Legends of Belariath
Shanira Morningkill
Principles
Silence, at least now and for a few moments. The young but sure strong female looks at her bloody claws and at the unconscious body in front of her. It had begun. She was told women couldn’t become warriors, she was told to become a baby-producing mommy something and she told her elders that she will not submit to that, they laughed into her face and dismissed her. That she was everything but happy people might have seen. Her family knew that she was not the one to live and bloom in a family. She wasn’t smart enough to be a keeper of lore either. All she has ever done was training and brawling around with the guys of the clan. The boys of her age had never been able to mess with her. She was vicious when it came to fights and never let someone take advantage of her view mistakes during fight. She grew up but instead of learning how to cook and how to keep a household she still hanged out with her pals and former playmates, why not, she was accepted and welcomed at them and she listened to what they had learned at fighting lessons let them show the tricks to her. That way she learned and grew every day. She learned how to be a warrior, even if she knew she never would be allowed to become one.
The day came when she was introduced to the first of her supposed new mates. It’s been a young noble one from a clan not far away known for their way of nonviolence. Of cause she hated it and laughed into the face of the family as they came to have a look at her to come daughter. The whole ceremony was held one evening and everything had to be all noble and good arranged. The elders had made sure everything was fine and Shanira was supposed to agree with the marriage. Even her parents wanted her to do that. “It is a good party Shani, you really should give it a think. They are wealthy and you wouldn’t have to need to cook and all.” That had been her words and she had to try hard not to laugh. “I will.” she said with a smile. Her parents just blinked. Her daughter and smiling? They had awaited her to growl and bitch and bark but this? Maybe her time at the library had changed her mind. They were wrong. The evening was nice, calm and with a lot of good food. Then the father of Sentry Rainwind stepped up to Shanira and her family and inquired to speak. The bored to death Shanira looked to her parents and her father gave the grey pelted wolven from the other tribe the word. Right as Rainwind senior took breath to begin his speech Shanira spoke up and a gasp mad its way through the gathering. This gathering was held after the rules of the Dawnchaser tribe, which the Rainwinds belonged to and she wasn’t supposed to even speak. Nevertheless, Shanira stood up and walks up to the rather small Wolven. “You want me to be your daughter? What have you to do with it?” The eyes of everybody went huge and some of the older elders of her clan seemed wanting to get a heart attack others began to reek after anger and their eyes spoke KILL. Rainwind senior looked up at the proud white furred wolven. “I see what you mean but at my tribe it is custom that the parents arranges the marriage.” Shanira smiled. It is the same here even if it isn’t official. “According to the rules I am the one who has the last word in this. Is this right old man?” she looked at the elder of her tribe who seems wanting to burst every second. He hissed a “Yes.” Into her direction and a smile crept onto her face and she looked back at the over half a feet smaller wolven. “I want to hear why your son wants to merry me…” She blinked and turned into the direction of Sentry Rainwind, a not very tall but still attractive and rather muscular wolven of her age. “Why do you want to merry me?” All present guests looked towards him and he would blush under his grey pelt.
“I don’t want to merry you. My father wants me to.” Shanira smiled and looked into Rainwind senior’s face. “Our rules also say that I can fight my to be husband if I don’t want to merry him anymore. For this was an arranged marriage and the arrangement is between you and my parents and not between him and me.” she points at Sentry “I have to fight him now. If I beat him I’m free.” She stops for a second. “Actually… Wouldn’t I have to fight your mister Rainwind? What do you think? Would it be worth to have me as your daughter? Would I even fit into your little peace loving society? Would you want your grandchildren to become warriors, for I will not give birth to weaklings who want to cheat their way to power with arranged marriages!” Now everybody just gawked and Shanira simple turned to make her way out of the celebration. “You have time until tomorrow mister Rainwind. You either move along today or you will have to deal with someone who will either beat your poor and old ass to hell and back or with a daughter who will raise a new set warriors.” She left and left all of them behind.
They left the same evening but not without Sentry passing her a visit. The young man walked up to her as Shanira lay in a small clearing and stared into the stars. “Why this whole scene miss Shanira?” Shani looks up and smiled at him. “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t offend you. It is just that I don’t want to get married right now. Dunno if I want to anyways.” Sentry smiled and nodded. “No offense taken. In fact I’m happy. It gives me time to arrange another marriage. One with someone I love.” Shanira smiled. “I’m happy to be able to help you but would you please leave me alone? I’m sure my trouble will follow me here soon. Probably they will send me to the lore keeper and make me study the records of how to behave at elder and such.” She laughs and blasts him a smile. “Just wanted you to know that I’m not mad at you or something.” He smiled “Of cause they will but I wish you luck a lot of it.” He smiles at her and leaved to marry his love, as he had wanted to.
Of cause she got her earful and accepted her punishment with nothing more then a smile on her face. She used her punishment to study the laws of her tribe over and over again always with the thought in the back of her mind to find a way to become a warrior.
She did find it. During one of her many punishments, she grew to the most annoying clan member at the elders but had too many friends to simply get chased away. This special day she stumbles over a slip hole that would allow her to get into the rank of a warrior. It was written down that a Forrest Guardian can be challenged for a position at every time and if beaten his position can be taken as reward. She smiled and remembered the text. Of cause she had to read over it again and again. She spend learning the text several weeks, every single word, until the day came. It was her chance even if she had to challenge someone she liked and respected a lot. The two knew each other since they were born and she knew every single weakness of him. She knew she could beat him, but she also knew that he was one of the strongest. It didn’t matter to her. He would just get another position, but she Shanira, yet without a name, would get her name and she would become a warrior.
It was early morning, when she stepped onto the gathering place and began her howl to gather all the warriors and the elders, who soon came to see what was that urgent. The white furred female watched everybody stern, but Dandrel, the one who still had no idea about her challenge, she looked at with a bit of sorrow. She was not happy that it was him and still she had to do it. As everybody was gathered she spoke up, not waiting for the elders to ask her. “One among the proud warriors is weak, so weak that even a woman could beat him. He doesn’t deserve. I challenge you Dandrel SlowDeath. I challenge you for I doubt you are the best at the position you have been chosen.” Some jaws drop down and whispering can be heard. Especially Dandrel gawked at Shanira, not because of her challenge but because of her victim. He didn’t want to fight her not a single bit. He knew she was good but he was the strongest and sure that he could beat her. He looked at the elders and one of them motions the crowd to silence. “Shanira you realize what you are doing there?” The elder looked at Shanira stern “This cannot be allowed even if …” Shanira glowers at the male old Wolven “Not be allowed? It is one of the same stupid laws as the one that says females are not allowed to become warriors. Listen you old guys over there. I spend a shitload of time at the lore keeper. You all know that cause you fucking send me there, so you will either let me do this or I will challenge one of those proud warriors over there after the other. I grew up with most of them and with those who I didn’t grow up with I will have a fun day cause they are all younger and much less experienced. I will challenge each of them I’ll send one after the other to the healers. One each day, until you have no other choice then to let females do their work. Ask those guys they all fought me and they all knew what I can cause I learned from them what I wasn’t allowed to learn from you old men there! They taught me what you did not and they all know I can beat them. I am a warrior like it or not. Just because I have tits and a hole where I am supposed to have nothing and a piece of meat with two balls on it doesn’t mean I’m no warrior. LIVE WITH THAT!” She turns to the staring warriors who all look in surprise and awe at her outbreak. Even some of the elders gulp as they realize what they have driven this one female to. “Now to you Dandrel. I challenge you for your position. You have the right to choose the place and the time I will accept what you pick as long as we fight without weapon and only until the first one is cold out. Do you yield now or accept?” Dandrel blinks as he is talked to without further counsel of the elders. Nobody dared to do this before and he doubts that with his fight this will end. He looked at the elders before hoping they will make up her decision and simply drop that stupid law that doesn’t allow woman like this particular one in the ranks of the proud warriors “I accept and we will clear that tomorrow at sunrise here at this clearing.”
Shanira woke up far before the sun began and her steps lead her over to her clearing where she laid down. Few minutes later someone spoke up. “This has always been your favorite place. I remember the day you claimed it as yours and all us guys left it to you alone.” It was Dandrel. “Just answer me one thing. Why me?” Shanira glanced up. “Yes and I did it because it had to be something drastic, something that has never been done before. You know I don’t want your position. We both know they will not allow me to become leader of the Forest Guardians. All I want is to become a warrior. That is what I am, not such a spiffy little house-girl who wears a dress and cooks good and produces kids 7 days a week. No thanks. Come and lay with me, the stars a great.” He smiled and took place beside her. “I have to fight you as best I can, you know that Shani.” She snickers “I would make you do it if you don’t and you should know that if you faked it I would pick the next one and so on. I will not allow a fight that is faked.” They sat for a long time and dwelled in memories then the black night sky grew dark blue and Shanira got up. “It is time. You better go before someone sees you here. They could think we made this fight up and that is not what I would want.” He does so and it was about an hour later they met again, now both of them smiling and in anticipation to see what comes. The elders where gathered and everybody was ready to go.
The fight it self would seemed to take an eternity and both of them seemed to be equal until the second Shanira simply stormed forwards to box her opponent into the throat and raise her knee to sink it into his most sensitive area. A short whine was heard and then Dandrel went down and unconscious under the clamped shut eyes of nearly 30 males. They all knew how that last kick must have hurt and show it in this gesture. Silence fell upon the clearing and Shanira glanced down at her bloody pelt and her soiled with blood paws. She closes her eyes for a second knowing people will call it unfair not much later. Then she gives in to a howl of victory, long and powerful. Before someone could speak up she turned to the watching people.
“And that you male block-heads is why a woman will always be the winner if she is good enough. I think he says that he yields. Any objections?” One of the younger warriors raises his voice. “That was without any honor she hit him at a place where she knew that he wi….” “Shut it!” the oldest of the elders yelled. “You are supposed to find your opponents weakness she did exactly that.” He turned to Shanira “From now on you shall be known as Shanira Morningkill Forest Guardian of this woods. We also release you from this clan to find yourself a better suiting one. You have proven your worth for this one, but we cannot allow you here anymore. Returns when you found the place you belong to. You are also free to visit your friends and family but no place among the ranks of the wardens will be given to you.” Shanira eyes grew wide and she dropped her jaw. “You… you can’t do this! This is not right. “You can’t toss me out of my clan?!” The elder looked at her “You chose your path long ago and we accepted it but we couldn’t make you a warrior. Now we are forced to do it and you have to go. Say good-bye from everybody till tomorrow at sunrise, after that we will hunt you out of the territory of ours. Be well Shanira Morningkill may you find a place for you, here it is not.” He turns and moves away from her the rest follow him. All who stay are the old friends of hers and Shanira who sink to her knees and begins to cry silently. She left the same day, not saying goodbye but swearing to return…