Of Love and War [Thade]

The moonlight called to her. Lady luna was always a welcomed friend to the Duchess of Darkness. All the pleasant things in her life happened within the light of the moon. Her parents teaching, the song of the werewolves, the birth of her daughter, and the secret touch of her lover were all blanketed in the grey shine of the moon. It was light that betrayed her. Pain had come in the brightness. Her world and the loss of her mother had all happened in a flash of light. That was the moment Dulcina cursed it.

Darkness had adopted her, brought her into its bosom and made her into its child. The Shadow court were her brethren, no matter how dysfunctional. They hated her, disposed her, but could not reject one that held so many cards in their favor. Cina knew this, she'd learned from her mother, and now with mommy dearest, M-I-A, she was the last Talos to stand among them… until her own daughter was strong enough to take charge. Her own baby girl was 5, but learning very quickly. Between herself and the fathers child, Dariella was going to become one among the Talos ranks.

She was here now to beseech her child and her father. It was his day for lessons, then again, Dariella always spoke of her time with him in the highest of praise. "Dad let me do this!… Dad showed me this…. Dad said I could one day do this…" It both delighted and concerned the dark witch. She was delighted that Dari loved her father, but she was concerned at what her daughter would become. The servant of the Shadow court was a cunning, deviant, and powerful man who showed no mercy in his ways. He was also loyal and would sacrifice his life to do their bidding… or anyone elses. Dulcina feared that if the opportunity arose, his mind would be more apt to judge than his heart.


Thus far, he was tried and true in his responsibilities. Conceiving the child was his upmost duty, and he did that mercilessly. So diligent that he made sure the job was done by checking it twice… or more. After his daughter was born, Dulcina was reluctant to let him hold her, let him have her, in case he decided that was more his than her own. Five years later, the duo that parented a child managed to keep tempers and minds in check to train their daughter. Dariella was to become a dark warrior, like her parents, wielding shadow to bring honor back to both their names.

Now she awaited him. Alone in the darkness, Dulcina waited for her kin. She did not like to be kept waiting and worried whenever her daughter was kept from her for too long. She would give his a few more minutes before Dulcina would get anxious… she could have every werewolf in the city hunt him down. She would too… all for that beautiful little girl that they shared.

Five years, there was no way for him to consider it a long time. To Thade it was what he equated to a month in the eyes of the humans. They were such a short lived people, which was why the always seemed so reckless and fickle. Thade was 265 years old, and he had harbored a grudge for over 200 of those years, a burning rage that dictated how his life unfolded. Anger and hatred had been his guiding lights, illuminating the world to his eyes. His world was shadow and darkness. "Daddy...", a whispered voice sweetly crossed the darkness to break into his stream of consciousness. "I see it." Warm breath caressed his ear because the tiny lips where pressed so close so her voice could be heard without carrying.

The word befuddled his usually clear and concise thoughts with a torrent of emotion. 'Daddy', her name for him, a name she was forbidden to use in open Court for reasons she could not understand, but she never hesitated to use it when she was allowed. Thade didn't say a word in response. He simply lifted his index finger and pressed it to tiny lips, full like her mother's, in a gesture of silence. Even though his digit was calloused and hard from years of training, he could still feel her lips curl into a smile at the contact. He hesitated, reluctant to pull them away and point down to the forest floor below them. He shifted his gaze to see the elated face of the mocha skinned little girl. She bore fine features that spoke of her Elven heritage, but she grew too quickly for an Elven child, the tell tale sign of her human blood. Five years was forever, the entirety of this little girl's life thus far.

It amazed him that after all these years, there was one thing that the darkness did not touch. He didn't know if it was the child that kept it at bay or if it was he who refused to let it. There were still so many conflicting emotions and thoughts inside him, and so much anger, but none of it ever seemed to stir in the presence of the child. He'd never planned on being a father, and knew he wasn't ready for the task, but that choice was taken away from him against his will as many things in his life were. Dulcina Talos invoked a contract that had been signed between her family and his grandfather while he sat on the Shadow Throne. In exchange for some boon that still remained a mystery to him, Thade's grandfather promised the Talos line that one of the Shadow Throne bloodline would sire a Talos child. After centuries the last living Talos chose to invoke the terms of the contract, but instead of choosing Darnorn, the true Shadow Emperor, she chose the deposed bloodline of Fey'rial.

Thade resented before forced to father a child like he was some stallion put out to stud. It was degrading to have his choice taken away, but he would uphold his grandfather's honor. If he was prepared to take a life for the dead man's honor he would sacrifice his pride. That anger and resentment seemed to be a thing that came and went as it pleased, but it never reared its head when he was with his daughter. His spirit had settled into a strange tranquility as he crouched perched on a tree branch high in the Ancient Grove's canopy. On his natural sense of balance alone would have kept him from falling, but magic coursed through is appendages as the Spider climb did its work. The child standing on the branch between his knees, with his arms wrapped securely around her, made him take such precautions. "Watch.", he whispered into her slightly pointed ear, and felt her nuzzle against his face.

Thade had been tracking the mountain cat for days to learn its territory. It was a female with a single cub who had just reached the age where it was time to learn how to hunt. Below Thade's chosen vantage point the pair could see an wary mother watching from the shadows, while her cub stalked closer to a deer that was much larger than itself. The deer had antlers that could easily gore the cub, but it moved forward steadily anyway. Ever closer while its prey was unwary, and then it suddenly pounced. Speed and agility made up for what it lacked in size and power, and almost immediately it had its jaws around the deer's throat and the prey dropped to the ground. At that moment Thade silently drew on the mana around him and mentally shaped the energy, as not to spook the animals below. It made it a more difficult and draining task, but the effort was worth it.

Like feeling an echo of himself reaching out across the land, Thade became aware of all the places he had been in the last hour, as if a tether marked his path. He touched his mind to the farthest place from this spot, which was on the ground about a two miles away, and simply let himself slide from one place to the other. His daughter would be familiar with the tingling sensation that ran across her skin. It would be the lingering touch of the Ethereal plane upon them, because it was through that plan that they traveled seemingly instantly. He looked around to make sure it was safe for them both, before standing up and taking her hand in his. "See Dariella? Terra teaches us that the small can beat the big if they are swift, and skillful.". She smiled up at him, and they set out walking hand in hand through the Grove for a while letting her inspect anything that took her fancy, and he answered the never ending questions she constantly spouted.

In time the energetic child started to tire, so he scooped her up into his arms, and swung her across his back so she could have a Thade's eye view, as she hugged around his frame. It wasn't a very long trek back to the city, but Thade took his time even if it would potentially get under Dulcina's skin. He didn't have much opportunity to simply spend time alone with his daughter. Even though he was still unsure because this entire arrangement complicated his life, he never wasted a moment that he spent with Dariella, she was a part of him. Dulcina was fond of saying she had her father's brooding scowl, but he would like to think that he had more of him than just that. Finally they reached the estate that had been awarded the Talos family in Elyria and Thade knocked on the door. Together he and the child waited for it to open.

Fingers silently made little circles on the soft leather like material of the chair she was seated upon. Alone in the darkness, in the comfort of this old chair was wear the dark witch liked to do her thinking. Her mind would consider the chair itself, the beast that had been sacrificed to make such a masterpiece. She never saw it living, but she could remember sitting upon her mothers lap in this same piece of furniture, Mommy dearest explaining the world to her. It was one of the few things that had come with Cina from Talos manor, and she would not let it go for anything. It was a piece of her childhood that she held on to, the comfort of when her life was certain.

Now, she was the one who held a child in her lap. Just as her mother did, Dulcina would soothe away fears and tears, sing the old songs to her baby, and tell her of mysteries that were only legend. She was so lost in her own thoughts that when there was a series of taps upon the wooden door, Dulcina jumped. Head turned to face the door as she rose from her seat and approached the door. Turning the knob, Dulcina opened it to find the two people she'd been waiting on for seemingly hours.

Her eyes went first to the darling little girl. She flashed a smile and spoke, "My Darling! Did you have a good time?" She held out her hands to the little girl who instinctively leaned towards her mother, accepting the embrace. Dulcina wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. She could feel her little heart beating, she smelled of trees and the night's musk, but she was here now. Just as the little one started to speak, Dulcina hushed her, "Shhh, Shhh, save your stories for the morning, My Love, it is time for you to run upstairs and get ready for bed. You can tell me all about your adventures tomorrow over breakfast! I look forward to it." And just as Dulcina started to put her daughter to the ground so she could do as she was instructed, the small voice spoke, "Can Daddy come?", Cina looked to Thade for a fleeting moment and then answered, "Of course he can baby. Tell him goodnight and thank him." As she released Dariella to say her goodbyes to her father, Dulcina chewed on her lip. While they embraced, she started to think of what she would say to Thade.

A few moments later, their child was inside and heading up the stairs, calling for the Raven that occupied their house. Now they were alone. Dulcina turned her golden eyes to her child's father. " You took her into the trees? She is just a baby Thade. Anything could happen up there, especially out in the wilderness… she is not a toy, that is my daughter!" It was clear Mama was none too pleased. She wanted her child to learn the way of the elves and of the court, but not too young. Her innocence was killed far too quickly, Cina wanted her daughter to experience a real childhood and not have the cares of the world thrust upon her. She often played the roll of an overprotective mother bear to a cub that only wanted to see the world.

"Do you know what can happen in the darkness Thade?" Of course he did… they both did, they were the authors of things that went bump in the night. Thade commanded the darkness and Cina could tame it's furry fury… and that thought alone terrified her to no extent. She was in rare form. A mother concerned and recovering from wicked thoughts. Her golden eyes met his again. Anger flashed through them, but was quickly calm as she studied his face. "You cannot keep her from me like that, not so late in the darkness." Her voice was stern and slightly threatening, but she did not want war. It was unthinkable what would happen if they drew swords. "Or I'll have every monster in the city hunt your hide. If anything happens to her, Thade Aran, it will be your end."

She was a spitting image of her own mother year ago… only Dulcina did not know it.

Standing there before the door while he waited, Thade experienced the same revelation that spending time with Dariella always brought to him. In his arms, clinging tightly around his neck, was this tiny life that was a part of him. He could feel her heart beat, the warmth of her body, and somehow felt the light within her that the world had not yet been able to stamp out. He closed his dark blue eyes, and for a moment wished the door wouldn't open. Once again the world proved to him that wishes did not come true, at least not without exacting a price that made the wisher regret it. He opened his eyes and saw Dulcina standing in the door, and Dariella went for her like the loving child she was.

The child's mother was an exotic beauty that proclaimed her mixed blood heritage. Fine bone features that most human women would kill form, and dark mocha skin that no elf could ever have. Seeing the two of them together, Thade almost smiled.... almost. His eyes met Dulcina's and he could see the storm brewing in her eyes. There was venom hidden behind that mask she wore for the child's benefit. Light faded as the little girl he knelt down to squeeze in his arms retreated up the stairs to go to bed, and darkness descended over his world once more. Always with the fighting, that was Dulcina's way. There was no more warmth in Thade, just that cold pit that was always ready for a fight.

"She is a Child of Terra." he interjected into that pause in her rant as he stood up from where he knelt on the floor. His eyes remained fixed on Dariella until he saw her tiny feet disappear out of his line of site. His face was a block of stone set upon a slab of ice, but something she said set a fire in him. Something she said made him angry. He'd ended lives out of duty, left bodies to bleed out on the floor of the Shadow Court Hall for insults, killed enemies of the Children, and never felt a flicker of emotion. 'My daughter...' said as if he had no claim to her at all. The warmth that sprite of a girl made him feel now burst into flames.

"So now I have no claim to her?" he asked as once glacial eyes turned on her to show winter storms that raged at night. "Even if she is 'just payment for services rendered'...." he spat the phase at her as if it were venom, "... do you think I would take her some place I wasn't sure of her safety?" He never wanted to be a father, he had fought the Shadow Emperor's decision to allow her choice of contract interpretation to be binding, but Darnorn insisted. He gave in to both obligations of honor, first to his grandfather and second to his Liege Lord. However Dariellea's existence began, regardless of whatever passed between them while conceiving her, something changed in Thade the moment she was born.

And there it was, the threat on his life for slights imagined and real. She was the spitting image of her mother in both features and personality. Thade could remember the head of the Talos family ever preset at Court. First it was her grandmother, and then her mother, and now her. One after another, they had the same stubborn pride, and each one was higher and more mighty than the last when handing down threats. Elves were long lived and Thade had lived long enough to see three generations of Talos women, and father the fourth.

He took a step to close the distance between them before she knew he had moved. Anger was a constant in his world, and rage was something that he kept a tight grip on, but both now burned in his eyes. Of everything in them, the one thing that was absent in his eyes was fear. A man who had nothing to lose, and viewed his life only as a means to an end, feared nothing. In one angry tirade she had taken from him claim of the only good he ever thought he did in his life, and threatened him. "Do it.", he hissed. She had given him his one weakness, the one person he cared about. "Call them all. I'll leave you a night full of corpses to rule, and no one to heed your call. You can lounge on their bloody hides while you wait for me to get back with OUR daughter, since you rather stay behind."

Her look only grew more stern as he claimed she was a child of Terra. No, Dariella might have that blood, but the only one to claim her as child were the two from which she came. Dulcina had never imagined this contract, this mothering duty, would strike her as hard as it had. She'd bee ruthless in her singles life, but the birth of her daughter softened her inside. Even a tiger could purr.

She never doubted her childs safety with Thade, only his feelings towards her. He had always been kind and gentle, but Dulcina knew how he really was. She'd seen the terror he'd raised before, she could not imagine him turning any of that fury on [s] her [/s] their baby. She listened to his rage build around her. Darkness could try to close in on her, but could not claim her. She was born of it. He was as ruthless and temperamental as she could recall. In her childhood, thade was one you would never want to cross, but Dulcina had toed that line, and now she was unafraid to stick her neck out over it.

"Is that what you want, Thade? A war?" Her eyes shimmered in the moonlight. Gold was her mana color and when she got upset, her eyes resorted to it. They had the slightest hint of it now, the thrill of a fight. Cina was a tiger, ready to pounce. "You know we would tear this city apart." She lifted her hands, her weapons, and opened them up. There was the slightest hint of a golden shimmer around her. "Do not threaten to take her from me." It was obvious something was bothering Dulcina, something other than Thade himself.

Her hands crackled with a golden flare of mana as she looked into his eyes. If only they could manage to be at peace for any length of time, they could bring down the world into the darkness that they controlled. Before Dulcina could list her next series of threats, a small voice spoke from behind her, "Mommy, I don't have a light on." Dulcina froze in her anger then turned to face her baby girl.

"Oh, My baby, what have I told you time and again?" The dark skinned eleven child walked towards her and Dulcina took her in her arms. That daddy controls the night and mommy controls its fury". Dulcina smiled and looked to Thade as she held their daughter close, " And what does that mean, Dariella? Her child pulled away from the embrace and looked her mother in the eyes, "That nothing can hurt me unless you or Daddy says so… and you will never say so." Cina nodded. " Mama, what's wrong? Your eyes are yellow." Cina kissed her daughters forehead and smiled, "Nothing. You go to bed now. I'll be up there soon." And with that said, she released her child from her embrace and once again, the small figure disappeared up the stairs calling, "Bye Daddy! I will see you in the morning! For breakfast! "

After her voice trailed off, Dulcina turned to Thade again. Her eyes were dark again, normal, as she spoke, "You see… you are never absent from our minds. Cina had filled Dariella's mind with stories of her father's greatness. Anyone could see, when Cina spoke of Thade… there was a passion in her words that could not be denied. Whether it was love or war was still to be decided.

Thade was still as stone when Dulcina came near him, but inside he raged like a wild beast destroying anything that was near it. When she mentioned that he wasn't going to take Dariella from her, he clenched his fists, causing knuckles to crack, and rolled his eyes in disbelief. Thoughts ran through is mind, wondering if women had a whole different version of events playing inside their head, because he mentioned nothing about taking the child from her. He believed that the child's place was with her mother, and anyone that tried to separated them would have to deal with him the moment he found out. His eyes snapped open when he felt the flare up of mana being drawn near him.

The argument had him tensed because he was restraining himself, but all that tension melted from his body the moment he felt the mana surge. He was attuned to sense the flows of mana around him, more than see them as other magic users did. His body was also trained to react on muscle memory, so the slightest hint of a threat caused him to prepare to fight. He didn't move, he didn't even flinch, but stone became water in an instant. If she lashed out at him physically or with magic, Thade would instinctively react accordingly. He was noble born, but he had no over exaggerated concept of chivalry. An individual's gender offered them no protection where he was concerned. If someone could attack, they were fair game to be attacked. If someone fought, they the invited death into their lives.

His eyes didn't shift from Dulcina when he heard the tiny voice. He would never take his eyes off of a threat. Instead his eyes relaxed their focus so he could take more into his field of vision. Thade watched as the anger drained out of Dulcina with the presence of their daughter. He also realized that the same had happened within himself. It seemed they shared a common weakness. The child was the only thing that their darkness refused to touch. When she told the child that both her and her father were watching over her and keeping her safe, he moved closer and ran a comforting hand behind her hand. He leaned in soon after Dulcina and placed a kiss on the child's forehead, no longer wary of letting Dulcina near him. "Sweet dreams my Evenstar. I'll be here to eat breakfast with you."

Dariella disappeared up the stairs and he watched every step. Deep inside part of him wanted to accompany her into the room, and show her that she was protected from the darkness, but she needed to conquer this fear on her own. The darkness was to be her ally, so she needed to master it. Thade refused to cripple the child by giving her the belief that she needed him to save her from the dark. When she was finally out of earshot Dulcina's voice brought him back to the present problem. He was surprised that she hadn't flared up right into the fight that was interrupted. "You know I would never take her from you. Her place is with you, and I'll kill anyone who dares to say otherwise." Thade moved back towards the door before stopping and facing Dulcina again. "I can come back in the morning before she wakes if you have a problem with me staying the night here?"

Anger had flowed from her like water from a dam. Broken and quickly drained in the sight of her daughter. She would not terrify her child with a show of her wrath, not like her mother had her. Dulcina had learned quickly what Donni could do at a young age and it both amazed and alarmed her. She also knew it would do no good to wage a war on Thade. One of them would loose their life and in the tussle only her daughter would be truly harmed, neither wanted that. He was quick when it came to an attack. Even if she managed to get on in the retort would surely bring hell upon her… and then a war within the night would ring out.

He'd disarmed her. How near he was to her, the warm breath she'd felt when he spoke to their daughter, his gentle voice… it was the lover she knew. As he reassured her that none would lay a hand against their child, Dulcina softened. Unlike her mother, she was raised in the company of an elf. He father, though a dark man, was allowed and able to love. Her golden eyes had all but faded back to the chocolate brown color that was so familiar. He moved closer to her, and she gave a sly smile.

"Of course you can stay. You know you are always welcome within the Talos chambers. She placed a hand on his shoulder and moved aside out of the door frame so he could enter. Once inside, Dulcina closed the door and started to walk with him to the main parlor. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks and raised her head to the window, listening. "Hear that? she asked, grinning, "The Wolves approve. Their howl is a promise that they were watch the darkness while we sleep." It was no secret the she shared an affinity with the canine beasts. They calmed her and she them.

Dulcine lead the way into the main parlor. Inside was a fireplace with a mantle covered in magical trinkets and books. All the bookcases were filled with books that looked ancient with beautifully decorated spines. Magic. The witch nodded to the couch, "Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?" Of course, she'd have one of the shadowed servants fetch him whatever he was in need of but her mother had taught her it was polite to offer. "So…" she started, taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch from him, "you took her to see the mountain lions? She does love that. Tell Me, what do you see in her ability?"

It was welcomed change to see that she had given up the course of action she had chosen. Honestly he was relieved. Thade didn't want one of the few times he got to see his daughter marred by a fight. Dulcina was always a firebrand, but she seemed to turn it on everyone with no consideration for who her target was. The two of them were allies even though they fought like cats and dogs. The howling of the wolves in the distant night was too much of a coincidence to occur with that thought. Thade would have smiled if the grim faced elf did that with any sort of regularity. Dariella seemed to be the only person that could pry that rare sight from him.

The elf's head shifted as Dulcina moved towards the main parlor. He had been there more than enough times to know the entire layout of the estate safe for a few rooms that she kept off limits to everyone. He had never saw any reason to breech that security or her trust, so their contents didn't peak his curiosity. When it was clear that she meant for him to follow, Thade started forward in that evenly balanced gait he called a walk. Even though he seemed to barely move, he easily followed her into the main parlor. Slowly he walked a circuit of the room, eyes moving over the spines of the different books that lined the walls full of bookcases. He knew most of the languages and could translate the titles. They were books of magic, and even though he did not possess the ability to cast higher level spells, he was well versed in magic. His father saw to that.

Once she offered him a seat he nodded in agreement. The offer of more was another surprise. The battle between them was truly quieted for the time being if she was offering hospitality. It was an aggressive dance that they shared because of their volatile and dominating personalities. "Some of that tea you make. The spiced one. Please." His voice was calm, and had fallen into that deep but quiet rasp it always was. Loud was never word used to describe Thade. When he raised his voice, it came as a shock and never ended well for the person that caused the change in volume.

"Yes, I took her to see the mountain lions again," he said with a slight nod. "I always keep her at a distance when she watches them. Tonight we stayed in the tree branches while they hunted. She's happy to watch them, but I can tell she wants to get closer. She's fearless." A moment passed by when the corners of his lips curled slightly. Thoughts managed to break through the ice and stone that encased him. "She reminds me of her mother at that age. She takes everything head on, doesn't blink, and refuses to back down."

When the tea finally arrived Thade's smile vanished beneath the layer of ice and stone once more, and he reached up to take the cup. He held it between his hands for a moment, feeling not only the warmth of the cup, but the essence of the contents. His body was attuned to mana to such a degree that he could feel minute traces when other Shaman could see nothing. It wasn't that he distrusted Dulcina or any of her servants. Being a denizen of the Shadow Court meant being careful at all times, and wary in all things. Thade had been born into the Shadow Court first as a one day heir to its throne, and then living threat to that throne's usurper. Every moment of his life was in danger, and that is how he learned to live. It was not second nature to him, it was his only nature. Finally he took a sip that started with a momentary pause of the liquid against his tongue. If he found no enchantment or poison in it, he would drink.

"An estimation of her ability?" he asked making sure she truly wanted to know what he thought. "She has good bone structure and musculature for her age. Its developing eelier than it would in elven children, no doubt because of her human heritage. You developed the same way. She doesn't possess the awkwardness that human children do while they are young, which means she has elven grace. Physically she is a perfect candidate to be taught Ny'zul Kahn. I wouldn't dream of it though, because it would destroy whatever potential she has for magic." He fell silent for a moment and that smile came back briefly. "Terra has blessed her. My father would have been ecstatic to know that his granddaughter had such potential." Dulcina would know very well what Thade meant, because his father was well known as a powerful Shaman.