Dannai

When I left my home, a little log cabin my daddy had built with his own two hands, I caught a ride on a turnip wagon with no clue where I was headed. Well, that turnip wagon dropped me off in a town called Wehnimer's Landing.
Back then the Landing, as it's known, was a much different place. It was pretty much lawless, with duals happening several times a day, almost as many murders, and the thievery! And I had had no idea there were so many people in the world, much less one town! And people of all varieties! There were huge giantkin, delicate and aristocratic elves, happy go lucky gnomes and halfings, and so many more! I was totally lost by the number of people and had no clue how to act. In fact one day I myself was murdered! Being a ranger I have very good perception. Well, I was sitting in Town Square Central (also known as tsc) and saw someone stealing. Believing everyone in the square would be as outraged as I was I called out the thief. Much to my surprise and horror he immediately grabbed hold of me and began to drag me away. And all those people I thought would be outraged just stood there and watched, or even laughed outright!
Well, lying there dead outside of town I was wondering how I was ever going to fit in with these uncaring lawless peoples. About that time a cleric fogged in to raise my poor torn body. He was giantkin, with kind grey eyes and the sweetest smile I had ever seen. After raising me he asked what had happened and I told him. Commenting on the fact that no one in the square was outraged, much less came to my rescue. He immediately formed what's called a Sanctuary and sat me down inside it. He began to tell me how to act in this crazy town of Landing. Telling me what to expect from the different races, how to tip those who gave service (other than him, he never accepted tips for raising someone), and how Never to piss off a Lord or Lady. ::chuckle::
I fell in love with him right then and there, but I knew there was no way he would be interested in a child just off the turnip truck. So I decided I was going to begin to train as hard as I could, so that I could become worthy of him. But even then, when I had nothing to offer him, he met with me regularly just to check on how I was doing and was I training well. We would sit and talk for hours. And then he began to take me hunting to help me improve my hunting abilities. Oh we still would include our talk time, usually after a hunt or two. Eventually I told him of my love for him and my determination to earn my place beside him. He was very shocked and surprised wanting to know what I would find to love in an old giantman like him. I don't think he believed me at first, but as he saw me working hard to master my profession and steadily learning more and becoming better I think he started getting nervous. ::wink::
For Months he tried to dissuade me, believing me too young and beautiful to be with one such as he. One such as he, none of the young males even turned my head because of him. None of them were as kind, as knowledgeable, or even as sexy that he was to me. ::grin::
Then one day I finally did it, I became Lady Dannai. I almost couldn't believe it, Me a Lady! I tried my best to handle it with aplomb, but I Did do a Bit of celebrating. . . .Okay a Lot of celebrating. ::laughs:: And he was there, at Helga's Tavern, surrounded by the young friends I had made and slowly sipping on his ale. Dealing with all of us with patience and amusement. Later that evening, after my friends had left, I worked up my courage and did it. I asked him to marry me. When he started going on about me being so young and deserving a young, handsome male to make me happy I actually had the nerve to cut him off. I asked him a simple question. . .did he love me. Not as a friend or confidant, but did he love me as a woman. I was terrified of his response. . .I mean what if I was wrong! What if he Hadn't come to love me over those long months of hunting and talking and spending so much time together! Well, when he suddenly began trying to explain how a young male would be so much better for me I knew I had been right. He did love me! Suddenly I was filled with confidence. So much so that I pulled him to me and kissed him, just kissed him right there in the middle of Helga's Tavern!
Needless to say it didn't take much more convincing for him to believe that He was the one for me. No one else would ever fill me with such peace and such passion all at the same time. The next day we began planning our wedding. I truely thought that I was the happiest woman alive. But when the day finally came, I learned that I hadn't been. I hadn't even Known how happy a person could be. Not until that day, the day of my wedding to Siafu Ickput. When walking down the aisle, seeing him standing there waiting for me in his cleric finery I began to cry. Filled with so much happiness it had to release somehow, so it came in happy tears slowly rolling down my cheeks.
We were joyous, content in our hearts with one another and our lives for two short years . . and then he had to leave the Lands. Sadly, though his soul travelled on, his body did not. And it wasn't an understanding or friendly soul inhabiting the body of my love. So my heart was broken over and over again each time I would run into him.
My dear friends gathered around me, supporting me the best they new how. But it was one friend in particular that handled it the best. He wasn't normally a gentle or even kind individual, other than to the very few he accepted as friends. He would sit and listen to me pour out my heartbreak, not saying much. That didn't surprise me at all as he Never said much. But he was there to listen. Though often he would interrupt my drone of the unfairness of what little time Siafu and I had and tell me I needed to wake up and realize I was still alive. Of course it fell on deaf ears as I was so buried in my sorrow I couldn't even remember what it felt like to be alive.
I remember the first time he took me hunting. It was months after Siafu had left. I was still feeling very down and wasn't very thrilled to be there. I had quit hunting almost altogether at this point. But he dragged me out to a place I had never been because it was well over my head. And when we came upon the first critter he looked at me sternly and said, "Kill it". I made a feeble swing or two, not putting much into it when he told me to stop. That caught my attention as it confused me immensely. He turned to me again and once more told me to "Kill it". Rather befuddled I turned and took a couple of more weak swings when once again he told me to stop. He did this twice more when suddenly I became angry. No, not angry, enraged at him! Here I was, my heart broken beyond repair and he was playing some silly game with me! I turned back to the critter and tore it apart in a very few swings before turning to him and screaming, "Are you satisfied now! Are you Happy I killed it now!". Suddenly he did the oddest thing. . . . he smiled.
My rage went completely flooding out of my mind at the unexpectedness of it! And then I realized what he had done, he had woke the rage hiding below my depression. (Dragged me kicking and screaming out of it actually!) And he had shown me an outlet for that rage and heartache, as way to bring it out and let it loose! So I began to Kill for real and with purpose. And he stood there with me, subtlety making sure nothing got Too close to hurting me. I swung my sword, over and over again. I slashed and stabbed, killing each critter we came upon with a fierceness I had never known before. For a good three hours this went on, until my arms felt like they were aflame and my body screamed at the beating it had taken. When I turned to look at him at last he said simply, "Welcome back".
Slowly from that friendship and trial a new love began to grow. It wasn't the first love of a starry-eyed young woman though. That love had come and gone. I still remembered it and I still loved Siafu, I still do to this day. But I found that my heart had room for more than one love. And this love was the love of a grown woman who had known heartache and tragedy. A woman filled with knowledge of the world around her and of the woman she had become. After a short courtship, for there were no silly girlish uncertainties on where each of us stood, we married.
Melivn and I led a happy life. We argued sometimes. I wasn't shy letting my own feelings and thoughts be heard any longer and he was a strong willed and aristocratic dark elf ::chuckles:: But then in one of those twisted acts of the fates, it came to be that I was the one that had to leave the Lands. It was a very sad day, though I did not expect to be gone long it was still a parting. Unfortunately I had to be away from the lands for quite some time. Eight long years in fact.
Needless to say Melvin had moved on in that time. I didn't blame him, it was way too long, no one would expect someone to wait so long to have a loved one in their life. After a bit of time back in the Lands we were able to become friends again. Not as close as we had been, but still friends. Which is a good thing as very few of my friends were still around. Eventually I found new friends, great friends that led me to House Onoir. And there I found wonderful people. People who stood for Honesty, Loyalty and Courage. The same things that I have striven for throughout my life. I am content with my life now. I am back in the Lands where I belong, and I am surrounded by people worth knowing and following. After all, what more could a girl ask for? ::wink::

Dannai Hion
This day of:
Tilamaires, Ivastaen the 2nd in the year 5117