Post by ironmikey on Feb 16, 2012 16:17:17 GMT -5
Life on the farm hadn't been much by way of exciting. Day in, day out, work till there is no light, learn the basics to survive, and live the best you can from the land. Father wasn't much on names, so when I came into the world, he gave me the best name he'd been able, his own mother's. Altayna was too long for a child, so he'd shortened it to Alt; made it easier to keep track of me, so he said. Time came, though, for me to move on. War was all around us, and even the news of the world torn asunder reached us in our rural area.
"Alt, ye don' have to do this," he'd said as I packed my meager belongings into my pack.
"I have to, Pa. There's nothin' here for me." I'd decided to wear my best clothing; better to look like more than a poor farmer than to come in all dirty and grimy. Bad enough I was going to be traveling hard to get to Northshire where all the recruits were going. "I wanna make a mark on this world. While there still is a world," I'd added, turning to look at him. He stood in the doorway of my room, leaning against the wood with his weather worn clothing d%#%%*% his frame. By no means a small man, he took up a goodly amount of space wherever he stood.
"All right," he sighed, finally, as if swallowing a dreadful truth. "I give ye mah blessin', child. But if ye'ver git scared, er yer fear gnaws at you, remember that I'm proud of ye, and that ye can always come home." Tears stung my eyes as I nodded, then embraced him. One of the few times that he ever embraced me back, and it squeezed the breath and tears from my eyes.
"I'll write," I promised, "and I'll try to visit as often as I can." I could hear the scoff he let out through his chest.
"Alt, child, ye know I can't read." We laughed a bit at that, then stepped back from one another. "Take Ironeye with you. You'll need a friend."
I wrinkled my nose. "That mangy mutt? I'd rather have my bow."
"Aye, ye'll take that, as well. Dun know what they'll be havin' ye do at Northshire. But these are dark times, and ye'll need a trustworthy companion."
I paused. "My bow?" I ducked as the swat came for my shoulder, and I grabbed my pack. "C'mon, Ironeye!" I could hear the scuffling of claws on the wooden floor as the wolf jumped up to follow me out the door. I picked up the old crossbow I'd been using since I was a wee lass and slung it over my shoulder along with my pack. I started down the dirt road, not daring to look back lest my courage broke and I ran back, forgetting the world.
Northshire proved to be less than impressive when I rounded the bend of the rocky hills it hid behind. We'd passed it whenever we'd gone to Goldshire to trade or receive mail, never stopping, though, just in case they decided that we were worthy of recruiting. Now I stood on the trail, looking at the stone structure that would serve as home for the next few weeks. "Well, Ironeye, there it is." I continued to stand there, watching the movement of people as they went about their tasks.
"Psst." I looked about on the ground, looking for a snake. "PSST!" I startled realizing that it was at least level with my own ear. I looked about, and came face-to-face with...well, now I wasn't sure what it was, since it was green, with teeth bared and tusks drooling. Red eyes blinked at me, and huge hands came up in a placating gesture. "Whoa! Sorry." The voice was rough, and the words thick with an accent that I couldn't place. I jumped back, swinging my crossbow down and bringing it up to bear.
"What are you!?"
"Hey, whoa, stop. Thirsty."
"For what? Blood?"
"Water." I had to blink a few times, and wonder if I'd gotten dirt in my ears. Slowly, I lowered my crossbow, then reached back for the canteen attached to my pack. I leaned forward as far as my body would allow, holding the canteen by the strap. Those red eyes never left my hand as it watched, and a tongue, rough and pink, licked the lips around the tusks. Just as slowly, the creature reached for the canteen as well, taking the strap gingerly as I let it go. It backed up a few steps, then undid the stopper and drank the contents. "Sorry it's warm," I said, studying the, well, I'd have had to say it was male, since it didn't have the same body structure as myself. The only sounds were the gulping noises that he made as he drained my canteen of liquid. "What are you?"
"Karbin," he sighed, and held out my canteen. I took it back, making a mental note to thoroughly clean the opening.
"I'd never heard of a Karbin. What's your name?"
"Karbin."
"Yes, I know you're a Karbin. What is your name?"
"Karbin." I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly while I counted to ten. I held out my hand, smiled, and said, "I'm Altayna. What is your name?"
He looked at my hand, then raised his, looking at it, then held it out, mirroring me. "Altayna."
"No, I'm Altayna." I took his hand, which he startled at, held it firm, and shook it. "I"m Altayna, who are you?" He tilted his head, much like Ironeye would whenever I would talk to him. I pointed at myself. "Altayna." I pointed at him.
"Karbin." He gave me a grin, at least, I thought it was a grin, and I smiled back.
The sound of hoofbeats reached my ears, and I turned to the sound. Karbin, or whoever or whatever he was, dropped my hand and disappeared quickly into the bushes. I'd barely had time to register his leaving when a company of five armed men rounded the bend in the road. They managed to rein in before they ran me over. "What are you doing here?" the leader demanded.
"I'm here to join the Alliance," I replied, slinging my crossbow back over my shoulder. Just stopped for a drink."
"Well, get your !@# to the abbey, recruit! There are orcs about, and we don't need any deaths before we've had a chance to break you in."
I didn't like the sound of that, but I didn't argue, and only nodded then began down the road again. The horses formed a wall at my back, and I glanced back past them to see if I could spot Karbin in the bushes. A green-skinned arm raised out of the leaves and waved as I went around the bend.
"Alt, ye don' have to do this," he'd said as I packed my meager belongings into my pack.
"I have to, Pa. There's nothin' here for me." I'd decided to wear my best clothing; better to look like more than a poor farmer than to come in all dirty and grimy. Bad enough I was going to be traveling hard to get to Northshire where all the recruits were going. "I wanna make a mark on this world. While there still is a world," I'd added, turning to look at him. He stood in the doorway of my room, leaning against the wood with his weather worn clothing d%#%%*% his frame. By no means a small man, he took up a goodly amount of space wherever he stood.
"All right," he sighed, finally, as if swallowing a dreadful truth. "I give ye mah blessin', child. But if ye'ver git scared, er yer fear gnaws at you, remember that I'm proud of ye, and that ye can always come home." Tears stung my eyes as I nodded, then embraced him. One of the few times that he ever embraced me back, and it squeezed the breath and tears from my eyes.
"I'll write," I promised, "and I'll try to visit as often as I can." I could hear the scoff he let out through his chest.
"Alt, child, ye know I can't read." We laughed a bit at that, then stepped back from one another. "Take Ironeye with you. You'll need a friend."
I wrinkled my nose. "That mangy mutt? I'd rather have my bow."
"Aye, ye'll take that, as well. Dun know what they'll be havin' ye do at Northshire. But these are dark times, and ye'll need a trustworthy companion."
I paused. "My bow?" I ducked as the swat came for my shoulder, and I grabbed my pack. "C'mon, Ironeye!" I could hear the scuffling of claws on the wooden floor as the wolf jumped up to follow me out the door. I picked up the old crossbow I'd been using since I was a wee lass and slung it over my shoulder along with my pack. I started down the dirt road, not daring to look back lest my courage broke and I ran back, forgetting the world.
Northshire proved to be less than impressive when I rounded the bend of the rocky hills it hid behind. We'd passed it whenever we'd gone to Goldshire to trade or receive mail, never stopping, though, just in case they decided that we were worthy of recruiting. Now I stood on the trail, looking at the stone structure that would serve as home for the next few weeks. "Well, Ironeye, there it is." I continued to stand there, watching the movement of people as they went about their tasks.
"Psst." I looked about on the ground, looking for a snake. "PSST!" I startled realizing that it was at least level with my own ear. I looked about, and came face-to-face with...well, now I wasn't sure what it was, since it was green, with teeth bared and tusks drooling. Red eyes blinked at me, and huge hands came up in a placating gesture. "Whoa! Sorry." The voice was rough, and the words thick with an accent that I couldn't place. I jumped back, swinging my crossbow down and bringing it up to bear.
"What are you!?"
"Hey, whoa, stop. Thirsty."
"For what? Blood?"
"Water." I had to blink a few times, and wonder if I'd gotten dirt in my ears. Slowly, I lowered my crossbow, then reached back for the canteen attached to my pack. I leaned forward as far as my body would allow, holding the canteen by the strap. Those red eyes never left my hand as it watched, and a tongue, rough and pink, licked the lips around the tusks. Just as slowly, the creature reached for the canteen as well, taking the strap gingerly as I let it go. It backed up a few steps, then undid the stopper and drank the contents. "Sorry it's warm," I said, studying the, well, I'd have had to say it was male, since it didn't have the same body structure as myself. The only sounds were the gulping noises that he made as he drained my canteen of liquid. "What are you?"
"Karbin," he sighed, and held out my canteen. I took it back, making a mental note to thoroughly clean the opening.
"I'd never heard of a Karbin. What's your name?"
"Karbin."
"Yes, I know you're a Karbin. What is your name?"
"Karbin." I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly while I counted to ten. I held out my hand, smiled, and said, "I'm Altayna. What is your name?"
He looked at my hand, then raised his, looking at it, then held it out, mirroring me. "Altayna."
"No, I'm Altayna." I took his hand, which he startled at, held it firm, and shook it. "I"m Altayna, who are you?" He tilted his head, much like Ironeye would whenever I would talk to him. I pointed at myself. "Altayna." I pointed at him.
"Karbin." He gave me a grin, at least, I thought it was a grin, and I smiled back.
The sound of hoofbeats reached my ears, and I turned to the sound. Karbin, or whoever or whatever he was, dropped my hand and disappeared quickly into the bushes. I'd barely had time to register his leaving when a company of five armed men rounded the bend in the road. They managed to rein in before they ran me over. "What are you doing here?" the leader demanded.
"I'm here to join the Alliance," I replied, slinging my crossbow back over my shoulder. Just stopped for a drink."
"Well, get your !@# to the abbey, recruit! There are orcs about, and we don't need any deaths before we've had a chance to break you in."
I didn't like the sound of that, but I didn't argue, and only nodded then began down the road again. The horses formed a wall at my back, and I glanced back past them to see if I could spot Karbin in the bushes. A green-skinned arm raised out of the leaves and waved as I went around the bend.