Friday, January 23, 2009

Tal, I’m Dixie
I am the daughter of a red silk Kajira who was enslaved by a pirate lord. When I was young, the pirate lord decided I had no further value and sold me to a band of traveling Nomads. When I reached age, a Nomad Master collared me and my life began as a slave. After countless seasons, I endured the unthinkable life of a slave all the while suppressing a burning sensation within me for my freedom.

My chance for freedom came when we were traveling in the Meadowlands to seek trade with the merchants from the city of Laura. I noticed a thick forest on the outskirts of the city and began to plot my escape. While setting up camp, I managed to conceal a trader’s dagger within a basket of berries I was carrying and hid the dagger under my furs in the Masters wagon. Upon settlement in preparation of the next day trade, my Master had routinely taken me into my furs and this is what I had anticipated.

That night, after my Master drank excessive paga and blackwine, he came to his wagon were I had waited for his arrival. I served him properly as a slave should, and he fell asleep next to me. I waited until the moon was the highest in the sky, and all was quiet in our camp. I pulled the dagger from under my furs and plunged it into the midsection of my master and gave the dagger an abrupt twist.

As his eyes opened in pain and fright, I glared at him and spoke. ”Never again will you or another male have me”. I pulled the dagger from his midsection and slit his throat for silence. I left him for dead and ran deep into the thick forest for cover with nothing but my silks and the dagger I had stolen.

After several moons and foraging the forest for food, I found this environment extremely dangerous, and realized that I could not survive the dangers of the forest on my own. I had noticed a group of oddly dressed females hunting throughout the forest and making a home for themselves by a river. They were hunting with bows and spears, so I watched them from hiding, trying to learn their ways.

I managed to forge a bow from some branches and carved a few arrows and began to practice running and shooting through the forest. I knew winter was coming, so either I learn to survive here, or I would have to risk going to a city and being enslaved again.

While practicing my hunting, I managed to get too close to the riverbank where I was spotted by one of the females that lived in the forest. She shouted over the banks that she saw me hiding in the foliage and what was my business there. I did not reply, instead started to run to an Inn nearby for my safety. This girl chased me to the Inn where she confronted me on the docks of the river.

“What is you business here in our forest?” she shouted at me. I was scared as I noticed her superiority in bow and her knowledge of the forest. “I am escaped slave and I am hiding in the forest for my safety” I replied. She chuckled at me as she noticed the collar around my neck. “Aye, I can see that Kajira. I am Ronnie of the Var Viverra Tribe and this is our forest!” she exclaimed. “Stay south of the river and guard yourself carefully as you may end up slave here yourself”.

After that encounter, we had run into each other several times at the Inn and in the forest. She recommended I get my collar removed before someone else tried to take me for their own. All the while I was getting better at hunting. I managed to down a medium sized bosk and traded the bosk with the local blacksmith to remove my collar.

I started to befriend many of the tribe members and was even escorted over the bridge a couple of times by some of its members. I eventually met a tribal elder by the name of JimmerJam. After a few encounters with her, I gained her trust with my knowledge of the Var Viverra Panther Tribe and she gave me the honor to pledge the Tribe.

I am now learning the ways of the sisterhood with the guidance of some of the most respected panthers. I have found a new home in the Northern Woods. I am a Panther, I will live free, I will protect and defend my sisters, and I will never let the tribe down.

No comments: