Of Shadows and Stars
Long ago, when the Wolves walked freely, the nights were completely dark, and the days entirely bright. In those times the ulfar would work and play only at twilight, for they could not stand the burning heat nor see in the consuming dark. This went on for many years, until a brave ulfar called Xarel decided that he was going to find the Wolves of day and night, and convince them to settle their argument.
Now, the Silent Duskfall Wolf, Nox, was upset with his brother Sol, the Clever Dawnrise Wolf, because Sol had refused to let any shadows into the daytime so that Nox could not travel. So Nox retaliated by concealing the moons and stars so that Sol could not travel at night. Xarel did not want to get into a dispute between Wolves, but as Imber and Fulmen took sides, causing changes in the weather itself, he had little choice.
First, Xarel found the Silent Duskfall Wolf in his glade of dreams, where the Midnight was thick and strong. Nox was sleeping, for it was midday, so Xarel stole a handful of moonshadow from his pelt. This woke Nox up, and he was not happy to be interrupted by a little ikaya.
"What do you want?" he growled, and sat up, taller than the fifteen-foot trees.
"Great Wolf," said Xarel, "I want to see the stars again."
"Hmph!" said Nox. "I am the Silent Wolf, little ulfar. And it is not my fault the stars are gone."
Xarel, being sane, did not say anything, even though he knew the truth.
"It is my brother Sol who took the stars away. If he brings shadow to the day, I shall return the stars to the night."
Xarel tried to argue, but Nox has an unbreakable will and does not like it being challenged.
When Xarel found the Clever Dawnrise Wolf in his cave of glass, Sol was also asleep, for it was midnight. This time, Xarel threw the shadow stuff over the Wolf's pelt. At this, Sol woke up and howled his displeasure to the sky.
"What have you done?" he demanded, and sat up, dazzling in the reflected light.
"Great Wolf," said Xarel, "the sun shines too bright on us, and we can find no shade."
"What would you want shade for?" asked Sol. "Is light not enough for you?"
"The light is good, but so is the dark. We need balance, not just one or the other."
Sol thought and thought, and realised that angering his brother was not the best idea, especially when they had been tasked with protecting the mortals. He looked at the shadow that rippled across his coat. It did not smother the light; instead, it made the rest of his coat shine brighter like clouds making the remaining sky bluer.
Sol sent Xarel back to the glade of dreams with a message and a handful of sunshine. But Nox was not there; he had gone travelling now that shadows had returned to the daytime. Xarel had to wait for the Wolf to return, and during that time the Midnight grew hungry. It looked at Xarel, and the light he carried, and wanted it. Beasts emerged from the darkness, surrounding the ulfar.
Now, Xarel was a sun mage, but no matter how much light he summoned, he could not stop the Midnight. Only the light of Sol can repel so much darkness. If he used it, though, Sol would think Nox had betrayed him, and the world would fall into madness. He set down the globe of light, spun the strongest ward he could around it, and then turned to face the darkness.
When Nox returned, he found nothing but the sunshine, still waiting in the dark. He nudged the Midnight away with a flick of his will, but Xarel was gone. He put on the sunlight himself, and tiny sparks of light appeared all over the dark coat. Above, the moons and stars once more appeared.
No shadow without light. No sun without night.
Now, the Silent Duskfall Wolf, Nox, was upset with his brother Sol, the Clever Dawnrise Wolf, because Sol had refused to let any shadows into the daytime so that Nox could not travel. So Nox retaliated by concealing the moons and stars so that Sol could not travel at night. Xarel did not want to get into a dispute between Wolves, but as Imber and Fulmen took sides, causing changes in the weather itself, he had little choice.
First, Xarel found the Silent Duskfall Wolf in his glade of dreams, where the Midnight was thick and strong. Nox was sleeping, for it was midday, so Xarel stole a handful of moonshadow from his pelt. This woke Nox up, and he was not happy to be interrupted by a little ikaya.
"What do you want?" he growled, and sat up, taller than the fifteen-foot trees.
"Great Wolf," said Xarel, "I want to see the stars again."
"Hmph!" said Nox. "I am the Silent Wolf, little ulfar. And it is not my fault the stars are gone."
Xarel, being sane, did not say anything, even though he knew the truth.
"It is my brother Sol who took the stars away. If he brings shadow to the day, I shall return the stars to the night."
Xarel tried to argue, but Nox has an unbreakable will and does not like it being challenged.
When Xarel found the Clever Dawnrise Wolf in his cave of glass, Sol was also asleep, for it was midnight. This time, Xarel threw the shadow stuff over the Wolf's pelt. At this, Sol woke up and howled his displeasure to the sky.
"What have you done?" he demanded, and sat up, dazzling in the reflected light.
"Great Wolf," said Xarel, "the sun shines too bright on us, and we can find no shade."
"What would you want shade for?" asked Sol. "Is light not enough for you?"
"The light is good, but so is the dark. We need balance, not just one or the other."
Sol thought and thought, and realised that angering his brother was not the best idea, especially when they had been tasked with protecting the mortals. He looked at the shadow that rippled across his coat. It did not smother the light; instead, it made the rest of his coat shine brighter like clouds making the remaining sky bluer.
Sol sent Xarel back to the glade of dreams with a message and a handful of sunshine. But Nox was not there; he had gone travelling now that shadows had returned to the daytime. Xarel had to wait for the Wolf to return, and during that time the Midnight grew hungry. It looked at Xarel, and the light he carried, and wanted it. Beasts emerged from the darkness, surrounding the ulfar.
Now, Xarel was a sun mage, but no matter how much light he summoned, he could not stop the Midnight. Only the light of Sol can repel so much darkness. If he used it, though, Sol would think Nox had betrayed him, and the world would fall into madness. He set down the globe of light, spun the strongest ward he could around it, and then turned to face the darkness.
When Nox returned, he found nothing but the sunshine, still waiting in the dark. He nudged the Midnight away with a flick of his will, but Xarel was gone. He put on the sunlight himself, and tiny sparks of light appeared all over the dark coat. Above, the moons and stars once more appeared.
No shadow without light. No sun without night.
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