A Dawn of Stars and Shadows

Part 1: Elara Starflare

Who did this to you? — the man said, slamming the table in anger.

No one did anything to me, dad — replied Elara with a sigh. He was getting worse, especially when he drank. And right now, the empty jug was proof that he had been doing just that.

Then where's your hair? — He was referring to her long hair. It had been a while since she made the decision. Elara, with great sorrow, had cut off her long, reddish mane using a hunting knife. When it was long, it always got tangled while she walked through the Lirianth woods, searching among thickets and stumps, and it took too long to brush and style. Time she knew she didn't have. She left the part about looking pretty to her younger sister.

Dad, have you been drinking again? — The man wrinkled his nose and shook his head like a small child, but she crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and pointed at the empty jug.

This? This is nothing!... Hic! — The man grabbed the jug and tried to hide it, clearly drunk, causing it to fall to the floor at the foot of the stairs. At that moment, Bella descended languidly, with her usual, fake noble posture.

Why don't you stop tormenting father, Elara Starflare? He's only had a couple of jugs, and besides, he's right. With that hair, anyone would think a bear attacked you — Elara rolled her eyes to avoid responding to her sister.

It hadn't always been like this. Once, they were a happy family, a family of four. Bronc, her father, and Bellaria, her mother, had met almost twenty years ago. She came from beyond the Lirianth forest, from the north, and according to those who knew her, she was always a beacon of light and beauty, despite the pain reflected in her eyes that she never shared with anyone. From the moment she arrived, everyone adored her, but Bronc was especially kind and offered her refuge for nothing in return. They quickly ended up together, got married, and had Elara. A couple of years later, Bella was born, a girl as beautiful as her mother. Time passed in walks, harvests, and joys, but one night, when Elara was only seven, everything changed.

She woke up in the middle of the night. She had a strange dream she barely remembered, and the sound of wood clattering in the wind made her go downstairs. When she reached the bottom, the door was open, swinging with the wind. She moved to close it and saw her father standing still, staring at the forest. She called out to him, and he turned, walking toward the confused girl. She didn't understand why her father had tears in his eyes. He picked her up in his arms and, without a word, took her back to bed, staying with her until she fell asleep. The next day, her mother was gone. She had disappeared. Bronc never spoke about it again. The few times it was brought up, he became furious, so the girls and even the townspeople stopped asking. It was simply said that just as she had come, she had vanished. Shortly after, he started drinking.

You should stop wandering the woods like a vagabond and start caring about your appearance. After all, even someone like you could find a suitor among these country folk. — While their father chose to escape reality by drinking, Bella seemed to have created her own — a delusional fairy tale where girls like her were destined to be saved from poverty by a charming prince. Meanwhile, she did nothing but complain, leaving everything to Elara, who was growing more and more frustrated.

Maybe I should be more concerned about having something to eat when winter comes — she said, raising her newly caught prey. — Which is what I've been doing since mother... — Her father abruptly threw the chair he had been sitting on, and everyone fell silent. She knew mentioning her was forbidden, but she couldn't resist. Bronc righted the chair and turned to his younger daughter, Bella.

Dear Bella, why don't you help your old father and bring some water from the well?

Of course, dear father. And while I'm out, why don't you tell her — she glanced over her shoulder at Elara, — that she should have a little respect for the man who took her in as if she were his own daughter. — And there was one of her latest delusions. For months now, Bella's fantasy had evolved into a tale where Elara was not really her sister but her half-sister, found in the woods — hence why she spent so much time there. Combined with Bella's act of pretending to be some sort of betrothed princess, the entire village had begun to see the Starflare family as a bunch of crazies.