Alanna

At first, she lived mostly by being motionless. By being exquisitely still, she would escape their notice, be overlooked. Shadows and niches were her allies and she used them ruthlessly.

She remembers a time when she didn’t have to be quiet. She remembers shouting and running. She remembers bright colors; colors other than the ever present red and black. The trees weren’t frightening, then.

Now, she stays still and wary. She has learned that climbing high above their heads into the trees means they can’t see her.

She doesn’t know of her future, what it holds, what she will become.

She can’t imagine what’s coming.

She’s only ten, and scared, and hiding. 

Today is game day. I have a semimonthly gaming group – we meet every other Sunday for our tabletop RPG.  We’ve been meeting as a group for going on fifteen years, now. The longest running adventure is our 2nd ed DnD game. Currently, we are poised on the very lip of the Underdark with the intent to go in and wipe out everything that moves.

Some of the characters might have issues with the Drow.

Might.

I’ve been running Alanna – currently a level 15 (warrior)/17 (thief) – for most of the time I’ve been gaming in Austin. And, while I have a firm grasp on her past, written her backstory, etc., I’ve never sat down and fictionalized it.

I should.

It’s a good story.

But, I don’t have time this morning. I’ve got to cook up some taco meat¹, gather my gaming gear, and head into town.

There’s Drow ass that needs whuppin’, y’see.

 

 

 

 

¹ – As “grown up” gamers, we tend to make actual food for these get togethers, instead of subsisting on cheesy poufs and Mountain Dew. As foodies, we tend to make feasts. Today is Taco Bar day.