Channia Meltian: New Beginnings

[sundano]

"Bye mom. I'm leaving" the last words I said to mother before leaving this city for good.

The day before I had made up my mind. It will be a shame to leave Waterdeep, but I also could not stay here. I wake to the morning sun. I go to the window and look outside. Such a beautifu city. I think I shed a tear then. Yes. Yes I did.

I open the old wooden door of my bedroom and make my way through the cottage to the kitchen. My Mother is there, but he is nowhere in sight. Good I did'nt want 'him' around when I broke the news anyway.

"Mother?"

"Yes Dear?" she replies

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm going away from here."

She sighs. She already knew it seems. Mothers seem to know everything.

"I'll be good. I'll write to you every day"

I leave the cottage. I had a lot to do that day.

First stop is to see my brother, half brother; He said he had something for me before I finally leave. I confided in him about a month ago saying I wanted to leave. I make my way to the smith, He's an apprentice there.

Walking through the doors, first thing to hit me is the heat, always is. I look around. My brother is hammering away at a heated blade. I smiles at him. He puts the blade down, takes off his working gloves, and runs towards me. He hugs me tightly.

"I wish you was'nt going" He says to me.

I smile at him. "You'll be alright" I say to him "You need to look after mum for me while I'm away. We all know 'He' won't". I pause. "You said you had something for me?"

He nods. "Yes, I'll go get it". He goes off into a store room. He returns shortly with a sword, "here. I made it for you."

I smile and take the sword off him. "Thank You." No more words are said. I smile, he smiles back. I turn and leave the building.

Next stop is the general store. I need to get some supplies for the road. As I'm walking along a lrage noise canbe heard from a nearby tavern. A clear distinct sound of glass smashing. Theres a brawl happening. 'Him' was the first thought that went into my mind. My mothers husband, but not my father.

I decided to investigate. hoping my suspicions were wrong. As I drew closer a man came through the window head first. Thrown out it seemed. It was Him. He was lying there bleeding from some small scratches on his arms and face. He was drunk, as usual. Passed out on the street. I decided to ignore him, and leave him there.

I finished off gathering supplies from the various stores then headed home. back to my daily life of household chores, for just one more day. 'I'm leaving' I thought. 'And not a moment too soon'.

[sundano]

1 week before

It is morning, very early. The sun has not risen yet. I am out in the back garden of our cottage. Broel, my brother, is also here. In my left hand I am holding a small wooden shield and in my right is a short wooden sword. Broel is wielding just a wooden sword, no shield for him. The whole garden is lit by a dozen torches, equally spaced around the outside like a clock face.

"are you ready sis?" he asks, as if he does not know the answer. I just smile, and he grins.

He allows me to make the first move. I thrust my sword at his chest. He sidesteps to his left and swings his sword waist high. I drop to the floor and roll forward, then quickly stand again and turn to face him, but I am too slow. When I turn around he has his sword at my neck, he wins the first round.

Another two rounds go by and he wins them both, but the sun is not up yet, the game is still on.

Round 4. Broel moves to strike, he swings his sword head high, which I parry with my shield. He swings again, I deflect his strike with my own sword then I strike him hard in the chest with the edge of my shield. He falls to the floor, I strike at him while on the ground. He manages to block. I'm suddenly falling to the Floor, he's kicked my feet out from under me. We're both on the floor. We both get up slowly. When we're both standing, a well placed kick in the groin knocks my brother off balance my sword then comes down on the back of his neck. Round 4 to me.

Round 5. The game is getting quicker, Broel is not holding back anymore, and I was not about to let him win without a good fight either. many strikes are made. Strike, after counterstrike, after strike. I fell my muscles beginning to ache, but I try not to let it get to me, as I was sure Broel would make use of that if he knew. I manage to beat him again, somehow. A lucky strike caught him on his side, that made it 3 to him, and 2 to me.

The morning is starting to break now, light is coming over the horizon, the sun is not up yet, but it will be soon, the game will be over then.

Sixth Round. I throw my shield to the floor. He watches the shield fall down. That's when I catch him by surprise, I charge at him swinging the sword left and right and left and right again. He deflects the blows, but I keep swinging at him, and eventually knock the sword out of his hand.

Pale yellow light can be seen on the horizon, there is but time for one more round.

"Are you ready?" I ask him as if I don't already know the answer. He just smiles, and I grin.

I allow him to make the first move. He makes a thrust toward my chest. I sidestep to my right and swing at him, chest high. He jumps back, narrowly escaping the edge of my sword. He swings overhead which I deflect with ease.

Pain. a sudden pain soars up my right arm. I switch the sword to my left, but he knows, he knows I'm getting worm out. He charges at me, he keeps swinging from left to right to left to right again. I use all my concentration to keep deflecting his blows and to stop my own sword from being flung from my grip. I kick low. He loses his balance and falls to the ground. I then stab my sword into the ground next to his head. a cross shaped shadow is cast over his face, he knows the game is over. The sun has risen, and I have won.

[sundano]

One Month Earlier

I'm sitting in my room, reading a book about sorcery. I attempt a spell of light. Nothing happens. Sighing I continue reading, "My fathers blood must have given me some magical ability" I thought. My Father, not the man that's taken my mother as wife, was an Elf. Though I do not know what happened to him. 'He is gone' is all my mother will tell me.

Each day starts and ends the same way for me here. I wake up, usually at dawn. I cook Breakfast for him and my mother, and then for myself. I wash the plates afterwards, then I have nothing to do for a few hours until mid day. I usually spend this time reading, which is the case this day.

Suddenly theres a knock on my door. "Channia?" My brothers voice called out.

"come in" I say to him. I put down the book and look at him. "Did you get it?". For the past few years Broel has worked as a Farm Hand. Last week though the local Blacksmith put up a notice for any young man seeking apprenticeship, to be there by dawn today.

Broel grins at me. "I got it" he said. "There were seven of us who showed up. He made us all stand in a line and asked us to hold out our hands". A slight pause. "The dwarf went inside and returned a moment later with an anvil over his shoulder. After laying it on the floor he said to us, 'first man to pick that up will have the job' ".

"The Dwarf held out a bag, and inside were different colored Gems. He made us all pick one out of the bag, and then put us in a line according to what Gem we selected.". Another pause.

I motion him to go on with his story

"well I was third in line, but one of the guys in front of me walked off before his turn, the other guy could not lift it at all. It was a bit of a struggle, but when I managed to lift it a couple of inches, the master dwarf said to me, 'drop it lad, ye're hired'. He then turned to the others 'the rest of ya sod off, go back to work for whoe'er ya work fer'"

I laugh upon hearing my brother trying to mimick a dwarven accent, then congratulate him on getting the job. The highlight of my day, the highlight of my month actually.