Mirror Dance :: essays research papers

Mirror DanceThere are some paintings that simply capture the essence of life within theirstill frames such as the painting of the "Mirror Dance" in R.A. Salvatoresnovel Crystal Shard. The painting depicts two characters set in a darkenedbackground. The faint clarification of the moon casts shadows down upon the grassyfloor on which the sylvan warrior and human bravo battle. The glisten of themoon reflects upon a small, nearby pool of water. A silver grey sparkle in thedistance marks the nearby city of Silvery Moon.A sneer of hatred is etched upon the face of the human assassin. His eyesglimmer with a taint of red to depict his blazing internal rage. The clothingworn by the human is black as the night, much like the hooded garbs of antediluvianJapanese Ninja, the only hint of color coming from his weapons. One of hishands holds a vicious blade, blackened like the coal inside a fireplace. elflikeflecks of crimson blood decorate the tip of the blade, matching the fresh cut upon the arm of the elf. The legs of the human are crouched, as if he wereready any event to leap savagely at his opponent. His secondary hand hosts asecond blade, much smaller than the other sword, his hand holds the secondaryblade inward, as if to snarl it out at his adversary.The elven warrior casts an extremely different perspective upon the viewer. His eyes twinkle with the semisoft moonlight, and his smile welcomes the fiercebattle. The warriors robes flutter in a soft breeze, shining in the glow ofthe night. Even with his arm bleeding red from a cut which must have beeninflicted by the assassin, the warrior still maintains a reflection of regality. Thecrown adorning the top of his head, marks his royal heritage. The weaponscommanded by the warrior seem to take on a life of their own, his sword dancingto meet the twin blades of the assassin while a radiance resonating from hisshield, cast light upon the foe who prefers the stealth of night.Nature lies still for the battle between the two adversaries. The birds inflight, change state away from the loud clashing of swords, and the deer hide amongstthe trees in the forest. The people of the distant town of Silvery Moon watchfrom their doorways, huddled close to extend the chill of the night from freezingtheir bones. They look upon the scene with deep interest, the smiles of thechildren obviously cast upon their elven hero.