Disclaimer: Of Winter Wolves Who Loved To Run is a fictional story and I do not claim any of the characters as my own, they were developed and are owned by Obsidian and Atari and all other ownership holders for the game Neverwinter Nights 2
About the story:
This is my first published fan fiction ever so any comments would be greatly appreciated, furthermore, English is not my native language so I apologize for any mistakes.
The story is a Bishop/OC fiction written from 3rd person.
I always thought the OC should have more of a background in the story and have tried to give a short narration and some explanations of her decisions throughout the storyline in the coming chapters.
The NPCs are hopefully in character, I've tried to make their reactions and personalities as much in game as possible while adding their own views to certain situations.
I would greatly appreciate it,
PLEASE REVIEW
Of Winter Wolves Who Loved To Run
Ch.1 Merdelain-as it once was
A cricket's song hummed by the play of evening wind, murky waters reflected sunlight dying over the tall and thick treetops. The soil was soft beneath her feet, smelling of moss and fresh dirt. Her fingers lingered over the thin dagger she always hid in her dirty boots. The girl's green eyes followed the movements of her foster-father with concentration and she mimicked his features as she crept toward the other end of the murky waters. Daeghun's form was wrapped by the evening mist; a frail elven hand motioned her to move. Among the silence of Merdelain they loved each other best, without words and without memories.
Daeghun's choice to teach her the hunt came hard; even now she was of too gentle a heart to slay animals in the Mere. He allows her this. She had learned the preparations of the dead beasts, skinning and storage of meat for longer periods of time; she could bend and form leather of the water serpent into trinkets he allowed her to keep. She understood the necessity of their death for their survival and for an 11 year old girl, it was enough. With patience he turned her into a good tracker with a keen survival sense and her fascination by the beasts of the Mere could be rivaled, perhaps, only by the druids.
The old wild elf spent quite a few nights thinking weather training her to become a ranger was perhaps in her best interest or asking the elven druids to take her as an apprentice, it was high time she learned a trade…yet he also knew that forcing such a decision would serve to no good purpose.
She had to make the choice.
He watched the girl as she moved through the water, her celestial eyes almost glowing in the mist and her messy bun pulling back the gold-copper hair. She was neither human nor elven but her features seemed an amalgamation of both, child to an elven mother and a celestial father.
He scanned the surroundings to make sure she was safe, even many years later he would worry when she went into the Mere, but he never gave a hint to his uncertainty so she would not learn fear. Daeghun also knew that too heavy a hand in her upbringing would only instill contempt, so he rather showed her everything he could and taught her good judgment. It was the way he was raised and it was the only way he knew how to raise her.
The deer peeked its head in the distance, the frail young would not be hunted but both she and her foster-father gazed at it with amazement. Their kind rarely wandered into the swamp from the higher forest surrounding the Mere and the girl watched bedazzled. The young was accompanied by its mother; soft brown fur tracked down its body and its thin legs had trouble in the shallows. Upon the hasty flight of birds from all around them they stirred and the small herd ran towards the edge of the Mere, back to their homeland. She watched them run, jumping over fallen logs and splashing water as they went, disappearing into the mist… She gazed over to Daeghun who stood with bow above one of the beasts. The one that lay was old and had a wounded leg, he endangered the heard and she understood why Daeghun chose him. In the shallows of the Mere she kneeled by the animal, placed her hands upon its flesh and whispered a prayer to the evening wind. It too, was something Daeghun had learned to tolerate from her; she thanked every beast that it gave their life for theirs. The aasimar stood than and smiled faintly. "Good" was all her father said.
Occasionally he would praise her and commemorate a birthday with teaching her a new skill or allowing her to spend a few nights with him and his hunting party out in the Mere. Presents weren't part of their routine; coins, gowns, amulets and trinkets were earned rather than given. They tied the deer's legs to a long pole and carried him together; Daeghun carried a water snake she caught in a satchel as well. They moved slowly and she twitched and gazed in the direction from which some branches crashed into the water. In the silence of the Mere even such innocent sounds could be signs of coming danger. Fear was always with her, a good teacher.
Up until she turned 10 if she had a nightmare Daeghun would allow her to sleep beside him, even though it was against the customs of his people. Yet they shared the same nightmares and the shadows she would dream, rising from the murky waters to take her struck a note of compassion in his faltered heart. He wanted to tell her about her mother…about everything…but he couldn't, he couldn't tell her they were dead because of her…not while she was that young and later…not ever.
The deer and the water snake were worked so they would not deteriorate. Daeghun took on the bulk of the work for as night fell she had other duties to attend. By the light of the fireplace and oil lamps on the table, while Daeghun worked the fur she sat tiredly. A smudge of dirt on her cheek she forgot to wash; reading aloud Tarmas's lessons of herbs and magical creatures. He taught her elven and she learned the language quickly but even in their home they rarely used it, Daeghun preferred not to. When she voiced elven words her voice reminded of his wife and he didn't want to be reminded. Once she was finished he gave her the serpent's skin. She would form it into a sheet for the Dagger Daeghun promised for her 12th birthday.
The aasimar would dare ask he tell her a tale from his youth before she went to bed but mostly Daeghun declined. He did tell her, her name, Raviel, was given after an astral city her mother visited and found the most beautiful place in the world. It was the only thing he revealed to her on her celestial origins. He had never laid eyes on her father. Even though Esmerell spoke with much love of him, when he did not come, when the mother of his child, need him the most, Daeghun grew a deep etched resentment toward the man. He kept his opinion to himself, not wanting to burden the child any further.