Part IV: Tiger
Some are not meant for the sky, some are not meant for the land, I am not meant for the sea.
I believe that because of my capture and abilities, it has lead to this goblin band to rise in greatness and wealth. And what do those with wealth desire next? More wealth. After a fairly difficult task of seizing a medium fishing boat, Makdin decided that we were powerful enough to catch larger prey and shinier goods. And to his credit, he did make a slightly intimidating group of 'pirates' along the northern coast of Libonis. Heckling very small fishing villages and trade posts that didn't have sufficient garuds. Now we headed to Hafin, a larger town where many a vessels did trade, especially with the country of Asuris being directly north.
However I never did see the sights of coastal lands and the beauty of the horizon. Unless they needed me directly, I stayed below decks gripping the wall and my stomach. The constant waves that bared down on the smaller vessel combined with goblin steering, did little to ease my constant nausea. I ate very little during this year, as I was inclined to vomit it back up hours later. It seemed even the goblins were tired of my frailness, but I was to much of an asset at this point to get rid of. I had begged and pleaded to be allowed to go into a small town and see if I could find something to quell my ailment. But I suppose it would have been to easy for me to give them the slip and denied me the request.
It was really all their fault then that they lost me.
We arrived at Hafin. Well on the outer skirts of Hafin. Eager for the plunder these larger ships offered I was immediately dispatched to go aboard the large bodied vessels. Their gigantic forms swaying back and forth though tied to the dock. I was to scout out which ones held the best loot and supplies and signal the rest, even they knew a large job like this I could do not alone.
Long story short I was finally caught, by the Captain Spearest of the vessel The Yvaine. I was severely weakened by the lack of nourishment and constant nausea. It was easy to sneak up on me, my wits were some where other then my mind that night. The dwarven woman who was the captain was a sight to behold. Her dark brown hair that had a few streaks of silvery grey was choppy and short around her strong tanned face. Fierce green eyes bore into me as I froze in place at being caught. Her bronze cutlass also stared me strait in the face and her booming, rough voice spoke words foreign to me. In fright I squeaked out "Please dont!" and fell to my knees cowering and covering my head, a position that came naturally from the beatings I had endured.
Maybe it was how I said those words, maybe it was due to how I looked. A child of ten set in rags, obvious scars and marks splattered my body at that point, all by the hands of hobgoblins or narrow escapes from failed thieving scenarios. My hair was straggly and constantly greasy feeling, as was my skin, even my scales were dull and lifeless.
She rolled her eyes and took my wrist to drag me across the deck and down into the hold of the ship, I didn't struggle. I spent the night on the rough hard floor of the holding cell in the bottom of the boat. There I fell asleep, alone but some how relieved that maybe I really had escaped Makdin and his thugs, even if it were meant that I was another prisoner.
That morning the same dwarven woman who had captured me came down to my cell, along with two other dwarves, one male and one female both looking intimidating. She shoved a plate of simple gruel and an apple through the bars. It must have been the size of the ship, for I did not feel nearly as sick as I had on the smaller boat of the goblins. I heartily began eating the hot gruel, which was the most deliscious thing I had eaten for so long. Unfortunatlly after five large, fast spoon fulls I began retching it back up, my stomach not used to such nutrion all of a sudden. Embarresed I had thrown up half my meal on the floor, while they stared down at me. Taking one of my many rags I attempted to clean it up as best I could. "Leave it, eat slowly child, I want many words with ye." Spearest said to me. Her words were kind, so kind to what I had lived with, I started to cry right then and there. It took most of the afternoon but I unveiled my story to them.
At the end she was cursing the Libonites left and right for my predicament and also I believe a few wrongs done to her. It was decided that I was going to sail with them across the sea to the country of Asuris, their maiden land. While it was made clear that once we reached port, I would be left to my own devices but she wouldn't leave me totally unprepared.
Over the course of the six and a half weeks it took to make the voyage they cleaned me up, taking four baths and hard scrubbing to reveal who I was underneath. My hair once again had its curls I remembered as a child, the ashen grey color also reflecting a sheen of iridescent blue, much like my onyx black scales. She took the personal liberty to teach me very basic letters and readings and even less arithmetic. The first words I learned to write was my name : Dendra Aluben. I was a very quick learner and in writing I learned just about as much she could teach me. I craved this knowledge that I had been missing for so much of my young life. I remember I was starting to learn the write and read with my mother, though what I barely remembered was not at all the common tongue I learned now. The ship was run mostly by dwarves as they traded their ore and gems for other goods such as spices and ingredients for some brew called 'beer' that to me smelled almost worse then my father's old cauldron. So it was only logical and probable that they gladly shared their Dwarven language. By the end of the voyage I was pretty proficient in this guttural, earthy sound of the dwarven language, so much better on the tongue then the grunts, clicks, and scratchy sounds of goblin. The dwarves even introduced me to a wonderful root that was spicy and pungent but held my nausea at bay, some of which a few of the crew had to chew on once in awhile. There were two more things that Spearest gave me before I would head out on my own. One was the ability to read maps. She explained what basic markings were, how to tell distance, and how to rudementally know my way north based on the position of the sky. The last she gave me as I headed off The Yvaine for my final departure into the large city of Camellia. It was wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a string. Opening it up revealed a sash of some sort. The piece was made of a sturdy black cloth that held an embroidery of what looked to be large cats, stripes of gold dancing across their fierce bodies, all of which were positioned in some depiction of movement. With it was ten gold pieces. I looked up at her in awe. She merely winked at me with her green eyes and turned back to start shouting orders to her crew, which were getting ready to unload.
Eager I carefully placed the money in my pouch, feeling a little heavy compared to what was normally inside. I wrapped the sash around my waist, which had to go around two times and still had a good length trailing from the knot, and spun in glee. But somehow I must have spun to fast, for I toppled to the
ground only to nimbly catch myself. Was it.. magical? No, it couldn't have been, why would someone give something magical to someone like me? No, I must just be getting my land legs back and boy are they happy!
For a good three months I had an alright time. I bought what I could and stole the rest. I was one of the forgotten children of the streets, stealing and living where I could. It didn't come without its dangers, mostly being that of over zealous lawmen or being caught by merchants. Once in awhile I would come across a small gang of children, trying to take what I had but usually I had the upper hand of my looks to steer them away, especially if I used the Goblin tongue and muttered sinisterly under my breath, while slowly pulling my dagger free from my arm. That usually did the trick.
In fact word got around to the street urchins and I was left to my own devices, especially when one bully decided he wasn't scared, and lost a hand to his bravery. Unfortunately this got me a state of mind I never had before: Arrogance.
And Arrogance had a plan for me.
I believe that because of my capture and abilities, it has lead to this goblin band to rise in greatness and wealth. And what do those with wealth desire next? More wealth. After a fairly difficult task of seizing a medium fishing boat, Makdin decided that we were powerful enough to catch larger prey and shinier goods. And to his credit, he did make a slightly intimidating group of 'pirates' along the northern coast of Libonis. Heckling very small fishing villages and trade posts that didn't have sufficient garuds. Now we headed to Hafin, a larger town where many a vessels did trade, especially with the country of Asuris being directly north.
However I never did see the sights of coastal lands and the beauty of the horizon. Unless they needed me directly, I stayed below decks gripping the wall and my stomach. The constant waves that bared down on the smaller vessel combined with goblin steering, did little to ease my constant nausea. I ate very little during this year, as I was inclined to vomit it back up hours later. It seemed even the goblins were tired of my frailness, but I was to much of an asset at this point to get rid of. I had begged and pleaded to be allowed to go into a small town and see if I could find something to quell my ailment. But I suppose it would have been to easy for me to give them the slip and denied me the request.
It was really all their fault then that they lost me.
We arrived at Hafin. Well on the outer skirts of Hafin. Eager for the plunder these larger ships offered I was immediately dispatched to go aboard the large bodied vessels. Their gigantic forms swaying back and forth though tied to the dock. I was to scout out which ones held the best loot and supplies and signal the rest, even they knew a large job like this I could do not alone.
Long story short I was finally caught, by the Captain Spearest of the vessel The Yvaine. I was severely weakened by the lack of nourishment and constant nausea. It was easy to sneak up on me, my wits were some where other then my mind that night. The dwarven woman who was the captain was a sight to behold. Her dark brown hair that had a few streaks of silvery grey was choppy and short around her strong tanned face. Fierce green eyes bore into me as I froze in place at being caught. Her bronze cutlass also stared me strait in the face and her booming, rough voice spoke words foreign to me. In fright I squeaked out "Please dont!" and fell to my knees cowering and covering my head, a position that came naturally from the beatings I had endured.
Maybe it was how I said those words, maybe it was due to how I looked. A child of ten set in rags, obvious scars and marks splattered my body at that point, all by the hands of hobgoblins or narrow escapes from failed thieving scenarios. My hair was straggly and constantly greasy feeling, as was my skin, even my scales were dull and lifeless.
She rolled her eyes and took my wrist to drag me across the deck and down into the hold of the ship, I didn't struggle. I spent the night on the rough hard floor of the holding cell in the bottom of the boat. There I fell asleep, alone but some how relieved that maybe I really had escaped Makdin and his thugs, even if it were meant that I was another prisoner.
That morning the same dwarven woman who had captured me came down to my cell, along with two other dwarves, one male and one female both looking intimidating. She shoved a plate of simple gruel and an apple through the bars. It must have been the size of the ship, for I did not feel nearly as sick as I had on the smaller boat of the goblins. I heartily began eating the hot gruel, which was the most deliscious thing I had eaten for so long. Unfortunatlly after five large, fast spoon fulls I began retching it back up, my stomach not used to such nutrion all of a sudden. Embarresed I had thrown up half my meal on the floor, while they stared down at me. Taking one of my many rags I attempted to clean it up as best I could. "Leave it, eat slowly child, I want many words with ye." Spearest said to me. Her words were kind, so kind to what I had lived with, I started to cry right then and there. It took most of the afternoon but I unveiled my story to them.
At the end she was cursing the Libonites left and right for my predicament and also I believe a few wrongs done to her. It was decided that I was going to sail with them across the sea to the country of Asuris, their maiden land. While it was made clear that once we reached port, I would be left to my own devices but she wouldn't leave me totally unprepared.
Over the course of the six and a half weeks it took to make the voyage they cleaned me up, taking four baths and hard scrubbing to reveal who I was underneath. My hair once again had its curls I remembered as a child, the ashen grey color also reflecting a sheen of iridescent blue, much like my onyx black scales. She took the personal liberty to teach me very basic letters and readings and even less arithmetic. The first words I learned to write was my name : Dendra Aluben. I was a very quick learner and in writing I learned just about as much she could teach me. I craved this knowledge that I had been missing for so much of my young life. I remember I was starting to learn the write and read with my mother, though what I barely remembered was not at all the common tongue I learned now. The ship was run mostly by dwarves as they traded their ore and gems for other goods such as spices and ingredients for some brew called 'beer' that to me smelled almost worse then my father's old cauldron. So it was only logical and probable that they gladly shared their Dwarven language. By the end of the voyage I was pretty proficient in this guttural, earthy sound of the dwarven language, so much better on the tongue then the grunts, clicks, and scratchy sounds of goblin. The dwarves even introduced me to a wonderful root that was spicy and pungent but held my nausea at bay, some of which a few of the crew had to chew on once in awhile. There were two more things that Spearest gave me before I would head out on my own. One was the ability to read maps. She explained what basic markings were, how to tell distance, and how to rudementally know my way north based on the position of the sky. The last she gave me as I headed off The Yvaine for my final departure into the large city of Camellia. It was wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a string. Opening it up revealed a sash of some sort. The piece was made of a sturdy black cloth that held an embroidery of what looked to be large cats, stripes of gold dancing across their fierce bodies, all of which were positioned in some depiction of movement. With it was ten gold pieces. I looked up at her in awe. She merely winked at me with her green eyes and turned back to start shouting orders to her crew, which were getting ready to unload.
Eager I carefully placed the money in my pouch, feeling a little heavy compared to what was normally inside. I wrapped the sash around my waist, which had to go around two times and still had a good length trailing from the knot, and spun in glee. But somehow I must have spun to fast, for I toppled to the
ground only to nimbly catch myself. Was it.. magical? No, it couldn't have been, why would someone give something magical to someone like me? No, I must just be getting my land legs back and boy are they happy!
For a good three months I had an alright time. I bought what I could and stole the rest. I was one of the forgotten children of the streets, stealing and living where I could. It didn't come without its dangers, mostly being that of over zealous lawmen or being caught by merchants. Once in awhile I would come across a small gang of children, trying to take what I had but usually I had the upper hand of my looks to steer them away, especially if I used the Goblin tongue and muttered sinisterly under my breath, while slowly pulling my dagger free from my arm. That usually did the trick.
In fact word got around to the street urchins and I was left to my own devices, especially when one bully decided he wasn't scared, and lost a hand to his bravery. Unfortunately this got me a state of mind I never had before: Arrogance.
And Arrogance had a plan for me.