Post by Yeti on Aug 24, 2015 17:00:46 GMT -5
Karenza was the second oldest of ten brothers and sisters. Life was simple but hard on the homestead.
It fell to Karenza many times to watch her younger brothers and sisters as her parents attended to the farm with the older brothers especially after her oldest brother was summoned to the local noble's call to arms in defense of his holdings. He fell in one of the border clashes with another nobles forces. The noble didn't even pay his death stipend to the family, leaving a sour taste with Karenza.
Foraging in the forest one day for herbs that grew wild in the area, she was forced to hide within the crevice of a rotten tree trunk hushing her infant brother as she a roving orc band rushed by nearby. It was with horror that she heard the screams from home. Rushing through the woods towards the screams, it was a gasp of surprise when a rough hand covered her mouth and pull her into cover before she could break the tree line.
"Hush little one, its too late to help them now. We will get our revenge later." The hand slowly moved from her mouth as she looked on in horror at the massacre of her family. All but the little infant brother she clutched to her chest, soothing softly to keep him quiet.
Leading her away from the sight as the orcs tore the place apart and the screams had ended.
A month later
"Put the child there, pointing to the center of a grove to what looked like a large bird's nest."
Karenza looked at the grizzled old man questioningly.
"Go on, he will be safe. But his caretakers will not approach if we stay here. You must leave him there and use be gone by nightfall. Now place him there and say your goodbyes to him. We will go get your revenge after that."
Carrying him slowly to the center of the glade, she felt at piece there even with the feeling of eyes watching her. Leaving him there, she walked back to the man known as Elliot. She glanced back one last time as the baby oo'd and ah'd there in the glade's center. She could have sworn out of the corner of her eye she saw a creature moving into the glade, even as she started to look back Elliot's firm grasp prevented her head from turning. You never look directly at them he says, "your not ready yet. He will be taught their ways and he will be safe don't you worry."
"What of me?" Her eyes meeting his as they walked quietly through the woods.
"I can either teach you my ways or I can take you into the city and let you find your way there. You move well through the woods, it would be my pleasure to teach what you need to know to help other families of the area."
"But you didn't help mine...."
"That orc band would have been the death of you and your brother as well had I acted. I couldn't save them we were too late for that, only you and your brother could be saved."
"Will you teach me how to hunt the orcs?" Glints of revenge flickering through her eyes.
"I will teach you the way of the forest, not the ways of revenge." He says with a sternness in his voice. "That isn't Mielikki's way. You will need to cure that thirst for revenge and retool it to ways that benefit the land. Revenge does nothing but salt the earth and nothing good can grow from it."
Leading her off into the deeper woods, he began her training teaching her for several years.
She excelled with the bow and her sword work was decent, he could never shake her of her hatred of orcs. He channeled it into her hunting skills teaching her to only hunt the orc tribes that were doing harm to the land.
It was helping him against some rampaging giants out of the Wyrm's Teeth mountains that Elliot fell to a giant's blow. She fell the giant with an arrow to the beast's eye as she ran to his side. It was too late for him, she could see easily see that with his head caved from the giant's club. She quickly gathered him up and struggled to carry him back to their camp in the woods.
Laying his body next to an ancient oak she began the task of digging a grave for him. She found a soft spot in the ground, turning to her pack for the travelling spade she was shocked as she saw the ancient oak coming to life pulling Elliot's body into itself.
Quickly she knelt before the ancient oak praying to Mielikki as the oak took his body into itself.
A sense of peace and good tidings washed over her. Even the cold autumn air did not give her discomfort as she kept vigil at the tree throughout the night. Come morning she felt the need to travel to lands she had never been to before. And image of a platinum shield came to her mind with a need to go with them.
It fell to Karenza many times to watch her younger brothers and sisters as her parents attended to the farm with the older brothers especially after her oldest brother was summoned to the local noble's call to arms in defense of his holdings. He fell in one of the border clashes with another nobles forces. The noble didn't even pay his death stipend to the family, leaving a sour taste with Karenza.
Foraging in the forest one day for herbs that grew wild in the area, she was forced to hide within the crevice of a rotten tree trunk hushing her infant brother as she a roving orc band rushed by nearby. It was with horror that she heard the screams from home. Rushing through the woods towards the screams, it was a gasp of surprise when a rough hand covered her mouth and pull her into cover before she could break the tree line.
"Hush little one, its too late to help them now. We will get our revenge later." The hand slowly moved from her mouth as she looked on in horror at the massacre of her family. All but the little infant brother she clutched to her chest, soothing softly to keep him quiet.
Leading her away from the sight as the orcs tore the place apart and the screams had ended.
A month later
"Put the child there, pointing to the center of a grove to what looked like a large bird's nest."
Karenza looked at the grizzled old man questioningly.
"Go on, he will be safe. But his caretakers will not approach if we stay here. You must leave him there and use be gone by nightfall. Now place him there and say your goodbyes to him. We will go get your revenge after that."
Carrying him slowly to the center of the glade, she felt at piece there even with the feeling of eyes watching her. Leaving him there, she walked back to the man known as Elliot. She glanced back one last time as the baby oo'd and ah'd there in the glade's center. She could have sworn out of the corner of her eye she saw a creature moving into the glade, even as she started to look back Elliot's firm grasp prevented her head from turning. You never look directly at them he says, "your not ready yet. He will be taught their ways and he will be safe don't you worry."
"What of me?" Her eyes meeting his as they walked quietly through the woods.
"I can either teach you my ways or I can take you into the city and let you find your way there. You move well through the woods, it would be my pleasure to teach what you need to know to help other families of the area."
"But you didn't help mine...."
"That orc band would have been the death of you and your brother as well had I acted. I couldn't save them we were too late for that, only you and your brother could be saved."
"Will you teach me how to hunt the orcs?" Glints of revenge flickering through her eyes.
"I will teach you the way of the forest, not the ways of revenge." He says with a sternness in his voice. "That isn't Mielikki's way. You will need to cure that thirst for revenge and retool it to ways that benefit the land. Revenge does nothing but salt the earth and nothing good can grow from it."
Leading her off into the deeper woods, he began her training teaching her for several years.
She excelled with the bow and her sword work was decent, he could never shake her of her hatred of orcs. He channeled it into her hunting skills teaching her to only hunt the orc tribes that were doing harm to the land.
It was helping him against some rampaging giants out of the Wyrm's Teeth mountains that Elliot fell to a giant's blow. She fell the giant with an arrow to the beast's eye as she ran to his side. It was too late for him, she could see easily see that with his head caved from the giant's club. She quickly gathered him up and struggled to carry him back to their camp in the woods.
Laying his body next to an ancient oak she began the task of digging a grave for him. She found a soft spot in the ground, turning to her pack for the travelling spade she was shocked as she saw the ancient oak coming to life pulling Elliot's body into itself.
Quickly she knelt before the ancient oak praying to Mielikki as the oak took his body into itself.
A sense of peace and good tidings washed over her. Even the cold autumn air did not give her discomfort as she kept vigil at the tree throughout the night. Come morning she felt the need to travel to lands she had never been to before. And image of a platinum shield came to her mind with a need to go with them.