When I imagine my story being told, I think of a half-ling bard slowly strumming away at his mandolin. He sets the scene with a strong melody of notes. The bustling inn full of a variety of races drinking themselves silly and gambling away their last coin. Most take no notice; yet in the corner the tale catches the eye and imagination of the lonely seeking adventurer. The bard begins to strum away at his strings to weave his tale transporting us to the beginning of my tale!
This tale begins with the home town of our heroine (which just so happens to be me)! Now I come from a small Forrest town called Nubia; a sleepy Forrest a mere human like me called home. The twist to this is that Nubia was also home to a small tribe of elves and, I know what you're thinking, why would one human live with a gaggle of elves? Well… I'll tell you.
When I was born my parents just left me in the Forrest; no note, nothing. This is when a group of wood elf rangers came across me. Unsure of me at first the general of the troop, after a long period of poking and determining the risks, decided that surely a mere human child could do no harm. So he proceeded to wrap me up into his leather Armour almost creating a secure cradle to hold me in tight. Once satisfied the hunting party then rode back into town in a gentle fashion.
The party arrived back to be met with some quizzical looks and angered whispers, for you see they took great lengths to not be disturbed by the outside world and its politics. The general walked on dismissing the disgruntled town's folk with his eyes solely focused on the elders keep. He strode past them, unwavering, with great confidence right up to the elder council. Pushing the entrance curtain aside he bent down to his knees in a gentle manner; aware of the small child wrapped up in his arms. The council, bewildered and caught off guard, almost fall back in to their chairs when they finally get to see what the general has in his arms. "What do you think you are doing!" one of the members exclaims. "Why on earth did you bringthat here !" shrieks another. the high council member shrieks in terror. The general is taken back by the council members harsh and outraged tones tone but proceeds to give an explanation: "it is only a babe, left on its own in the woods. No word or reason to why it was left there". The high council member scoffs in response "and why should we care?" The general looks down at the child softly sleeping in his arm, a pang of sympathy emerges in his heart.
Now you, the reader, might also be wondering why the general cared so much about a human child. Well you see the general had no children of his own no matter how much he and his wife wished and his wife had been trying for a long time to conceive a child with no avail. This had left his wife who he adored more than anyone to develop a great sadness. She often looked on at the happy families within the town and wonder why the gods did not have this planned for her as well. Taking all this in to account whilst in the woods the general saw a way of giving his wife what he thought he could not, for he knew his wife was kind enough to love any child like it were her own no matter it's race. He wanted, more than anything in this world, to make his wife happy once more. He believed this just happened to be a very happy accident and this was the answer to his wishes.
Waving away his thoughts the general began to look up searching for empathy in the elders eyes. "Allow be to have this and I will take full responsibility for the child". The elder, rolling his eyes, responded with a softer tone "You have become too soft Riven." After a brief pause and a long sigh he continued to say "Very well… you may keep the child. Yet know this, should the child become a problem we will take no responsibility for the problems it causes." Seeing this as a small victory a slight twinge of a smile appears on the general's face as he nods in acceptance before turning around and leaving the tent.