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[Ainfean]

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A small child played on the floor in the small, but cozy, one-room house. She played with a little ball while her father worked over his forge and her mother placed some prepared dough in the stone oven to bake. The mother then picked up a clean bucket and a stool, and went out to milk their cow. The little girl got up, took her little ball, and, teetering on her little legs, followed her mother out to the side of the house where the cow was tied. The family's two dogs ran to meet them, barking and wagging their tails wildly. The dogs protected the cow from most of the predators that dwelled in that area, somewhere near the shrine of Justice. The mother set the stool next the cow, sat down, and went to work. The little girl petted the dogs, barely keeping her balance.

After a while the dogs went back to playing together and the little girl went back to playing with her ball. She bounced it a few times before it hit a rock which deflected it into the nearby forest. With a child's disregard for caution, she giggled and wandered off to get it. The dogs pounced along behind her. Her mother looked up and called after her to come back. A thunder in the ground was felt before anybody could do anything else. The mother called to her daughter again, this time with panic in her voice, as the mother untied the cow and picked up the bucket. She led the cow inside the house and handed the leadrope and bucket to her husband before running out again to find their daughter, who, by then, was already a ways into the forest. The father called to the mother to come back, but the source of the thunder had arrived. It was a band of muraders who had decided to have some fun and raid the area.

A while later, the guards on duty on the guard watchtowers, some ways away, saw the smoke of the bonfires, which the muraders always made of the remains of their victims and their belongings. A troop was dispatched to investigate and, if possible, put an end to the raids. It was about a half an hour before the troop arrived at the smoldering remains of the little house and the victims. There seemed to be no survivors left. The group turned to leave, but the sounds dogs fiercely growling and barking stopped them in their tracks. Knowing that muraders never left even dogs alive, two of the soldiers were dispatched to check it out. When the soldiers finally found them, the dogs were fighting a losing battle with an ogre. One of the soldiers felt something run into his horses legs. He and his horse looked down. It was the little girl, having been so scared that she ran without looking. She was very lucky that the horse was very mild-mannered and not easily spooked. The soldier dismounted and, with a few gentle words, was able to pick up the little girl, put her up on the horse, and remount himself. The little girl cowered close to him, still being very frightened. The soldiers then turned back and headed towards the main group. The other soldier, who wasn't carrying the little girl, took one last look back and saw the last blows the dogs ever would feel again. There was nothing they could have done. It was already too late when they arrived. He lowered his head and spurred his mount to catch up with his partner.

Upon arrival back to the main force, the soldiers were ordered to find the nearest orphanage, and leave the child in its care, since having the child with them would not be safe for her if they happened upon the band of muraders they were looking for. So it wasn't long before the little girl found herself a room with several other children, who were running around and playing, which didn't help her fear any. She wandered around, trying to stay away from everybody else, and happened to find her way to the back door of the orphanage. Unnoticed by anyone, she wandered out into the forest.

Fifteen years later found Ainfean still wandering the forest. She had adopted it as her home. Over the years she learned many survival skills, not of the least included: how a blade could help her defend herself, how to just catnap and wake up at the slightest noise near her, how to hunt for food. At one time, she joined a group of people, though she really did not know why. They were involved with factions, yet Ainfean rarely joined the battles. Her skills were still way too poor. Even over all the time she had spent in the wild, her skills could hardly be called fair compared to the others, whose skills were battle-worthy. Also, Ainfean was rather the loner type... keeping to herself, not really talking to anybody. Eventually, she had to leave the group. Her lack of skill just wasn't helping anybody, and being in a faction was making it very difficult for her to train effectively. However, with being around people at least some of the time, she relearned how to speak, and how not to fear some people. The timing, however, turned out to be perfect. A while after ability to her speak returned, she was taking a little time off of training to take a catnap under a bush, and was discovered. A loud thud woke her. She jumped up, out of the bush, armed, and ready to strike no matter who it was. However, it was a good thing she looked. It was only a young lady, looking only a few years older than herself. The lady's blonde hair was braided and wound into two buns. She was dressed in an outfit of heavy-duty, spined leather boots, and a light pink plain dress, cloak, and bonnet. Her grey eyes showed fear, but gentleness, even though her hands held a plain double axe. Ainfean questioned her and found out that the lady was only harvesting some wood. After talking a bit more, Ainfean also found out that this lady's name was Kristen and ment her no harm. Ainfean relaxed a bit. Kristen realized that Ainfean had no home other than the forest and invited her to her own home. Ainfean, was a little fearful, but this lady's gentle manner reminded her of the gentleness the soldier had shown her that fearful day, all those years ago. So, Ainfean accepted and the two made their way to the mid-sized house which Kristen shared with three other people, who Ainfean met one by one as they did what they could to help her. The resident Elf, Charis, took Ainfean up to the bedroom to give her a warm bath. Kristen worked on some new armor for her. Anne, a rather giggly teenager, worked at the forge, on the roof, to make her some new training gear, though also looked through the household's surplus warrior equipment to see if there was anything useful. By the time Ainfean was clean, dressed and drying near the oven upstairs with Charis brushing her hair, the last member of the household, a chef and fisherman by the name of Buckman, had some soup ready and gave her a bowl, which to ate ravenously, having not eaten in a few days. He laughed at her appetite and served her up another helping, then another, and another, until Ainfean was full. She smiled and laughed too. Her fear melted away. After she was all done, she thanked them for their kindness, and prepared to head off, but they stopped her. They made sure she had a bed set up for her to sleep in, and a place to put her belongings if she didn't want to carry them, and made sure that she knew that they were hers and she could come anytime she wanted for some time of safety. So, Ainfean found a place to stay among other people. It never really felt like a home to her, but in the safety of the house, she learned to be able to sleep for an hour or two, rather than a few minutes here and there. Also during her time there, at the house, Charis worked with Ainfean on refining her speech a bit more. Ainfean still continues to train, yet now looks more towards finding a purpose in life.
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