A/N: This little epistolary snarkfest is set in the world of my Orlathian novels, though you don't have to be familiar with them to read this. Two of the most powerful goddess of Dark and Light are writing back and forth to each other; each "chapter" will consist of a letter. Shara is Lady of Night and Stars and Mysteries, a scholar-goddess. Elle is Goddess of Light and has many aspects, including Forgiver of Wrongs and the Fair One, goddess of the full moon.

I am doing this because I find it intensely amusing.

The Dance of Shara and Elle

213 OR

Snapice 10

Greetings, my dear sister,

Since you prefer it, I use the Orlathian date to begin our correspondence. I do hope that this is agreeable to you. You have become best-known as the goddess of Orlath. You have indeed achieved remarkable things there, driving back the elves and establishing a new Kingdom for the humans.

And you only had to ally yourself with a human to do it! Truly, my sister, I am in awe of your strength and prodigious cleverness. Nimmeriel has praised you as a source of truer inspiration than she is, and Koroth is full of awe and envy for the auspices under which death proceeds in your country. You have managed to convince your people that murder is wrong and of the Dark- as long as your priestesses are not the ones committing it. In the Temple, they can do what they like, with rack or whip or flame or knife, and your people cheer and accept it, so certain are they that you must have a hand in it. What is it like to be a goddess of Light and Murder at the same time? Do tell me in your next letter. Koroth is most jealous.

Things go well here, though I do not doubt that you would not wish to know that. The people of Serian have accepted the Dark as fully into their hearts as they ever did the Light. Even more so, I think, since the last Queen of Dalzna could have competed easily with any of your twisted priestesses. I have a Temple here that suits me well. Did it hurt when your Temple here fell? I mean, of course, did it hurt you? I was too busy laughing at the time to notice.

Dalzna and Amorier belong wholly to the Dark now, and Gazania and Panolth always did. Of course, I assume you have noticed that, since we conquered a century ago. Such a period of time is enough to allow a conquest to rise into a goddess’s awareness, I have found, until it bursts on her like your moon.

Do write back, and tell me how it fares with you and your priestesses in that mortal-won, mortal-run country.

Your affectionate sister, though I know you would not wish to acknowledge the bonds of kinship,

Shara.