The History of Freye

Ten years of war had diminished the Phoenix to but few of what once had been the mightiest of clans. Assassins lurked behind every leaf and branch... seeking to end its bloodlines for all time.

Laethrial... Daughter of Fae'lisse,The Hand of Eluned; Chief Cleric of the Council, bore in the dark of night an heir..

Small and pale with odd red gold hair she became in that moment.. the center of her Mothers heart...

For 6 years she was hidden ... lest they learn of her existence... deep in the forests where sunlight played with the fae in its teasing dance among the leaves... she grew..

The air was crisp with snow, the scent of smudged fires hung upon it like a Smokey cloak when the first arrows found their mark... and the snow turned red...

The sound of hounds in the distance... the wild beating of her mothers heart beneath her ear.. then the sharp singing of the bow string.. the muffled gasp... as it struck home... and still she ran.. clutching her joy against her wheezing chest.

Sleep claimed her.. somewhere, as they struggled on... climbing, and the scrap of skin against rock woke her... somewhere a lantern gleamed in the blackness like the great amber eye of the Phoenix.

" My treasure.. my joy... I leave you unwillingly.. but I leave you.." blood, bright as berries foamed from her mothers lips. " No more my daughter will you be called as I named you... Joy of Morning.. be now .. Miststalker... Seeker of shadows.. bide sweet child.. the Phoenix always rises.."

The fire was warm... it smelled of sour ale.. and sweet sweet herbs..bright eyes stared... at her ears. She was now the child of Stone Keepers.. 6 years... she dwelled in stone. Loved, cherished... she grew...

It was Summer when the Hunter came, dressed in leather his bow across his back. A Stranger with fire in his hair, Strae'Tirleel, Companion of Laethrial, She of the Last Hope came to take his daughter home.

Silence her companion, twice 6 years she grew in the shadows. Dwarf Lover... Stoneheart... she turned her back to their words... but her heart had heard them, they burned like ice blue fire within her. her hatred grew as The Bow sang its song to her lonely heart.

They said they wanted information, help in robbing the Caravan.. rich merchants they said.. rich ELVEN merchants.. her violet eyes gleamed at the thought of it as she whispered her knowledge to the vagabonds ear.

Chaos reigned. Horses screamed, swords fell, not among merchants.. but Emissaries. Emissaries of the Elven High Council..and Tithrae'Sileth... Matriarch of the Phoenix. Even as she too lay dying... the vagabonds blade through her chest... Tithrae whispered upon the wind and the sky darkened.. fire erupted from the ground as the great bird rose... singing the death knell to the sky... the final act of a now leaderless clan.

"Hear me Stalker of Mists, Joy of Morning..... you who are Destroyer and Redeemer. Daughter of Laethrial.. " the Phoenix shimmered in blood red fire its great wings out-stretched clutched in its claws a gleaming blade. "No more will I be if you fail child ... so do not fail"

Talons slashed and fire seared as marked she was and screaming she fell to her knees her very voice ripped from her throat as in one burst of glorious flames her world ceased.

10 years she wandered, heart heavy with self pity, self loathing, self hate. She slept in alleys, and gutters and strange men's beds for the price of an ale. Until she dreamed only of darkness, emptiness not even the Gods held any pity for her.

It was Autumn... the air was crisp with wood smoke and wet grass when the woman appeared. " Are ya travelling to Crossing? " it was a common enough question.. for one that could talk. She shook her head.. wondering why everyone was going to Crossing.