Legends of Belariath

Karis

Several years had passed since Karis had fled from the ruined wreckage of her home village, one which had been devestated by war and subsequent pillaging. It was there that the girl had spent the first twenty someodd summers of her life learning the basic tools for survival ranging anywhere from simple cooking and gathering to that of hunting and fighting. While certainly competent in the latter, it was the former which occupied the better part of her days, as she had a duty to her family and clan that transcended her own will to join the men on their hunts. Collecting wood for heating and cooking, water as well as small food stuffs. While mundane in many ways, there were worse fates as she would later find out.

While barbarians are often famed for their willingness to raid settlements in search of female slaves and other valuables, there are those races who raid the barbarians for the very same reasons. For certain races, a barbarian slavegirl offers far more than that of a high human or an elf, as the usage of the primative being exceeds that of the bedroom. In the case of the Ogres which ravished her home, their reason was fairly simple. While the warriors of her tribe did put up a valiant effort against the onslaught of the Ogre warband, there was little they could do in the end to stop the juggernauts which had beseiged their settlement. Men, older women and children were all put to death in varying ways, their bodies simply discarded or collected for food later on. The women were all stripped of their clothing and armor before being shackled like animals, their fate all too apparent now.

It was during this time in captivity that Karis learned much about herself and the resolve which lingered underneath the bronzed flesh, as her spirit proved to be just as resilient as her hardy barbarian nature. Beaten and raped on a daily basis (moreso the latter), she bided her time as she awaited the right time to escape. While feeling sorry for her sisters, she could not bear the torment of remaining her any longer at the 'mercy' of the ogres. Late one night while the majority of the band was out on their raid, the chance for escape soon came..but not for Karis alone, rather for the slaves in general. The pen in which they were usually kept in during such nights had become weak from the strong winds which had been passing through the area as of late, which made the structure less than sturdy. Between the two dozen slavegirls, they were able to break free of their prison and over power the two ogres who had been left guard them. Despite being armed and fighting against naked women, the pair of ogres did manage to kill a handful of the slaves, though not enough to ensure their own survival. Taking what supplies and weapons they could carry, the band soon embarked on a journey which lead them away from the camp and towards a new journey, one which lead to Karis breaking away from the band and soon arriving at this lonely inn.

It was here where she soon was able to use the knowledge which she had gained under the ogres to evade the slavers who were constantly on the prowl for girls such as herself, those who were new and had little means of survival. After several years though, a wolven slaver eventually managed to capture her, a period of time which she would wish to forget. While the ogres were certainly not innocent, what the Wolven did to her is both inexcusable and unmentionable, deeds which would never be mentioned to anyone. During this time though, she did pick up a bit of knowledge when it came to moving quickly through the woods and hunting certain game, as she was not always allowed to venture very far from the male. Despite her captivity though, she never learned the name of the Wolven, as she had only addressed him as 'Master' during her stay.

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