The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful (Aliyah 1)

[Mikayla]

Author’s note: As I mentioned in Aliyah’s “log” I am not sure how I want to chronicle Aliyah’s adventurers. So, instead of a journal entry, I am going to try a traditional short-story format for this one.

Also, I haven't been logging the dialogue, so the dialogue is my best recreation from memory.

My thanks to the players involved in the story below; Xanthea (Gwylla), kiyoti (Ali'Hussein, Prince of Cats), Aitana (Nisha), and of course, Mr. Duncan (Rain).

***

The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

The woman calling herself Aliyah walked through the courtyard of Rivermoot. Her dusky skin and raven-black hair betrayed her foreign origins, though her blue eyes hinted that her ancestry might be more complicated than one would assume. She was young, not yet twenty-years old, tall, slender, long and lithe. She moved with ease and grace, though without a hint of noble manners or upbringing.

As she walked towards the tall wooden gates, she passed by a plate-armored dwarf. “Good day.” Said the dwarf.

Aliyah stopped. She was not used to the locals addressing her. For the most part, they just ignored her and she was fine with that. This dwarf had greeted her though, and while Aliyah was something of a stranger to polite company, she felt compelled to answer. She also felt more than a little curiosity, since she had never spoken with a real dwarf before.

“Greetings.” Aliyah replied. “You’re a dwarf, yes?” The question was blunt and probably rude, but Aliyah was not at all concerned about that.

“Aye.” The dwarf replied. “A Shield Dwarf.”

“So you are a warrior then?”

“It’s a type of dwarf. Though like most dwarves, I can handle an axe .”

This answer puzzled Aliyah. “Well, shouldn’t you be called ‘Axe Dwarves’ then?”

“No, almost all dwarves can handle an axe. Its our preferred weapon.”

Well that just proves my point, Aliyah thought.

The dwarf started talking about some job for some official, killing some creature for some gold, but Aliyah was distracted; outside the gates of Rivermoot’s court yard she could hear people talking in Alzhedo, her native tongue. Without a word she walked away from the dwarf and out the gate.

Down by the Rivermoot docks Ali’Hussein and Rain were talking with a dark-skinned, dark-haired woman who was just stepping off of one of the boats. Aliyah walked down the path and looked the woman over. The new woman was stunningly beautiful; perfect skin, dark eyes, silky black hair, long legs, and a face that could have adorned paintings in the Sultan’s hall. Aliyah was instantly jealous. The woman said her name was Nisha. She was Calishite and spoke perfect Alzhedo, naturally.

Ali was already flirting with Nisha and calling her a desert flower. Aliyah had been travelling with Ali for weeks now and he had never acted that way with her. Not that Aliyah wanted Ali in that way, but Aliyah wanted to be wanted. Ali had never once flirted with her, but here he was, flirting and flattering with this new girl just seconds after the girl stepped off the boat. All of a sudden Alia felt small. Small and stupid and ugly. Nisha was standing there in her gleaming chainmail shirt, her gorgeous hair pulled back, with just a few strands left loose to frame her perfect face. Her beauty and presence just sort of overawing.

And here was Aliyah, in her dirty, cheap, half-ripped shift and blood-stained leathers, her hair a loose mess falling all about. This was no catty competition, this was a rout like the Greengrass grand-melee. Aliyah didn’t stand a chance against Nisha. There was no anger in Aliyah at Nisha though, which Aliyah found odd. Instead, there was just attraction, which did not surprise Aliyah in the slightest. Without thinking, Aliyah told Nisha she was beautiful. Nisha returned the compliment expertly, but as she started discussing local beauty, Nisha's eyes turned to Rain.

Now Aliyah understood. Ali found Nisha beautiful and wanted her. So did Aliyah, though Aliyah’s envy was stronger than her attraction. Nisha, however, was attracted to Rain. Rain was his usual impassive, quiet self. Aliyah was still not entirely sure whether Rain was eunuch or not – she didn’t really think he was, but he showed little interest in women or men. Aliyah was not about to ask him though - she did not want risk offending a man who could cut an orc in half with a single swing of his blade. Eunuch or not, Rain was dangerous.

Suddenly Aliyah realized the dwarf had followed her out of the gate and was standing nearby.

Ali’Hussein was speaking. “I shall allow Rain to make the proper introductions.” Ali said to the dwarf. Aliyah had to suppress a smile.

Rain introduced Ali in the usual way, as his Highness, Lord of the Gutter and Prince of Cats. Aliyah chimed in as well. The dwarf interrupted at one point and asked if those were real titles.

“His Highness understands your skepticism,” Aliyah answered, “and suggests you make the proper inquiries with any cat.” She could barely keep a straight face as she spoke.

“I’ll do that, if I see a reliable looking cat.” The dwarf answered curtly.

Rain, Nisha and Aliyah were all talking about the dwarf in Alzhedo now, but Ali continued to speak with the dwarf in common. Switching to Alzhedo, Ali quickly explained his interest in the dwarf, which, once explained, Aliyah understood. Ali was very clever. One has to be clever to survive the streets of Calimport as an orphan on his own, and Ali had not only survived, he had thrived.

Frustrated, the dwarf turned and walked back into the Rivermoot courtyard. Aliyah and her Calishite expatriates followed shortly thereafter. They spoke with the dwarf about hunting goblins and orcs for the locals, and the dwarf was amenable.

“What is your name?” Aliyah asked. She was pretty sure that the dwarf had already given her name, but Aliyah had missed it.

“Gwylla.” The dwarf answered.

“Isn’t Gwylla a woman’s name?” Aliyah asked. Aliyah knew the dwarf was female, but Aliyah was angry and hurt and needed someone to stab at. She was angry about Nisha’s arrival and Nisha’s beauty. Just by stepping off the boat, Nisha had suddenly become ‘the girl’ in their little band, and not without good reason. Aliyah was not able to get mad at Nisha though; not only was Aliyah attracted to Nisha, but so was Ali, and probably Rain too though he did not show it much. If Aliyah was bitchy to Nisha, Rain and Ali might turn on Aliyah, and Aliyah could not afford that. So, she decided to take her anger out on the dwarf.

“Aye, it is.” Answered the dwarf with a hint of grumpiness.

“Huh,” Aliyah responded, “your parents not like you much?” She could see Ali chuckling and even Nisha smiled.

The dwarf’s face darkened but before Gwylla could answer, Rain stepped in. “She’s female.” Rain said.

“Oh,” Aliyah replied with mock surprise. “Sorry. You’re so stout and muscular.”

“Most dwarves are.” Answered Gwylla. Though clearly not happy about the exchange, the dwarf did not lose her temper.

The party made plans to move on the goblins and orcs up in the hills. The folk of Rivermoot were constantly in danger from humanoid raiders and they paid coin to those willing to go up into the highlands hunting the beasties. The dozens of names carved into the Sword Rock memorial stone attested to the danger of this endeavor. Still, Aliyah and her Calishite band were all too happy to accompany the dwarf on this hunting trip.

Ali suggested that Gwylla take point on the trek.

“Well, I never considered any of you would do it.” Replied the dour dwarf. Aliyah saw another opportunity to twist the knife.

“How considerate.” Aliyah answered. “I like him already. Her, I mean, her.” Ali and the others grinned and tried to suppress their laughter.

The dwarf finally retorted. “Are you going out in that?” The dwarf asked, gesturing to Aliyah’s tattered leathers. Rain and Ali came to Aliyah’s defense though. “She moves faster with less on.” They said. Suddenly Aliyah felt better. Maybe Ali and Rain were attracted to Nisha, but they were certainly protecting Aliyah like a sister. She guessed she could live with that. It was nice, actually, maybe even better. She was not sure yet. She would just have to wait and see. Her emotions, her feelings, when they came, were as much a surprise to her as they were to anyone.

***

“Another one is coming.” Ali whispered, gesturing to the open doorway. An arrow ripped through Ali’s arm, spraying blood across the stone floor of the dimly lit cavern. “Damn it!” Ali yelled, spinning away from the door to cover.

Gwylla hefted her axe and moved towards the door in her heavy plate. Aliyah had watched the dwarf and had come to realize the dwarf was a killer just like Rain; someone whose fighting skill had been gained on the field, not in some noble's padded training hall.

Aliyah, however, was angry that some dirty orc mongrel had wounded Ali. She walked purposefully to her right to gain line of sight through the door. When the orc came into view, she loosed her shaft. The arrow flew right over the head of Gwylla, who was still advancing, and flew through the orc’s throat; it fell to the cold stones dying.

“A little revenge for you, your higness.” Aliyah said. She was only half-joking.

The sound of feet came from the dark. “Another one comes.” Aliyah said. Gwylla moved quickly into the cavern beyond the door. A huge bull orc came rushing out of the darkness. Gwylla went at it without hesitation, but before her axe could split the beast, Aliyah’s arrow shot through the creature’s eye, and it fell to the stones as dead as its predecessor.

“You’re pretty good with that.” Gwylla said.

Aliyah was speechless for a moment. I am? She thought. Good with a weapon? Me? She looked at the two dead orcs, who had her arrows sticking out of them. I am not a killer. Rain is a killer. Gwylla is a killer. Sayid and Ali are killers. I am just a girl running away from home.

… who just killed two fully armed orcs with one arrow each.

Am I a killer?

Really?

"Thank you." She said to Gwylla, bowing her head slightly. There was not a hint of sarcasm or reproach in Aliyah's voice.

Aliyah knew Nisha was beautiful; more beautiful than Aliyah would ever be. Aliyah would never be the ‘pretty girl’ in this band. It was Nisha that everyone would be looking at. So what was Aliyah’s role here? Killer? That was for warriors like Rain, Sayid and Ali, and soldiers like Gwylla. Aliyah may have killed these two orcs, but the vast majority of death had been dealt by the others.

Still, Aliyah had killed. And she was getting better at it. Aliyah could not go toe-to-toe with those bull orcs like Rain or Gwylla, but she was improving with the bow. More importantly, she was quick and quiet and getting better with her killing knife as well. Was that her path?

Aliyah put her boot on the throat of a dead orc and pulled her arrow out of its eye. Crimson gore ran down the shaft from the arrowhead. A strange feeling came upon Aliyah then, something she never felt before. It took a moment for it to sink in because it was so foreign.

She felt pride.

Nisha proved Aliyah wasn’t the beautiful girl. Gwylla, Susana and Aliyah’s own anger proved Aliyah was not the good girl. But maybe, just maybe, Aliyah was supposed to be the bad one.

One way or another, Aliyah suddenly knew that a lot more blood would be shed before her story was over.

[Aitana]

A great recount of the events. I really enjoyed the style and your character's thoughts. I look forward to more of your stories.