The day the world ended was not remarkable in any way. Gilleana could not have said what she had done that day, although the events occurring in the evening, as the sun slipped behind the distant hills, were forever seared in her memory.
It was a hard life, but happy. Gilleana's human father, wood-elf mother, and elder half-sister, Missa, were kept busy carving a homestead out of the land bordering what was known to all as the Commonlands. Recently, raid forces from Freeport had been active in the area, but they were reluctant to leave all their worldly possessions. Gilleana's father felt they were safe, living several miles from the border itself, and with Qeynos patrols regularly coming through the area. But he could not of been more mistaken.
The world ended one crisp fall evening. On that evening, Gilleana sat on the floor of the small cabin, playing with her dolls, too young to have chores to do. Missa and the girls' mother busied themselves about the kitchen, preparing the evening meal. As a prank, Gilleana picked up Missa's sewing and hid it in the small woodpile next to the fireplace, beneath several stout sticks of kindling stacked there. She smiled to herself, thinking of Missa's consternation when she could not find her project. She could hear the regular thud of the axe as her father chopped wood for the fireplace outside and the comforting hum of voices from the kitchen. Gilleana dozed in the warmth from the fire, curled up on the throw rug like a small cat. Several minutes later, Gilleana was startled from her dozing by the slam of the cabin door and her father rushing into the small room.
"Willow," he yelled, "get the girls! Trouble is coming!" Their mother dropped the dishes, which crashed to the ground. She did not stop to question what was happening, but took Missa by the hand and hauled Gilleana roughly up off the floor. The girls stared in panic at their father, who ran out of the house, carrying his wood-axe. The small, dark root cellar lay under the kitchen floor. Willow opened the door to the cellar, shoving the children inside. There was no room in the hidey-hole for an adult and the girls huddled together, blinking up at their mother, who was framed in the flickering firelight of the kitchen lamps.
"Lay still girls, and don't come out! Mind me now! No matter what you hear, don't you come out!" Her voice was shrill and edged with panic, and her fear translated itself to the children. Taking a long look at her children, their mother kissed her fingers, pressing them against each child's upturned face. "I love you girls," she said more softly. "Please be safe!" Missa started to cry and Gilleana felt her throat thicken. Then the heavy root cellar door shut, blocking out all light. The girls listened as their mother's footsteps moved away, heard the slam of the front door as she too, left the cabin. Missa clutched Gilleana's hand tightly, stifling her sobs so that the sound would not carry beyond their hiding place.
All was quiet for awhile, except for Missa's soft hiccups and Gilleana started to relax. Then she heard her father's voice and other voices, muffled so she could not make out the words. Loud shouts filled the air and the children could hear their mother scream for several long minutes, only to be abruptly cut off. Gilleana, always the more active child, yanked her hand from Missa's grasp and darted up the step ladder out of the root cellar. Missa grabbed at her sister's ankle, but the younger child slipped from her grasp. Gilleana looked around frantically, then picked up a stick of the kindling by the fireplace and ran out of the door.
She skidded to a halt at the scene that lay before her. Her parents' broken bodies lay on the ground, bright blood seeping into the dry, dusty ground. Her father's head had been struck from his body and lay several feet away. Several arrows had been shot into her mother, and she lay a short distance away, her mouth frozen in a horrified "O". A number of raiders on horseback milled about in the yard, led by a large man who shouted orders. Not knowing where she found the courage or even pausing to consider what she did, Gilleana ran to her parents' bodies, standing over them protectively and brandishing her kindling at the intruders. Two of the raiders approached her and she screamed her defiance at them, spittle flying from her mouth as she swung the kindling. Another shrugged and raised his bow, sighting on her small form, but the captain put his hand on the archer's arm, and the bow was lowered.
The captain grinned at the small child, chuckling at her brave defense of her home. On a whim, he turned to his officers. "Take her." he said. "She'll make a fine addition to the Overlord's forces some day." The archer shrugged again, and signaled to the men. One of the riders tossed a net over the screaming child's head, throwing the small wriggling, writhing form over his horse's saddle. The raiders wheeled, the captain barked more orders at the men, who carried torches with them. Two of the men drug the bodies of Gilleana's parents onto the porch of the house, catching the dry grass around the cabin with their torches. The party then rode off. The last sight Gilleana had of her life as it had been was the bouncing image of her home, flames licking out from around the floorboards of the porch, as she was carried off on the back of a raider's horse.
((Bump. Gilleana has been playing more lately and bits of her story have been dribbled out. But Gilleana is not the sort to talk much about herself and lots of it Missa doesn't know, so I thought I'd make it more available if anyone is interested.))