Striderr Slayn

A Ranger's Tale

The Autobiography of Striderr Slayn

Prologue

As I put this quill to ink I think back on how this all started. I also wonder how I was talked into doing this. Since I'm committed to writing this I'll start with that. I guess it all started at the wedding. I was an old friend of the bride, and after the ceremony I took some elven women out to dance. I love the look in their eyes as I dance with them an ancient elven waltz, the Min Sathra, usually only danced at extremely formal occasions and rarely known outside elven society. I've done this a few times and never had a second thought about it. This time however the conductor, an elder elven gentleman noticed me and after about the fourth dance approached and introduced himself.

His name was Reldric and he told me that in his prime he was a conductor at the high court of Queen Morganae herself. He seemed astonished on how I knew the Min Sathra and asked how I had come to learn it. I briefly described my past to him as he listened enthralled. As I think of it now I suppose it is a rather unique past, especially for a young human boy. Unfortunately a few people overheard me as I spoke and I spent the rest of the night in a local tavern, recounting all I could about my young years before I arrived in The Crossing. Afterwards, one of the people in the audience approached me and introduced himself as a publisher. He asked me if I would be willing to put my story down in writing and tried to sweeten the deal by telling me that we'd both make a pretty profit. Well I haven't needed money for a long time and was just about to refuse when my friends sitting around me made my choice for me. A resounding "YES!" filled the taproom. Which is how I suppose I came to arrive here. So I guess since you cracked this book open you wish to know more about me, I guess I should start with my youth...

The Beginning

Forgive me if this part of my life seems a bit cloudy, there are some things I don't wish to remember and others I do so at my own risk. I grew up in a town even I don't remember where. I know it was somewhere to the south of the Segoltha though time clouds the exact location as though it is a place shrouded in myth.

I still remember the morning of the attack... it was early spring just after my seventh birthday. The sun shone bright, the birds sang... everything seemed to be peaceful. The riders came from the east, I remember this detail only because I remember how the sunlight glinted off of their black armor, concealing their faces. They seemed the stuff nightmares are made of, their actions proved it. Here is where all seems a blur of motion and death. I remember my father shoving me into the direction of the forest telling me to run as he went back to help my mother and sisters. A few moments later I heard his scream. I don't know how long I ran, all I remember was the branches whipping across my face, the blood and tears streaming down my face until the sky grew dark. Eventually I collapsed from exhaustion. When I awoke I kept on running. I traveled through that wood for what either could have been a day or a month. Time no longer mattered to me, all I felt was alone. I was only seven and in one day I lost everything that mattered to me. All my friends, family, my home, all gone in that one morning. I don't know how long after I was found by a group of elves, they had spotted the plume of smoke rising and had gone off to investigate. They asked me if anyone else lived, but I suppose by the look in my eye they knew the answer. I was taken to their village, a small town to the east of the city I'd come to know as Leth Deriel. There I met my adoptive mother, Jypta, I think one of the kindest people I've ever met in my life.

Her husband had died a few years ago, I think that is one of the reasons we were brought together. We both had nothing left, I'm no moon mage but I think that is the closest I've ever been before to fate. She had the bluest eyes I'd ever seen before, and a hair so silver it'd make even the greediest trader gaze in awe. She was also the most beautiful woman I had seen, which I find amusing now since I later learned she was close to three hundred years old at the time.

And so she took me in, much to the chagrin of many elves. Her age and status allowed her certain liberties that most of the younger could not dispute. Thus began my life as an elf brat. Perhaps one of the most fun and most trying times of my life. I mean when you think about it, I was playing tag and hide and go seek with people four times my age. Really, I mean it think about it, it's quite funny. Anyway, about that same time I was learning the use of my first weapon, the bow. Let me diverge here for a moment, this is my story so you'll just have to deal with it. I was and still am not a big fan of the bow, I always loved the satisfying slice of a blade. Alas, using a bow was the elfish thing to do and so in my quest to fit in, I used a bow, a habit I still hold dear to today and a good thing too, cause it's saved my life quite a few times.

So here I lived for seven years before a messenger came for Jypta one fall day, requesting her back at the royal court of Queen Morganae.

The City of Shard

Yes, yes I know what you're all asking, wasn't Ilithi closed? Well allow me to dispel an old myth that has always bothered me. Ilithi was never closed. Yes, Morganae did close off the gondola but people still traveled back and forth between Shard and Leth Deriel. All the people in Shard new of The Crossing and the northern lands, and all the people in The Crossing knew of Shard and the southern lands, tensions were just high, and neither of the people of either of those cities liked to bring it up. It wasn't until some great mages got fed up with it all and forced diplomatic ties between the two provinces and voila, The so called, re-opening of Shard.

Now that that is out of the way, I'll deal with your other question. Yes I was just as surprised as you are now reading this. My adoptive mother was once a member at the royal court of Queen Morganae? Why didn't she inform me of this? Well, it was none of my business that's why.

Now my mother took me aside and started to explain things to me, as well as train me in the scariest training for a young man of all, etiquette. She told me how before she met her husband she was a lady at the court of Queen Morganae, how she met and fell deeply in love with a commoner and how she forsook her title and left with him to marry.

After this she rigorously trained me in the manners of court, she taught me everything from which fork to use for my fish and how to hold my glass during a toast. Finally and perhaps the most humiliating thing she did to me... She turned me into her daughter.

Please stop laughing...

Well, if any of you know of the court of Queen Morganae, you will realize that it is not very... pro human, and to remedy my very human features, and very human ears, she came upon a wonderful idea. Make me her elven daughter. I loved my adoptive mother and we had become very good friends in our time together. She loved me as though I was truly her son and I think it was her who made me able to keep my sanity after the events that had occurred earlier in my life. So when she suggested this to me, I weighed her reasons, and found it was the only way I could go with her. It was rather humiliating though.

And so I spent the following winter growing my hair to cover my ears as she experimented with all sorts of creams and blushes to turn my little male human face into a beautiful little elven girl. All joking aside, I did make a pretty damn good elven girl, if not an exceptionally pretty one. I had grown pretty fast over the years so I didn't look too young, and come that spring I went from being a fourteen-year old human boy to being a twenty-nine year old elven maiden.

That spring a carriage came for us, and even though I loved my mother, some of the clothes she made me wear were very uncomfortable. Add to that the carriage bouncing with every rock in the road and you had a very surly girl. To justify myself I didn't complain half as much as I should have.

A few days later we arrived in shard, with me gawking the whole way. You must admit Shard is a very impressive and beautiful city. Queen Morganae occasionally holds court in the city because and I must agree, it does sound more appealing than holding court in a cave, which for all the decorating you do to it, is still a cave. Now, the city was brisling with activity, I saw all sorts of people as we rolled through those streets before finally stopping at the Golden Phoenix inn.

My mother has secured a room here for us and as we unpacked she told me of what to expect. How to always hold myself with pride because knowing the queen I would most likely be under watch most of the time. The Queen came into her throne through a bloody rebellion and she made sure no one would take it from her in such a way. We had a day or two before my mother was called to the Queen in the great tower so we went sightseeing. My mother took me all over showing me the sights of Shard, from the court of justice in the tower of honor to the beautiful gardens in the tower of greenwalls. It was also around this time I saw my first mur and Gor tog and I met my boyhood crush.

As for the first, when you first see one a S'kra Mur is a pretty imposing thing. They aren't exactly as tall as the Gor togs but they look a whole lot more frightening. Gor togs are more like great big green teddy bears, sure they are large but they are perhaps the kindest race of people I know of besides halflings. I guess being made into slaves and being thought of as less than humanoid does that to a people.

I also saw her, her name was Lindryl I later learned and she was a beautiful elven woman, made even more beautiful by her rich personality. She was an elf from the Island of M'riss and she was also being called to court, for reasons I found out later in life. I being fifteen at the time thought I had no chance with her, but she was only thirty herself. Look, it's not as bad as it sounds considering she's an elf. I digress though, so let me get back to the story.

We were soon called to court, where I once again saw Lindryl and wondered how I should approach her considering I was dressed up like a girl while trying to act the proper elven maiden as my mother had taught me.

You know? As I write this I do find the humor in this situation.

Though it only lasted a week it seemed longer, I met the queen our first day, kneeling and paying my respect to the Queen as they announced the Lady Jypta and her daughter Sirinne. I came up with the name myself and I must admit it was a pretty name.

I still chuckle though knowing that I'm one of the few humans to meet Queen Morganae, even if she never knew, or will never recognize me. During The week Jypta was welcomed back into the Elven court, though she humbly asked permission to continue to reside in Leth Deriel. Also during the week I had a few kind elven gentlemen teach me the Min Sathra, I suppose I wasn't that ugly a elven girl because I got quite a few invitations to spend some time alone with some of them. If they only knew hmm?

Things went off very smoothly though rather quickly and the night just before we were to leave I worked up enough courage and told Lindryl my secret. She thought it was hilarious and we became fast friends. She was never too fond of Morganae to begin with and found the thought of a human sneaking in the court a hilarious story. My mother also booked us passage back up north with her in the same carriage as she was going to visit relatives there and stay for a time, and with my secret out I rode back to Leth Deriel much more comfortably and much more male.

Leave-takings

When we returned to Leth Deriel, Lindryl and I grew closer. We were still just friends but with a kind of love between us. I think if things were different I would have married her. We spent the next few years running around Leth together and getting in trouble. We also grew up, and in time I felt the wanderlust of an adventurer and she had the distinct dishonor of being elected mayor. I asked her if she'd like to run but she said no. I know now that sometime in your life you must take responsibility. I guess her time was then. I was almost sixteen at the time when I finally decided. I told Lindryl first during one of our last nights together at the top of the governmental tree. I was going to go to The Crossing, to start the real adventure of my life. I had such a full life already, but I guess I always knew I was destined for more. That night we danced the Min Sathra under the stars one last time, with me leading for once.

The next day I told Jypta, I guess she knew it was coming. She was happy I finally knew what I was going to do with my life, she told me she knew I was special which was why so long ago she took a young human boy into her home and heart. She wanted to give me money but I talked her down into just giving me ferry fare. That spring after my sixteenth birthday I said goodbye to my mother and left for the city of The Crossing. When I arrived, I went and took out a loan for some money, joined the ranger guild and began to live out my destiny I suppose. I must admit though I was never one to believe in destiny, but what else can you call it other than fate? The only other word I can think of is... Luck?

Epilogue

Well, if you believe it or not, that is how it happened. My life, my story... I still talk to my mother from time to time as well as say a prayer for my true family. I admit I was a bit apprehensive in putting this down to paper but in doing so I feel better. My life has been filled with pain and happiness. It also makes a pretty decent story hmm? I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed telling it. I was never that good at speeches and as you can tell by this epilogue I haven't improved any. I suppose I'll end my tale with a saying a friend told me once that I've never forgotten, Safe Journeys, and be Rangerly.

Striderr Slayn ~ Ranger

Last Revised: 06/16/03