Lyriah Tyrraheal's page

My life started normally enough for any elf. I was born to an elven family, had a bow almost as soon as I could walk and was taught about nature, life and culture in true elven fashion. But then my life took a departure from normal. My mother (like her mother and her mother’s mother, and so on), had been trained in the wizardly ways. My father and his family had been trained in the way of the sword. Both served at the will of the crown and country, so you can understand how much of a departure it was for my parents to decide that they would become merchants. That was largely unheard of in my grandparents time, but back then humans were not as civilized. My parents had said, “Humans will usher in a new age of reason and commerce. We need to embrace them and be a part of that new age, or get out of the way.” I still remember my grandparents slamming their door on us and vowing disownment, but my parents were not to be deterred, they only turned to me and said, “You will be able to choose any path you desire.”
And so our small family of three embarked on a journey that took us through Osirion heading to Katapesh, as Ketapesh was supposed to be a gold mine for would be merchants. We had joined a caravan, complete with guards, wagons and all our worldly possessions. It wasn’t till some point in the mountains between Katapesh and Osirion that we were attacked. I still don’t know what happened. I only remember my mother waking me from the back of our wagon, late in the night.
“Come my sweet, we must hurry.” Was all she said, but her tone spoke volumes.
Exiting the wagon, I saw my father standing there, sword in hand, his expression much the same as my mother’s.
“We’re going to have to make a break for it. The caravan is lost.” He’s said. And we ran. And ran. And ran. My mother’s hand held mine tightly as we flew through mountain forests completely unfamiliar to me. Her legs travelled faster than mine could and I was almost dragged by her momentum several times.  I’m not really sure how long we traveled like this, but it seemed like an eternity. Eventually we stopped in a small clearing, all three of us gasping for breath. Both my parents looked back the way we had come, watching to see if we were followed. We were. The sounds of cracking of branches echoed somewhere off in the night. My father gave my mother a strange, but seemingly rehearsed look. She in turn nodded. My father smiled at me lovingly, but with some kind of remorse or pity mingled on his face, expressions I had not seen him make in my life. He then turned and moved toward the trees in the direction we had come. My mother crouched to look me in the eye and shoved a book into my hands. I looked down and saw her spellbook, a book I was told I was not allowed to touch. I looked up into her eyes, confusion clear on my face. My mother just said, “I want you to run and hide my sweet. And I don’t want you to look back or try to find us. When you’re sure everyone has gone, I want you to continue in that direction, and don’t stop until you reach a human town. Do you understand?”
I nodded, but wanted to ask, what was going on.
“They’re here!” My father yelled.
“Run!” My mother commanded. “Run!” She repeated as I stood indecisively.
I saw my mother cast her magic and a layer of mist rolled into the clearing just ahead of my father. A large creature that seemed almost a cross between a dog and a man jumped through the mist, but was caught by surprise by my father, who stood in wait at the edge of the mist. My father felled the foul creature, and that was the first gnoll I had ever seen. I turned and ran as my mother had commanded, but I didn’t go far. I found a bush nearby that had much foliage and did well at hiding me, but gave me a commanding view of the fight. Several more gnolls had run through the magical mist, only to be dispatched by my father’s sword, or by darts of energy that flew from my mother’s hands. But quickly even my parents prowess was not enough as gnoll after gnoll entered the clearing. I watched as my parents were slaughtered. All I could do was crouch in my hiding place, tears rolling down my cheeks as my body shook uncontrollably. It was a wonder that no one heard the trembling bush. Someone did.
A hand suddenly clasped my mouth and my free hand, holding me still and preventing me from screaming. I waited for the gnoll weapon to run me trough, but instead, my captor pulled me in toward them. I tried to turn my head and look up to meet the eyes of my captor and was surprised to see a human woman. The woman let go of my free hand an brought a finger to her lips, pantomiming shushing. I nodded understanding and she released my mouth. The woman then beckoned me to follow as she snuck from our hiding spot. I turned back to the clearing to see my mother lying on the ground, eyes open and unseeing. A gnoll was trying to remove my father’s belt, while another placed his foot on my father’s back so he could get leverage to remove the pike from my father’s back. Still shaking and tears still streaming down my face I turned to follow the woman.
The woman didn’t say a word, she just indicated the direction we should head and we moved quickly, but didn’t run. It seemed to me that we traveled in this way for hours before we finally stoped. The woman then, turned and crouched down to look me in the eyes.
“Now then, what’s your name sweetie?”
I stood there dumb not realizing I had started to cry again. 
“How old are you, sweetie?” She asked me.
“60.” I somehow croaked out.
“Why you’re still just a child?” She said, “And I thought you were a big girl.”
For you humans out there, I feel the need to explain, that elves and humans don’t age the same. It isn’t till the age of around 120 that an elf is considered to be of the age of majority. At my current age I was a small thin child that was all teeth and ears. You humans like to complain about your “awkward” years, but how would you like it, if they lasted 30 to 40 years?
The woman embraced me in an iron like hug and I wept some more. After a time, she released me and smiled almost apologetically to me. Then she reached behind herself to pull her backpack off. Placing the pack in front of her, she opened the pack. I was surprised to see a small thin human boy inside, and watched as the woman made sure the child was snug. The child seemed to have impossibly slept through the whole affair, thumb in mouth and snoring softly while drool dribbled from his mouth.
“My name is Haleen and this is Reza.” Said the woman. “I think you should come with us.”
I remember nodding, but not much else beyond that point. We traveled on foot for days, perhaps weeks, but it all seemed a blur from that point to me. I do remember Haleen speaking to me, but I don’t remember responding much, if at all. As it turned out Haleen was traveling to Katepesh city and when we arrived, she asked if I would like to stay with them indefinitely. I nodded looking around at the city with unsure eyes. Everything and everyone seemed so foreign.
I stayed with Haleen for years, her son and I growing up together in a sense. When we arrived at Katepesh, I had vowed to help Haleen in any way that I could. Since she would not accept my help with her work, I did everything I could domestically including taking care of her son, who as I learned was also someone who Haleen saved, but from slavery. At first it was a I, a young child helping to take care of very young boy, then it was I, a young child taking care of a older boy, then it was I, a young teen, trying to take care of a young man. He had outgrown the need of a babysitter and I was feeling useless. It was then that I approached Haleen.
“I would like to enrol in some kind of training or apprenticeship.” I said.
“O.K. What kind?” Said Haleen.
I held out my mother’s spellbook. Haleen just nodded. The following day, Haleen had me enrolled as an apprentice and had gained me membership in the Wizards Guild. Though the cost must have been great, she said nothing about the expense, but concerning me she was always selfless. She has always been there for me and that is why, when her son and I are told that she has to leave under mysterious circumstances, how could I do any less then to find her, and rescue her. I just hope wherever she is, there aren’t any gnolls.