Legends of Belariath
Lanfear
Having been born to a close knit tribe was both fortunate in itself, and less fortunate in other things. Her father having been part of the tribe's hunting party had perished months prior to her birth, and his death was only ever described as an 'unfortunate winter's accident'. Her mother would have been supported in every way that matters by the rest of the tribe through out her pregnancy. Some things are inevitable though, it seemed. Destiny would had decided from the start that Lanfear would enter this world alone. The labor was hard on her mother and within mere hours of bearing the child into the world, she slipped away only breathing the crying child’s name of Lanfear before entrusting her to the care of the village.
The newborn was fostered by the other families of the tribe without question, but there was a kind of shadow that followed her as she grew. It wouldn't be long before she became aware of the rumors that were being passed around about her. Many were saying she was cursed and carried a blight that would do all within the village in. Such words were the source of many childhood fights as she fought to protest the ugly words that were being spread against her. She got many bumps and bruises over the years, thanks to these childhood brawls she was forced into, but it only determined her to fight in whatever way possible to pull from the stigma that made such things so easily said about her.
By her adolescence she was scouting trails and volunteering for the hunting parties that struck out to bring fresh meat back for everyone. There was still some reluctance from the others of the village to allow her to take part in a role that was so vital to the tribe's survival; and it was when these such issues arose she fell back to old habit. A bit of pushing and posturing was usually enough to dismiss their 'concerns' and secured her place. But as surely as her tail behind her the preconception of her cursed nature followed her everywhere. Should a hunt fail to yield prey or a party member be hurt it was accounted for by Lanfear's bad fortune.
The idea that she was in fact a burden or a liability to the tribe was a difficult thing to escape. And only when reaching adulthood did it suddenly become real to her that those she had call family would always have this concept of her; despite her best efforts to shake it. When spring came she would gather what she could and set out on her own. The thought of leaving behind all she had ever known was deeply saddening to her, as she left the village, but she saw it as she really had little choice in the matter. If she was ever to expect to escape the concepts that had followed her all her life, then she had to leave behind all those that refused to let go of these ideas. Months passed before she found her way to dimly lit inn and she decided to settle down, and in doing so started life anew.