A brief history.

[Fonic]

PC Name: Alethra

Account Name: Fonic

==============

**Echoes of a Past Life.

"So Alethra, tell me. What brings you to these savage lands?"
A young girl, no more than seventeen years of age slowly sat herself up from the spice sack she had been lying next to, furrowing her brow furiously as she tried to focus on the speaker.
"Huh?" She called out in frustration.
"I am curious as to how such a young girl like yourself ends up travelling alongside a spice wagon headed through Narfell."
"Oh."
Alethra's face dropped slowly to a frown.
"What else would bring me out here? The warm weather?" She gave a faint and playful smirk at the man before her, who chuckled quietly.

"If you must know, I am interested in this land's past. I have heard tales of the many battles fought across its plains."
"An explorer then. Oh I see now." The man finished his sentence with a wide grin at the woman, which was soon cut short as the wagon they were riding in stumbled over a large rock, almost knocking both of them out on to the hard soil.
"Not quite." She replied after settling herself down again.
He chuckled softly in reply, soon turning to address the driver. They spoke quietly between themselves about how far the nearest town was.
"So." He said as he turned back to Alethra. "Tell me a little more about yourself."
"What do you want to know exactly?" She asked, slowly raising a curious eyebrow.
"Where are you from? I know we picked you up in Sembia, but where were you born? Got any family?"

Her face grew serious for a moment, before relaxing as she replied quietly. "I was born in Featherdale, and I have only a mother as far as I know."
"No siblings?"
"Not anymore." She replied coldly, killing the conversation.

A few minutes of silence was soon broken by the howl of a distant wolf. The young girl's eyes widened in fear, quickly turning her head in all directions, almost falling into panic.
The man before her gave a warm, comforting smile. "It's okay lass, those wolves are miles away judging by the sound of their howls."

After a few more breathless moments she sat herself down, slowly returning to normal.
"Featherdale eh?" The man asked curiously.
"Aye…" Alethra replied after a short delay. "Featherdale."
"Nice place? Never been there myself. Don't hear much about it either."
"Not really. Unless you happen to be a farmer, then perhaps you may find the area rather thrilling."
The man smiled again, slowly looking over Alethra's slim body before returning to meet her cold blue eyes once again. She regarded this action of his with a harsh stare.
"Why did you leave it?" He asked, hoping to break away the fixed glare of her sharp eyes.
She turned away from him, "How can I put it?" Her eyes quietly drifted around the wagon and over the local scenery (which wasn't much to look at), in attempt to avoid the man.
"I was bored."
"Bored?" He replied with a bright laugh.
"Aye, Bored. Look at me." She raised her left arm, now turning to face the man and pointed at her scrawny bicep. "I am not built like an Ox such as the rest of the Dales people, I am no use on a farm. I am far beyond that."
She rolled her eyes playfully "Forgive me if I did not wish to lead a dull and tedious life like my fellow peers. That is most likely why you have yet to hear much of my birthplace, since most there grow old and inherit their parent's farms, though as a woman I had little to inherit. I suppose I could've just grown old and married some peasant farmer and lived a quiet and mind numbingly boring life..."

The man offered a weak smile in reply "You're obviously very passionate about this. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your father?"
"He left."
"Oh"
She gave a slow and slight nod. "Loyalty was not one of his many traits. I suspect he is most likely dead now, though one can never be sure" She gave a slight grin.
"So, let me get this straight." The man scratched the back of his neck, clearly puzzled. "You're father just up and left you and your mother? Just like that?"
"My mother, my sister and myself to be exact."
"Oh.."
"He was not native to the Dales. He was a city dweller, obviously not used to long term commitment in relationships like my mother and the rest of the Dales people were. He slept around a lot, and when he was bored in a relationship he just vanished whenever it was appropriate." She paused for a moment before continuing.
"I caught him in bed once with the local slut. He told me if I said anything to my mother our family would fall apart, and it would be my fault. He said I would be left with nothing. I agreed of course, though it was not as if my family had much else to leave to me other than the small farm he had bought with my mother."
"And is that the only reason you didn't tell your mother?"
"No, I suppose not." She frowned. "My life was simple, and though I hated my father for his lack of commitment, he was probably the most interesting person I had known."
"How old were you when he left?"
"Seven winters. I think..."
"Fairly young then. What about your sister? How did she take it?"
Alethra swallowed hard before clearing her throat. "She was young, she did not understand what was happening."
"How old was she?"
"No older than four I think. Though I would prefer not to speak of the dead like this. What little memories I have left of my sister are far from pleasant."
"I see...so..erm.." He stuttered with his words for a while. "What..er..happened to your sist-"
Alethra cut his words short with an icy stare. Her face frozen in anger before she snapped at him.
"She was killed in front of my eyes. Ripped apart by wolves when I was only Ten winters of age. She was nearly seven. That is why I do not speak of her"
Alethra's harsh tone was fading to a tone of sadness, small tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.
"Oh." The man's face dropped with sadness. "I am sorry...I did not mean to bring such memories to you. I will leave you alone. I am sorry."
He stood up and walked over and sat with the driver. Alethra fell back onto the spice bags she was lying on and drifted into silence for the rest of their journey, her face locked in the same sad expression, even as she rest.

A few hours passed before the wagon drew to a halt.
"We're here!" Said the man with a wide smile across his face.
Alethra slowly pulled herself up, grabbing her pack and her shortbow as she lept off the side of the wagon.
"What is this place anyway?" She asked the man.
"Jiyyd. It's a nice quiet town from what I hear, but you should probably head south to a town named Norwick, that's usually fairly busy. Might find what you're looking for there."
"Alright." She replied quietly alongside a slow nod.
"Take care lass."
The young woman sighed heavily as the wagon pulled away. She looked around quietly, taking in her surroundings before heading into the nearest inn for a place to stay for the night.**

[Vilehelm]

Reviewed - XP Pending.