Renalli before the Companions
Chapter 1
Since the death of her mother, when Ren was five years old, she was, for the most part, allowed to run wild with the rest of the boys, while her father immersed himself with his work.When Ren was 11 years old her father married his scribe, Elizabeth. Ren loved her father dearly, but upon the arrival of Eliz into their household, everything turned sour. Eliz tried to turn Ren into a lady and at first Ren refused, but her father asked her to try, so she did. No matter how hard she tried she was a flop at the domestic: her stitchwork was always lumpy and her pastries were closer to lead bricks. Every chance she got she would throw aside her needlework and dresses for a good pair of breeches and play with her brothers and her friends on the streets of their home, Taran.
Ren ran away from home shortly before her 16th birthday. Darok Nakye, her father, was to have a grand party in her honor, to celebrate her birthday, and to Ren’s dismay, to announce the betrothal of Lady Renalli Nakye and Lord Stephen Torrent.
Three days before her birthday one of her maids let it slip that her betrothal to Stephen Torrent will be announce at the celebration. "There is no way in hell that I will be married to that old geezer."
A short time later was found storming into her father’s study. Darok Nakye is leaning over the latest shipping logs with his assistant and does’t look up as Renalli stocks up to his desk. “Father. We need to talk.” Her eyes pointedly telling the assistant to get the hell out of there.
Nakye calmly looks up at his angry daughter, and motions for his assistant to leave. As the man leaves the room , Nakye leans back in his chair. “What seems to be the problem, darling?”
“What is this I hear of my betrothal being announced at my birthday party? I was not even aware that I was betrothed, much less have I met the man.”
“I decided that since you are nearing your majority it is time to start planning for your future, for your betrothal. And I believe I have chosen a very suitable match for you.”
“Shouldn’t I be given a say in the matter?”
“As your father, I know what is best for you.”
“You, or Eliz?”
He raises an eyebrow; “Elizabeth had nothing to do with my decision.”
“Maybe, Maybe not. I’d wager that it was her idea. Am I wrong?”
“Lord Torrent asked to marry you. Yes, Eliz thinks it is a good idea. More importantly I think it is a good idea. It is high time you start behaving more like a lady and less like a guttersnipe. I trust you are still virgin?”
Appalled at his comment, Ren reins herself in and looks down at her feet, to hide the look on her face and trying to appear cowed. “The betrothal will be announce on my birthday. And how long with the engagement last?”
Knowing this routine, he stands. “Sometime this summer you will be married. I don’t want you hanging around any of the thugs you call friends until then. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Father. May I leave now?”
“One moment. Sonia!”
“Yes sir?”
“I want you to take Renalli to her room and help her finish setting her linen in order and whaterver you feel she needs to do. Just keep her out of trouble for the next few months.”
Renalli glares at her father, fire still in her eyes. “Trust me so little you are posting a guard?”
She turns and stomps out of the room. At the door she turns; “I will not wear a leash.”
Chapter 2
Her best friend was a boy from the streets named Kalos. When she decided to leave her family he helped her disquise herself as a boy and introduced her to his street friends as Talren. And for most of the next 3 years she lived as a footpad, ambushing the not so innocent people of Taran. Taking their money and leaving them their lives. She never had to kill anyone.The night before Ren left Taran; Ren and four others waylaid two men on their way home rom a tavern, and the patrol nearly caught them. Ren was blamed for it, but everyone knows it was because of Lel and his love for starting fights. Normally Ren tries not to work with him.
As usual they came upon the two without a sound and surrounded the pair. Ren announced that they should just hand over all their money and jewelry and they could continue their delightful night on the town. As she spoke, the older gentleman stared at her in disbelief. The younger gentleman replied with the cockiness of a spoiled youth: “How dare riffraff such as you delay me and Lord Nakye. Move on now or I will have you all arrested, you misbegotten gutter trash.”
Nakye started to say, “Stephen, calm down.” Ren was just then realizing that this was her father and… Stephen… Torrent? She had no further time to think on this for as soon as Torrent finished speaking, Lel leaped at him and the others followed his lead, attacking. Before Ren could react, Nakye and Torrent were roughed up and bleeding, Nakye faltering and Torrent soon to follow.
“Lel! Rorin! Everyone! Stop fighting! This is not how we work.” Lel stunned Torrent and he went down. Ren stepping between the two. Speaking low and cold, “Don’t you even think of killing him!” Gregor and Nick were binding the nobles’ hands and Lel turned to Ren.
“What is wrong with you, Ren? You’ve never been against a good brawl before. Don’t tell me you’re going soft over an old man and his dandy.”
“Shut your hole, Rorin,” said Ren as she knelt down in front of Nakye. “Hello old man,” she whispers.
“Ren, darling. Is it really you? I thought I’d never find you.” He manages to push himself up and sit straighter, gathering some appearance of authority and command. “I am taking you home with me tonight.”
Standing up and looking down at him, Ren says, in a voice dripping with sarcasm, “Father, Oh dear sweet kind and generous father. You don’t get it do you? You still have haven’t found me. And you will be taking me nowhere.”
Lel hits Nakye from behind, knocking him out cold.
“You didn’t need to do that, Lel.” Ren gives her father a sad look before turning to Lord Torrent. But before she can do more than open her mouth she hears someone approaching. Sure enough, the city guards are coming down the street towards them, and everyone makes a dash for the shadows. The guards are hot on their trail and they barely make it away.
The next day the town was a buzz with talk about the Merchant Darok Nakye. Word was that he was resuming his search for his missing daughter Renalli. Seems that last night he acquired new information on her whereabouts.
“Now the fool bastard knows where and what to look for,” Ren curses to herself.
That evening, a hooded figure leaves Taran. She looks back once and then heads to the north leaving her family, and more importantly, her friends behind her. She follows the lakeshore north and then east and enters Kristof’s lands. She travels near a homestead of some sort, with a herd of horses. Tired of walking, she steals a horse.
She realizes soon afterwards that she knows about riding and even less about choosing a horse. The horse she took,, rather than being docile and quiet, was a rather spirited mare, and while Ren was able to ride her, the mare did nothing to make it easy.
A couple days later, the mare rears up and nearly dumps Ren on her backside.
“Whoa girl. I thought we were just starting to get along.” As the horse drops herself back down to the ground, Ren notices standing in front of them is a white-haired man sitting on a chestnut gelding. Ren and the old man travel together for an hour or so. He seems very kind and helpful. He gives Ren a short lesson on how to properly ride and control a horse, and how she came by the horse without knowing how to ride her. Ren tells him that the horse is a new gift from her father, and he questions her no further, just an odd glance. Soon after they part wasy. Ren realizes that she did not get his name.
The next day, she is but an hour ride from Kristof’s castle when she is surrounded by guards and taken before Kristof. As she is brought before him, Ren thinks to herself, “He looks an awfully lot like that old man.”
“Lad…” he pauses slightly over the word before continuing, “Lying is not your strong suit.” He tells Ren that she has been charged with horse theft and she has two options. Either be thrown in his prison, to live out the rest of what will become a short life. Or do him a service and travel with the Companions where she might die, or she might come to great wealth and power.
“Why this offer?” Ren warily asks. She thinks to herself, does he know my secret? Certainly he must, the way he spoke, but then why doesn’t he reveal me?
“Because I wish to make it. Now is the Companions or Prison? Or shall I just retract the offer?”
“No, I will go with these ‘Companions’..” To herself she thinks, “At least for now.”
RenalliNakyeBiography
There are no comments on this page. [Add comment]