts, he gathered his courage and agreed.

Climbing into a small canoe, Felin tied a strong rope to the vessel, and with that the dolphin pulled the canoe forward out to sea. Soon they were far from the sight of land, and fear again consumed Felin’s heart. He could no longer bear to look upon the sea, so he lay down within the canoe and cast his cloak around him, weeping silently as the stars appeared overhead.

When the sun had risen in the eastern sky, Felin awoke to the whistles of the dolphin.

“We are above the Sea King’s realm. You must come forth into the waves so I may bring you to him.”

Felin entered the water trembling and held fast to the fins of the dolphin.

Down into the depths did they descend. When Felin felt his breath begin to fail, there appeared a bright light in the darkness. Soon Felin found himself standing in an underwater garden, breathing as if he were on land. The dolphin had transformed into a young minstrel girl dressed in rich layers of silk.

The girl presented Felin a flute carved from a shell.

“Play a song beneath the kelp tree. The Sea King shall have his morning walk in the garden and shall offer you council.”

Felin did as the girl had instructed. Beneath the flowing tree he played a melancholy tune, tears escaping his eyes as he thought about his brother.

The mighty Sea King soon emerged from his underwater palace with his train to walk in his garden. Hearing the sad song of the flute, he followed it to the kelp tree, where he spotted Felin seated beneath it.

“Young visitor to my garden. What ails you so much as to play the flute in such a sorrowful tune?”

Seeing him, Felin stood up and bowed.

“Oh King, I play for my brother, for he is stricken with grief,” And there he told the Sea King about Eran his brother, the Emeli, the golden figurehead, and the courage he had to gather in order to meet with him.

But the King of the Eastern Sea was not moved, and refused to return the figurehead.

“The masterpiece was a gift from my mistress, Mari, Goddess of the sea, and I will not part with it.”

“But my Lord,” said Felin. “It was my brother who carved the figurehead from driftwood in honor of his passion. Mari took it from him by force.”

Yet even these words would not sway the mighty King.

“Please my lord,” said Felin in despair. “Take whatever you ask of me. My prized bow, the jewels I wear, even my services. All I seek is the figurehead and my brother’s happiness.”

The Sea King pondered over the desperate request. Finally he spoke.

“The figurehead is yours,” he said “On the condition that you give me your crown,

for no such blossoms can be found within my sea-realm.”

“Oh King be merciful!” said Felin in horror. “Anything but my crown. It was a gift from the woodland people whom I love. I cannot bear parting with it.”

“Then it shall be fitting,” said the King “That you wish to take from me a gift I love, I shall take from you the same.”

Felin was heartbroken about the decision he needed to make, but he knew what he had to do. Thus, with a heavy heart, he presented his beautiful crown to the Sea King. With the crown in his hands and satisfaction on his face, the Sea King lead Felin through his gardens. There at the very center was the figurehead, glittering silver and gold in the underwater light.

At once, Felin forgot his sorrow and was filled with immeasurable joy.

To his amazement, the crystal eyes blinked, and the wooden sea-hawk came to life. Turning its head, it spoke to Felin in a beautiful voice.

“Prince of the woodlands. You have shown great courage for the sake of your brother. I have not seen a more loving soul, and to that, I, Mari, goddess of the sea, shall have you in my favor for all time.”

Suddenly the figurehead grew, large enough for one to climb upon the sea-hawk’s back. This Felin did, and the sea-hawk spread its magnificent wings and soon flew out of the depths of the sea.

Eran awoke from his swoon at last. Arising from his bed, he walked to the balcony to catch sight of the ocean a short distance away, the loss of his ship still fresh within his mind.

But behold! There upon the sea was his Emeli, the figurehead shining like a herald from the sun. Piloting his wonderful ship was none other than his own younger brother!

Both were overjoyed in seeing each other again, and Felin recalled to his brother the journey to the landless sea, the loss of his crown, and how Mari had spoken to him through the figurehead.

“Oh little brother!” Eran cried. “You have shown me true love and loyalty by journeying to the undersea realm and giving up your crown for my figurehead. But hear me little brother; if you had perished in the waves, I would have never forgiven myself. Emeli and the figurehead can always be replaced. You are my pride and joy little brother, and my love for you is always greater than any material thing.”

The quest for the figurehead brought the two brothers closer than ever before, and never again where Eran and Felin to be separated by fear or longing.