Post by Eleana on Feb 4, 2010 16:28:19 GMT -5
[glow=white,2,300]I must confess that I have no idea what will happen next. Eleana tells me her story slowly and I try to give it to you in the best of my knowledge. If it sounds wrong, sorry 
[/glow]
Taking place eight years before Eleana meet Plunkett...
Growing up on a farm was not easy, but Eleana never complained. She had known nothing else than feeding the animals, serving meals for the workers, helping her mother with the laundry and the various chores... She had no possession, her parents have little money but there farm guarantee a job for many of their neighbors. She had no beautiful clothes, knows only peasants and could hardly eat one's fill but she was happy. Really happy. This year's harvest was particularly good and all the workers were delighted about it. This will ensure the farmer's survival during the cold and rainy season.
In a few days will be the harvest festival that would bring all the villagers together for festivities that would last all night long. The young woman had not many occasion to go to the village these days, being very busy on the farm, and she will finally have the chance to meet with old friends. It's was enough to make the smile she had constantly on her face shine even more.
She loved the simple life she led. Her parents would have love to give her better, but each day she thanks Allah for being born in a loving family who taught her the values of life. She was far from suspecting that the harvest festival of this year would never happen and that all that she knew and loved, until now, would change forever...
That morning, she wake up at dawn, as usual, but it seemed that something was wrong. She had always been very intuitive, like her mother was, and the look they shared both while preparing the morning meal made her understand that she had every reason to be worried. Although, both will never dare to talk about it to Eleana's father who would not understand...
In this small island in the South, women were not allowed to express their opinions, and men, although they appreciated the work they did, rarely listened to their advice. Especially when it was an intuition that wasn't based on facts ... Nobody believed in magic. Nobody practiced magic in this island away from everything and if travelers and adventurers were numerous, only a few of those had practiced magic right in front of them. Never Eleana or her mother would have thought they could have a special gift that had nothing to do with feminine intuition...
The morning passed as usual. So quickly and without any trouble that Eleana came to doubt that she was really right with her intuition and a bright smile return to her face. She spent the morning doing the usual chores, so busy in her work that she didn't hear any cry that should have alarmed her.
The island was inhabited by three villages all having a hundred villagers. Most were farmers, some were merchants. The richest of them lived on the highest peak far from the village, and they usually send their servant down to the village for shopping, not wanting to go down themselves. The island was ruled by one of the many steward of the king and the king had the whole archipelago of small islands nearby, is itself located on the largest and richest of them.
It's a farmer from a nearby village who came to give the alert. He came running and shouting, looking totally bewildered.
« Miss! Quickly, we must relay the message... We are under attacked! »
The young woman looked at him as he was mad. Surely he would be wrong ... The King was a peaceful man who had good business with the neighboring kingdoms. Why suddenly someone had decided to attack them?
« But ... I don't understand.. »
« Miss, you must doing things quickly, assemble all your people and repatriating them to evacuate the island. The steward's guards had already begun to evacuate the villages, but the enemy's armies began to invade the island ... I fear that the guards never make it here to relay the information. You must flee or fight, it's your only chance of survival... »
The man seemed totally panicked and Eleana wondered how he could have find the courage to come to the village to give them the message without thinking first to save his own life. The young woman was grateful. She smiled to him.
« Thanks, you're a good man... You should go home now. You must have a family to saved... I'm going to warn the village. »
The man stared at her for a moment and then simply nodded before fleeing.
« May Allah keep you... may he keeps us all... » said, in a low tone like a prayer, the brunette before returning to the house to alert her mother.
The young woman arrived at the house running, totally breathless. Her mother wanted her to sit down, calm down, but Eleana would not listen. She quickly explained the situation with the little information she knew, and they decided to go in separate ways. Eleana's mother, Anna, will go into the fields to alert the men, while her daughter would go down to the village to see if the guards themselves have success to alert the villagers about the incoming attack.
« Be careful, my daughter... And whatever happens, I want you to put yourself in a safe place. If they evacuate the village, a boat must wait at the port... After alerting the village, I want you to go as quickly as possible. Save your life ! »
The young woman looked at her mother for a moment, not believing what she had heard.
« But, mother... The farm? The village ? We must defend ourselves! They will destroy everything we have... »
Anna looked sadly at her daughter and hung her head.
« We are farmers, Eleana! Peasants... What are our chance to fight against these power hungry men who can hold a sword, and win ? No, my daughter... If we stay, we are lost. I don't know how many men have come to invade us but if our good king want us to evacuate the island, there is nothing else better we can do. »
Eleana took her mother in her arms and hold her tightly. Anna took her away from her gently and smiled tenderly, replacing a crazy strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.
« Mother... And you? And father? I... »
The brunette was totally lost. She couldn't flew off like a coward and left her parents behind. If they couldn't leave the island in time? And if... No, she couldn't afford that.
Anna looked at her daughter with a more authoritarian look. Eleana was a remarkable young woman and had values in the right place. She will survive... But she was stubborn, obstinate and rash, which brought her problems more often than she want to. She knew that when her daughter had an idea in her head, it was difficult to make her change her mind.
« Eleana! We must save as many people as possible... Some will fight, that is certain. But they risk death... We don't know how many boats are in the port... but it's almost impossible that all the people could be evacuated. I want you to be safe .. I don't want to worry about you. You're young... you must live! We will find you, I promise you... And if Allah brings us back to him, your father and me, we'll find a way for watching over you... »
A small voice in her head tell her that she had leave her parents behind with their deaths. Perhaps it was still her intuition... However, she took again her mother in her arms.
« Tell father I love him... I love you, both. Be careful...»
She wiped the tears that flooded her cheeks, and after a last look, went to the barn to pick up their horse. She don't bother to seal it and go quickly to the village.
Anna just looked as her daughter flew off with a slight smile on her lips, feeling that a mission was accomplished, then turn to left into the fields.
When Eleana arrived in the village, she immediately saw that the villagers were aware of the news. There was panic everywhere. All were trying to save their family and their meager possessions, even if the guards of the steward told them just to bring their families. The men who were able to fight and the young men were asked on the battlefield because their attackers were numerous and the soldiers could not hold them for long without help. Eleana looked at the women, torn from seeing their husbands who have no more choice than to go and mothers, helpless, sending their young son to the war... Her father, if they found him, would probably be leaded to the battlefield with the other men and, with a bit of luck, her mother would have the time to take the boat and join her quickly.
As she had no more mission in the village, Eleana decided to search for her best friends, Anya and Draken, twins who were about her age. From what some relatives said, Draken had been forced to leave with the guards, while Anya and her mother was in their way to the port.
Eleana could do nothing for these people and she knew it. What could do a young woman alone against so much hate ? That made her sad to leave the island without her parents, but there was still hope for her mother. Eleana forced herself to stay positive and flew off to the port.
It was insane there. Women and children were tell to go on the boat while the few men who were trying to slip inside were quickly and rudely send off.
Eleana saw Anya and her mother in the crowd. She joined them, leaving her horse with the liberty to go freely... He will have more chance to survive...
The two young women fell into each other arms. They knew each other since childhood and their parents were also very close.
« I know about Draken... Your father would be proud of him. »
Anya only nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. The mother of the young woman, Lindy, was crying bitterly too. They all knew, without admitting it out loud, that the mens who went to war, all farmers and not knowing (or only a bit) swordplay, would not return. Lindy had lost her husband years earlier and now had lost her son.
« He told me to tell you that he cared a lot about you. He would have loved to tell you himself, but he did not have the time » Anya whispered to her friend.
Eleana smiled through her own tears. Draken and she had always shared a special bond. He was the brother she have not and Anya was like a sister to her. They watched over each other. Yet, she had noticed the new look Draken had giving her for several weeks now. She knew... and she had great affection for the young man. It's all in the past now...
« Your brother is a brave man...»
She paused and wiped her tears. She had to be strong. She could not just stand there and cry.
« And what about you,... your parents?" Asked Lindy.
Eleana took the time to recover before replying. When she finally spoke, she had regained control of her emotions even if they were still a shy tear at the corner of her eye. She wiped it furiously.
« My father must surely be gone with the soldiers by now. They were all in the fields when we've been warned. My mother went to tell them... now, I do not know where she is.»
Anya and Lindy shared a look that spoke volumes but did not reply. They knew that Eleana was aware that there was little chance that her mother managed to take the boat in time... The first was almost full and the second had just arrived in the port. It would quickly turn full. No other boat seemed to point at the horizon. All knew that there was little chance that they all have their place. The sailors try to board as many people as possible, but nobody was able to make miracles.
« We must make our way to the boat. Otherwise, I fear we are destined to die here... Quick, come on girls... "Says Lindy.
Eleana took Anya's hand and followed the mother of her friend through the crowd. They crossed many men who could not enter the ship and many families doing their goodbyes. Guards on horses had just arrived and brought with them all the men they saw. The young woman had never feel so sad and felt that a part of herself had disappear forever... How to recover from such a loss, such an event ?
She felt her friend squeeze her hand harder. She was grateful to her to be there and knew that Anya felt similar emotions.
After a long wait, the three women finally managed to make their way inside the ship. When they entered, it was already fulled.
« There are so many people still on the ground... » Eleana says to her two friends.
Lindy nodded sadly while Anya only lowered her head. There was nothing further to add. The three women go below deck and choose a corner where to sit until the boat leave the port. The minutes passed and Eleana watched the people entered, a futile hope inside her heart, but eventually the ship weighed anchor, and still no sign of her mother.
Eleana did not cry. She simply squeeze strongly the hand of her friend she had still in her own hand and clenched her teeth's. Later, she would cry. For now, she should be strong. It was only late in the night, in the middle of the sea, through the sounds of crying children and women, that the young woman left all her pain and fears fled. In the morning, there was no trace of pain left on her face, only a strong determination to survive and a coldness that it was not usual to her...
Their journey lasted nearly a week. They were lucky not to cross enemy ships, and went away enough of the archipelago that they are now safe. The mood on board was happier, but people were beginning to be anxious to reach port. There were still times when women were crying their families who had remain on the island, but most of them had regain their sense and if they still had a lot of sadness, they let show less. They were all women who knows only a hard life and hard work, they all knew that they must think about the future of those who were still alive.
To clear her head, Eleana helped to make the daily meal and helped the women with their children. Anya and Lindy were still crying, most of the time. Eleana felt normally very close to them but now she felt the need to move away from the two and their sadness. Then, she spent the week to barely speak to them. Anya and Lindy did not seem to appreciate and did not seem to understand what is pushing Eleana of doing it. In fact, even the young woman did not understand. She used to be compassionate, but it seemed that the experience has changed her. She did not want to feel like a poor defenseless woman... She hated to feel the anger who was boiling inside of her.
When she was not trying to help women below deck, she was up deck watching the sea. She had to admit that she enjoyed the sea breeze and the water that stretched out of sight... She enjoyed the company of the sailors, even if sometimes they threw dubious looks and comments about her appearance that are totally lacked of delicacy.... They let see a taste for freedom and independence, a lust for life, which left her very envious. When she tell her thought at one of the sailors with whom she became friends, he just broke into a hearty laugh. And when the brunette asked him why he laughed, he looked incredulous.
« Don't you know that having a woman aboard bringing bad luck ? »
She might have answered, but she chooses to remain silent. She don't know how to defend herself and some men, like those of her country, did not take well that the women argument with them.
They finally landed in a port, in a country she no nothing about. Eleana, Anya and Lindy put together their money to borrow horses and went to the first town we showed them. It was a big city and the three women who had not known nothing else that their poverty and their village were enchanted by it.
The houses, though still poor, was richer than the ones in their village and there was a big market and many shops.
[/glow]Taking place eight years before Eleana meet Plunkett...
Growing up on a farm was not easy, but Eleana never complained. She had known nothing else than feeding the animals, serving meals for the workers, helping her mother with the laundry and the various chores... She had no possession, her parents have little money but there farm guarantee a job for many of their neighbors. She had no beautiful clothes, knows only peasants and could hardly eat one's fill but she was happy. Really happy. This year's harvest was particularly good and all the workers were delighted about it. This will ensure the farmer's survival during the cold and rainy season.
In a few days will be the harvest festival that would bring all the villagers together for festivities that would last all night long. The young woman had not many occasion to go to the village these days, being very busy on the farm, and she will finally have the chance to meet with old friends. It's was enough to make the smile she had constantly on her face shine even more.
She loved the simple life she led. Her parents would have love to give her better, but each day she thanks Allah for being born in a loving family who taught her the values of life. She was far from suspecting that the harvest festival of this year would never happen and that all that she knew and loved, until now, would change forever...
That morning, she wake up at dawn, as usual, but it seemed that something was wrong. She had always been very intuitive, like her mother was, and the look they shared both while preparing the morning meal made her understand that she had every reason to be worried. Although, both will never dare to talk about it to Eleana's father who would not understand...
In this small island in the South, women were not allowed to express their opinions, and men, although they appreciated the work they did, rarely listened to their advice. Especially when it was an intuition that wasn't based on facts ... Nobody believed in magic. Nobody practiced magic in this island away from everything and if travelers and adventurers were numerous, only a few of those had practiced magic right in front of them. Never Eleana or her mother would have thought they could have a special gift that had nothing to do with feminine intuition...
The morning passed as usual. So quickly and without any trouble that Eleana came to doubt that she was really right with her intuition and a bright smile return to her face. She spent the morning doing the usual chores, so busy in her work that she didn't hear any cry that should have alarmed her.
The island was inhabited by three villages all having a hundred villagers. Most were farmers, some were merchants. The richest of them lived on the highest peak far from the village, and they usually send their servant down to the village for shopping, not wanting to go down themselves. The island was ruled by one of the many steward of the king and the king had the whole archipelago of small islands nearby, is itself located on the largest and richest of them.
It's a farmer from a nearby village who came to give the alert. He came running and shouting, looking totally bewildered.
« Miss! Quickly, we must relay the message... We are under attacked! »
The young woman looked at him as he was mad. Surely he would be wrong ... The King was a peaceful man who had good business with the neighboring kingdoms. Why suddenly someone had decided to attack them?
« But ... I don't understand.. »
« Miss, you must doing things quickly, assemble all your people and repatriating them to evacuate the island. The steward's guards had already begun to evacuate the villages, but the enemy's armies began to invade the island ... I fear that the guards never make it here to relay the information. You must flee or fight, it's your only chance of survival... »
The man seemed totally panicked and Eleana wondered how he could have find the courage to come to the village to give them the message without thinking first to save his own life. The young woman was grateful. She smiled to him.
« Thanks, you're a good man... You should go home now. You must have a family to saved... I'm going to warn the village. »
The man stared at her for a moment and then simply nodded before fleeing.
« May Allah keep you... may he keeps us all... » said, in a low tone like a prayer, the brunette before returning to the house to alert her mother.
The young woman arrived at the house running, totally breathless. Her mother wanted her to sit down, calm down, but Eleana would not listen. She quickly explained the situation with the little information she knew, and they decided to go in separate ways. Eleana's mother, Anna, will go into the fields to alert the men, while her daughter would go down to the village to see if the guards themselves have success to alert the villagers about the incoming attack.
« Be careful, my daughter... And whatever happens, I want you to put yourself in a safe place. If they evacuate the village, a boat must wait at the port... After alerting the village, I want you to go as quickly as possible. Save your life ! »
The young woman looked at her mother for a moment, not believing what she had heard.
« But, mother... The farm? The village ? We must defend ourselves! They will destroy everything we have... »
Anna looked sadly at her daughter and hung her head.
« We are farmers, Eleana! Peasants... What are our chance to fight against these power hungry men who can hold a sword, and win ? No, my daughter... If we stay, we are lost. I don't know how many men have come to invade us but if our good king want us to evacuate the island, there is nothing else better we can do. »
Eleana took her mother in her arms and hold her tightly. Anna took her away from her gently and smiled tenderly, replacing a crazy strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.
« Mother... And you? And father? I... »
The brunette was totally lost. She couldn't flew off like a coward and left her parents behind. If they couldn't leave the island in time? And if... No, she couldn't afford that.
Anna looked at her daughter with a more authoritarian look. Eleana was a remarkable young woman and had values in the right place. She will survive... But she was stubborn, obstinate and rash, which brought her problems more often than she want to. She knew that when her daughter had an idea in her head, it was difficult to make her change her mind.
« Eleana! We must save as many people as possible... Some will fight, that is certain. But they risk death... We don't know how many boats are in the port... but it's almost impossible that all the people could be evacuated. I want you to be safe .. I don't want to worry about you. You're young... you must live! We will find you, I promise you... And if Allah brings us back to him, your father and me, we'll find a way for watching over you... »
A small voice in her head tell her that she had leave her parents behind with their deaths. Perhaps it was still her intuition... However, she took again her mother in her arms.
« Tell father I love him... I love you, both. Be careful...»
She wiped the tears that flooded her cheeks, and after a last look, went to the barn to pick up their horse. She don't bother to seal it and go quickly to the village.
Anna just looked as her daughter flew off with a slight smile on her lips, feeling that a mission was accomplished, then turn to left into the fields.
When Eleana arrived in the village, she immediately saw that the villagers were aware of the news. There was panic everywhere. All were trying to save their family and their meager possessions, even if the guards of the steward told them just to bring their families. The men who were able to fight and the young men were asked on the battlefield because their attackers were numerous and the soldiers could not hold them for long without help. Eleana looked at the women, torn from seeing their husbands who have no more choice than to go and mothers, helpless, sending their young son to the war... Her father, if they found him, would probably be leaded to the battlefield with the other men and, with a bit of luck, her mother would have the time to take the boat and join her quickly.
As she had no more mission in the village, Eleana decided to search for her best friends, Anya and Draken, twins who were about her age. From what some relatives said, Draken had been forced to leave with the guards, while Anya and her mother was in their way to the port.
Eleana could do nothing for these people and she knew it. What could do a young woman alone against so much hate ? That made her sad to leave the island without her parents, but there was still hope for her mother. Eleana forced herself to stay positive and flew off to the port.
It was insane there. Women and children were tell to go on the boat while the few men who were trying to slip inside were quickly and rudely send off.
Eleana saw Anya and her mother in the crowd. She joined them, leaving her horse with the liberty to go freely... He will have more chance to survive...
The two young women fell into each other arms. They knew each other since childhood and their parents were also very close.
« I know about Draken... Your father would be proud of him. »
Anya only nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. The mother of the young woman, Lindy, was crying bitterly too. They all knew, without admitting it out loud, that the mens who went to war, all farmers and not knowing (or only a bit) swordplay, would not return. Lindy had lost her husband years earlier and now had lost her son.
« He told me to tell you that he cared a lot about you. He would have loved to tell you himself, but he did not have the time » Anya whispered to her friend.
Eleana smiled through her own tears. Draken and she had always shared a special bond. He was the brother she have not and Anya was like a sister to her. They watched over each other. Yet, she had noticed the new look Draken had giving her for several weeks now. She knew... and she had great affection for the young man. It's all in the past now...
« Your brother is a brave man...»
She paused and wiped her tears. She had to be strong. She could not just stand there and cry.
« And what about you,... your parents?" Asked Lindy.
Eleana took the time to recover before replying. When she finally spoke, she had regained control of her emotions even if they were still a shy tear at the corner of her eye. She wiped it furiously.
« My father must surely be gone with the soldiers by now. They were all in the fields when we've been warned. My mother went to tell them... now, I do not know where she is.»
Anya and Lindy shared a look that spoke volumes but did not reply. They knew that Eleana was aware that there was little chance that her mother managed to take the boat in time... The first was almost full and the second had just arrived in the port. It would quickly turn full. No other boat seemed to point at the horizon. All knew that there was little chance that they all have their place. The sailors try to board as many people as possible, but nobody was able to make miracles.
« We must make our way to the boat. Otherwise, I fear we are destined to die here... Quick, come on girls... "Says Lindy.
Eleana took Anya's hand and followed the mother of her friend through the crowd. They crossed many men who could not enter the ship and many families doing their goodbyes. Guards on horses had just arrived and brought with them all the men they saw. The young woman had never feel so sad and felt that a part of herself had disappear forever... How to recover from such a loss, such an event ?
She felt her friend squeeze her hand harder. She was grateful to her to be there and knew that Anya felt similar emotions.
After a long wait, the three women finally managed to make their way inside the ship. When they entered, it was already fulled.
« There are so many people still on the ground... » Eleana says to her two friends.
Lindy nodded sadly while Anya only lowered her head. There was nothing further to add. The three women go below deck and choose a corner where to sit until the boat leave the port. The minutes passed and Eleana watched the people entered, a futile hope inside her heart, but eventually the ship weighed anchor, and still no sign of her mother.
Eleana did not cry. She simply squeeze strongly the hand of her friend she had still in her own hand and clenched her teeth's. Later, she would cry. For now, she should be strong. It was only late in the night, in the middle of the sea, through the sounds of crying children and women, that the young woman left all her pain and fears fled. In the morning, there was no trace of pain left on her face, only a strong determination to survive and a coldness that it was not usual to her...
Their journey lasted nearly a week. They were lucky not to cross enemy ships, and went away enough of the archipelago that they are now safe. The mood on board was happier, but people were beginning to be anxious to reach port. There were still times when women were crying their families who had remain on the island, but most of them had regain their sense and if they still had a lot of sadness, they let show less. They were all women who knows only a hard life and hard work, they all knew that they must think about the future of those who were still alive.
To clear her head, Eleana helped to make the daily meal and helped the women with their children. Anya and Lindy were still crying, most of the time. Eleana felt normally very close to them but now she felt the need to move away from the two and their sadness. Then, she spent the week to barely speak to them. Anya and Lindy did not seem to appreciate and did not seem to understand what is pushing Eleana of doing it. In fact, even the young woman did not understand. She used to be compassionate, but it seemed that the experience has changed her. She did not want to feel like a poor defenseless woman... She hated to feel the anger who was boiling inside of her.
When she was not trying to help women below deck, she was up deck watching the sea. She had to admit that she enjoyed the sea breeze and the water that stretched out of sight... She enjoyed the company of the sailors, even if sometimes they threw dubious looks and comments about her appearance that are totally lacked of delicacy.... They let see a taste for freedom and independence, a lust for life, which left her very envious. When she tell her thought at one of the sailors with whom she became friends, he just broke into a hearty laugh. And when the brunette asked him why he laughed, he looked incredulous.
« Don't you know that having a woman aboard bringing bad luck ? »
She might have answered, but she chooses to remain silent. She don't know how to defend herself and some men, like those of her country, did not take well that the women argument with them.
They finally landed in a port, in a country she no nothing about. Eleana, Anya and Lindy put together their money to borrow horses and went to the first town we showed them. It was a big city and the three women who had not known nothing else that their poverty and their village were enchanted by it.
The houses, though still poor, was richer than the ones in their village and there was a big market and many shops.
