A Shadow Of The Moon

Boom! A loud noise crashed outside the window. Luna jerked up in bed. A flash of lightning lit up her room. She lit a candle on her bedside table, and looked outside. She groaned. Stupid thunderstorms. Why do they always have to be at night and wake her up at the worst possible time? She sighed. There was no use in going back to sleep now that she was wide awake. She got out of bed and crept across the hallway to the kitchen. She could see a candle glowing, giving off a small light to form a figure. Her Dad, William Tucker, was awake. She had never met her mom. Luna walked over to the kitchen table and sat down next to him.

“Hey sweetie. Did the storm wake you up?” He asked, drinking out of a crude, handmade mug. Luna nodded. “There is some monison tea on the stove if you want some.”

“Thanks Dad,” Luna said, going to the stove and pouring herself a cup of the bitter plant. It only grew in the Solegno Kingdom. They sat in silence as the storm raged on. Luna knew they shouldn’t be up. It was against the law to break curfew like that. If any of the Nestrad, the night patrol guards, saw the candle glowing, they would be in big trouble.

“I think I’m just going to read a bit before going to bed. Bonemoche, Dad,” Goodnight. Luna put her mug next to the small bucket for dirty dishes and went back to her room. It was by far the smallest room in the house, but Luna loved it. Leaning up against the wall was her precious bow, perfectly carved by the only weapon smith in town. It was about three feet long, and the handle in the middle was made of steel. It had been a birthday present when she was 10. Her father had thought that it was about time that she started to hunt. He had to get back to being a trader, or else they would be stranded on the streets. Sometimes, he would be gone for months at a time, and Luna would have to fend for herself. Today was one of the few days where he was home. By her bow, her quiver of arrows stood tall and proud. Luna walked in and flopped down on the straw-stuffed bed. She picked up one of the books stacked on the floor. It was a biography of the current leader of the kingdom, Seth Abner. Even though she had read it over a million times since it came out on her fifteenth birthday, she flipped through the pages, turning to her favorite story.

The Battle of Against the Noctratis Kingdom

Fourteen years ago, King Seth Abner, at the mere age of 21, led the fight against Noctratis Kingdom on the fifth of March. A few days earlier, Noctratis spies had murdered his parents mercilessly in their sleep, and the king needed to avenge them. It was murder, plain and simple. On that fateful morning, a spy snuck into the Noctratis palace, and opened the gates to the palace. King Abner and his army rode in silently. However, one of the guards in the palace saw them, and sounded an alarm. The army had to fight off a wave of guards. After three hours of intense fighting, King Abner was able to capture the queen. Unfortunately, the king was able to escape with the one-year-old princess. To this day, stragglers of the former kingdom still remain, wreaking havoc on small towns. King Abner has formed a small force of soldiers specifically designed to catch these terrorists, and make sure that they will never be able to cause trouble again. The force, known as the Nestrad, are the most skilled soldiers in the kingdom. They have been trained to be stealthiest, strongest and most powerful. It is considered an honor to be one.

Luna couldn’t believe how brave the king had to be. It’s not everyday you face the threat of another kingdom, especially one like the Noctratis, who were rumored to have powers over the night. No one was allowed outside at night, for it held the most dangerous things in the land. Fydras, giant ferocious cat-like animals with poisonous teeth, haysurs, small birds who attacked in huge flocks, and most of all, sianfras, the shadows of the dead. It was said that if you were bad as a kid, the sianfras would come and take you away to a world where there was no happiness. This was what Luna feared the most. She flipped the page, and continued to read.

Luna woke up with the sun. She must’ve fallen asleep without meaning to. She lifted her head, groaned, and dropped it back against the worn desk. Her chocolate colored hair flared like a halo.

“Luna! Brin’s going to have to wait for you if you don’t get out of bed!” her father yelled, his voice coming through the thin walls, heavy with exhaustion.

“Coming, coming…” Luna muttered, unfolding her arms, and stretching. She threw her crumpled night clothes onto her bed, and got into a pair of burlap pants and a leather shirt. She walked out of her room and into the small, cozy kitchen. It had just enough room for a firepit and a table. In the corner, there was a rusty bucket of dirty dishes, waiting to be cleaned. There was a small fire going, with a pan above it, sizzling with eggs, fresh from the chickens in the yard. Her father was setting out a plate for her.

“Did you finish your book again?” he asked, even though he probably already knew the answer.

“No, but I did get through at least half of it,” Luna said.

“For the ten millionth time,” he replied, teasing. Luna frowned.

“I only have three books to read,” she reminded him. They could afford four, but she was only allowed to read three of them. Her dad had the last one, but she didn’t know where. She once caught him reading it when she was young, and she wanted to see what was inside. He wouldn’t allow her to even touch the last one. When she asked about it, the look on her father’s face had made her scared. He had turned pale, and his brow furrowed into a menacing look. He looked angry to 7 year old Luna, and had scolded her. but every time she looked back at the incident, her father seemed to be more and more panicked rather than angry. She didn’t even know the title of the book. Her father always hid it from her, but she always caught him with a tome in his hand when he thought she was gone. He always pushed it hastily behind him when she entered the room.

At that moment, they heard a knock on the door, and Luna’s father went to go get it. She gulped down her eggs. Her best friend, Brin, was waiting for her. She ran to her room to get her leather bag, grabbed her canteen and went over to the door. Her smile melted off as she saw her best friend, holding two long bags. They were going to be training again. She thought they were going to go to Brin’s house and talk.

“Hey Luna!” Brin said, grinning wildly.

“Hey Brin. Are we going to the clearing again?” Luna said. Brin nodded enthusiastically. Luna sighed and shrugged. “Oh well. Bye Dad,” she said, and left the house. Her father waved her goodbye and closed the door. Brin handed Luna one of the bags.

They walked through the town from Luna’s house, at the edge of the village. Along the way, they greeted people on the street; their teachers, friends, the shop owners.

“Good morning, Mr. Jain!”

“Good morning, girls. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m great, thanks!”

Or rather, Brin greeted people as Luna tried to make herself as small as possible. She hated social interaction. There was only one person in town Luna was comfortable talking to: Kaia, the owner of apothecary that doubled as a hospital. Kaia waved back to the pair from where she was sorting out herbs on the road.

Once they finally got out of the center of town, Luna could relax. Brin chattered about this and that, like a bird at the first sign of spring, as they walked down the dirt path into the forest. The path was short, and it led to a large grassy clearing where Luna and Brin did all their training. They set the bags down by the edge, and started to warm up by jogging around the field. Luna started to feel calmer, and tried to forget about the drills that she would have to do in a few minutes. They finished the warm-up, and got to what was, in Luna’s opinion, the worst part. Sword fighting. The two girls took out the swords from the bags, and got en guarde. Brin lunged at her, the swinging, deadly weapon in her hands making her look like a tiger charging at its prey. Luna could barely defend herself from Brin’s blows.

CLANG! Luna raised her sword just in time to stop Brin’s weapon from slashing her face. She panted. It was just the beginning, but already, sweat poured down her face, and she wiped it off her forehead. She hated this so much. She raised her head to see her best friend grinning at her.

“You’re getting better, Luna! Last week, I almost slashed off your face at first. Soon, you’ll be just like me,” Brin said. Luna collapsed onto a stump nearby. She kicked the dirt on the ground.

“No, I won’t. I can’t seem to get any of the moves right. I’d much rather use a bow,” she said, putting her head in her hands.

“Sure you will! It just takes practice. And besides, you only started a month ago. You can’t expect success to come that quickly,” Brinley said. Luna frowned.

“I’ll never be as good as you! You’re so natural at this,” she said. Brinley rolled her eyes.

“I’ve had tons more practice than you,” she said. “Come on. Get up. We’ll try that move again.” Luna groaned as Brinley pulled her up. She picked up her sword, letting it hang by her side. She didn’t have any desire to learn this. Sword-fighting just wasn’t her forte. But Brin was insistent, and got into a fighting position yet again.

“Remember, duck as you raise your sword. It’ll be faster than doing one after the other. You have to concentrate,” she said, and attacked Luna. Down came her sword, but Luna was too slow. The blade skimmed her cheek. Luna let out a hiss of pain. It hurt. Brinley gasped and ran over to Luna.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” she said, inspecting Luna’s cheek. Luna pulled away from Brinley’s wide eyes, and felt the cut. Luna dropped her sword, feeling dizzy at the sight of blood. She could never stand how red it was. It made her feel sick.

“We have to get you to Kaia. Now,” Brin said, picking up their swords from the ground, and stuffing them into the bags. She grabbed Luna’s hand and dragged her out of the clearing and into the town. By now, it was bustling with activity, because traders were coming through from the south,from the capital, Santrium. Luna seemed to Luna as if everyone was staring at her, whispering. She just wanted to sink into a giant hole in the ground as Brin dragged her through the streets. The cut only made it worse. She unconsciously let her head fall forward, and a curtain of hair blocked her from the view of everybody else. She hated being out in the open, where people seemed to always stare. They finally reached the safety of Kaia’s shop.

“Kaia!” Brin yelled as they reached the empty checkout table. Luna could see a shadow moving behind the beaded curtain that separated Kaia’s shop from her living quarters. Kaia stuck her head out.

“Sorry, I’m closed to sort out herbs- oh it’s you,” she said, spotting Brin. She came out and stood behind the counter. “What can I do for you?” Brin pushed Luna forward a bit.

“Luna’s bleeding,” she said. Kaia came around the table to take a look at Luna’s cut from a bit closer. She pursed her lips.

“Where did this come from?” she said, turning Luna’s head.

“Sword cut,” Luna said. Kaia looked over at Brin. Brin shrugged, a guilty look on her face. Kaia sighed.

“It doesn’t look too bad. I’ll make a poultice really quickly, and it’ll heal in no time,” Luna nodded, and Kaia disappeared behind her curtain. After a few minutes, she came back out, holding a container. Luna could see a foul green mix inside, and she felt the bile coming up her throat. She swallowed hard. Kaia handed the container to Luna and shooed the pair away, saying that she had other things to do. Brin walked Luna back to her house.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then. You should let that cut heal a bit before training again,” Brin said. Her eyes were looking down, and she was biting her lip, something she only did when she felt guilty about something. Luna rolled her eyes.

“Brin, I’m fine. It’s no big deal. I’ll see you tomorrow, and we can go explore the forest,” she said. Brin managed a small smile.

“I just feel so bad for hurting you,” she said.

“It’s no big deal, Brin. Seriously,” Luna said. Brin smiled even more.

“Alright then. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, and took the small path back to the road. Luna watched her go and then pushed open the door. She heard a clunk in the kitchen and her Dad came racing to the front of the house, eyes wild and his sword drawn. He relaxed when he saw Luna. His shoulders slumped, and he let out a sigh.

“Oh it’s just you. I thought it was someone else. What are you doing here so early? I thought you were going out with Brin until curfew,” he said, sheathing his sword.

“Is your anxiety acting up again? I told you, deep breaths will help,” she said, and turned her head so that her Dad could see the scratch. “As for why I’m early, Brin cut me by accident. It’s nothing much, but she got very worried.” Her father tilted her head.

“You got Kaia to see this, right?” he said. Luna nodded. Her father sighed, and went back into the kitchen. Luna followed him, and sniffed the air.

“Whatcha making?” she asked, smelling something amazing. There was nothing better than her father’s cooking.

“Rabbit stew. This is the last of the bunch you caught a few days ago. You’ll have to go get some more soon,” her father said. Luna smiled and nodded. She was more than happy to go hunting again. Her father dropped a few chunks of rabbit into the stew and the house steamed up. Soon enough, the stew was ready. They ate and then Luna vanished into the garden to tend to the crops and to feed the chickens. Tarak, the horse Luna’s father had recently purchased as a gift, was grazing in the small patch of grass. Her father had told Luna that he had been saving so that she could join him in his travels as soon as she could. Tarak was a beautiful dappled blue-grey colt. Already, Luna could tell that he was going to grow up to be strong and handsome, and she adored him with all her heart. He galloped over as soon as he saw Luna, and she grabbed his brush. The sun was setting as she finished brushing Tarak’s hair. It was almost curfew, and she had to get back inside.

That night, Luna woke up in the middle of the night to a loud, impatient knocking on the door. She rolled out of bed, rubbing her eyes, and decided to see who it was. Her Dad had the same idea. They exchanged a look as Luna’s father opened the door. At the door, there were two people wearing the pale yellow jackets of the Nestrad.

“Good evening, Mr. Tucker,” one of them said. How do they know our name? “It has come to our attention this night, that you have broken Law 27 in the Handbook 32. We noticed that your windows were not shut after the sun went down. As the law says, we have to suspect that you have come into contact with the Noctratis. This is a very serious violation of the law, so therefore, you will have one hour to pack your things before you will be forcefully removed.” Luna’s father was pale. His eyes wide, he asked the same question on Luna’s mind.

“Where will we go? Curfew started a long time ago!” he asked.

“You are a trader, are you not? Your carriage does have four walls and a roof, correct?” the other guard said, raising an eyebrow. “As long as you are fully indoors, you can be fine,” He nodded at the two. “We’ll be back in an hour. Good night.” The two guards left and the pair of Tuckers looked at each other in horror. Luna’s father sighed, and closed the door.

“Guess I’ll have to go back to Santrium sooner than I thought. I’ll leave in two days so that we can figure something out. I’m so sorry, Luna. My carelessness got us kicked out. Go pack your things,” he said, looking pained.

“It wasn’t you,” Luna said. “I was the one who opened the window.” Luna’s father shook his head. Luna then silently passed him, and went to her room. She took her bag and stuffed the few pairs of clothes she had into it. She tried putting her books in, but it was impossible. She had to choose. Finally, with great regret, she chose her favorite, the biography. She sat on her bed and looked around the room. She wondered when the next time she would live in a room would be. Being suspected of collusion with the Noctratis was a big deal. She closed her eyes, and breathed deeply, running her hand through her hair.. Why did this happen to them? She opened her eyes again, and stood up. She ran her fingers along the familiar wall. She sighed again, and left her room, taking her bag. She went to her father’s room and stood at the doorway. Her Dad was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands. He was shaking silently, as if he was crying, and Luna approached him.

“Dad? Are you okay?” she said. He shook his head.

“I worked so hard to get this house, and it was basically for nothing because of a STUPID RULE THAT BARELY MATTERS!!!!!” he said, his eyes red and sparkling in frustration. Luna looked around, making sure no one heard them. Her father was acting crazy. Speaking against the laws was only one step down from having contact with the Noctratis. They were already in deep trouble; they didn’t need the entire government against them. Luna patted his shoulder awkwardly, and cleared her throat.

“Dad, you need to pack. The Nestrad will soon be back, and the last thing we need right now is a confrontation,” she said. Her dad nodded, and stood up.

“You pack up the chickens, and Tarak. I’ll pack up Zondris with what I can,” he said. Zondris was the horse that pulled the carriage. “Get everything you need from the house. We’ll leave before they get here.” Luna nodded and left. She went down to the small shed that served a a stable for the horses. Tarak neighed as she entered. She couldn’t help but smile. No matter how old he was, he was the best horse. She went over to the wall and took Tarak’s reins off of the peg from where they were hanging. She put them on him, and patted his head.

“I love you, Tarak, you know that, right?” she whispered. He neighed. She smiled. At that moment, Luna’s dad walked into the shed and went over to Zondris, untying him from the wall and leading him out of the shed, eyes on the floor. Luna patted Tarak once more on his head and left the shed as well to see what she could help her father with. He was loading things into his carriage. Luna silently helped bring in bags from the inside, and they finished. With one last look at the house that was her childhood home, she got Tarak out of the shed, hooked him up to the carriage, and climbed into it, squeezing between two sacks containing goods from the capital that were unsuccessfully sold. She heard her dad climb into the front, and they rode off to the trading center to park and rest for the night.

“Psst. Luna! Can you open the door?” someone whispered from outside. Luna sat up and rubbed her eyes. She lit a candle and opened the shades to the tiny windows on her father’s carriage. Brin was crouching outside, looking around quickly.

“Let me in!” she said. Luna crawled to the door and opened it. Brin slipped in.

“What are you doing here? You’re breaking curfew!” Luna whispered as loud as she could without waking up her dad. Brin looked around once more, as if she was checking to see if anyone was around.

“I have to tell you something really important,” she said.

“Why can’t it wait till morning?” Luna replied. They heard some banging outside on the floor, and they both snapped their mouths shut.

“Quiet in there! This is your first warning, by the laws of Handbook 32, law number 5,” a guard yelled. Luna’s father sat up from where he was sleeping.

“What’s going on?” he said, noticing Brin. Luna looked at her with her eyebrow raised.

“I want to know that too,” she said. Luna’s father leaned forward. Brin swallowed and spoke again.

“As I said before I was interrupted, I need to tell you something really important. My mom wanted to tell you, but I was smaller and could slip past the guards more easily,” she said. Luna’s father immediately jerked to attention. He stared at Brin with narrowed eyes.

“You’re not telling her,” he said.

“I have to,” Brin shot back.

“SECOND WARNING! If you don’t be quiet, we will make you!” the guard outside barked again.

“You know who I am! By my order, you’re not to tell her,” Luna’s father said, lowering his voice. In that moment, Luna thought he looked like a king. He was sitting so tall and proud, and the lighting made his jaw look sharp and his eyes were fierce. Brin took a deep breath, but before she could speak, Luna broke in.

“Tell me what?” she said, glaring at both of them. She was curious. Her father was hiding something. Brin looked at her father defiantly and spoke once more.

“You’re the lost princess of the Noctratis Kingdom,” she said. Luna’s mouth opened, but no words came out. It wasn’t possible. The Noctratis were evil, everyone said so. She wasn’t going to be a traitor to her kingdom. At that moment, the door broke open. A battalion of guards stood at the door. In the front, Luna could recognize the captain of the guards. She smiled. Thank goodness they had come so quickly. She thought Brin was going crazy.

“By the order of the king, any person found guilty of anything pertaining to the Noctratis, they shall be arrested and brought in front of King Abner and the royal family. Therefore, you are shall have to come quietly, or you will have to be taken with force,” the captain said. Luna’s smile melted off her face.

“But how? I haven’t done anything!” she protested, climbing out of the carriage. Her father placed a hand on her back. Brinley climbed out after him. He said something to her, and then leaned down by Luna’s ear.

“What Brinley said is true. We've run out of time, but I also don’t intend to go quietly, as they say,” Luna’s head shot towards him. He lunged forward, and kicked one of the guards in the shin. A battle ensued as Brin let out a five-note whistle. The captain looked alarmed as people started appearing around the battle. What was happening? Luna got pulled away by a guard, who started to handcuff her, but she kneed him, and he collapsed. She looked around, frantically searching for her father. Then, she saw him. He was fighting like a warrior, but it wasn’t good enough. Three guards came at him, swords glinting in the air. Luna could only watch in horror, frozen in place, as they beat him to the ground, attacking him like lions against a zebra, and shoved his arms behind his back. They handcuffed him, and Luna came to her senses.

“NO!” she screamed, and started to run toward him. She was held back by a familiar pair of strong arms. The battle kept going. She saw someone with a black sash talking to a guard. The captain. Luna struggled even more. She knew she could make them understand.

“You can’t do anything for him, Luna. We have to go, or they’ll be back with reinforcements,” Brin said. Luna struggled out of her grasp, but it did no good. Brin was too strong.

“Let me go, Brin. Now,” she said, breathing heavily. Brin shook her head. Luna watched as her father got kicked into a carriage with bars on the windows, his lifeless body dangling in the arms of the guards. As he got out of sight, Luna screamed again.

“DAD!” she couldn’t believe Brin. Her best friend was betraying her like this. Brin loosened her grip, and came in front of Luna. She held out her hand in invitation.

“Come with us Luna. Please. We’ll get you to safety. Just come with us,” Brin pleaded, her eyes wide. Luna looked behind her shoulder at the carriage driving away. With her father gone, she had no one. Without saying a word, she placed her hand in Brin’s, eyes closed in shock. Brin led her, stumbling towards her carriage. Luna opened her eyes, heavy with grief. Brin handed over her precious bows and arrows, and she slid them onto her back. Then, she was handed the reins to Tarak, and she hopped onto him. Brin meanwhile got onto Zondris. She kicked the horse, and they galloped off at full speed to an unknown place, where Luna would never be the same again.