Post by Tayzian on Mar 14, 2008 13:51:54 GMT -5
The little girl lay in the tall grass, her eyes closed, observing the world around her. The sweet scent of peacebloom tickled her nose. The soft grass danced across her skin. The sounds of the men, of her father working in the nearby Lumber Mill rang in her ears.
"Cati! Cati get in here! We have to get you ready!" Her mothers voice called out across the field drowning out everything else. She sat up quickly and fumbled around looking for her shoes. Finding her shoes and slipping them back onto her feet, she took off sprinting for the tiny cottage that sat alone across the meadow. Tonight was the night she and her class mates were to put on a concert at the schoolhouse for the parents. Having just turned six this past month she was tickled that she had been chosen to sing the solo part in the concert. Not only did she have a beautiful singing voice, but she was one of the few girls in her class not plagued by stage fright despite the fact she was one of the youngest in her class. She loved the spotlight, the applause, the rush she felt when on stage.
"Mommy!" She called out as she ran into the house. Kicking off her shoes she headed to the bath to get cleaned up. Her mother came bustling into the room arms laden with towels, and clothes. She sat them down on the cabinet as she help the girl hurriedly with her long golden hair. "Cati, really what were you thinking? Or not thinking is more like it. Your going to be late! Luckily Bridgette already has the wagon ready, or we might never make it all the way to Moonbrooke in time." Catiyana looked up at her mother, a light look of shame on her face as her brow furrowed. "I'm sorry momma. I was playing in the flowers." Her mother stopped a moment taking a deep breath and smiling at her daughter. "My, Cati, singing in front of all those people, and so young." She mused as she handed the towel to the girl and stepped back. "Well let no one say you don't take after your father. He hasn't got a shy bone in his body I think."
Catiyana dressed quickly in the new dress her mother had made just for tonight. She had even got to help sew the ribbons on and help pick out the colors. Blue, like the sky. Her favorite color. Her mother fussed over her hair as she braided in the roses. Her much older sister Bridgette was waiting impatiently by the door holding their coats.
The three women piled into the wagon. As her mother took up the reigns Catiyana asked. "But mommy, isn't daddy going to come too?" She looked sad and pouted slightly. "Of course sweetheart! Daddy wouldn't miss it for the world, but you know he has to work. He is cleaning up and he'll follow close behind. He'll be there don't you worry. But you my little princess, have to be there early." Her mother smiled and patted her head. "Now go on hop in the back of the carriage with Bridgette out of this night air." Catiyana smiled and did as she was told. Though she wished her father were with them, she was glad he would be there.
The air was brisk and the night was quiet. The sound of the horses hoof beats echoed around the tiny wagon as they made their way. Suddenly there was a great explosion in front of them from the road. It startled the horses causing them to rear back tipping the wagon. Catiyana was still holding her ears as she and her sister tumbled out onto the hard dirt road. There was screaming from her mother, and sister. Catiyana was crying and dusting herself off looking around franticly. There were voices from the bushes to either side, deep, guttural, speaking a language she had never heard.
"Orcs!" cried her mother. "Bridgette, take your sister and run, run for help!" Catiyana felt her hand ripped away as she was pulled down the road, or dragged more appropriately. Barely slipping through the rough heavy hands of their clumsy attackers the sisters made their way back to the town. Fading behind them their mother's screams pierced the night air then fell silent again. Unable to breathe, it was as if Catiyana was in a trance, the images blurred by, but made no sense. The explosions, screams, and roaring flames blended together into a deafening symphony.
Suddenly, the young girl found herself being stuffed alone into a secret cabinet in the wall by her older sister. One she and Bridgette used to play hide and seek in. The boards were placed back over the opening, and the table pushed back against the wall. Just then, the door burst open and her sister's screams were drowned out by the deep orcish voices. From her lonely hiding spot she could hear furniture being thrown, things broken, her sister's muffled begging as she was carried upstairs.
Catiyana closed her eyes tight and drew her knees up underneath her. Covering her ears with her hands she began to rock back and forth humming the song she was supposed to sing tonight. She sat that way for what seemed an eternity until all was quiet again save for a dull steady roar. Peeking through a crack she looked out into the shattered remains of her home lit in a strange orange light. There was no sign of her sister, her father, the orcs.. no sign of anyone.
She pushed hard against the hall panel but the table was too heavy for her to move alone, she was still too small. Then she saw it, flicking in the broken pieces of the oil lamp on the table, the source of the orange light. The house was on fire, and burning. The child tried again in vane to push herself out of the hiding place. Giving up she sat down, crying for the first time. Again she assumed the position and began to rock herself humming the tune, and trying to ignore the choking smoke that had begun to fill the tiny space. The heat was building and almost unbearable as the flames consumed the house around her. Suddenly the heat disappeared. Her body felt icy and cold. She couldn't move. Then, she lost consciousness
Hours, days, weeks later she awoke in the abbey in Northshire. A young priestess was looking over her dabbing her head with a warm cloth. "Well now, good morning little miss. My name is Tayzian, and I have been taking care of you.", she said plainly and smiled at the girl. "Might you tell me your name dearest?" Catiyana sat blinking a moment. "My- My name?", she squeaked out. "I- I don't know.." Catiyana had completely lost everything she had no memories at all, not even her name.
As the years went by the young girl regained her strength, and spent most days alone in the abbey afraid someone might ask her a question to which she had no answers. Then one day her only constant companion, the priestess Tayzian, came in and closed the door to the room taking a seat at the foot of the girl's bed.
"I have some important news for you. It is against the elders' wishes I tell you, but I feel you are stronger than they think. The house in which you were found, the whole town, was all but destroyed. They did however, find a book containing a listing of the towns occupants. Of all those listed, most were.. accounted for, save a few women and young girls. Only one of those, your age at the time. I believe you are this girl, her name was Catiyana Jubliee, and you are soon to turn fourteen. Your mother was an accomplished mage, and your father was a logger. You had a sister named Bridgette. I can't tell you what happened to them. I don't know.
The elders have said you can stay until your of age to be on your own. Catiyana, I want you to know you always have a friend in me. I never want you to hesitate to ask if you need anything at all. I have always thought of you as a kid sister myself. I know I have given you a lot of information and you probably need time to digest it. I will leave you be for the time being, and I will answer your questions as I can." With that the priestess leaned over and kissed the girl's forehead and left Catiyana, her new name, and small details of her past alone in the room.
Catiyana tried hard for the first few months to remember anything she could of these "relatives", nothing more than names in her journal at this point. As time passed she came less interested in the details. She began helping, or well, trying to help as it were caring for the other sick people as they came in. She didn't seem to quite have that healing ouch others like Tayzian possessed.
One day a man came in with a pile of books under his arm. He had come to visit his sick son who had been under her care for some time now. Before he left he pulled Catiyana aside. "I have seen that flicker in one other woman's eye, my late wife. This was hers, I think she would have wanted me to pass it on to one such as you." The man handed her the old tattered book and was on his way. Catiyana read the title: Frost, Fire, and Other Magical Energies.
She spent the next few nights reading over the pages, toying with the spells held in the pages. The frost energy came so naturally it was calming, soft, quiet, and it flowed through her. The Arcane was bright, bold, flashy and startling, she wasn't too fond of it.
The fire energies however, held her biggest challenge yet. She could not control it. She could not control herself when she wielded them. They invoked so much passion, fear, and anger in her, she was afraid of them. Often times after an extensively long study with them she would find herself blurting out things she thought but didn't wish to say. She did things she was later embarrassed to have done, then she began blanking out entirely and waking up not knowing how she got where she was, or what she had done in the meantime.
The man had continued to bring her books on magic and answer her questions as he could. He told her he believed that the uncontrollability of the fire energies came from her age, and the changing hormones, and moods. That most likely once grown acquiring control over them, and herself would become easier. The blackouts became so extensive that people began to tiptoe around her not knowing if she was herself or not. The man taught her a spell, her frost armor spell, not only did it offer protection, but it also seemed to keep her from blacking out.
Once of age, Catiyana packed her things and followed Tayzian from guild house to guild house as her travels lead her. Now, sitting alone in the park of Stormwind after the house fire that tore apart their last home, she wonders what will become of her on her own at last. She could no longer follow Tayzian, though they were still close friends and she did love watching the priestess' daughter, it was time for her to be on her own, truly on her own. She was frightened.
"Cati! Cati get in here! We have to get you ready!" Her mothers voice called out across the field drowning out everything else. She sat up quickly and fumbled around looking for her shoes. Finding her shoes and slipping them back onto her feet, she took off sprinting for the tiny cottage that sat alone across the meadow. Tonight was the night she and her class mates were to put on a concert at the schoolhouse for the parents. Having just turned six this past month she was tickled that she had been chosen to sing the solo part in the concert. Not only did she have a beautiful singing voice, but she was one of the few girls in her class not plagued by stage fright despite the fact she was one of the youngest in her class. She loved the spotlight, the applause, the rush she felt when on stage.
"Mommy!" She called out as she ran into the house. Kicking off her shoes she headed to the bath to get cleaned up. Her mother came bustling into the room arms laden with towels, and clothes. She sat them down on the cabinet as she help the girl hurriedly with her long golden hair. "Cati, really what were you thinking? Or not thinking is more like it. Your going to be late! Luckily Bridgette already has the wagon ready, or we might never make it all the way to Moonbrooke in time." Catiyana looked up at her mother, a light look of shame on her face as her brow furrowed. "I'm sorry momma. I was playing in the flowers." Her mother stopped a moment taking a deep breath and smiling at her daughter. "My, Cati, singing in front of all those people, and so young." She mused as she handed the towel to the girl and stepped back. "Well let no one say you don't take after your father. He hasn't got a shy bone in his body I think."
Catiyana dressed quickly in the new dress her mother had made just for tonight. She had even got to help sew the ribbons on and help pick out the colors. Blue, like the sky. Her favorite color. Her mother fussed over her hair as she braided in the roses. Her much older sister Bridgette was waiting impatiently by the door holding their coats.
The three women piled into the wagon. As her mother took up the reigns Catiyana asked. "But mommy, isn't daddy going to come too?" She looked sad and pouted slightly. "Of course sweetheart! Daddy wouldn't miss it for the world, but you know he has to work. He is cleaning up and he'll follow close behind. He'll be there don't you worry. But you my little princess, have to be there early." Her mother smiled and patted her head. "Now go on hop in the back of the carriage with Bridgette out of this night air." Catiyana smiled and did as she was told. Though she wished her father were with them, she was glad he would be there.
The air was brisk and the night was quiet. The sound of the horses hoof beats echoed around the tiny wagon as they made their way. Suddenly there was a great explosion in front of them from the road. It startled the horses causing them to rear back tipping the wagon. Catiyana was still holding her ears as she and her sister tumbled out onto the hard dirt road. There was screaming from her mother, and sister. Catiyana was crying and dusting herself off looking around franticly. There were voices from the bushes to either side, deep, guttural, speaking a language she had never heard.
"Orcs!" cried her mother. "Bridgette, take your sister and run, run for help!" Catiyana felt her hand ripped away as she was pulled down the road, or dragged more appropriately. Barely slipping through the rough heavy hands of their clumsy attackers the sisters made their way back to the town. Fading behind them their mother's screams pierced the night air then fell silent again. Unable to breathe, it was as if Catiyana was in a trance, the images blurred by, but made no sense. The explosions, screams, and roaring flames blended together into a deafening symphony.
Suddenly, the young girl found herself being stuffed alone into a secret cabinet in the wall by her older sister. One she and Bridgette used to play hide and seek in. The boards were placed back over the opening, and the table pushed back against the wall. Just then, the door burst open and her sister's screams were drowned out by the deep orcish voices. From her lonely hiding spot she could hear furniture being thrown, things broken, her sister's muffled begging as she was carried upstairs.
Catiyana closed her eyes tight and drew her knees up underneath her. Covering her ears with her hands she began to rock back and forth humming the song she was supposed to sing tonight. She sat that way for what seemed an eternity until all was quiet again save for a dull steady roar. Peeking through a crack she looked out into the shattered remains of her home lit in a strange orange light. There was no sign of her sister, her father, the orcs.. no sign of anyone.
She pushed hard against the hall panel but the table was too heavy for her to move alone, she was still too small. Then she saw it, flicking in the broken pieces of the oil lamp on the table, the source of the orange light. The house was on fire, and burning. The child tried again in vane to push herself out of the hiding place. Giving up she sat down, crying for the first time. Again she assumed the position and began to rock herself humming the tune, and trying to ignore the choking smoke that had begun to fill the tiny space. The heat was building and almost unbearable as the flames consumed the house around her. Suddenly the heat disappeared. Her body felt icy and cold. She couldn't move. Then, she lost consciousness
Hours, days, weeks later she awoke in the abbey in Northshire. A young priestess was looking over her dabbing her head with a warm cloth. "Well now, good morning little miss. My name is Tayzian, and I have been taking care of you.", she said plainly and smiled at the girl. "Might you tell me your name dearest?" Catiyana sat blinking a moment. "My- My name?", she squeaked out. "I- I don't know.." Catiyana had completely lost everything she had no memories at all, not even her name.
As the years went by the young girl regained her strength, and spent most days alone in the abbey afraid someone might ask her a question to which she had no answers. Then one day her only constant companion, the priestess Tayzian, came in and closed the door to the room taking a seat at the foot of the girl's bed.
"I have some important news for you. It is against the elders' wishes I tell you, but I feel you are stronger than they think. The house in which you were found, the whole town, was all but destroyed. They did however, find a book containing a listing of the towns occupants. Of all those listed, most were.. accounted for, save a few women and young girls. Only one of those, your age at the time. I believe you are this girl, her name was Catiyana Jubliee, and you are soon to turn fourteen. Your mother was an accomplished mage, and your father was a logger. You had a sister named Bridgette. I can't tell you what happened to them. I don't know.
The elders have said you can stay until your of age to be on your own. Catiyana, I want you to know you always have a friend in me. I never want you to hesitate to ask if you need anything at all. I have always thought of you as a kid sister myself. I know I have given you a lot of information and you probably need time to digest it. I will leave you be for the time being, and I will answer your questions as I can." With that the priestess leaned over and kissed the girl's forehead and left Catiyana, her new name, and small details of her past alone in the room.
Catiyana tried hard for the first few months to remember anything she could of these "relatives", nothing more than names in her journal at this point. As time passed she came less interested in the details. She began helping, or well, trying to help as it were caring for the other sick people as they came in. She didn't seem to quite have that healing ouch others like Tayzian possessed.
One day a man came in with a pile of books under his arm. He had come to visit his sick son who had been under her care for some time now. Before he left he pulled Catiyana aside. "I have seen that flicker in one other woman's eye, my late wife. This was hers, I think she would have wanted me to pass it on to one such as you." The man handed her the old tattered book and was on his way. Catiyana read the title: Frost, Fire, and Other Magical Energies.
She spent the next few nights reading over the pages, toying with the spells held in the pages. The frost energy came so naturally it was calming, soft, quiet, and it flowed through her. The Arcane was bright, bold, flashy and startling, she wasn't too fond of it.
The fire energies however, held her biggest challenge yet. She could not control it. She could not control herself when she wielded them. They invoked so much passion, fear, and anger in her, she was afraid of them. Often times after an extensively long study with them she would find herself blurting out things she thought but didn't wish to say. She did things she was later embarrassed to have done, then she began blanking out entirely and waking up not knowing how she got where she was, or what she had done in the meantime.
The man had continued to bring her books on magic and answer her questions as he could. He told her he believed that the uncontrollability of the fire energies came from her age, and the changing hormones, and moods. That most likely once grown acquiring control over them, and herself would become easier. The blackouts became so extensive that people began to tiptoe around her not knowing if she was herself or not. The man taught her a spell, her frost armor spell, not only did it offer protection, but it also seemed to keep her from blacking out.
Once of age, Catiyana packed her things and followed Tayzian from guild house to guild house as her travels lead her. Now, sitting alone in the park of Stormwind after the house fire that tore apart their last home, she wonders what will become of her on her own at last. She could no longer follow Tayzian, though they were still close friends and she did love watching the priestess' daughter, it was time for her to be on her own, truly on her own. She was frightened.