Corpus Tamrielicum - The Imperial Library

270 2. THE ELDER SCROLLS CHAPTER 2: DAGGERFALL
shall save her for my breakfast!" He grabbed her and took her into his cave, moving the rock
back so that she could not escape. She was sure to die, and tried to escape, but the evil orc just
laughed and laughed at her, until she finally gave up.
When the villagers found out that Mara had run off, they were very worried. No one knew the
woods very well, and all were afraid of the evil orc that lived there. Only Shandar was not
afraid, and he begged and begged for the baron to set him free, so that he could go look for
Mara. The Baron finally decided to let Shandar go, for no one else was brave enough to go
and rescue Mara. So Shandar was set free, and he set off into the woods to go and rescue her.
Shandar searched and searched, but could not find poor Mara. Finally, he sat down on a rock
to rest for a moment, and as he sat down, he noticed a piece of cloth under the rock. It was a
piece from Mara's cloak!
He realized that she must be under the rock somehow, and knew that the orc had captured her.
He pushed and pushed on the rock, and finally was able to roll it aside. He climbed down into
the orc's cave, but it was very dark, and he could not see anything. The evil orc, when he
heard his front door moving, hid in the shadows to see what was coming into his home. When
he saw that it was just a little man-boy, he grinned to himself and thought, "Now I have lunch,
TOO!" When Shandar came near, the orc grabbed him, and began to squeeze the life out of
him.
Back in the village, the people soon realized that they were foolish to let a young man go off
into the woods by himself. They gathered all of their weapons, and set off to find the two lost
children. When they finally came upon the clearing near the orcs' cave, they saw a strange and
wondrous sight: A slain orc near the entrance to the cave, and Mara holding the head of poor
Shandar in her lap. Shandar had killed the orc, but not before the it gave Shandar a mortal
wound.
Mara's tears flowed freely from her eyes and splashed upon Shandar's face, reflecting the light
from the villager's torches. Shandar was filled with sorrow at the thought that he had saved
Mara, only to lose her because of his own impending death from the battle with the orc. He
cried out to Mara's namesake, the goddess of love, to help them. The Goddess Mara
recognized their true love and wept at their loss.
Not having power over death, she could do nothing to save Shandar, but she knew that she
could not let their love die. She reached down from the heavens and picked up Mara and
Shandar in her arms, and placed them high in the heavens. They could be together always,
and provide light in the dark night to others so that they may be safe from the evils in the
world. The villagers were amazed at this sight, and vowed to honor the love of Shandar and
Mara by learning more about themselves and their neighbors, so that the war that had been
going on as long as anyone could remember would end. Shandar's sacrifice for the one he
loved showed them that he was worthy of their respect, and that those from his village were
just as proud and worthy as themselves.
And, that's why, children, every night we can see Mara's Tear and Shandar's Sorrow spending
their lives together high in the heavens, lighting the way for all the little boys and girls like
you.