IC: Fairs Present and Fairs Past
Valestiel had loved the Darkmoon Faire.
Yes, some of its entertainment was geared towards children. The games, for once, were simple, childish fun, but fun nonetheless. It had been a long while since she had just allowed herself to have fun, let alone visit a fair.
The last time had been before the plague and the fall of the Sunwell, long before petty sisterly rivalries.
There had been a faire in Lordaeron, sometime around Midsummer, albeit entirely unrelated to the celebration that the shamans hold yearly in modern times. No, this was much like the Darkmoon Faire, a place for the exotic and the strange and for a bit of childish fun. She had been a child then, and so had been Thanuz. Their eldest brother, Alvaris, had decided that he wanted to show them what Azeroth was truly about - a ridiculous notion in a time when venturing outside of Eastern Kingdoms was an extremely rare occurrence even for the most experienced travelers.
The Lordaeron Faire was a wonderful place, magical not in the traditional arcane, elven sense. No, its magic derived from mind tricks and mysteries, and fortune readers and beautiful dancers. And animals, all kinds of animals…Valestiel had never felt so much awe in her then short life. She had never left Quel’thalas before that moment, she had never seen a creature that was not golden and tame. Oh, she loved the Sunmist dragonhawks, and she had a soft spot for old, dear Jade - the oldest of the family’s hawkstriders that would allow her and Thanuz to ride without protest. But this was different. These animals were not her father’s pretty, gilded hawks. No, they were wild, and different, and exotic despite being trapped in cages. She had hated the cages. She nagged at Alvaris about freeing the creatures and letting them roam the countryside, much like the lynxes roamed the Eversong Woods, but all it earned her was a smile from her brother and a snort from Thanuz. “Who would think of freeing wild animals, Vale? Only you.” She had said.
And then, there were the Gilnean horses. Not the fragile, Quel’dorei steeds that sometimes she had seen in Silvermoon. These were strong, noble horses with wide chests and lustrous manes. She was about to ask Alvaris to take them to ride the creatures, but Thanuz had already ran towards the stable, demonstrating more excitement over the horses than she had over the whole fair. Alvaris acquiesced, and in no time Thanuz was atop the back of a black steed, patting the animal’s neck and softly guiding it around the fenced area as if riding a horse was all she had done in her life. Valestiel was not quite as talented. She soon found that the caramel-horse her brother had placed her atop of was stubborn, and seemed quite reluctant to follow her commands. Unlike old Jade, it did not respond to her soft kicks of encouragement. In the distance, she could see Thanuz galloping away and showing off to Alvaris. Earning the approval of the eldest of the Sunmist siblings was a sport that both younger sisters engaged in daily.
Valestiel recalled nothing else of the next few moments atop the saddle but the burning rage that she felt at the injustice that Thanuz would be so gifted at handling such wonderful creatures while she couldn’t. She wouldn’t know later, but in a fit of ire she had vigorously kicked the horse’s sides, causing the good creature to violently rise on its hind legs. The result of the ordeal was swift: Valestiel got herself thrown off the saddle, and promptly dissolved into a fit of proud tears while Alvaris rushed to her aid and Thanuz rolled her eyes. That day, she vowed never to climb atop a horse ever again.
Maybe it was because of this that presently at the Darkmoon Faire, she refrained from going anywhere near the ponies. She did not care how small and harmless a horse looked, she would not ride it. She had effectively managed to fly in the back of dragonhawks and drakes, she piloted her flying machine with little to no fear, but she wouldn’t ride a horse even if her life depended on it -not even the undead kind, for that had not gone well either.
But that was yet another story.
Yes, some of its entertainment was geared towards children. The games, for once, were simple, childish fun, but fun nonetheless. It had been a long while since she had just allowed herself to have fun, let alone visit a fair.
The last time had been before the plague and the fall of the Sunwell, long before petty sisterly rivalries.
There had been a faire in Lordaeron, sometime around Midsummer, albeit entirely unrelated to the celebration that the shamans hold yearly in modern times. No, this was much like the Darkmoon Faire, a place for the exotic and the strange and for a bit of childish fun. She had been a child then, and so had been Thanuz. Their eldest brother, Alvaris, had decided that he wanted to show them what Azeroth was truly about - a ridiculous notion in a time when venturing outside of Eastern Kingdoms was an extremely rare occurrence even for the most experienced travelers.
The Lordaeron Faire was a wonderful place, magical not in the traditional arcane, elven sense. No, its magic derived from mind tricks and mysteries, and fortune readers and beautiful dancers. And animals, all kinds of animals…Valestiel had never felt so much awe in her then short life. She had never left Quel’thalas before that moment, she had never seen a creature that was not golden and tame. Oh, she loved the Sunmist dragonhawks, and she had a soft spot for old, dear Jade - the oldest of the family’s hawkstriders that would allow her and Thanuz to ride without protest. But this was different. These animals were not her father’s pretty, gilded hawks. No, they were wild, and different, and exotic despite being trapped in cages. She had hated the cages. She nagged at Alvaris about freeing the creatures and letting them roam the countryside, much like the lynxes roamed the Eversong Woods, but all it earned her was a smile from her brother and a snort from Thanuz. “Who would think of freeing wild animals, Vale? Only you.” She had said.
And then, there were the Gilnean horses. Not the fragile, Quel’dorei steeds that sometimes she had seen in Silvermoon. These were strong, noble horses with wide chests and lustrous manes. She was about to ask Alvaris to take them to ride the creatures, but Thanuz had already ran towards the stable, demonstrating more excitement over the horses than she had over the whole fair. Alvaris acquiesced, and in no time Thanuz was atop the back of a black steed, patting the animal’s neck and softly guiding it around the fenced area as if riding a horse was all she had done in her life. Valestiel was not quite as talented. She soon found that the caramel-horse her brother had placed her atop of was stubborn, and seemed quite reluctant to follow her commands. Unlike old Jade, it did not respond to her soft kicks of encouragement. In the distance, she could see Thanuz galloping away and showing off to Alvaris. Earning the approval of the eldest of the Sunmist siblings was a sport that both younger sisters engaged in daily.
Valestiel recalled nothing else of the next few moments atop the saddle but the burning rage that she felt at the injustice that Thanuz would be so gifted at handling such wonderful creatures while she couldn’t. She wouldn’t know later, but in a fit of ire she had vigorously kicked the horse’s sides, causing the good creature to violently rise on its hind legs. The result of the ordeal was swift: Valestiel got herself thrown off the saddle, and promptly dissolved into a fit of proud tears while Alvaris rushed to her aid and Thanuz rolled her eyes. That day, she vowed never to climb atop a horse ever again.
Maybe it was because of this that presently at the Darkmoon Faire, she refrained from going anywhere near the ponies. She did not care how small and harmless a horse looked, she would not ride it. She had effectively managed to fly in the back of dragonhawks and drakes, she piloted her flying machine with little to no fear, but she wouldn’t ride a horse even if her life depended on it -not even the undead kind, for that had not gone well either.
But that was yet another story.