Legends of Belariath
Roxy
Part One - Storm of Dancing Rains, Spring
Once upon a time, not too long ago, in a time and place forgotten by all but few, there lived a catwoman, and a wolven. Not just any catwoman or wolven, mind you, two very strange individuals, these two were. Their stories are long, and they were amazing and extraordinary, but their tales are not the stories this bard is here to tell. You see, these two very different strangers lived in two very different clans. It's what they did together that I have come to tell you, friends. Let me tell you how it all began...
Rain was a beautiful catwoman, tall and strong amongst her race. She was an odd catwoman as well, strong where others were agile in her tribe, known for acting more like a great barbarian in battle, rather than a sneaky hit and run feline, or a ranger. Oh, that isn't to say she had no stealth and was very noisy and foolish, do not misunderstand me. There are barbarians you won't know are there until their piercing war cry is shouted into your ear from behind you. Trust me, I would know. But this catwoman wasn't fast like the rest of her kin, and though she was beautiful and had her own sense of grace, she was often mocked for it. Her name was, if I recall correctly, Rexana.
Rexana did many great things for her clan. Often the golden haired lioness played an integral role in battles, clearing paths to catpeople in need with no more than a pair of iron claws, or playing the loud decoy needed to steer evil away from her tribe. She was tough enough that she could go on many solo missions around the forest they lived in, which is how she met me, and her mate. Rexana had been out investigating disturbances north of her clan when she chanced upon us.
We are, or were, bards. I still am, but I'm not sure if her mate still walks these planes, sadly enough. His name was Ragnor, whom I fondly called Raggy, an outcast of wolven society for favoring music over claws and battle. They say he was a coward, but I have seen him in battle... then again, he can definitely run like the best of them. He, too, was a bit strange for his race, beyond the bardship. Raggy had blondish-hair, rugged ears, and was most definitely not built like a wolven should be. He was agile, skinny, and distinctly reminded me more of some type of running dog than a wolf. Take no offense wolven, I am simply trying to explain. He was different, and it showed before Raggy even said a word to anyone.
Anyway, Raggy, I, and our little band had been camping in the woods when we were set upon by goblins. Nasty little buggers. We had a few guards with us, but it seems they were caught off guard by the ogre the goblins traveled with, and we found ourselves in quite the fix as goblins came swarming into our camp, shouting orders and demanding purses and women. A few of us had swords, and made them sing, alas for Romeo, he was a good dancer. Music played, and there was a grand battle we were sure we could not win, and we would play our own music, if only to be forgotten.
But it was not to be so. Raggy and I fled to a shared tent, to plot our own escapes. Surely we could break our way through the throng of goblins if we worked together (that is, break our way through being 'running as fast as we can'). But the feel of the ground shaking had us both peeking out of the tent, at which moment, sadly enough, Raggy found himself with two arrows stuck in his gut. He took it like a wolven, though he did go rather pale, lying down. I went to aid him, but he demanded I see what the commotion was (...at least, I think he demanded that.). I saw a mighty catwoman, our savior, wielding her claws, but also a mighty blade, the blade of the ogre, in fact, whom she had toppled and was even then standing upon, holding her ground against goblinkin, the ranks of which lay dead around the ogre.
It wasn't long before they fled before the feline Amazon, leaving us confused and in awe. Our heroine demanded to know who we were, and we gladly told. She looked rather grim, as we were wolven outcasts, though I myself am a human. being friends with our little troupe only made them all the more cast out, though. She turned to go, when Raggy staggered past me out of our tent, in pain and looking frustrated. A very strange look came to his face, and he stared at Lady Rexana, a strange fire in his eyes I'd never seen before. As our group began to set about salvaging what they could, I took note that Rexana and Raggy disappeared into the trees, her carrying him, apparently to tend to him. Of course, I saw yet another story, and to the trees my feet took me as I followed.
Raggy was not recieved with open arms. From the trees, I watched as Lady Rexana fought with one of the many shamans of the little village about saving him, even as Raggy was dying in her arms. Pushing past and into the healer's tent, she disappeared... but I have many tricks up my sleeve, and can still quite easily tell you what happened, friends. She wasn't very caring at first. In fact, it seemed like she was trying to hurt him more when she yanked the arrows from his stomach. I had to wonder if Raggy was to die, myself, right then and there. If so, I would, of course, have to rush in and bravely come to his aid (though I seemed to have forgotten my weapons at the camp.). But it wasn't too long before the tough catwoman was tenderly caring for Raggy, giving him potions, sealing the wound, and calling in healer's to help the wolven. Of course, they didn't want to, so Lady Rexana did a most peculiar thing.
She threatened them, that if the wolven should die, they would too. Rather reckless behavior, I must say. By then, my legs were getting cramped, so I did some fast footwork and climbing, and took up residence on top of the healer's hut. Needless to say, that got the healer's to work, and Raggy was left sleeping soundly, with not a bit of scarring. She watched over him, that no thieves would come in the dark of night, and I stole away, in search of something. A bit of a ranger myself, I established a few contacts with the elves in the area, and set them to looking about for me, for something important. When I returned, I'd had my own rest, and it was morning.
I returned to shouting and bickering, hissing and snarling. It seemed that Rexana's good deeds were now overlooked by her people, in favor of her awkwardness and her strange determination to help the wolven. A bit too determined apparently, for it was right then and there that Rexana was banished by the Elder of her clan, and told never to return. It sounded, though, that she might be allowed to if she had apologized... but of course, she didn't. She laughed at them, and she left. What was worse, was that it was raining. Not for me, mind you, as I said before, I have my share of tricks and I was used to the rain. But you could see how their fur soaked ears and tails had Raggy and Rexana looking rather depressed as they departed, the chill cold having them hugging themselves and each other.
I set my elven kin into motion, and a twig was snapped just down the trail from Rexy and Raggy. Rexana, as I had trusted she would, was fast on our heels, determined that even if exiled, she would not allow intruders about the clan. Final duty, i suppose. Of course, Raggy was dragged along, and the two chased us, with nothing us to chase, deeper and deeper into the woods, until they were quite lost. Some soft laughter led them on well enough, Rexana did so very much hate being laughed at. And so this is how we led them to their new home, a suitable cabin no one ever should have found deep in the woods. Raggy would not leave Rexana's side, she had helped him, besides, she was a heroine and no doubt full of tales to be written and told.
The two entered the cabin, Rexana first mind you, in search of the intruders, but we were 'long gone' (that is, in the trees and hidden about). We watched from afar the two lonely people, and I decided it would be best to wait until later to visit Raggy (who had been wondering where I had been when the arrows hit him. I guess he didn't tell me to see about the commotion. A simple mistake, I suppose.).