IN THE YEAR 411 AD, THE ROMAN LEGIONNAIRE ANDELLUS WHO WAS SOON TO LEAVE BRITTANY, ADOPTED A WOLF THAT WAS ILL AND EXHAUSTED. HE NAMED IT ROMELLA. HE LOOKED AFTER THE WOLF, FED IT WITH THE REMAINS OF HIS LEGIONS'S FOOD AND BECAME VERY AFECTIONATE TOWARDS THE ANIMAL, DESPITE THE MOCKING REMARKS OF HIS COLLEAGUES, WHO CALLED HIM "WOLF'S SON". ANDELLUS HALTED THEIR MOCKERY BY SAYING : "BE SILENT! ONLY BECAUSE A WOLF NOURISHED OUR ANCESTORS DIT THE ROMANS BECOME A RACE THAT IS TODAY ROBUST AND VIGOROUS!" AT THIS THE MOCKERY CEASED, AND ALL THE LEGIONNAIRES RESPECTED HIS SOLITUDE AND HIS FRIENDSHIP FOR ROMELLA. ONE DAY, WHEN THE LEGION WAS RESTING ON THE SHORES OF LAKE GENEVA, THE CAPTIAN, A SURLY OLD WARRIOR CALLED LINUS, ORDERED THAT THE LEGION MUST LEAVE BEHIND EVERYTHING THAT WAS NOT ESSENTIAL BEFORE SETTING OFF FOR LOMBARDY. THIS INCLUDED THE WOLF. ANDELLUS, WITH A HEAVY HEART, SAID A LAST FAREWELL TO ROMELLA, WHO UNDERSTOOD THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE ENCAMPMENT AND PERISH ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE. WITH MOURNFUL STEPS, SHE DEPARTED AND SLOWLY CLIMBED THE SNOW COVERED SLOPES TO SONLOUP. THE ENTIRE LEGION COULD CLEARLY HEAR HER HARTRENDING HOWLS. AT DAWN, WHEN THE SOLDIERS HAD BROKEN CAMP AND WERE LEAVING THE LAKE BEHIND THEM, THEY FAINTLY HEARD ROMELLA'S LAST HOWL. IT SNOWED FOR 7 DAYS AND 7 NIGHTS! WHEN THE SUN FINALY REAPPEARED, THE MOUTAINSIDE WAS BLANKETED IN WHITE FLOWERS, IN HONOUR OF ROMELLA, THE WOLF. THE FLOWERS WERE NARCISSI, IT IS SAIT THAT IN THE DEPTHS OF THE NIGHT, WHEN THE WIND BLOWS STORM FORCE, ROMELLA'S PLAINTIVE, MELANCHOLY VOICE CAN BE HEARD CALLING TO HER COMPANIONS. |
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