Author Topic: From Street Mouse to Striker (Read 6046 times)

Alatriel · « **on:** August 19, 2009, 11:47:31 PM »

*the handwriting is sloppy, though written as if the one who is writing has a grasp on the written language, just not a lot of practice with it. The ink is smudged in places as if the one writing did not have much room to spread out*

[SIZE=16]Umm... I got this here book from Stalker... She said I gotta keep a journal. I suppose that means I gotta write in here. I don't know what she wants me to write though. So, I guess, well, I'll just write anything? My arms hurt. My shoulders hurt. My neck hurts and my back hurts. I remember being sore when I started training with my other trainer back in the arena in Vehl, but Stalker makes me train harder. She don't say much except telling me I gotta focus all the time and to stop talking all the time. Though sometimes when we're done training for a day I wonder if she's more tired than I am. She ain't the one doing all the work though, so I dunno why she looks so tired. Except when she goes and throws stuff at my head when I do something she don't like. I wonder if she just wants to see if I'll dodge it...[/SIZE]

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2009, 11:59:29 PM »

A basket finds it's way to Bella at night while she's sleeping. It is covered by a clothe, but underneath Bella finds...

and a note.[INDENT]

Quote

Practice twice a week. You still haven't cut ten in a row. And when you get ten in a row, start on 20. When you are done, I'll have enough apples to try and make myself an apple pie...

Oh, and when you are done with 20, put on a blind fold, and start over with ten... And remember, you never know when I'm watching.

~Stalker

[/INDENT]

Alatriel · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2009, 04:10:46 PM »

I found this note. I wonder sometimes if she thinks that there are just that many apples in the world. Well, at least apples grow on trees. Guess my arms are gonna be sore some more.

Alatriel · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:40:14 PM »

I were out with this old guy name Shiff and some weird dwarf I dunno his name, and we fought kobolds, and then I got hungry, so I ate some bread. Then that old man Shiff gave me something that tasted sorta like that moonshine I had. Then I don't remember nothing after that. Then I woke up in some bed sore as can be with a bad old headache. I were alone and all my clothes were still on, but that old man Shiff were sitting outside my door. I just telled him that I ain't that kinda girl and he told me he were going to buy me some breakfast. Then I runned outta there as fast as I could. It weren't as fast as I could normally cuz my head were hurting. But I runned outta there. I wish I remembered some but I don't. I don't know what happened to me from the time I done drunk up that booze to the time when I waked up in the bed.

I don't remember sleeping in a bed before. I'm so sore now, I don't think I want to do it again anytime soon. My back's all in knots and kinks and it's been cracking for a whole day and a half at least. My neck hurts so much I can hardly even lift my arms to train... but I know if I don't I'm gonna get in trouble, and I don't want no trouble no way no how.

But I don't want no bed ever again. Them folks that sleep on them all the time must be crazy.

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:54:10 PM »

Another note shows up on Bella the next night.

Quote

To the Mouse

No need to get scared by Mister Dragonheart. He's an honest and wise old man, and might be one of the most honorable people you will find loitering around Port Hempstead's fountain. Should be thankful he sat outside your door. You would have woken up with either all your things gone, or next to some -other- drunk old man... naked... if he didn't.

Oh, and the next time you drink yourself into a stupper, I'll be the one taking your things. And I'll make you work for them back... or at least what I decide not to sell.

Keep practicing... but do save me some apples. I'll be watching.
~Stalker

Alatriel · « **Reply #5 on:** August 21, 2009, 06:06:33 AM »

I think I done named her right. Stalker. Seems she watches me all the time... and it seems she been watching me all the time even when I don't know what happened to me. I dunno if that make me feel better or worse about what happened. I dunno if it make me feel less nervous cause someone's out there watching my back, or just more creeped out.

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2009, 09:53:03 AM »

A package finds its way to Bella the next day, almost as if one moment it wasn't there, and the next it was. Inside are two pint sized jars, each with an oily substance inside. The first has a white gel inside which is cool to the touch and smells like aloe, the other has a red oily gel which is warm to the touch that smells like peppers. Attached to each is a note...

On the Red Jar

Quote

Use first.
Rub onto sore spots.
Wait five minutes.
Use White.
Never mix directly with white.

On the White jar

Quote

Use red first.
After five minutes use over same area.
If still sore, wait ten minutes, reapply Red.
Follow same directions.
Never mix directly with red.

Separate from the Jars is another letter...

Quote

You are doing well. Start working on trying to sense your target by wearing a blindfold. And stop with the apple trees. When I gave you those instructions I told you to practice twice a week, not to go on a slice-and-dice spree with my apples. From now on take a rope and hang something from a tree, and just practice hitting that...

And follow my directions this time. If you did, you wouldn't be so sore.

~Stalker

Alatriel · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2009, 06:00:25 PM »

Glad she done told me to stop slicing apples. I were running out of ones I could reach from standing on the ground and last thing I need is for her to start telling me I need to go climb a tree to cut down more of them. But, a blindfold? I ain't gonna be fighting nothing blinded am I? Or.... am I?

Alatriel · « **Reply #8 on:** August 22, 2009, 10:18:04 AM »

I done saw that man Quin again. This time he done sold some sorta magic canteen to that Fancy Pants Raz. I don't care none if he sells his junk to other people so much so long he don't try to sell them to me. I ain't stupid. I done seen plenty of people selling their stuff on the street corners all while I were growing up and I ain't gonna fall for it now.

Oh... and there's this big giant man called Steel. He's blue and he has horns... and nobody seems to be afraid of him?

Alatriel · « **Reply #9 on:** August 23, 2009, 10:23:02 AM »

I thought she were gonna beat me bloody. First rule of grifting... don't get caught. But now I got me this Stalker she follows me all the time seems and I dunno if she ever ain't there. I found me a mark and I were hungry, but I figured why should I have to go through my stuff I saved up when I could get a hot meal from someone. He were rich. He had them fancy clothes on and he were right clean all over. Sorta scratching his arm some but weren't like I were gonna have to be that close to him, just he were going to get me a good hot meal. But after I done finished with the food he get me, and the drink he tried to tell me weren't water... she done come in and bust it up, make me apologize and then the man done got mad as a hornet. I didn't know which one were gonna beat me bloody. Him or her. Stalker done grabbed me by my arm and drug me all the way to the bank and made me haul out my stash and then drug me outside the city and told me to dump it all in some water to throw it away. I worked hard for that food! And not all of it I grifted, some of it were just gived to me, and some of it I done gathered all by myself. She done told me if I didn't dump it all she'd dump me and I done got right mad. I tried to run away and she grabbed my hair and dumped me in anyhow and then she dumped in my food after that too! She don't know what it's like not having food for months and having to pick it out of the garbage, picking bugs off and shooing away them other rats and mice just to get something to make your belly stop rumbling and your head stop spinning. I ain't never gonna feel that way again. I learned how to get better food then that. Maybe it ain't the whole truth, but it ain't completely lying neither. Maybe I don't feel that way exactly now, but I been there afore.

I just don't get Striker though. She's mean as a guard dog what's been punched in the nose, but... she didn't beat me bloody. I were ready for it, but she never done it. When she get really mad like that, she go and say she need to meditate and then go and sits real quiet like for a long time. She might be one of those more dangerous types that wait till ya think they ain't gonna beat ya bloody and then they just kill ya right then and there. Well *expletive* She probably looking over my shoulder from somewhere while I'm writing in this here book. Or maybe she done gived me a magic book where everything I write she already knows. Maybe that's why she done give me this book and tell me to write in it. I guess it's only time now. She gonna kill me. I done though i were learning how to survive better and stupid me I just put myself right into somewhere that's gonna kill me. She done told me to go and kill my own deer and skin it and then cook it my own self. I done it. Burned my fingers a bit when I tried to pick off them charred pieces. She said she teaching me how to take care of my own self. I aready been taking care of my own self. She just don't like how.

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #10 on:** August 23, 2009, 04:02:53 PM »

On the rolled up piece of clothe Bella had under her head, is written this note...

Quote

Bella,

When I was half your age I stole a flower from a vendor in Fort Wayfare. When my Dad noticed the flower he beat my butt til it was bright red, then made me bring back the flower and return it personally and apologize.

I hope I don't have to beat you for you to understand that you can not keep this up. You know better, and can do better for yourself.

I'll be watching. Please don't make me have to hurt you.
~Your Teacher and Protector,
Stalker

Rolled up inside the clothe Bella finds...

Alatriel · « **Reply #11 on:** August 23, 2009, 04:27:44 PM »

*Bella writes a note and leaves it on the ground behind her for Stalker to find*

Stalker,

Thanks for the bread.

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2009, 05:35:52 PM »

After finding the note, Tyra leaves Bella alone for the rest of the day.

That night, Tyra takes Bella's journal and writes on the next empty page, not reading anything else. It's a list of where to find various foodstuffs. She then leaves it open for her to find.

Alatriel · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2009, 05:42:45 PM »

Note to myself: Gotta figure out where to hide stuff that Stalker can't find it. Now I know I'm dead. She done wrote in here, so she probly know everything else I done write up to now. Problem being, I dunno when she's following me and when she ain't. Maybe I gotta start trying to listen better...

Alatriel · « **Reply #14 on:** August 24, 2009, 11:56:31 AM »

I ain't really sure but I think Stalker might actually be my friend? She done stitched up my back from that splintered bolt what shot me when i were fighting gnolls up in them mountains. We got to talking some and I told her bout what my pa used to do. She didn't wanna hear it all though. She told me to stop and asked me if my ma and my pa was alive still. I told her my ma ain't alive no more but I dunno bout my pa. I don't wanna know bout my pa. She got real intense like and told me she might slap me or yell at me or throw me in a pond, but she won't never beat me bloody. She promised me she won't. I ain't had a real friend afore. I heard bout them... just never had one.

Alatriel · « **Reply #15 on:** August 26, 2009, 02:37:23 AM »

I were wrong. Stalker ain't my friend after all. She ain't even my teacher no more. Guess I don't have to write here no more neither.

Guess nothing else matter now neither. I shoulda knowed better. Guess I ain't as smart as I thought I were.

Alatriel · « **Reply #16 on:** August 28, 2009, 09:01:44 AM »

Stalker appologized to me. And then she showed me who she is. Problem is she cut me deep and now I don't know what to do. I ain't never stopped doing what she told me to do and what she taught me, but I ain't sure if she gonna just say stuff like that to make me say okay you can teach me again or if I just gotta tell her no or if I just gotta.... I dunno. I ain't never had no friends afore and I ain't sure what I gotta do now. If she just think I'm nothing but a nobody I ain't never gonna be nothing but a nobody. But if she don't think I'm nothing but a nobody, do she wanna help me get so I ain't a nobody no more?

Alatriel · « **Reply #17 on:** August 29, 2009, 04:15:52 PM »

A note is left, addressed to Tyra Dragonheart, daughter of Shiff Dragonheart, care of the Leringard Arms, Inn and Tavern.

I seen you talking to the Rofie and those other two the other night. It ain't nice when people call you ways to make you feel like you ain't smart. I know how that feels. It stings right smart in the center of the chest. I know you ain't dumb. I know I ain't dumb. And I know now that when my chest hurt like that something fierce its cause my heart were hurting something bad. I know that cause you done taught me where my heart is. I ain't ready to trust you cause you done lied to me more then one time and you think that I ain't nobody special. But you got stuff to teach me that I wanna learn. So you can be my teacher again if you want to, but you ain't my friend still.

Bella (Mouse)

Alatriel · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2009, 01:45:48 AM »

I done talked to that big blue man. He still scares me something bad, but he were nice to me. He told me that if I get hungry I ken go get food from his inn where Stalker lives. And he gived me some sorta ale he said were made from flowers. He said he knowed i was learning from Stalker cuz she's his pupil. I'm pretty sure that mean he's her teacher. So he said course he knowed bout me that I were learning from her. I told him Stalker don't like it when I ask her too many questions, but then I asked him if he were gonna tell her i said that bout her, and he asked me what if he did. I done told him it were true so maybe she won't be too mad at me for saying something that were true. He jest look at me and say Everything dies. I told him maybe that ain't true cause rocks don't die even if ya crush them up into little bitty pieces then they's just littler rocks, not dead rocks. He said it were just something he think bout when he looking at something that could kill him with one swipe. So I figured he might be talking bout me looking at him what's bigger then me by two whole times or more... and he's blue... but maybe he were telling me that he can die too. He said that dragons were fraid of him. At least... I think that's what he said? I know I'm fraid of him. He's right scary even if he were nice. But he said everything dies and it's my job to find out how I gotta kill it. I dunno why I gotta do it, but I guess that's sorta true. If I gotta kill something I guess I just gotta kill it some way or its gonna kill me... even if I really rather just get away if I can do that.

He told me if Tyra... that's Stalker... gonna teach me bout my stickers then I'll have money if I want it and I won't worry none bout going hungry and starving no more. But he said something bout to tell Stalker bout sneaking round makes people suspicious. Then he said Knowledge and Reputation. But he were done talking to me and he said another time when I asked him bout it. I ain't gonna push him to talk to me if he done talking to me. I don't want him being mad at me.

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #19 on:** September 05, 2009, 10:42:44 AM »

Using what could be called a unorthadox method of teaching, Bella's teacher spends a number of days teaching Bella how to swim of the shore of an Island within Palden Lake by having her chase after a small row boat while trying to swim (while at the same time tethered to the boat so she can be retrieved if necessary).