DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Dawn of Revolution

The Rogue, part 1

Six months after the coalition war ended...

The sun was already starting to dip low on the horizon, so when Miranda's carriage rolled into a lush green valley in the Giroddar region of the Illaran Republic, the landscape cut off the sun and threw everything into a gentle, slightly moody twilight. It was also a pleasantly cool evening, so Miranda tightened her white travel cloak just a bit.

"Town up ahead," the carriage driver, a middle-aged firbolg man, abruptly announced. He looked over his shoulder at his human passenger as the carriage trundled along the smooth dirt road, deeper into the valley. "According to the sign, we're comin' up to Varrle Crossing, just one mile out. I reckon you should spend the night, madam. Gettin' awful dark."

Miranda beamed. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I've got enough coin for a night at the inn." She looked around. "I've never seen a valley this big."

"Yeah, accordin' to my map, this here's the Varrle Valley," the driver said simply. "Plenty of local trade routes goin' through here, passin' through Varrle Crossing. Hence the name."

"And you know what that means," Miranda said cheerily, raising her fists. "Lots of curios to check out! Travelers with wild stories to share! And good food!"

The firbolg gave Miranda a look, then broke into a wide grin. He tipped his straw hat as a salute to her. "I like yer spirit, little lady. You've been a pleasure to ride with all day."

"Mmmmm. I'm just savoring the countryside," Miranda said, her smile still in place as she again. As she spoke, it really started getting chilly here in the Varrle Valley. Illaran autumns were no joke!

"Suit yerself. Okay, we're almost there," the driver said, and sure enough, a charming Illaran town rolled into view, with dark gray smoke curling from the chimneys, yellow light glowing in houses' windows, and horses and people wandering the cobblestone streets. Miranda could even see other roads leading to and from Varrle Crossing, forming a network all over the place. And best of all, Miranda could hear the distant chatter of people living their lives. Ah, civilization! More specifically, a foreign one! Even just four weeks into Miranda's great journey, the Kingdom of Verhamaine already seemed so small.

"Thank you so much," Miranda said brightly as she disembarked from the carriage near a lovely inn, a two-story place with four chimneys. A wooden sign hung on its iron frame right over the door, showing a rooster and a pig standing back to back. "Hey, I never got your name. I asked earlier, but you didn't tell me."

The firbolg carriage driver grunted. "Eh. I don't share that much. It's a name for the people of my tribe to know."

Miranda pouted. "But I thought we were friends, good sir."

"Huh? Well..."

"To reiterate, my name is Miranda, daughter of Farraday," Miranda announced, placing a hand over her heart. "And you?"

The driver hesitated while his two horses snorted and stomped their hooves in place. "Why don't you call me Duwin. That was my nickname growin' up."

"Ah, Duwin it is! I hope to ride with you again someday," Miranda said, offering a knightly salute.

"Depends. Are you gonna leave Varrle Crossing tomorrow?"

"Um... probably not."

"Well, I'm headin' out at first light tomorrow," Duwin told her. "Makin' my way to Cascade Bluffs. Biggest city in the Giroddar region."

"Oh, I've heard of that place," Miranda piped up.

"Bet you have. Have a safe night, little lady. Heyah!" Duwin sharply flicked the reins, and got his horses moving further into Varrle Crossing to find a stable for the night.

"It's Miranda!" Miranda cried as the carriage rolled away.

Duwin didn't look back. He merely waved a hand in farewell, and a vaguely disappointed but still satisfied Miranda took this chance to stretch her muscles. Growing up, she had spent countless days and nights seated at a desk or table studying with her four sisters under Farraday's watchful gaze. But sitting in a carriage all day somehow made her feel even more cramped. Maybe 'cause she knew how much adventure was waiting just beyond the road! She couldn't wait.

After paying three silver coins for the night's lodgings and setting her travel pack in her room, Miranda rolled her shoulders and decided to explore more of Varrle Crossing's local sights before retiring to her rented bed for the night. The sky was already turning indigo to the east, and faded into a rusty orange to the west with the setting sun, a gorgeous sight here in the confining Varrle Valley. Around her, Miranda saw street lanterns magically come to life, guiding the evening pedestrians. Such ambiance.

"Okay, fun part first," Miranda decided, breaking into a brisk trot to find a curiosity shop. She had visited a few such shops back home in Sassanoit, but out here, in a new land, she would totally find never-before-seen stuff! Hmmmm, what kind of souvenir should she send back to her sisters and father this time?

Recently, Miranda had sent them a hilarious souvenir from a border town two weeks ago, a brass gear that kept twirling and rolling around on its own accord all over the place. Maggie had sent a letter back expressing her utter joy at such a fun trinket, while Minerva reported via another letter that the "blasted, cursed gear of misery" had tripped her in the hallway, making her sprawl right onto her face. Oops! Miranda's apology letter had been such an eloquent one.

A light breeze picked up, a fairly damp yet still chilly breeze that made Miranda shiver a bit and draw her cloak even tighter around her. Hmmmm, maybe she should spend just a little time checking out Varrle Crossing today, then return to the inn with some spiced cider and hot bread, plus some nice fruit -

"Hey, lady! Gimme all your money!" a voice suddenly demanded.

Miranda froze. "Huh?"

"Come on, hand it over!"

Miranda slowly turned to her left, and there, standing in the mouth of a nearby alley, illuminated by a street lantern, was an elf boy. Hardly anyone else was around, no one to help defend Miranda from the boy and the knife he was holding at chest level.

"Whoa, there." Miranda made a tight smile and slowly raised her hands. "I had hoped this town would be safe."

"Whatever!" the elf snapped. He motioned with his free left hand. "Let's see that coinpurse. Don't try any tricks, lady!"

Miranda didn't oblige him. "My goodness, what sort of ruffian makes such demands of an innocent lass like me?"

"C-come on!" the elf boy insisted.

Miranda saw the glint of determination in the boy's eyes, mixed with uncertainty and growing apprehension. She even saw a slight tremble to the boy's knife hand. "You're not really going to hurt me, are you?" she teased him, hands on her hips.

"I will if I don't get your coinpurse!"

"No, you won't."

"I will! Hurry up!" the boy hissed, all while glancing around to make sure no one else would interfere. There was no sign of help coming.

Miranda gave the boy another look. He was a youth with messy brown hair, and his lightly tanned skin tone marked him as a wood elf in particular. He also wore scuffed leather boots, striped pants, a dark red tunic, and a parted black coat. He also had a simple belt with a leather knife sheath and a pair of small cloth bags filled with who knows what. He looked like a typical street burglar, a wily rogue with no honor. Or was he?

"You're out rather late, young sir," Miranda said playfully. "Instead of harassing ladies like me, why don't you return home?" All the while, she tensed her muscles for action.

The boy went red. "Don't mock me! I have no home to return to! The streets are my home, and you came to the wrong neighborhood. Time to pay!"

Miranda took a step forward, then leaped right at her would-be assailant, seizing his wrist and twisting his arm until the knife dropped from his hand. Miranda let out a huff as she pinned the boy's other hand behind his back, pressing him chest-first into the alley wall. She felt the elf boy resisting, but he couldn't break free.

"Gah!" the boy cried. "L-let me go! How are you... mmmf! So strong?"

"How are you so naughty?"

"B-but...!"

"I don't want to hurt you. Do you want to hurt me?"

"Yeah!"

"Do you?"

"I'll make you pay!"

"No, you won't." Miranda applied a little more pressure, and the boy yelped.

"O-okay! By the gods, let me go already!"

"You won't run? I've heard how easily rogues can melt into the shadows."

"I won't run."

"Fine." Miranda slowly eased off the pressure and backed off. The instant she did, the elf boy squirmed free, making a break for the alley's dark recesses.

Miranda hooked her foot around the boy's right ankle, sending him sprawling. "You know," Miranda said casually, "this isn't the most impressive mugging attempt I've seen. Back home in Sassanoit, the street gangs were a real terror. Around here, it's children."

"Don't call me a kid!" the elf snarled, scrambling to his feet. Miranda grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"You look like one to me."

"Maybe to your foolish human eyes, lady! I reckon I'm about 60 by now!"

Miranda couldn't help a quick laugh. "Really? You're older than my father by twelve years! And I'm only 22."

"Whatever!"

"Okay. Seriously," Miranda said, her voice firmer this time. Time to act like the big sister here. "Kid, stop it. You're not gonna hurt me, and I promise I won't hurt you either. Why don't we talk this out honestly?"

"I got nothin' to say," the elf boy retorted.

Miranda sighed. "I could raise my voice and scream for the town guards. Or..." She smiled again. "We can start over and share a meal in a well-lit room, then sleep in real beds. Or you can shiver in a holding cell tonight. I think it's gonna get chilly by moonrise."

The elf boy hesitated, panting for breath, his eyes wide. Then he finally relaxed, hanging his head. "I give up. You got me good, lady. I don't know how you pierced my shadow aura, but you did it. Congratulations."

"Your... what now?" Miranda scratched her head as she finally let the boy go.

"My shadow aura." The boy gestured. "Every cool rogue needs a shadow aura to escape detection and vanish into darkness. How else can they survive on the fringes of society?"

Miranda frowned. "You're a wizard?"

"No," the boy said impatiently. "It's... the shadow aura is just how rogues carry themselves. Their style, their way. It would have worked, but you're weirdly strong for a human woman."

Miranda smirked. "That'll teach you to underestimate me. I was always the most athletic of my sisters. I'm Miranda, by the way. How about you?" She made a customary elf bow.

The boy looked like he wanted to roll his eyes and scoff. "I'm Lafin Coppertree. Just call me Lafin."

"Oh. Lafin, huh? That's a common wood elf name for boys," Miranda said brightly. "If I recall, it means 'squirrel-like agility.' Right?"

Lafin stared. "How did you know that?"

"I've spent all my life studying," Miranda told Lafin. "I know lots of stuff. I can even introduce myself in Elvish." She took a second to remember the words. "Altha me buill Miranda ti."

Lafin snorted. "Your accent's off. But yeah, that was decent Elvish."

"My sister Maggie is better at diplomacy, I admit," Miranda said. "But still, I'd like to get to know you, Lafin. I've got a room at an inn back down that way." She pointed. "Join me. If you can't afford a room, I'll pay."

"I've got enough silver for it," Lafin insisted. "Only bad rogues have no money! We're the liberators of purses, the bane of coin, the shadow that empties pockets when you least expect it!" He made a cocky grin.

Miranda giggled. "You sure love shadows. Come on, let's get to where there's food and warmth."

Lafin took a cautious step forward, giving Miranda a calculating look. "How can you be so sure I won't stab you in the back?"

"I wouldn't let you, Lafin. And besides, I know bad people when I see them. You're not one of them. It's not in your eyes. Or your terrible combat posture."

"Huh? No, I've got the eyes of an outlaw! There's only darkness in my gaze!"

Miranda giggled again. "Oh, you're so funny. Come on, I'll walk you to the inn."

"It's not funny!" Lafin insisted, but no matter his words, he was already following his new human companion down the street as the evening twilight deepened, the first stars glowing in the east. Lafin jogged to catch up. "You're totally underestimating me, Miranda. You don't understand me. No one does."

"You sound way too proud of that. Hiding something, kiddo?" Miranda teased him again.

"Lotsa stuff."

"Oh yeah? Tell me all about it in my room. Here we are." Miranda led Lafin to the inn, with its rooster and pig sign. She swung open the front door and gestured. "After you, good sir!"

Lafin gave Miranda an incredulous look, then shuffled inside and slid three silver coins across the front counter's smooth surface.

The elderly moon elf receptionist accepted the payment, her eyes narrowing. "You're that brat I've seen around town," she said, her voice like an iron bar. "Don't let me catch you putting your hands on other people's property, or the guards will have you hanging by your wrists in the town square!"

"It's all right, madam," Miranda assured the receptionist, flashing a warm smile as she put her hands on Lafin's little shoulders. "I'll watch over him. I can handle it."

The receptionist relaxed slightly. "Right you are, missy," she said. "Be careful. You never know with rogue types." She shot Lafin a dirty look.

"Okay. Have a good evening!" Miranda said cheerily, then steered Lafin to her room. "I'll be right back with our food," she said, "and then we can talk!"

Lafin sat on a stool in the room, arms folded. "Fine," he pouted.

Miranda unfastened her white cloak, hung it on a wooden peg on the wall, then retrieved two simple but fresh dinners from the inn's dining room. Once Miranda set the meals on the bed and slid the door's lock bolt into place, she offered Lafin his food, sat on the edge of the bed, and began eating. "It's nice and private in here," Miranda told her new friend as she bit into her bread loaf. "Like it?"

"I guess." Lafin took a bite of fruit, noting Miranda's green dress. "You're dressed all fancy."

"Oh, this old thing?" Miranda smiled. "It's just an everyday outfit for the road. My really fancy dresses are on another level entirely! And you should see the gowns my sister Mozzie wears. They're blue like the sea." She sighed fondly.

Lafin wrinkled his nose. "You sound rich."

"My family is in Sassanoit's upper crust, yeah," Miranda said, "but don't worry! I'm not haughty like the Verhamaine princess. I love people, no matter their coins." She beamed.

"Right." Lafin drank half of his spiced cider, then gave Miranda an appraising look. "Seriously, Miranda. I don't get you. I tried to mug you, then you tripped me, and now we're sharing a meal? What's your game?"

"What's yours, Lafin?" Miranda countered lightly. "You're the one who drew a knife on me. What could possibly drive a kid to do that?"

"I have to survive, don't I?" Lafin said simply, gesturing with his half-eaten bread. "Rogues live on the fringes, taking what they can get."

"No home to return to?"

"N-no."

"Ah-ha!" Miranda beamed and pointed at her new friend. "You're making that up, Lafin. Maggie taught me how to read people. Don't think you can fool these eyes."

Lafin pouted again. "I ran away from home, all right? There's your truth. My destiny wasn't in that place, so I fled. Can you blame me? Besides, everyone has a destiny that no one else can understand. So people must seize their fate." Lafin mimed grabbing something in midair.

Miranda chuckled, holding a hand to her mouth. "Oh, you're so dramatic, Lafin. And you know what, I can relate to that."

"What? No way," Lafin scoffed. "What the fates have ordained for me is beyond you! You know nothing, lady!" He pointed.

"Call me by name."

"Fine! You ignorant fool, Miranda! You know nothing of my destiny!"

Miranda saw right through Lafin's cocky grin. "I don't know your destiny, Lafin, but I know the pain of uncertainty when I hear it." She adopted a gentler tone. "You feel lost, don't you? Your mysterious fate isn't something to boast about. You're afraid you'll never find your place, right? Afraid you'll never make something of yourself. I've been there. All my sisters have."

Lafin opened his mouth to retort, then closed it. He gave Miranda an apprehensive look instead. "Who says I'm scared?" he finally said, all bravado forgotten.

Miranda folded her hands in her lap. "Lafin, I can't pretend to know your entire life. But I've also felt lost in the world, terrified that I'd never become the wonderful person I hoped I could be. How would I make people's lives better? How would I become someone worth remembering after I'm gone? What do I stand for? It took me a while to find the answers."

"What kinda answers?" Lafin asked.

"My sisters and I were raised in a stifling household, trained to help our father run his trade empire," Miranda told him. "We were caged birds until we found the courage to flee Sassanoit and join Lorelai's revolution. We risked it all to change the kingdom, and now we're free to explore our futures however we wish." She smiled again. "So far, my future involves exploring the world and meeting new people. People like you." She pointed.

"Oh, come on. No one is destined to meet a rogue," Lafin said, his punkish bravado back in full force. "Rogues have a shadow aura. We're not fully in the mortal world. We're whispers. We disappear once you look away."

"Oh yeah? I see you right now," Miranda teased him, lowering her hand. "Will I see you tomorrow, too? Will you greet a new day with me?"

"Ha! Why should I?" Lafin said, defiantly folding his arms.

Miranda got herself back on track. "Because you don't want to spend another day alone, Lafin. Do you?"

"I have no choice."

"We all have a choice, Lafin. My sister Minerva helped me realize that."

"Whatever!"

"Are you afraid that this will never end? Running around lost, hoping you'll stumble upon your shadow destiny or whatever it was?"

Lafin hesitated. "Um..."

"Look at that. You're resisting me less and less."

"What d'you mean?"

"Lafin, I'm really trying to help you. Please, let me into your life. I won't hurt you." Miranda got to her feet, took a step forward, and offered a hand. "Everyone needs a friend. Let me be yours."

Lafin recoiled. "No!"

"Please? What do you have to lose?"

"Well..."

"You don't have to be afraid."

"I'm not!"

"I was once afraid, Lafin. That's why I want to help you, not judge you."

"What if I don't need your help?"

"What if you do?"

Lafin stared at Miranda's hand as though it were a snake poised to strike. He swallowed, clearly trying to think of another defiant line, but none came. Miranda just waited it out. Then -

"I didn't feel like I belonged, okay?" Lafin finally said.

Miranda lowered her hand by her side. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Lafin admitted, looking down at his booted feet. "My dad's a professor at the Nasrond Wizard Institute. Tenure and everything. My family's well-off, and everyone expects a lot from us. My mom keeps telling me that, but why should I act high and mighty just because of who my dad is? Just because we have money? Under the old regime, under the king, we were the snobby elite, and lots of Nasrond kids wished they had what my family did."

Miranda patiently listened, her heart swelling with gratitude now that Lafin was opening up to her. She was getting pretty good at this!

"My father just wanted my brother, sister, and me to keep up the family's good name," Lafin continued. "My mom was so immersed in it, too. Intoxicated by prestige! It made me sick, but what could I do?" Lafin looked up and smirked. "So I decided to show 'em. I got into trouble just to prove no family's better than any other, and to bring my snobby parents back down to the earth. Ha! Even my older brother and sister got all hot and bothered about it, calling me a troublemaker fool. Maybe they're right. But it's better than being like them."

"So, you ran away in the end?"

"That's right, about three years ago. Not long ago, really," Lafin said. "I snuck right outta Nasrond in a supply wagon, hidden right there under the tarp."

"Three years," Miranda repeated. "Your parents must miss you dearly after all that time!"

"Three years must seem like a lot to humans," Lafin said casually. "For us elves, it ain't so long. Still, I doubt they miss me. I couldn't live their fake lives of prestige and pride, so I cut and ran. Whatever my destiny is, it ain't in Nasrond. Not in that family."

"Still, they really must miss you. Their little boy is gone. Any parent would be heartbroken."

"What would you know?" Lafin snapped, going red in the face. "Didn't you hear me? I was just their troublemaker son! They didn't like who I was before or after I went wild. In fact, I don't know what they think about me anymore. I doubt I want to, either."

Miranda rested both hands over her heart. "I insist: what if they truly miss you, Lafin? Isn't it a possibility?"

"I... dunno." Lafin suddenly looked uncomfortable. More so than before, at least.

"Do you think your mother cried when she found your room empty one day?"

"I've never seen her cry."

"Perhaps your sister cried."

"Not likely. She thought I was such a pest."

"Your father and brother must miss you, too."

"My dad's too busy playing with magic tricks at his snobby school!"

"My father missed my sisters and I so much. He told us about it when the Kingdom of Verhamaine's civil war ended."

"He did?"

Miranda nodded. "He said it was pain equal to losing our mother when she died in a plague years ago. His five treasures were gone."

"Isn't he the one who kept you locked up in that house to study?"

"My father clung too tightly to us after Mother died. It's true," Miranda admitted. "It's a complex issue. But the fact remains that my father would give all his wealth in this world if it kept us safe. My family was nearly torn apart multiple times. Yet there was always good in all of us, and we trusted each other, no matter the hardships."

Lafin stared. "So... what are you saying?"

"Family is all about love, Lafin," Miranda told him gently. "If there is genuine love, then nothing can keep a family apart for long. My family took its chance to be healed, and we've never been happier. It may not be too late for yours, either."

Unfortunately, Miranda had also heard tales of families torn apart by abuse and other disasters, families broken beyond hope. But she was confident that at least Lafin's family, the Coppertrees, stood a real chance to come back together, based on what Lafin had already explained. This could work. It had to.

"But who's to say?" Lafin said with a helpless shrug. "My parents never liked me for me. My father was so fixated on his work, and my brother and sister were so desperate to appease him. And my mom was no better. How am I supposed to go home to that?"

"In the end, only you can find the answers to that," Miranda said. "But I can at least tell you this: after three years, everyone must have a new perspective and realize what they've lost. It's a fresh start for all of you. Why not embrace it?"

"And if my destiny is to get away from that household?"

"You'll know it after you talk to your parents, brother, and sister," Miranda declared. She put her hands on her hips. "Take it from me, Lafin - no gulf cannot be bridged if you try. My father and I were on the opposite side of a civil war, but I made up with him. We all did. Now it's your turn."

Lafin paused again, his eyes distant. Then those sharp wood elf eyes of his started to well up with tears. "I... I don't know," Lafin choked out. "I don't know if I can go back home and face them! What if they hate me now? I'm afraid to hear what my mom and dad will say! I'm just their failure son!"

"Shhhhh, there, there." Miranda knelt by Lafin and wrapped him in a warm hug. She patted a hand on his head. "No parents could ever hate their son. Especially not if he's brave enough to come home and try to heal their broken bonds. They should be proud of you!"

"A-and if they're not?" Lafin blubbered.

"Don't worry so much about what might happen," Miranda told him. "What if this, what if that... aren't you going to seize your destiny? No one finds their future thinking about what if it won't work. Have faith that it will."

"It's easier to just run," Lafin moaned. "Kids run from home all the time!"

"You've been running for three years. Whether in human years or elf years, that's long enough," Miranda assured him. "I think we've talked enough for now. Why don't we get to sleep, and get you ready for the road tomorrow? Nasrond is at least a couple of weeks away by horseback!"

"Miranda..."

"Yes?"

"Wh..." Lafin sniffed. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Miranda backed away a bit, then smiled once again and ruffled her hand through Lafin's messy brown hair. "I can't say no to a poor soul in need, Lafin. And besides..." She held up a finger as her smile turned mischievous. "You're almost like a cute little brother to me. Of course I want to help you!"

Lafin made a forced laugh. "My sister sure never said that about me."

"Well, she ought to! Goodness!"

Lafin made a face. "Ugh, it would sound so weird, coming from her."

"Why don't we retire for the night, Lafin? You must be tired. You're still growing, right?"

"I... kinda." Lafin yawned. "I mean, I'm only 60-ish."

"Yeah. What's that in elf years?" Miranda glanced up, trying to remember her countless lessons growing up. Ugh, Murbella was so much better with numbers than she was! "I think... around 13 or 14?"

"I guess," Lafin said with an innocent shrug. He stood up at last, then stretched.

Miranda snorted with amusement. "Now that I think back on it, my sisters and I were pretty dramatic when we were around that age, too. Mozzie wanted to start wearing all black and asked Father for a pet raven! And she wore the most garish eye shadow. Can you believe it?"

"Dunno. I never met your sisters."

"Fair point. Okay, let's get you to your room." Miranda swung open her door and gestured out into the inn's narrow hallway. "Behave yourself, okay?"

Lafin gave her a taunting smile as he exited Miranda's room. "Seriously, Miranda, don't be surprised if I vanish into the cover of night, never to be seen again."

"My cute little brother would never do such a thing." Miranda winked.

Lafin made a face. "Ugh, stop it already." He rolled his eyes and slouched off into his room down the hall, shutting the wooden door behind him.

Miranda made a satisfied "hmph" and closed her door as well, then heaved a deep sigh of relief at a job well done. Well, half-done so far. Maggie would be so proud of her sister's diplomacy skills, Miranda thought as she began to disrobe, eager to change into her comfy nightgown to relax. But the job wasn't done yet! Lafin still had that oh-so-cool rogue shadow aura about him. Hmmmmm, what to do...?