Legends of Belariath
Katina
Katina concentrated hard, furrowing her brow, and sweat coming down her head from the effort. Her hand began to glow red, and she thought for just a moment that she just might be able to do it. Suddenly it fizzled out, and she dropped her hand.
”YOU STUPID LITTLE FOOL!!” Screamed her mother, after what must have been Katina's 100th attempt at casting a fireball at a dummy. No matter how hard she had tried, she was unable to call upon the magic to come to her hands. Each time she tried her mother just got more and more furious that she failed. Sighing she looks up at her mother, “I can not do it mother, no matter how many times I try, I will never call upon magic, other than the most basic spells. Lloth has not permitted me.” “My grandmother was a wizard, as was my mother, and is me! You have a full lineage of wizards! You will cast magic just like me or you will never leave this room!” Katina got up angrily, “You are just old and senile, You know not of what you talk about! I am not destine to call upon magick, once you are dead and gone this will be my house! and I will rule it with a sword and shield!” Her mother's face began to shake with anger, and she hissed out behind clenched teeth, “You will never rule this house!!” Her mother raised her hands up, and they began to glow a firery red. “Die you insignifigant fool!” was all Katina can remember. Laying unconsious on the floor, Katinas mother went to the dagger that was always hidden in her robes. She grabbed the dagger, and reached high in the air and started to stab downards when suddenly her father was there, holding her mothers wrist scowling hard at her.
“You’d be a fool to do that Jabbress, she is your only daughter, and heiress to this house.” He growled at her.
“You little welp of a man. How dare you” Her mother went to grab for her father’s neck, but he turned out of it with surprising agility, and then throws a dagger aimed at her forehead. She quickly leans out of the way, and scowls hard at it. “You will not meet Lloth! and she will torture you for you insolence!” Her mother reached out her hand and threw a fire ball at him, which he once again dodged and throw another dagger at her, this time aiming for her throat, and amazingly it actually hit.
Katina’s mother ripped out the dagger from her throat and instinctively put her hand there in a futile attempt to stop the blood. She had the look of death on her, and then suddenly fell over, the blood pouring from her throat freely.
Her father went and picked her up, and took her to her room, and casted a small heal spell on her, Katina was still unconsious, but not near death. He sighs and runs a hand over her hair, smiling down at his daughter, showing an odd moment of sincerity.
Suddenly he hears horns blowing in the distance. A spy must’ve been in the house and knew that the Matron Mother had been slain. He glances down at Katina knowning that she couldn’t defend the house, even if she was completely healthy at the moment. Her father knew she would fall easily.
Her father picked her up then, and used one of the secret passages in the house, and escaped unnoticed. From the other houses. As he was running, he heard the screams of the servants, either dieing or being used in other fashions.
He quickly and quietly snuck in the shadows, Katina’s unconsious body over his shoulder, and found the tunnel that would lead them to the surface.
He quickly made his way up there, and layed Katina on the soft grass, and casted another small heal spell on her, for her to awake.
Katina awoke with a start and looked around worriedly taking in her surroundings, she looked at her foather questionginly.
He explained to her what happened, and gave Katina some mehrial, and told her that she couldn’t come back until she was strong enough to rebuild the house if she choosed. He stroked a finger down her jawline and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and went back into the tunnel down into the underdark.
Katina took a deep breathe and knew that he was going down to meet his death, but knowing that she could not do anything about it since that was the way of things.
She looked at the bright world around her squinting at the light.