The Scattered Dreams of Rhynnala Asantiani

[LynnJuniper]

“Rhynnala, Sweetie get down here now!” Came the familiar voice, somewhat stern, from the floor below. I scowled. Was the ‘ala’ really necessary? I don’t think there was any other in the house. He knew who I was, I knew who I was , so why couldn’t he just do ask I asked for once. Making a face, I said what I always did upon hearing my full name used.
 
  “Can’t you just call me Rhynn like everybody else!? I’ll be down in a second!” I took the cool ice from the newly formed blister on my arm, and threw it into the tub to melt. Hard to imagine what a few wrongly placed fire spells can get you…or did I get this one afterwards? I don’t remember.
 
  I took the steps three at a time, clad in my white robe of sleeping. He probably just wanted me to cook breakfast or something. Never understood why, I was never much of a cook. Desserts , sure, but actual food? Not even a little bit.
 
  “What is…” I began, then stopped.
 
  Odd the way he looked at me this morn, his chocolate colored eyes seemed thawed, not at all as cold and collected as I usually recalled. Something in the way he looked upon me made me think that breakfast, chores or learning was not on his mind. Plus, he was holding a small parcel. I wonder what this was all about.
 
  “Master Saebhel?” I questioned. But he disappeared.
 
  I felt his presence though. A good illusionist can always tell when someone they know is invisible. He was still in the room…somewhere. I hadn’t gotten good enough to tell where. Ah, but then he slipped a loose arm around my waste and kissed my left cheek gently to let me know he was behind me. I smiled warmly. He usually pulled things like this when I least expected them. Never, when he was standing right before me.
 
  “You should never let anyone sneak up on you like that my dear.”
 
  “Not even you?”
 
 
  “Not even me.”
 
 
  I heard the unwrapping of a ribbon and the opening of a box behind me.
 
  “Close your eyes.”
 
  I looked behind myself, could make out his outline, just barely falling under my own height. I eyed him funnily as he repeated his request. I closed my eyes. Displeasing my master and mentor would be against proper reasoning.
 
  I felt the cool touch of…something, go round my neck.
 
 
  When he gave me permission to open my eyes, I glanced down and was taken back in shock. There , round my neck lay the most elaborate necklace seemingly made of pure diamond. My mind could not grasp such a gift, nor could I find the words to thank him.
 
  “S..Saebhel..” I muttered, breathlessly.
 
  “Listen Rhynnala” And he stopped me before I could correct him. “Because I’ll only say this once.”
 
 
  “Let this be the sign. You are bound to me. And If you ever leave me, I will find you. I love you my sweet Rhynnala, and If you ever run, I will kill you.”
 
 
 
 Rhynn wakes up from her nap , after a long day, obviously not remembering a bit of her minds subconscious rambling.

[LynnJuniper]

“Lady Rhynnala you’re such a fair one!” The young elf said flirtatiously. “Would you care to dance?”
 
 I was never much one for dancing, but I had to learn almost the moment I stepped into Saebhel’s presence. I hailed from a simple fishing villiage, and Saebhel was an elegant and noble elf with many different connections. In addition to my lessons in Lore and Spellcraft, I was …forced to endure lessons on etiquette as well. I came to Saebhel a rough , tomboyish , seafaring girl with a broken speech pattern and hair to long for her own good. In no less than two months I was a proper speaking, dress donning lady …with hair too long for her own good.
 I learned the proper way to speak, the proper way to eat, the proper way to act around different sorts of people, and the proper way to dance. The one thing Saebhel never did teach me was the Elven tongue. He said humans always butcher it, and when I pressed the issue….Well, it wasn’t a very pretty situation, so I never did again.
 
 Spinning round and round in the arms of the young Elven man, the highlight of the ballroom. He led and I followed. We twirled, we spun, I dipped. The song grew to a great crescendo , then faded out to nothingness as the dancers came to a halt, resting in the warmth of their partner.
 
 A rose of the deepest purple color was offered, and I reached my hand out to receive it. And then we were pulled apart. The rose flew into the air , and landed on the opposite end of the dance floor. Saebhel snarled , almost animal like at the man who had been taken in by me, and almost tore him to pieces.
 
 “Get out!” He growled. And No one would dare to defy him. Not only did the man under Saebhel’s inquisition leave, but the rest of the guests scrambled to the door as well. And when all were gone, He turned his attention to me.
 
 Grabbed harshly by the one thing he could reach, my long flowing hair, he pulled me along, deep down into the depths of his great house . He said nothing along the way, but I knew he was fuming, and knew I was in for something that I would not enjoy at all.
 
 He threw me into the room I knew oh to well. I lost my balance and fell, and he took that opportunity to grab a coiled whip from the wall…
 
 
 
  He only spoke Two sentences to me the whole time. Right as he left, standing in the doorway.
 
 “Maybe when you learn that your beauty is only for me, you will be able to see the light of day again. Maybe when you learn your beauty’s only for me, I won’t seek to take it from you.”
 
 
      Seven ...Seven more scars to add to my collection. I must learn fast, I wouldn’t want to disappoint my Master Saebhel….
                 
 
 Rhynn wakes up from her usual spot under the fountain in the Temple of Ilsare, remembering nothing, but just as distressed as she was upon sleeping

[LynnJuniper]

“You were born and raised in a house of Vorax Rhynnala! Where did we go wrong!?”    I sat to endure this speech, one more time. Day in day out. At least once per day I endured this speech. This time, it was brought about by the scattered tomes of the Arcane place haphazardly about my room. My parents had come in, my parents had found them.     Those of Vorax are usually very wary of the spell caster type, unless the spells are divine and come from the Father of Battle himself. So of course, in a house of Vorax, with little brothers and sisters already taking on the ways of paladinship or the divine, there was no place for an arcane spell caster such as what I intended to be.         “Why must you shame our good name Rhynnala!?”    “I do not wish to shame it” I said, peering over my spectacles as I continued to read. I have heard this talk so often that I would not even be bothered with arguing back. I already knew the script , and soon the stage would close until next time. “And don’t call me Rhynnala. Its Rhynn.”          “Oh I see!” My mother sneered. “Is that your “Magic name””    That was a new one, Didn’t think they cared enough about the arcane to know that giving a true or even a full name could be dangerous when dealing with enemy spell casters. Usually the script went “You will live with the name we gave you.” At which point they would give up.    “Well, It would be rather stupid to make my ‘magic name’ something that is derived from my real one, Not that the mundane would know, but if I were to take on a casting name, it would be completely different”         I baited them in , and they bit back.    My father took the book out of my hand, and threw it across the room at a nearby piano. I stood in rage. We were an angry family.          My mother simply kept up with her sneer. “First you disgrace us with your appearance , and now with this”         That’s it. I was sick of it.     “WELL! IF YOU STAYED FAITHFUL WITH FATHER INSTEAD OF RUNNING OFF TO BED SOME AASIMAR OR GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE, MAYBE I’D LOOK LIKE THE REST OF YOU!”         I was in trouble.          “Get out Rhynn.”         The first time my mother or father would use the name I answered to.           “You’re a disgrace….Your useless to us now…get out.”      The distance in her voice…it was unsettling….I did not ask, I did not cry, I did not make a single effort to show emotion. I picked up my things, and left slowly and quietly…and only broke into a run when I reached Home’s northern borders.    And ran straight into a house. In the middle of the forest, amongst all of those strange creatures that could turn themselves invisible on whim. A house.         And a voice…from no where.         “I have been watching you.”         Now I was scared…where was this voice coming from? In front? Behind? All around?           Out of nowhere came the image of a man. Long blonde hair, and robes. Elven. Wizard. He was invisible.         “I have been watching you Rhynnala” He repeated. “And I see what you may not. Your family…”         I broke him off. I knew where this was going. “My family is family and I love them”         “They treat you like dirt, they don’t want you there. They show none of the affection family would. Is this what you want.”         “But I love them”         “Is this what you want?”         “but..”         “Is this what you want!?” His voice rose.         “No..”         “Then come with me…”
 
  Rhynn awakes, in a bed that will always be too big for her, running to find someone so she can show them what she learned....