Chapter 1

"Mom, you need to eat."

"Leave me, you ignorant thing!" Lyressai Tortheldrin is a trying woman, but I love her.

This is my daily mantra, every day would be the same: Wake up grumpy after a night of mom's terrors, force her to eat food, wrestle her into a bath, apply her medicines and perform the daily spells. Go to ranger training, where I was tormented and the target of everyone's slurs. Come home, fight with Mom because she didn't eat the entire time I was gone, then get her to eat, apply medicines. Get my own food, make sure we have a livable amount of money, then go to bed.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

"Mom, if you don't keep your strength up, the herbs won't soak into your system properly-."

"Why do you keep me?!" she spat, spittle hanging onto her chapped and bleeding lips. She looked truly awful. Her once gorgeous blonde hair had faded and cracked into an ugly grey, and her skin, once honey toned, turned a sickly yellow tone that was marred by pastes, bandages and scabs. She was sick, and it showed, "Your father would've put me out of my misery!"

"Dad would've hidden from the house by selling his damned trinkets and left you to The Mist!" I snarled, and the bowl in my hands broke, water splashing out on my hands.

"Don't speak of your father in such a way, you wretch! Your father was honorable and fought for his people-."

"Because they wouldn't let him run away from it! Now stop talking and eat your food, please Mom!" I was losing my grip on my emotions, and I really had to keep my cool, even with the tar burning on my back.

Mom dissolved in hacking sobs, and I sighed, running a hand through my knotted hair, and grabbed the comb, settling in behind the addled woman and gently moving the comb through the snarls, bracing her hair with my hand to keep it from hurting, and she slowly relaxed, leaning back against me, which pressed my burnt skin into the wall. I bit my lip hard to keep from hissing in pain.

She finally calmed, and I reached over, taking the now cool bowl of stew from the table and holding it front of her, "Please try to eat, Mom." I coaxed gently, scooping up a spoonful for her and holding it over the bowl.

She took the bite, and then a second, and kept on in silence until the bowl was empty, and I kissed her hair, movingly carefully to lay her back against her pillows, and I hummed an old lullaby until she fell asleep.

She was good for now, and I sighed, my head falling forward as the burns on my back made themselves known with a particularly crappy throb.

We had practiced moving along ropes at heights today, and the others thought it was hilarious to shoot boiling tar at me. I don't want to know what it did to my hair, but it stung like a bitch and smelled pretty foul too.

I went into our bathing chamber, pulling the torn cloth shirt away from my torso, wincing and gagging when some of it tore away because of the tar, and took up the sponge on a stick and a thing of luke warm water, looking over my shoulder into the mirror to see the damage.

By most standards, I was somewhat okay looking. I had blue eyes, like every high elf, and I was thin. But unlike most, I was dark skinned, and it contrasted with the brassy rat's nest that was my hair. I shoved it off my face and away from my back, and angled the sponge, whispering a string of vile profanity as I began to pry the tar away from my skin.

The little shits hit most of my back, fuck.

There were days I didn't want to keep doing this. I just wanted to give up the training, say 'fuck it' and figure something else out, but then I remembered my first trip to Silvermoon.

I was four, maybe five, and I was rambunctious! Too much for Mom to handle, so Dad took me with him on his day for the Market, and we went to the large walled city of Silvermoon, and oh I loved it. Elves everywhere, and there was always action. Dragon hawks flew through the sky, and Hawkstriders raced through the street-most of the others had hawks pulling their carts, but Dad and I had brought ours with our hands, he said it was so that the feathers wouldn't damage the goods, so I knew ours were better than anyone's.

Thing is, I was a kid, and sitting in a cart all day was boring.

So like any responsible child, I got up and wandered off. Silvermoon had so many places to climb! I found myself on a ledge looking over the crowds when my vision tilted, and I started to cry. I was too high up, would Daddy forget me?

It seemed to get the attention of passersby, and soon this tall, blonde elf in a bunch of gear was looking up at me, a big smile on his face, "Hi there small one! How'd you find your way up there?"

I stopped crying, looking at the stranger in confusion, "I don't talk to strangers!" I exclaimed, though my diction left something to be desired.

He laughed, "Smart one, then let me introduce myself! I'm Talanas! What's your name?"

"My name's Teir!" I shouted back, wiping at my tears and sniffling, "I'm scared!"

"Don't be scared! I'll come up there and get you, okay? But you have to tell me how you got up there!" Talanas said, and I nodded, my little lip trembling.

"I grabbed the piece of tree there and then landed on the cloth." I pointed, and he followed my instructions, looking almost amused, "Then I crawled on the tunnel thing and shimmied onto this ledge and now I can't get down!" I started to cry again.

He quickly followed what I said, and took me into his arms, "Shh, don't cry little one! See, I'm here and you're safe, okay? Now I'm going to get us down. Close your eyes and hold on very tightly, alright?" I did as he said, wrapping around the elf like he was a tree branch, and I felt wind rush past us, and then I was on the ground.

I looked at my feet, then the ledge, then at him, "How'd you do that?!"

He laughed, and revealed the arrow that had rope attached, "I slid down."

"Where'd you learn that trick?" My diction was dodgy, but I was delighted.

"I'm a Ranger! little one!" At my confused look, he smiled, "I make sure your family, and all of the other families, stay safe, and protect our city from bad guys. It's my job."

I was intrigued, "Can I be a ranger?"

"Why, sure! But you'll have to be a grown up first. Speaking of grownups, let's go find your parents, okay?"

He had returned me to my cart, and Dad hadn't even noticed that I was gone. I remember giving away a free trinket because I didn't know what money was, while Talanas had taken my Dad to the side for a chat.

I didn't get to go back to Silvermoon, after that. The day that Talanas' death had been announced, and Alleria had taken the command, I cried and cried and cried, and after so much shouting, Father took me to the funeral so that I could leave a trinket for the man who taught me how to get down from the scary places.

In retrospect, he had been more fatherly in that one day than Dad was a day in his life. I was going to make him proud, and not run from the fight.

I got the last of the tar off my back, hissing with grinding teeth as the water got into the wound, and I put a healing salve on my sponge, growling as the foul smelling paste hit the burns and got to work. After a lot of angling and mumbled curses, the entire mess was wrapped, and I slid on a clean cloth shirt, throwing the ruined one into the resource pile-scrap and used material that I sold in the village, to make ends meet.

Thinking about Dad sucked, because he used to be the light of my life, but now I could only think of him with a degree of irritation. When looking back on him, I realised that he was a coward-faking a leg injury to avoid military duty, selling cheap trinkets to avoid real work, and refusing every responsibility that he could.

And Mom idolized him!

I shoved the thoughts away, refusing to fume over a dead memory when I had to focus on keeping the other one alive.

I took a piece of wire from the shelf and wrapped it about my hair, around and around until it all stood in a mess off my neck, and I grabbed the duster to slide over my clothes-the village was filthy and if I came in covered in dirt, Mom would know where I'd been.

The day she caught me coming back…

It had been a couple years ago, I couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen at the time, and I just just made a pretty nice amount of silver pieces off of some game and the scrap I had brought in. It was enough to buy Mom a new set of clothes and some porridge to feed us for a few days. All in all, it was a great day.

I came in through the front, not expecting the screaming, and I dropped to the ground on instinct when Mom came stumbling into the hall, throwing all sorts of profanity around, eyes rolling like a panicked horse.

"Mom! It's me! It's your daughter!" I tried to calm her, but she wouldn't let me near her.

"You reek of that place! Of that vile and filthy place! You wretch!" She was screaming incoherently, and I was so confused.

"Mom, I was only at the village trading game! What's wrong?" I edged around the wall, carefully placing the bag of porridge in the kitchen area, out of her reach, because if she punctured the bag and wasted it…

"I forbid it!"

"What?" What the hell is she rambling?

"Never go there again! Never! That place is perverse and filthy! I will kill you if I ever smell their stench on you again!" She was raving mad, but she looked dangerous, and for the first time in my life I feared my mother.

I shook away the memories, double checking to make sure she was asleep, before sheathing my machetes-a personal favourite, though they were frowned upon by the rangers for being a more Troll weapon-and took up the bag of scrap, slipping out the front door silently.

I went around to the back of the house and checked to make sure nothing had gotten into my game-two rabbits and a lynx, all clean cut with throat slits and a flank stab, cleaning carefully so that I can sell the skin, fur, and the meat-and if I were to be really stupid, I could try and sell the bones to the more amicable trolls. As it is, I'll just use the bones for arrow shafts.

I put the scrap down on the bound planks, covered them with the tarp, and took up the ropes, looping them over my shoulders and grunting as I began to drag it Forward-Dad's cart became mine, and while he toted petty trinkets I carried real merchandise.

Suncrown Village wasn't to far from our home, but it was down hill, so I had to tread carefully with my load in order to not cause a rock slide or damage the goods. I ground my teeth together as I kept moving, and the village came into sight.

"'Lo, Tortheldrin!"

I smiled, "'Lo, Laevia," I handed her one of the ropes as the city girl bounced up to me, her braids flying about.

"How is Lyressai?" She asked, hoisting the rope, and we moved the palate much quicker with the added strength.

"Dying, stark mad, the usual," I quipped, earning a snort, "How goes your studies?"

Laevia, for all of her bouncy happy joy joy attitude, was quite morbid. She was studying to overtake the role as Lady of the Mists from the current Lady whenever she Passed-I never met her, she never left the palace except to go to the dead clearing to convene with the dead. The entire idea of it creeped me out, but it delighted her. I felt for her through, because there was no guarantee that she would take the title. The Lady chose who she wanted to be her successor, and she passed on immediately afterwards. Laevia feels that her studies and knowledge will give her a higher chance of being chosen, but I felt it was more personality.

Either way, her fascination with death meant she was just dying to meet my Mom, no pun intended.

We got the goods into the village, and I hauled them up to the game vendor, who eyed me with a look of bored expectation-the haggler's dealt with me for ages.

"Tortheldrin."

"Evening Strider. I have two rabbits and a big ol' daddy lynx for ya." I hauled the tarp off of the palate, and he came around his stand, taking a closer look, grunting in acknowledgement of the different precautions.

"I assume these will be skinned, from the measures taken for clean death." He said, his voice gruff, which was an unusual find in a high elf, due to the typically lithe and smooth look we all possess.

"I planned to sell their furs, yes. I just need to know I can sell to you first." I cocked my head at him and tried to look adorably needy while also able to kick someone's ass-a delicate balance that comes naturally.

And it worked. With a sigh, he took his money from behind his stand, "How much are you asking for it all?"

I grinned, "Can I get five gold pieces and ten silver?" I asked, and he fixed me with a look.

"Four gold."

"Then make it thirty silver," I haggled back, the steps in the dance familiar and amusing.

"Four gold and twenty-five silver, final offer, missy." Strider was smiling though, so I knew I could haggle just a little more…

"Make it thirty-five silver and I'll consider watching the brats for you," Strider was always wanting to take his life mate out, but the triplets make it a living nightmare for any nanny they get.

"Well with an offer like that," he grinned, and handed the money over into my pouch, and I grinned at the added weight, "Skin these top speed so that you can sell your furs before Nalia turns in."

I made quick work of the skins, and the meat was stored at Strider's, and I still had two stops to make.

I carried my considerably lighter palate across the road a bit to Nalia, where she was finishing a fur cloak.

"Nalia, I have some fur for you!" I called, taking a friendlier approach.

The old woman looked up, smiling brightly, "Ah, Teir, how sweet of you to drop by. Let me see what you have, darling." She made grabby hands, and I handed her the freshly cleaned furs.

She hummed, "Good, clean cuts, I expected nothing less. Freshly cleaned, so probably freshly skinned. No blood stains or any other discolorations, a good lynx pelt is so difficult to get…four gold for the lot and I'll throw in five silver for a kiss on the cheek."

I grinned, leaning over and planting a big wet one on the woman's cheek, "Deal," I said, taking the gold from the giggling woman.

"Come again, dear!" She set to work prepping her new furs, and I carried the scrap bag and empty palate down into the market a bit, looking for Cayna.

"Tortheldrin!'

Found her.

I moved towards her stand, which was on the front of her home, and found the young mother managing the chaotic orphans-Cayna was the Orphan Matron of the southern woods, and she got the brunt of the orphans from the Troll Wars.

"I have scraps for you. Hand over a monster while you look," I scooped up one of the little ruffians, and soon had three sitting with me on my Palate while Cayna judged what I brought her.

"Some of this is burnt from…tar? Those rangers need to grow up before you get killed," Cayna snapped, and I smiled, lounging on the planks and giving love to the little bundles of chaos that curled up around me.

"I can give you three gold for the lot minus this really destroyed thing," Cayna held up my shirt from today, and I grimaced, they really did a number on that thing.

"Deal." We exchanged gold, "Thanks Cayna. I'll be back in a few days with more hopefully."

She grunted, taking children from me as I tied my pouch to my belt, pulling the duster closed to conceal it, "Ineris stayed up to wait for you, he knew it's your market day."

I nodded, waving my goodbyes and dragging my light and empty palate away across the square to Ineris, who was waiting with bags of grains and porridge and-

"Is that fruit?" I asked as I walked up, delighted at the sight of the apples.

"Got a fresh shipment in from those humans Anasterian seems to like this morning. Figured Lyressai would throw a fit if you brought them into the house, though."

It was known that Mom was not a fan of the village anymore. I smiled, "How much for one to munch on?"

"On the house, kiddo," he tossed me the apple, and I made a delighted noise as I smelled the fruity tang of it, "Now I got two grains, one porridge, and if you have enough I can spare some rabbit."

"I'll spend eight gold pieces tonight. What can I get?" I pocketed the apple and took out my pouch.

He gave over the porridge and grains, "If you add another gold piece I'll get you the rabbit."

I sighed, handing over a ninth piece, and he grinned, taking out a wrapped package and handing it over.

"Cook him in the next couple of days or he'll smell. Give my love to Lyressai."

"No chance in Quel' Thalas," I said, leaving the village to the sound of his roaring laughter.

I munched on my apple on the way home, savoring the juices that dribbled down my chin, and day dreamed of having a brave father and a healthy mother and friends that weren't triple my age.

I returned home, disposing of the apple core and storing the rabbit in the cellar, before taking the grains and porridge inside silently.

She was still asleep, thank the light, and the moonlight made her ratty grey hair gleam. I smiled sadly as I stowed my duster, taking my hair out of the wire and shivering as it ran down my back.

"Goodnight Mom," I whispered softly, tip toeing into my room to sleep.