The Early Days
She shuddered, her teeth chattering as the cloak was pulled around her, the fire not even a foot away just now thawing out her flesh. The blood on her cheek beginning to move from the open wound again. The man's hand forced another cover of animal fur over her, his hands squeezing her small shoulders a bit. "Child, dis is da third time dhis veek dah," He smiled as he sat next to her, then looked to the fire. "Your mother vill have my head if you die out here," he continued a bit more somberly.
She looked up to him then back tot he fire, taking her bandaged hand from the coverings and running them along her cheek, gauging the wound. He grabbed her hand, enveloping it in his own, "No child, do not play in your vounds da." He shook his head in irritation, looking down to her, "You are eleven in our years and you continue to do things like a little boy," he scolded lightly. She lowered her head, "Forgive me yeah, Jandar." He shook his head as his brow furrowed, "Dhere is nothing to
forgive da," he looked to her as he spoke, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. "You fought vell today small vone, but you still need to learn dat you are not invincible, da," he watched her as he spoke, looking into her green eyes as she gazed at the fire. "You can run fast da, but your blood makes you more frail, like your father vas," he clamped his mouth shut for a moment, watching her expression fade
from one of intention to one of sadness. "I am sorry child, forgive an old man his vays da," He spoke, running his hand through her silver hair.
"Again," the raven haired woman spoke sternly, keeping her eyes half shut as she looked away from the young green eyed half-blood. "You are my daughter da, I expect you to know better dhan to leave such a vital spot open da." She turned her head slightly, her blue eyes coming upon the younger girl, holding her side. "It vill bruise da, but nothing is broken," The older woman continued sternly, "now again." The younger woman stood, the wooden staff in her hands a bit unproportional to her
own size. She stood at the ready, her eyes welling slightly but her expression remaining determined as she stood at the ready. The older woman thrusted her own staff forward, the younger sidestepping eloquently, letting her own staff turn the older woman's. The older woman stepped quickly, swinging and thrusting, watching meticuously as the young woman moved, her curly shoulder length silver hair moving
freely with her steps. The young woman saw her oppurtunity and smacked the leading hand of the older, knocking the staff from her hands. She spun the staff, aiming for her stomach as a sudden blackness came into her vision, she felt herself all. She looked up, a bit dazed, rubbing her eye. "Dhat vill bruise as vell da," the older woman smiled, rubbing her hand. The younger woman rose slowly, bowing her head, staff in hand. "Vell done again da," the older woman replied, "You may go for de rest of de day da." The younger woman bowed again and moved off, holding her side as she saw the older woman turn her back.
"By de gods child," Jandar picked her up in his hands, cradling her. The mess of bodies around her slowly began to stir, it appeared none had been injured severly save for his ward. He looked to her, her face covered in blood, stemming from her right eye. "Vhat happened my child," he pleaded to her unmoving form as he carried her away, the other parents of the children looking to their own. The older woman
awaited, cradling the younger woman in her hands, her black hair espousing the red blood that stained upon it. "Vhat has happened to you my child," she pleaded as she placed her daughter upon a few furs, grabbing a pillow to support her head. She began to clean the blood off of her face, her daughter still unconscious but breathing. "Jandar, get de priestess da," she commanded. Jandar bowed and moved away as she
finished cleaning off the blood. She looked to the bruises and cuts along her face and arms. "Forgive me my daughter," she pleaded, tears beginning to form, "I vas a fool to love him, to curse you da." She examined around her daughter's eye, opening it slowly. She winced and stood slowly, covering her mouth with her hands as Jandar rushed inside behind her, another older woman in tow. "Navarra, I have found her da,"
he spoke as he turned his attention to the silver haired girl. Navarra moved her hand to her own right eye, hovering her touch just above it. "Navarra, vhat has happened da?" he asked, stepping over to the child with the older woman. His eye widened in disbelief as he looked upon her. His attention turned back to Navarra, "Blue? but?" he stuttered. "De veave Jandar," she spoke softly as the older woman kneeled and
looked to her daughter. "She cannot stay Navarra, after dhis, dhey vill outcast her, not even you can protect her now," Jandar spoke, almost biting his own tongue as he spoke. Navarra nodded slowly, moving back to her daughter, running her hand through her hair. "Dhis is my fault da, my heart dhat has destroyed her life." She began to allow the tears to fall from her eye as Jandar looked to her. "I vill take her da, somevhere she can be safe, I vill teach her vhat I can Navarra." "I could not ask
such of you Jandar, such is not your place." "she is a daughter to me Navarra, I do dhis for her and for you." he bowed his head, then placed his hands around her, consoling her as she sobbed softly.
"So long ago," he thought as he ran a hand through his graying hair, his other hand being hung upon by a young woman, her silver hair braided to the middle of her back. "Jandar, vhat is it you think of yeah," she spoke, smiling as she looked up at him. "I think how your accent is so jaded by your elven blood as alvays Vara, " he grinned and let out a chuckle as he looked back to her. She rolled her eyes in contempt. He looked back to the road ahead, the flat lands, green grass, and warm air touched by a cool ocean breeze enthralled him. "I miss dhe snow child, I miss dhe
days of seeing you run and fall in it, vhen you vere but vaist high da." he smiled, his thoughts carrying his attention elsewhere. "You gave zhat up yeah," she spoke, still continuing a smile as they made their way into the gates of the city. "Da child, but vhen you are secure here I shall make my vay home finally," he spoke somberly as they passed a few armored men. "Luskan," he spoke, "I hope you vill move elsevhere da," he looked to her worried as he released his arm from hers. "I shall Jandar, as alvays yeah, I shall be vary of all," She kissed him softly on the cheek,
offering a warm embrace.
She felt the knife sink into her shoulder, the force of the blow pinning her to the wall. She felt the cold come over her, the two men grinning with their broken and diseased mouths as they eyed her. She would die before she would let them have her. She began to weaken as the other man began to dig through her pack, the other moving face to face with her. His breath was a putrid stench as he spoke, she didn't understand or care to. "Now boys, is that any way to treat a lady?" she heard the
voice come from behind them, her half conscious state picking up the irritating tone. She saw a large figure in armor come upon the first man, the red and silver scales of his armor she tried to recognize as the other man moved towards the figures, she fell to the ground, all faded.
"Shade, is she going to live?" she recognized the irritating tone as her eyes opened, still blurred she saw two figures leaning over her. She gathered what strength she could and tried to pull herself away, she could feel that she was indeed striped of all garments as she felt two firm hands hold her down. "Miss, we saved you, please, just calm down." She tried to fight but it was no use, her vision became more focused as she looked upon the raven haired young man. "How handsome," she thought, the pain just starting to return in her shoulder. "I am Shade of Port Llast,
I am a battle priest in training of Tempus, I-" she heard a cough as he spoke. The hin stood there with a strange pair of lenses strapped over his eyes, tapping his foot looking up to the larger man that held her. "We saved you," he stated with a half amused smile. "That's better," the hin stated in his irritating voice, "I am Frarry, master picklock and trapsetter, and you my dear have just been rendered our services, so pay up." She blinked then looked back to man in red, "Frarry, I doubt she could pay
us, but..." he grinned and released her. "We could use a pretty face, to help with negotiations, maybe even a linguist?" he looked to her as he spoke. She nodded as she sat up in the bed, wrapping the covers about her. "I vill aid you yeah, I owe you such a debt." she spoke oftly. "Good, then let's go toots," frarry spoke and headed to the door. "What is your name miss?" Shade spoke, "Fyevara St-" she paused, then looked to him. "Fyevara Amalith."
