Cerda had only know servitude all her life. Her earliest memory was of the portly man she only knew as "sir" telling her how her parents had abandoned her. Her father was an elf and her mother was a human and they couldn't stand having a dirty half breed such as her. That was what was drilled into her mind from her earliest memory.
She wanted not to believe it, but, here she was, working for a disgusting fat human. Any deep dive she tried into her history was only met with disgust from sir: "Your dad's people could accept a human, but not a dirty half breed. So, if your parents wanted to live happily ever after, they had to leave you. Which is what they did." So, Cerda lived her life believing her parents wanted nothing to do with her.
Due her small stature, she was tasked with cleaning all the hard to reach areas of sir's house and barn. Sir had other servants, but Cerda was the only one small enough to clean out areas the others could not reach.
While she did hate working for the disgusting pig of a man that sir was, he provided her with the only sense of stability she had ever known. She was allowed to sleep on piles of hay in the barn and eat the scraps that were refused by the lowest of sir's servants. Cerda was happy to receive these meager scraps. This went on for some time. Cerda had worked for sir from as early as she could remember up until now. In human years it had been over 20 years, but being half elf, Cerda was still a kid.
Then it finally happened. Cerda had hit puberty for an elf. Sir started to begin to show her more and more attention. She had an inkling of what was going on, but, due to the circumstance, didn't want to rock the boat. A horrible place to stay was still a place to stay. After several days of subverting sir's advances he had apparently had enough. He followed her into the barn that she called home in addition to all the animals of sir's possession.
She turned just in time for sir to pin her against the wall. "You've grown into quite the woman." Sir said as she attempted to duck under his arms. He grabbed her by the chin and slung her into the barn wall. "Come on, you know you owe me for letting you exist on my land. It's time for you to pay me back."
Cerda's eyes grew wide as she stared at him, knowing what he meant. While she was taught to not dare defy sir, her base instincts to scream that this would not end well for her. She attempted to push past him, but he grabbed her by the neck and threw her against the wall. "I said, you owe me!" He exclaimed as he squeezed tighter on her throat.
Suddenly, something in her snapped. In one swift motion, she grabbed his dagger from his belt and stabbed the blade up into his chin. "I, owe, no one." She said as she watched his eyes widened in horror and pain. She held the dagger deep into his chin, as his blood and life slowly drained from his face.
She watched as his eyes widened and then slowly fell lifeless as his body slid to the floor. At first, she was elated that she was free from sir, but the realization of her situation quickly hit her. She had killed her master and, being a half breed, she would never get a fair trial. She quickly ran to the barn and saddled up the first horse she saw. On the wall of the bar hung a short bow and a quiver of 10 arrows that she grabbed and equipped. She tucked the dagger in her waist, slung the bow over her shoulder along with the quiver of arrows and took off in the distance.
Several days later she had abandoned her horse as she had no way to feed it. Luckily, her elf instincts had allowed her to hunt and cook and stay alive, but just barley. After a few days of barley avoiding starvation, she heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. She had managed to wander near a small dirt trail. Hungry and desperate, Cerda climbed the closest tree that hung over the trail. She watched as the single rider galloped slowly towards her. This was her chance, she would get to eat well and get some easy coin. As the rider rode their horse underneath the tree, Cerda attempted to dropped quickly onto the rider and their horse. However, Cerda's aim was slightly off, and she hit the hard trail just behind the rider. She looked up as she saw him stop, but then slowly faded into unconsciousness.
Cerda awoke to being slung over a horse who was galloping to an unknown location. "You're a horrible thief." The rider said. "You fell right behind me and knocked yourself out. I'll let the Sheriff decide your fate." Cerda tried to fight, but she was tied up tight. So she just allowed herself to be taken to the city to see the Sheriff. At least in jail she would be fed and sheltered.
After what seemed like an eternity, they had arrived at the city. The man kicked Cerda off his horse unceremoniously right in front of the Sheriff's office. "Take care of this trash." The man screamed as he rode off. The sheriff slowly walked out off the building and eyeballed Cerda. "What do we have here?" He helped her into the building and sat her down in front of his desk. "So, what'd you do?" He asked with a grin. Cerda, just started back at him. "Ok, the silent type." He said. "Well, here's the deal." The sheriff said. "If you were caught by that jackass," He gestured in the direction of the man who had dropped her off, "You're a special type of stupid. He's half an idiot. So, here's my deal for you" he started.
Something about the girl reminded him of his daughter. He saw the desperation and fear in her eyes an elf this far out on their own was either an outcast or out seeking fortune and Cerda didn't look like the fortune seeking type. "You can leave my town, it's only 30 minutes north of here." He pointed north, Or, you go talk to your people in the Eagle's Tavern. There's an elf there that should be able to get you away from me." He gestured in a direction. "So, you can leave town," He gestured to the left. "It's 30 minutes. While going to the tavern is only 5 minutes away and you can see your people. Either get out of my town or learn to adapt."
Cerda looked at him for a moment before realizing he meant what he said. He walked over to her and cut her free of her bonds. She slowly left the building, picked up her meager equipment and headed towards the direction of the tavern. After a few minutes of walking, the smell of food started to permeate the air. Cerad's stomach began to fold in knots at the smell. Slowly she began to gravitate to towards the tavern until she arrive at the front door. She hesitated for a second before opening it.
She wanted not to believe it, but, here she was, working for a disgusting fat human. Any deep dive she tried into her history was only met with disgust from sir: "Your dad's people could accept a human, but not a dirty half breed. So, if your parents wanted to live happily ever after, they had to leave you. Which is what they did." So, Cerda lived her life believing her parents wanted nothing to do with her.
Due her small stature, she was tasked with cleaning all the hard to reach areas of sir's house and barn. Sir had other servants, but Cerda was the only one small enough to clean out areas the others could not reach.
While she did hate working for the disgusting pig of a man that sir was, he provided her with the only sense of stability she had ever known. She was allowed to sleep on piles of hay in the barn and eat the scraps that were refused by the lowest of sir's servants. Cerda was happy to receive these meager scraps. This went on for some time. Cerda had worked for sir from as early as she could remember up until now. In human years it had been over 20 years, but being half elf, Cerda was still a kid.
Then it finally happened. Cerda had hit puberty for an elf. Sir started to begin to show her more and more attention. She had an inkling of what was going on, but, due to the circumstance, didn't want to rock the boat. A horrible place to stay was still a place to stay. After several days of subverting sir's advances he had apparently had enough. He followed her into the barn that she called home in addition to all the animals of sir's possession.
She turned just in time for sir to pin her against the wall. "You've grown into quite the woman." Sir said as she attempted to duck under his arms. He grabbed her by the chin and slung her into the barn wall. "Come on, you know you owe me for letting you exist on my land. It's time for you to pay me back."
Cerda's eyes grew wide as she stared at him, knowing what he meant. While she was taught to not dare defy sir, her base instincts to scream that this would not end well for her. She attempted to push past him, but he grabbed her by the neck and threw her against the wall. "I said, you owe me!" He exclaimed as he squeezed tighter on her throat.
Suddenly, something in her snapped. In one swift motion, she grabbed his dagger from his belt and stabbed the blade up into his chin. "I, owe, no one." She said as she watched his eyes widened in horror and pain. She held the dagger deep into his chin, as his blood and life slowly drained from his face.
She watched as his eyes widened and then slowly fell lifeless as his body slid to the floor. At first, she was elated that she was free from sir, but the realization of her situation quickly hit her. She had killed her master and, being a half breed, she would never get a fair trial. She quickly ran to the barn and saddled up the first horse she saw. On the wall of the bar hung a short bow and a quiver of 10 arrows that she grabbed and equipped. She tucked the dagger in her waist, slung the bow over her shoulder along with the quiver of arrows and took off in the distance.
Several days later she had abandoned her horse as she had no way to feed it. Luckily, her elf instincts had allowed her to hunt and cook and stay alive, but just barley. After a few days of barley avoiding starvation, she heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. She had managed to wander near a small dirt trail. Hungry and desperate, Cerda climbed the closest tree that hung over the trail. She watched as the single rider galloped slowly towards her. This was her chance, she would get to eat well and get some easy coin. As the rider rode their horse underneath the tree, Cerda attempted to dropped quickly onto the rider and their horse. However, Cerda's aim was slightly off, and she hit the hard trail just behind the rider. She looked up as she saw him stop, but then slowly faded into unconsciousness.
Cerda awoke to being slung over a horse who was galloping to an unknown location. "You're a horrible thief." The rider said. "You fell right behind me and knocked yourself out. I'll let the Sheriff decide your fate." Cerda tried to fight, but she was tied up tight. So she just allowed herself to be taken to the city to see the Sheriff. At least in jail she would be fed and sheltered.
After what seemed like an eternity, they had arrived at the city. The man kicked Cerda off his horse unceremoniously right in front of the Sheriff's office. "Take care of this trash." The man screamed as he rode off. The sheriff slowly walked out off the building and eyeballed Cerda. "What do we have here?" He helped her into the building and sat her down in front of his desk. "So, what'd you do?" He asked with a grin. Cerda, just started back at him. "Ok, the silent type." He said. "Well, here's the deal." The sheriff said. "If you were caught by that jackass," He gestured in the direction of the man who had dropped her off, "You're a special type of stupid. He's half an idiot. So, here's my deal for you" he started.
Something about the girl reminded him of his daughter. He saw the desperation and fear in her eyes an elf this far out on their own was either an outcast or out seeking fortune and Cerda didn't look like the fortune seeking type. "You can leave my town, it's only 30 minutes north of here." He pointed north, Or, you go talk to your people in the Eagle's Tavern. There's an elf there that should be able to get you away from me." He gestured in a direction. "So, you can leave town," He gestured to the left. "It's 30 minutes. While going to the tavern is only 5 minutes away and you can see your people. Either get out of my town or learn to adapt."
Cerda looked at him for a moment before realizing he meant what he said. He walked over to her and cut her free of her bonds. She slowly left the building, picked up her meager equipment and headed towards the direction of the tavern. After a few minutes of walking, the smell of food started to permeate the air. Cerad's stomach began to fold in knots at the smell. Slowly she began to gravitate to towards the tavern until she arrive at the front door. She hesitated for a second before opening it.