Boudeccai's Tale

[Jezerai]

((I read through my roster card again and then found my old story.  Here it is dusted off and ready to be browsed again, if you are so inclined.))



Boudeccai sits down after a day of hunting on the vast Thundering Steppes. She takes a sharpened quill and dips it in her inkpot. Absentmindedly she sticks the pen tip in her mouth, oblivious to the black ink smudged over her lips. Pursing her lips, a faint frown creases her brow and her eyes glisten with unshed tears. Perhaps, she thinks, it will help to start at the beginning, pour all of that sad tale out. Perhaps then, she thinks, the tale will stop haunting me. Boudeccai then sets quill to paper and earnestly sets out her tale.

For many years it was just me father and me. Me mother, a gentle human priestess of Tunare, died when I was a young girl. She met me father, a hardy Barbarian warrior, when the two were adventurers defending Norrath. They settled down in a lovely valley, buyin' a small farm with their earnin's and settlin' down to retire. Funny how, after all those battles against so many vicious foes a small thin' like childbirth would lay me mother low, but she died tryin' to bring me baby brother into this world. Unfortunately, me new baby brother dies jes a few days later.

For many years me father grieved. His merry laughter died when she did and it was like the sunshine went out of his life. He was never mean or morose, just verra, verra quiet. He called me his princess and I knew he loved me dearly, even though I was on the small side for a barbarian most likely due to me mother's human blood. He and I cared for each other and looked out for each other. When I was 14 years old, me father went for his yearly tradin' trip through the larger cities surroundin' the area. He was gone a bit longer than usual and I was jes startin' to worry fer him when he returned. Much to my surprise, he brought with him a woman who he introduced to me as his wife, and her son, a huge bear of a boy about my age with sour breath and smelly feet.

Dula and her son moved in and took over. They looked down their large, Barbarian noses at me, ridiculin' me for me small size. Although I soon learned to hate her and me new step-brother with a passion, I tried to get along for me father's sake. The syrupy sweetness that Dula lavished on me poor father he mistook for real affection and once again, his merry laughter rang through the house. While he still loved me as before, he seemed unable or unwillin' to see how much me step-mother and her son despised me. Still, not for the world would I do anythin' to seal that laughter away again and I kept me mouth shut.

All this changed, however the followin' year, when Dula came up with the idea to marry me to her son, Ivar. The problem was that all the farm and its possessions acquired by me father and me mother were me inheritance. While me father was willin' to gift her with an annual income upon his death, the bulk of the estate was to go to me. Dula wanted it all and saw this as her opportunity to get it. Me father believed the idea was a grand one. He said that he didna want to lose me and so, marryin' me to Ivar would provide for me future and keep me close by as well. I told him that I didna love Ivar and never could, but me objections fell on deaf ears.

And so, late one night, I slipped into the attic and took me father's and mother's adventurin' things and left me home. I cried bitter tears as I trudged down the path into the unknown world beyond. I longed for the old days to return, when I could talk to me father and he could listen and hear me. I longed for me mother to be back, walkin' in the world with me. But I knew that none of these longings could come true. I did have me father's war hammer and me mother's staff, and my hands gripped where their hands had polished the weapons smooth. Somehow, I knew it would be enough. It would have to be.

I met Bahladar when we were both workin' fer the Queen's Colony shippin' line. I dinna think he ever noticed me until I knocked him on the head with a bucket o'ale, but he sure did notice me after! I dinna know if it was love or if he was jes dazed, but we been together ever since. We got married on shore leave one day in Queen's Colony and I have never regretted the fortunate, um ... accident ... that brought us together! It is a good thin' that me Bahl has such a strong head or I might o' been a widow before ever havin' married the brute!

I have greatly enjoyed me craftin', which I started after settlin' down in Greystone Yard. It is a far different pursuit fer me than any work I have done before and while it will not pull me out of adventurin' entirely, I find great satisfaction in preparin' tasty foodstuffs and drink. Watchin' Bahl' wolf me handiwork down and knowin' that it is keepin' him and I fit fer our work outside our safe little home makes me verra happy indeed!

I dinna know that I have any main goals at this time in me life. I want to improve me skills in both provisionin' and in huntin'. I want to learn me chosen profession - Fury - as well as I can. I enjoy meetin' folk all over Norrath and, most particularly, the folk of Saga. For now, this is more than enough for me!