My Tale
Do faery tales always have to end with "happily ever after?" Do they always have to have a "knight in shining armor to rescue the damsel"? Do they always have to have a prince charming to save or simply woo the girl? Do they always have to have people in the highest place in the hierarchy to be labeled "the hero?" Do they?
Well, if you say "yes" to any— or every—question, then let me tell you you're pathetic. Not all faery tales are like that! The girl doesn't always have to be the victim of despair and distress, waiting for some knight to rescue her. Whatever you've heard, whatever you've read, forget about it. The traditional faery tale of a knight saving a damsel in distress—forget the traditional faery tales! I mean, haven't you noticed that the only people who tell, listen to, and talk about those kind of faery tales are young, starry-eyed teen girls who could do no better then dream up what they can't and most likely will never have?
Well, let me tell you about another faery tale opposite that. A better one. Here's my faery tale.
I spent my early years away from everyone because of my status. I was born illegitimately—a bastard child. I never knew who my father was, but from what I had heard, I liked to believe that he was a Ranger, a Wanderer of the Wild and Protector of the small. But I was only fooling myself and I knew it. So I forced myself to drop those thoughts of a glorious hero.
The woman who gave birth to me has no meaning to me. She has turned her eyes away from humanity. She easily became corrupt and Hate surrounded her heart and mind. Darkness consumed her Home. I turned away from her and shut my heart away from her Darkness. Of all her five children, I was the most uncalled for, the most unwanted.
I left them all in their little glade, their niche of Darkness. For a while I wandered alone in the forest, roaming through the winding roads and endless labyrinth of pine and mountain ash. In the middle of my wandering I met my most beloved friend. A young wolf who was great because he was everything a friend should be. He wandered with me the rest of my time in the forest.
When I finally emerged there were wide fields. I was not on a road when I emerged, but there was one before me that ran left and right when I did. On the other side was a fenced field of plants I had never seen before. A man was working there, hard in labor to gather the plants. He spotted Alden and me standing on the other side of the fence watching him. Before he could say anything we were traveling down the dirt road opposite the rising sun, our shadows before us.
We only traveled a few yards before we crossed paths with another Wanderer with what looked to me is the Night's Sky for his hair and the Day's Sky for eyes. Standing near six feet, his height towered above my short stature. Like me he had no human companion, just his stallion. He didn't have to tell me who he was, I already knew. He was a genuine Wanderer of the Wild. A Ranger. The best part of coming across this Ranger was he took care of me and gave me a name to finally be called by instead of "You" or "Girl." He called me Jal.
He was called Romer. Romer taught me many things. He taught me swordsmanship, which we worked hours enhancing my skills with a sword. He taught me the lore of the West and North, the Known World to us. He taught me herb-lore, telling me which is for healing, which is not, and which is edible. He taught me archery and hunting. And when I was big enough, he taught me to ride a horse. A master and his apprentice we came to be.
For a time we traveled together in the Wild. When I turned sixteen we lost track of each other. By Fate Alden and I were separated from Romer. We were traveling by sea, going from the Western shores to the Northern lands. A storm struck and we barely survived. Romer was badly injured and soon became ill. He went in the care of others who could do more than I could at that moment. When I left the day after I healed, he was still in their care. It has now been three months since I last saw him.
I have come back to the lands I once knew in my younger days. Darkness stirred since Alden and I left with Romer. Fear stuck Itself to every plant, every rock, every road, every corner of what was once belonging to Light until none was left of this small realm of the Known World that didn't Fear what was out there, what they could see. It is in the earth, It is in the water, It is in the very air we breathe. Fear was rising in the mist and blowing in the wind. This is my tale. It has just begun.
The girl called Jal faced the forest from whence she came. Her dark black-brown hair flew in the small breeze. Her dark brown eyes revealed the fear that arose inside her heart. Alden, the wolf who has stayed her by side for over ten years, barked his encouragement for Jal to face her fears and beat them like he knew she could. Being successful, Jal's courage began to rise and overpower her swelling fear, rising above her height of five feet, two inches. She gathered her courage and ran through the forest with Alden at her side until they reached the glade from which the source of Darkness and Fear supposed to have originated. Nothing was there.
Something pulled Jal to run a different direction. She ran North and East with a voice in the wind calling to her, In the fields. Run. Faster.
Jal got to the grasslands and found the source of Darkness. It was a pit of Shadows, a Sphere of Terror. It fed on Humanity's Fears, Terrors, and Dread.
You have finally come, said the Voice. It seemed to be female and had come from the Darkness. I have been waiting for over ten years.
"Who are you?" yelled Jal from yards away. "How do you know me?"
I am one who had given you life, was the reply.
"What do you want from me?"
You have the power I need to rule over all. You have the Fear I need. You will be tlie reason for Men's downfall.
"No!" cried Jal. "That can't be true!"
You cannot deny wliat is true, said the Voice.
"You cannot win."
But I already have.
"You will not win," said Jal. "I won't let you!"
It's too late.
In a loud voice, Jal yelled out, "I'm not afraid of you!"
What did you say? demanded the Darkness.
"You do not have control over me! I don't fear you!"
There was a bloodcurdling shriek that filled and rippled the air. Jal covered her ears and fell to her knees. Alden growled and barked at the Shadow. The Shadow shrieked again in anger and charged at Jal and Alden. Out of nowhere, Romer ran for Jal and pushed the out of the way.
Jal demanded, "What are you doing here?"
"Did you think you could just leave without saying a proper 'good-bye?'" was his reply.
The shadow was heading for them again. Romer pushed Jal aside again, covering her with himself.
The Shadow stopped yards away and said, So, he is your weakness.
The Shadow laughed. Your weapons will not hurt me.
The Darkness charged for them again. Jal pushed Romer out of the way but still stood at the path of the Darkness.
I'm not afraid of you, Jal thought in her head, standing her ground firmly.
The Shadow passed through her with no affect. It charged for her again and again with no affect.
Jal came to a moment of realization. "I know your weakness!" To Romer she instructed, "Romer, stand by me. Hold my hand. Her weakness is Hope. I need you, my friend."
Romer did so.
You fools! You will be the reason for ttw downfall of Men. The Shadow's voice was sharp. It charged for them but stopped just inches in front of them, shrieking in pain and fear.
Jal was chanting a spell of the ancient days created by those days' pagan priests. They were the chants she learned from the lore of the North. Romer joined her in the chanting. Their voice grew louder until the chanting filled the air. The Shadow continued to shriek as It began to shrink smaller and smaller until It was a small orb of darkness. Then It burst and was obliterated, giving out a force that knocked the two to the ground and unconscious. When they awoke a short time later, the air was clean of the Darkness. Its other offspring, they later learned, had mysteriously disappeared the day Jal left for the North with Romer ten years past.
" Romer walked to his stallion, Jal and Alden not too far behind. He led his stallion by the reins and walked Northward. He then stopped and looked at Jal and Alden. "Well, Kid, where do you want to go next?" Jal smiled. Alden barked in happiness.
This is my tale. Maybe it has a happy ending. But it's not your ordinary faery tale. I had stood up to fear and beaten it, a bastard girl. And as for knights and princes—Romer, Alden, and I are out to see what they are worth. Remember, this is my tale —it has just begun...
December 6, 2004 |
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