Brandobaris and the Moon

[The cover of this book is stamped with the symbol of Brandobaris, a hin's footprint.]

Brandobaris, hinnish lord of scamps and grandest of misadventures across the realms was down on his luck and in a slump. Naught but two coins spare to buy another drink in the dingy tavern he found himself in. He had little want or care to 'borrow' coin from his neighbour, fat though the coin-purse may be. It wouldn't be a challenge, no tale or sport to be found in such. So he drinks and mulls and considers what should be his next grand misadventure.

It was then that a stranger clad in dark colours and flowing strands of cloth sidles by and sits beside Brandobaris, offering him a drink and a challenge.

A challenge with a promise of a great reward should it be done. Wealth, be it coin of jewels, treasures worldly or not, mountains of -stuff-. For the challenge was surely impossible.

Filch the very moon from the night sky.

To accomplish such, the stranger handed Brandobaris a cloak drenched in darkness, so Brandobaris set forth with little further consideration. A challenge is a challenge! This would be quite the tale to tell around the next hearth-fire, even if few would believe it.

Sneaking past the beasts of the road, through the forests, clad in this dark cloak - Brandobaris went entirely unseen. He began to climb the steepest and tallest mountain that he could find, past caves full of strange and growling creatures, higher than the goats grazing upon mountain grass, and to the snowiest peaks. Brandobaris pulled the cloak tighter around himself but found little warmth in it's dark fibers.

As he stood atop the highest peak, watching the sun fall past the horizon as day faded and night began, he sat and waited.

He waited and waited.

And waited.

He waited until the Moon was high above him. Taking a silver string from his bag he tied one end to the tip of the mountain peak and the other he used to form a lasso. He tossed it once around his head, twice, and then up it went. He tugged it to ensure that the string was tight before rubbing his hands together to warm them. Up the string he went, unseen by all thanks to the cloak concealing him perfectly. Naught but a silver line between the mountain tip and the Moon to show anything was amiss.

Sitting atop the string, Brandobaris pulled out his golden bag of reasonably-procured-goods and with a great swish he passed it over the Moon, disappearing it deep into the bag. The bag is tied to his hip as he begins the climb back down to the mountain top, pulling the string down with him.

It was awfully dark without moonlight to guide him as he started his way down the mountain, and he took a different route back to the tavern where he started the adventure in. Down past the sleeping goats and snoring caves. Wandering this time past the sea, unmoving and missing it's dancing partner in the sky, he thinks on it momentarily before continuing to pass by.

Brandobaris opened the door to the Tavern and slipped back in, sitting at his new table with the new stein of ale to warm him and celebrate his success. Shortly after, the Stranger joined him and sat with him again. Brandobaris joyfully told the Stranger his tale, and when the Stranger asked to see the moon, he was happy to oblige.

As he was opening the bag, a silvery hand, soft and gentle, rested on his shoulder. He looked up and behind him before shutting the sack, he saw a lady in silvery white, radiant and majestic.

"I am Selûne. Keeper of the prize you stole from the Sky. I would ask for it back, for my foe sits across our table, coveting the Moon for herself."

In a harsh tone not taken before with Brandobaris, the dark stranger revealed herself to be Shar, goddess of shadows. She demanded the Moon she had requested he steal. For without handing it over, the coin, gems and treasure would not be exchanged.

"You said you would give me the Moon, Brandobaris, where is your end of the deal?" Shar spat at him, candles sputtering out as the darkness outside started to creep into the tavern.

"Ah." said Brandobaris with mirth, "I did no such thing, Lady Shar. You asked me to filch it from the sky, and so I did. But I made no deal to ever hand it over."

Shar had a great fit at this trickery, and tore the cloak she had gifted to Brandobaris from his shoulders. With the cold and dark cloth removed, Brandobaris once again felt warmth, a warmth he hadn't realized he was missing. Shar stormed from the tavern, having been tricked by Brandobaris by his sly wording, and she departed into the night.

Selûne bent down and whispered into Brandobaris's ear, causing him to light up with a grin. He nodded to her and took the sackful of Moon and retraced his path back to the mountain.

Up he climbed once more, past sleeping goats and caves until he reached the peak. Once more the silver string went up, and once more Brandobaris climbed. Taking the Moon from his sack, he replaced it where he had found it. Then he climbed once more to stand atop the moon itself.

Once more he grinned at what he would do next. He jumped into the sky and pinched the darkness. Where he pinched became light, sparkling with Brandobaris's mirth. The god danced across the sky, pinching as he went, pinching and pinching some more. New light filtered through, shining onto the land, twinkling away with the hin's merry dance, sharing the sky with the Moon.

At last Brandobaris was out of breath and climbed back down to the earth, taking his string and emptier sack with him. Once more he met with Selûne. The goddess took the strands of the night sky which he had pinched away and spun them into a new cloak of darkness. A gift and a reminder, for putting the Moon back where it belonged and not handing it to her evil sister.

It was no coin, nor a gem, but it was a treasure to Brandobaris. A cloak of darkness, as dark as the night sky, only the reflection of the stars giving him away when he donned it.

The two parted ways, until the next tale or adventure. Brandobaris has made another new friend, and earned a fancy cloak. So the god pondered...

"Whatever shall I make a hat out of, now?"

Originally told by Meriam Fuzzypaw during the third Day of Stories, originally told to her by her Uncle. Recorded, written and embellished by Minto T Fuzzypaw.