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Desma Melania

Oath and Dark

Desma’s parentage was unusual. Her father, Erastus, was a tanner. When he met his wife, Artemisia, she was a slave. He sold his tannery and all his other goods so that he could free her. When they married they bought another shop, this one selling leather goods in Megara. But that is another story to tell. They were married for three years and their leather goods shop was going strong when Desma came along.

One night in late winter Artemisia went into labor. She had a long and difficult birth but she finally held her little girl in her arms. The mid-wife was pleased that the lady had lived through the birthing, but she made Erastus promise not to get her with child again for it would probably kill her. He gave his oath whole-heartedly. The thought of losing his wife or child terrified him. Both parents looked down at the child and both decided on the name Desma Melania, meaning Oath and Dark, because he had given his oath on the dark night his daughter was born.

Throughout the years Desma Melania grew to be a talented young woman. She was a smart little girl and was spoiled by her parents, though not to the point where she was a snob. She was tall, like her mother, with deep red hair and bright green eyes. Being an only child, she loved to go out into the forest and sit down, listening to the sounds the forest made instead of being surrounded by other, louder children. She loved helping her father in the shop since she loved the smell of leather and she loved to work with it. She loved the feel of the leather in her hands. She could look at a piece of leather and know what designs should be branded in and what it could be used for. Her mother would say she was so much like her father when it came to leather working. She liked learning anything he had to teach her. Soon she learned the trade quite well and was able to take his place when he had to do other things like the tanning and curing or purchasing the raw materials. Her father also showed her how to hunt using just a dagger so that she could end up using the hide of whatever animal she had killed. Soon Desma was very good at using her dagger not only to kill what she hunted, but also on the hides.

On Desma’s 18th birthday she had decided to do something that would break her parents’ hearts. She told them that she was ready to leave. She wanted to leave the village and roam the land, looking for her place in life. Her father started yelling and arguing. He was understandably angry and worried, but due to the gentle words of his wife he agreed to let Desma go. Her mother understood her desire to be free and they both understood that she needed to be independent and make a place for herself. That she wanted to make a life for herself outside of her family and that she was old enough. She wanted to see some of the world before she settled down. And so she packed her things. She bought a horse in town and all the equipment like provisions and flint and a pot to cook with and a few other necessities she would need on her travels as well as taking some leathers with her to trade in case she needed too.

Days became weeks and weeks became months as Desma traveled from Athens, where she sold a lot of her leather dress gauntlets, then to Rome and then on to small villages between them and outside of the big cities. The seasons were cooling and snow was visible on the mountains when Desma came across a small cottage on the outskirts of a village called Sorit. She decided to stop and ask the owner if she could trade a fur for a night’s rest and food for her horse. She dismounted and tied Gypsy to a tree before walking towards the cottage. She knocked and waited. Nothing had happened and she turned to remount when she heard a scream from inside. She quickly opened the door and ran in. The back windows were open, the cold air perverting the warmth and comfort of the home, and there in the middle of the room was a woman sprawled across the floor and an armored man in the middle of his deadly downward swing. Without even thinking, Desma grabbed one of her daggers and threw it at him. Her aim never missed. This was, after all, the way she hunted for her meals and she couldn’t afford to miss.

The man dropped to the floor as his sword clattered harmlessly to the ground. Desma quickly reached the woman and helped her to stand. Blood was coming from above her eyebrow but she other than that she was fine.

The woman introduced herself as Alaia. She thanked Desma for her help and told her of the dead warlord at their feet. His name had been Sarberias and he had wanted her blood because she had refused to teach what she knew about archery to his men. Alaia said she had been an archery expert with an army but that she would not teach the men who thought of her as just a mere woman instead of the archery master she was.

Desma asked if she might stay the night. Alaia invited Desma to stay with her, not only for the night, but also through the winter. She also agreed to teach the younger woman her knowledge of archery. Desma helped her with anything that needed to be done around the house and farm.

So for two years Desma lived with the woman learning everything she could. Soon she was accomplished at archery. She was interested in learning archery because it was easier to use the bow and arrow to hunt and protect herself then her daggers. In the process of learning what she could, she had found the totem that Alaia said she would need to find to be complete.

Spring came and the ground thawed and Desma decided the time had now come to take her leave. Promising to never forget each other, Desma parted from her friend and mentor. Not knowing where she would go or how she would get there, she headed into the mountains. And this is where her history in Themiscyra begins.

Desma Is 5’8’ and stockily built. Her red hair reaches to the middle of her back. She is 35 years old and her totem is the panther.

Tae'Nah athelfi arche: 04 October 2006

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