As told in the Gospel of Saint Ursula, Chapters 1 and 2.
And it came to pass that in those days, before he ascended to godhood, blessed Mithra sailed the seas of the The Thousand Isles as a mortal man. He traveled the length and breadth of all the isles, as a prophet and teacher, moving from place to place, town to town, island to island teaching his gospel of kindness and light.
Many had no time for his words, however after each landfall, some listened and headed him, and so in each land he gathered a following. Most of those who followed him only did so while it was convenient. Great crowds accompanied him as he walked the length and breadth of each land, however they quickly abandoned him when it became time for him to sail onward, to spread his message.
However at each island a few became so devoted to Our Lord that they left all they had behind and took up his cause, and journeyed with him, and joined his mission. Those he named Crew and Companions.
Ursula de Marta was one such companion.
From the day she was born on the island of Ende she had followed the ways of war. She killed her first man in single combat by the age of eleven and by the time she was twenty she was a mighty warchief and mercenary captain, commanding a troop of two hundred men. She was said to be so fearsome in battle that facing her was like facing a ravening beast, and that she knew neither mercy nor forgiveness, ripping her opponents apart with her bare hands, with animal like ferocity and feasting on their blood. Such was her reputation that no man dared to face her on the battlefield.
When Blessed Mithra first arrived on the island of Ende he found a tough row to hoe with the people there. The folk of Ende, then as now, are a violent, fractious, troublesome lot who live to fight and fight to live. The isle is a harsh and unforgiving land that grows harsh and unforgiving people.
Mithra’s gospel of peace, kindness and love did not naturally resonate with them. It is said of an Endishman that he will happily fight another Endishman to the death over a cow and, if victorious, will then pick a blood quarrel with with the cow and the cow’s entire family, and carry it for ten generations.
Nonetheless, such was the power and eloquence of Our Lord’s words and the sweetness of his message that even in this savage land, people came and listened, and followed him, to hear his teachings.
And oddly enough one of those people was Ursula de Marta.
At first she came to mock
“You are some kind of idiot you know, holy man, thinking that this world will ever be different then what it is. Blood built all these lands, blood nourishes them, blood there will always be. This is the way of the world and it will never change”
But Our Savior answered her always with tranquility and kindness
“The only chains that bind us are those of our own forging. Mankind has within it both a heaven and a hell. We can choose a different world”
Then she came to argue
“There is no way you will possibly succeed. You are fool and you will end up dead in a ditch, your words forgotten and the world will go on as it is.”
"Succeed or fail, all we can do on this earth is try to make a better world for those who come after us. This message I bring will live as long as there are people to tell it."
And the two argued mightily in such a manner, for Ursula might lack education but she was quick of wit and tongue and loved a good debate.
After awhile, to make the arguing more convenient, Ursula began following Mithra as he journeyed the width and breadth of Ende.
One evening, Mithra, Ursula and a few others were travelling a lonely road through the Lost Quarter of the island. This place was barren and few lived here, the crowds had dissipated rather then brave the wastelands.
It was in this lonely place that, just before nightfall, as they were making their meager camp, bandits set upon them.
The bandits were a sorry lot, thin with hunger, poorly armed, but they were famished and desperate, and still thought themselves more then a match for a group of unarmed pilgrims.
Ursula de Marta held them in little fear however, for she considered herself, alone, more then their match. She loosened the short sword in the scabbard she wore under her cloak, relishing the opportunity for a fight. She glanced over to Mithras, looking for permission to destroy them.
Mithras shook his head no.
"These poor folk are not our enemy, for things being different any of us could be as they are now." he stated to his tiny group.
"Come friends, join our fire, and all that we have we will share with you."
Ursula scowled for, truth be told, they had little enough, with food and wine not even sufficient for their own party. And yet somehow, as the Companions prepared the evening meal, the food bags refused to empty, disgorging double or triple the amount that Ursula was sure they contained. And the wine skins stayed plump no matter how much was drained from them.
The bandits were at first hostile and abusive to those they considered prey, but as Mithras spoke to them quietly and showed them kindness and sympathy, they warmed to him, and soon the two groups were laughing and sharing the small camp like friends. And he talked to them through the night.
When the next day dawned, the bandits took their full bellys' and left the party in peace, bowing to Mithras as they did so and calling him "holy man" and "blessed".
What happened to the six bandits is another story, for another book, but each of those men and woman became mighty in the Faith and worked great deeds in the name of Mithras.
Ursula watched them go, a scowl on her face.
"Surely we should have killed them, prophet, for they would have killed us without a qualm." she demanded of Mithras.
"When you kill a man, all you have left at the end is a corpse. Treat him with kindness, see to his needs, and in the end you have made a friend." the holy one replied.
"Surely these were thieves and murderers, and deserved death" she protested.
"Many who live deserve death" Mithras replied. "And many who die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not so quick to sacrifice mercy on the alter of justice"
Ursula was silent for a moment.
"But we did not have enough for us all." she finally replied.
"When we work together, the earth has bounty enough for all" replied Mithras.
Ursula remained silent for the rest of the day and night, thinking deep thoughts.
And as the sun rose the next morning, she renounced her warband and her pursuit of riches and glory and she swore herself to the service of Mithras.
From that day forth she was ever his most faithful and valiant companion, defending him from many dangers and accomplishing great feats of arms (for Mithras was not entirely against making war if the cause was just and no other options were available). She stayed with him until the very end, and was last to leave his side when he left them all to Journey into Darkness.
For some things must be faced alone, death being one of them"