Chapter 1

Tamalain slowly walked up the wooden dock from the ship to the sandy beach. She looked around, slowly taking her new surroundings, the grey white sand of the beach with scattered trees and rocks. To the right of the docks, a wood and stone building on stilts sat, with several people sitting at the tables on the platform out front of the building. Straight out from the dock was a massive wall over fifty feet high. The entry through the wall was thirty feet wide and doors appeared to be ten feet thick. The doors were made of layered tree trunks held together by massive metal bands rusted from the salt air and age.

She saw a single figure standing in the gate, his hands, or in this case paws on hips looking on impatiently at her. Without looking back, she strode towards the Kerran, showing a level of confidence she didn't totally feel. As she approached, he held out a paw to her, she took it and shook it warmly.

He started speaking as she approached in a deep, purring style of speech, "Wellllcommmme, wellllcommme to the Islllle of Rrrefuggge. Iiffff youuu willll tellll meee yourrrr nammme, weee cannn get thingsss ssstarted and heeeelp youuu onnn yourrrr wayyyy."

Tamalain smiled, thinking, 'what a smart ass', and answered, "Tamalain Arrowmark, Born at Upperpass Village, Greater Faydark." She said this in Wood Elven to see if he could understand her, just to tweak his nose a bit.

He did understand Elven, but could not speak it to well, so he remained in common tongue "I guessss youuu arrrre a prrrovinnncialll, youuu havvvennn't beennn taught commonnn orrr anyyy otherrr languaaaasge."

She decided to keep with the game and switched, her next response was in Dwarven, "Want to bet on that Kitty cat?" being careful not to spit as she used the rough language.

"Please, we Kerra, we find Kitty Cat somewhat insulting," he said in plain speech. "Very well then, Dwarven as well as Elven, any others?"

In common, "Human, Orcish, Kobald, High Elven, Some Barbarian, and a bit of Dark Elven. Oh yes, a fair smattering of Dragon Speak. That was the only good thing the cursed armor gave me. So please, don't play the purrrrring speech game with me, unless of course you are, shall we say, a provincial."

Murrar smiled a somewhat toothy grin and laughed. "Oh I can see that nobody is going to get away with teasing you. What other skills have you been trained in that will help in placing you."

"Well, I attended the Trueshot Academy until Skyfall drove my people from the Wood. I have advanced combat arms, A proven Grandmaster Archer, Most of the Advanced Ranger training over the following decade. I am also a master Bowyer and Fletcher, and Journeyman general woodworker. My Masters in the wood works where Heart and Stave Green. Would you like an experience rundown as well?"

He had his writing quill at the ready, he nodded at her to continue. "The more we know now, the easier your placement will be."

"Ok, standard schooling for most of my earliest years. At age eight, I fried a bastard that tried to murder my mother and kidnap me, at ten I put Mayong Mistemoore out of the world's misery for six years," Murrar looked up startled at that offhand remark. "At sixteen I and my squad led several thousand of the Elven and others out of the inferno created by Luclin exploding. That by the way was a result of D'Lere trying to force the portal open after Zek shut down the portal network.

She stopped for a minute to allow Murrar to catch up with his notes. "Then there was year of madness that was erased from my memory. I have all my memories back now in spite of the efforts to stop me from remembering." She allowed a touch of bitterness to creep into her voice at the memory of that betrayal by her friend and mentor. "I spent ten years after the Fall as City Administrator for the New Upper Glenns Village.

During an exploration run back to the Faydark, I discovered the Drakota threat that the explosion had uncovered. I also stopped the Dark Elven in Crushbone from taking over the Elven Council. They had a disguised Inkie posing as a Woodelven controlling the council.

My first encounter with the Drakota Lord left him crippled and unable to fly. I defeated the Drakota Lord in a one on one fight a few days later. That left me in a three month coma and almost a year and half in recovery." She looked at Murrar, "Shall I continue?"

"Please." Murrar had been scraping away, taking notes as fast as he could to keep up.

"Let's see, oh yes, several years later I discovered the conspiracy to murder the Elven council by several of the Trade Families whule on a cadet training patrol, helped save the life of one of the Fey Queens children, though the other died from his injuries he had suffered in the same attack.

I was later awarded a set of armor made from the Drakota Lord skin and bone. That armor turned out to be part of the reason I am here now. The spirit stayed in the remains and the armor was sentient. It was also bat shit insane. I think you have enough to go on. A chunk of Luclin coming down at just the wrong time destroyed the ship I was on board, then the Far Journey rescued me a few hours later as they went looking for any salvage from the wreck."

Murrar Sharr had stopped writing at some point earlier. "You survived a fight with a Drakota Lord? Even the smaller types are supposed to be unstoppable."

Tamalain seemed lost in thought, in reality; she was reliving the first fight on the ridge above what used to be her home. After a moment, she snapped out of the memory, "I first crossed paths with him at the nesting crater where my home used to be. Luckily, I was able to cripple his ability to fly in that encounter, so the later battle was not as bad as it could have been."

"Even still, they are not to be trifled with." He was looking at her with a little bit more respect now.

"Believe me, I know it. The only reason I'm alive and it's not, is I punctured the separate flame tube in the neck and throat. He blew his own head off when he tried to hit me with a fire blast."

"Now that is something to think about. We have been having issues with the Drakota lately ourselves. These are tougher than the ones that arrived a few years ago with a large storm from the East."

"Those must have been a group of escapees from the battle over the Glenns. That was messy for the city. But on to other matters, what else do you need to know at this time."

Going down his checklist, "That covers it for the moment. I will need you to set up a bank account with the local Far Seas Trading Company Bank. Then you will report to Trainer Hayl McGuinness. He will evaluate your weapons and combat skills. He will direct you from there."

Tamalain looked at where Murrar had pointed, "Thank you sir, I will be seeing you around I am sure." Without waiting for a reply, she went to Hayl with the forms Murrar had given her.

The small shack Hayl had set up contained basic weapons and shields for practice and demonstrations. When she handed him the papers, he didn't even look at them. "Grab a sword; go to the trainer for basic lessons and stop bothering me."

The sword he handed out to her was a hand and a half sword, almost too large for her to manage for a moment. She fixed that by ramping up her strength, then the rest of her abilities to match. Going over to the trainer he had pointed to, she held the sword in a ready stance. The instructor grinned, "So you think you know how to handle a sword kid, well I can tell you right now you are full of it." He drew his own long sword and swung it at her in a way that would miss but was supposed to make her jump back in fear.

She parried then swung in a way that would not miss if she had carried the strike through to its lethal end. "Now Human, if you are a weapons master, get serious or I will gut you where you stand."

He quickly drew back and took a stance she saw as insulting. "So you have been taught to swing, goodie, now to teach you a lesson in manners you little snot."

He quickly stepped in going for a central strike, only to find himself disarmed, on his back and her sword point at his throat. Tamalain then began to lecture him on his ability, or lack there of. "Your center stance is atrocious, you are slow, and I don't know how you ever finished training with that attitude. It will cost your life one of these days." She drew back from him, "Now pick up the weapon and show ME that you are able to use it."

He scrambled to his feet and retrieved his sword from were it had landed. He no longer had a look of disdain for her. "Where did you train girl?"

"I was trained at the Trueshot Academy in most weapons forms. I am a Master at Hand to hand, Short, long and Hand and a half swords. I have advanced training with most blunt and staves. I am Grand Master Archer. Anything else you need to know?"

"Why did Hayl send you to me?"

"He didn't even look at the papers from Murrar Sharr."

The Trainer stormed over to the shack, "Hayl, when the hell are you going to started reading the forms the Cat sends over. That Elven girl just kicked my ass you idiot, I nearly got myself killed."

Hayl looked at him as if he didn't even recognize him, "What are you complaining about now. You know damn well the floaters never tell the cat the truth about their skills."

"Well this one did you ignorant idiot. She could have turned me into chopped liver had she wanted too." He turned to Tamalain, "Ma'am, I am sorry for the way I acted towards you. He's right you know, all too many come here telling lies about what they can do."

"Apology accepted." She turned to Hayl in his shack, "You on the other hand are going to get folks hurt or killed with the attitude you have. As I see it, it is your job to determine if a person can actually handle weapons. What did you see when you handed me the oversized sword?"

"I wasn't looking and didn't give a rat's ass lady. As far as I'm concerned you are a hack and a wench only suitable for bedding. Now get the hell out of here before I gut you myself."

"Sign off my paperwork, then I will be done with you." He signed them, and tossed them to her. "One piece of advise, don't come at me if you think you are able to try and act on your little threat. The guards here will be finding bits of you scattered over several acres when I am done."

Chapter 2 »