The Adventures of Dara Darkmoon

[Noa]

Dara Darkmoon
Elegant Enchantress
Posts: 8
(2/26/02 12:51 pm)
The Adventures of Dara Darkmoon
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A tale from when Dara was a child:

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FIRST HUNT

Dara Darkmoon opened her mother's jewelry casket and began her favorite game—playing with her mother's jewelry. She was supposed to be studying her lessons, but she had slipped away from her dozing tutor. She was bored and longed to do something interesting. Many a time her parents had told her that she should be grateful that she lived in a fine, great house and that she was being reared to live the life of a lady, but Dara did not think being a lady was much fun. She had to study deportment and elocution, and had to learn which fork to use with which course when she dined. Boring.

Dara spread the dazzling array of jewelry out upon her mother's dressing table, and formed the trinkets into glittering patterns. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she put on a sapphire necklace and preened before the great silver mirror. She studied her own reflection. She saw a young High Elf maiden with intelligent blue eyes and pale blonde hair drawn back into a pert ponytail. Aye, she was comely enough, but she did not have the astonishing beauty of her mother, Lady Aurilia Darkmoon.

Dara lifted her mother's diamond tiara and placed it on her head. The tiara was so large it slipped down around her pointed ears. Dara pretended that she was Queen Firiona Vie, and lifted her chin in what she hoped was a properly haughty expression for a queen.

Suddenly the door opened, and her brother Marcus entered the room. "Aw Sis, stop fooling around with that jewelry. Let's go out and have some fun!" Although he sometimes annoyed her with his teasing, Dara was fond of Marcus. Everyone knew that Marcus, as the son of the family, would one day take over House Darkmoon and be master of all its holdings and estates.

"What kind of fun didst thou have in mind?" asked Dara, placing the jewels back into their casket.

"Hunting!" crowed Marcus, waving his practice sword in a fancy figure eight pattern.

"Hunting? I know naught of hunting!"

Marcus expanded his chest and struck a manly pose. " I'll teach thee how to hunt. Use thy penknife as a weapon. Off to the Faydark!"

. . .

The two children stepped out of Felwithe gate and saw the rolling hills of the Faydark covered with young elves happily slaughtering small creatures.

Dara was filled with excitement. Her first hunt! She spied a bat and swung at it with her little dagger ... and missed! The bat flapped its wings at her hair and nipped at her. Dara swung again, and this time struck the bat a glancing blow. The bat reached out with its claws, but he missed her. Dara struck again and again... and the bat fluttered to the earth and lay still.

Marcus nodded with approval. "When thou'rt victorious in the hunt, cut off a wing or leg or whatever as a trophy." Dara cut off a bat wing and stowed it in her pack.

Dara spotted a decayed skeleton. She thrust her dagger at its bony chest, and the skeleton cackled with maniacal laughter. The skeleton dealt her a bruising blow with its splintering club. She thrust again ... and missed. She smote a hard blow and the skeleton dropped to its knees.

Suddenly another young elf began to whack away at Dara's skeleton. "No help is needed, thank thee," said Dara politely. The youth ignored her and smote the skeleton repeatedly, until it fell in a clattering heap of bones. The young elf grabbed the splintering club and two bone chips, and ran off without a word.

Dara was shocked. "Nah, dinnae worry about it," reassured her brother. "Happens all the time in the Faydark."

The children moved along the path towards Kelethin. They slew more bats and a few giant wasps. Soon Kelethin, the city of the wood elves, was in sight. They continued northwards. They spied a small snake and began to chase it.

A voice behind them growled, "High Elves like you have ruined your lands. You'll not ruin mine!" A huge Orc Centurion rushed at them with a raised short sword.

"Yikes," yelled Marcus. "RUN!"

Dara screamed and ran off into the woods, the Orc Centurion in hot pursuit. He swung his sword, and the blow was so close, she felt the wind of it on her back. The Orc struck again, and his sword ripped her dress. She ran wildly through the trees, she knew not where, hoping to lose the Orc. Which way was the wood elf city? Dara saw a glow ahead of her and ran for it. Through the trees, she saw a blazing fire in front of a cave. Oh no! She had run the wrong way. Crushbone!

She spun around, dived past the Orc, and ran as fast as she could the other way. She ran past some Orc huts, then through the mist she saw the platforms of Kelethin, and there was Marcus dashing towards the city.

The Orc swung at Marcus with his short sword and nicked him in the shoulder. Marcus ran even faster. There was the Orc lift, flanked by two strong guards. Dara and Marcus ran behind the guards, who leaned on their spears and appeared to ignore the rampaging Orc. At last the two guards sprang to life, fell upon the Orc Centurion, and dispatched him in a few seconds.

The two children hugged each other, happy to be alive. Without a word, they headed home.

. . .

Half an hour later, the children arrived at the marble mansion in Felwithe they called home. A maid opened the door and called their mother, Lady Aurilia Darkmoon.

Today Lady Aurilia's silver hair was dressed in an elegant upsweep, and her immaculate white gown set off her flawless alabaster skin.

Marcus raised a wasp wing. "Mother! See what I got? I slew a giant wasp big as an ox. "

Aurelia smiled indulgently at Marcus. "Quite the little hunter thou art! I'm proud of thee."

Dara reached into her pack and triumphantly held up a bat wing.

Lady Aurelia frowned with disapproval. "Thou lookest like a ragamuffin, Dara. Thy hair is a mess, thy frock is torn, and there is mud all over thee. A lady always stays clean and well dressed. Go and wash up this instant!"

Dara glared at her mother and marched off towards her room. She was tired of being told what a lady must do or not do. She wanted to have some fun in life, to have adventures. Mayhap she'd run away and live with the gypsies. She knew not what life had in store for her, but she was certain of one thing—she would never be a lady—NEVER!