I was born on the outskirts of Britain to the most wonderful parents in the world. My father is a blacksmith who makes the finest weapons is Britannia. Since I could walk, I spent as much time as I could in my father’s smithy learning how to make weapons and how to use them. My mother is an accomplished musician who taught me to play the lute fluently.

Upon my 10th birthday, my father offered to make me a custom made weapon for my birthday. I had to choose one weapon that I would be trained to use and make a part of me. I thought long and hard about this. I finally decided on the bow. It is a very quick and efficient weapon. Archery had always appealed to me. As soon as my bow was ready, a friend of my father’s trained me daily for the next few months how to use a bow and literally make it an extension of my arm. I am proud to say that I am quite proficient, but I knew I did not know everything about archery yet.

I spent the next 8 years making money by lumberjacking and making bows and arrows. Also practicing with my bow as often as I could. On occasion my best friend, Timber, and I would adventure through the woods hunting small animals. Timbers favorite weapon was an axe. Which worked out good because I would shoot birds with my bow and he could collect the feathers or me and we would feast on the meat over a small campfire.

Life was good and I enjoyed being in the forest with the wind softly blowing through the trees and the quiet serenity all around me. That until tragedy struck. This is still painful to talk about, but the story needs to be told.

One day Timber and I were adventuring in the woods, talking and laughing together, when we were set upon by thieves. I was shocked at first because we were still close to town and thieves don’t usually venture into this area. Timber immediately went on the offensive. I tried to warn him quietly, but he was so intent on the thieves that his attention was solely on them. The knaves asked us for our purses and weapons. I opened my mouth to speak when Timber took a swing at the leader with his ax. Before I could hardly blink, Timber lay dead at my feet, his head separated from his shoulder by such a deft swing of a halberd that I was astounded. Then I was struck on the back of the head with a blunt object. I fell to my knees then onto my face in the soft grass. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard someone say in a raspy voice, “Drake will be pleased.”

Later I awakened slowly with a massive pounding in my head and my eyes felt as though someone were trying to poke them out. I realized that it was only sunlight in my eyes. I lay still for a long time listening to the occasional chirping of a bird. I must a slept because I awoke later and my eyes no longer hurt though my head was still pounding slightly. I opened my eyes ever so slowly and saw that it was night and there was a canopy of stars above me.

I tried sitting up which was ok. Standing was another thing; my legs immediately crumpled. I saw a large tree nearby so I crawled on my hand and knees over to it and leaned up against it and closed my eyes. I knew that rest and sleep were the best medicine for me.

When I woke next, it was morning and my head only hurt slightly it I turned my head too fast. I looked around and discovered that I was not far from where the attack had occurred. I stood and walked between two rocks and around a tree and stopped abruptly which did not help me headache any. I was shocked to see my bow and Timber’s ax on the ground next to a large blood stain. “Where was Timber’s body?” I wondered. Maybe it was a dream; no, my head still hurt and the memory was still too fresh to have been a dream. It had been nightmare, a real nightmare.

I bent down to pick up the bow and ax and saw something shiny half buried in the grass. It was a communication crystal. Ah, this could help me find whoever was responsible for Timber’s death. I picked it up and put it in my pocket and headed toward home.

As I walked, I vowed to find who had slain my best friend and why. I would bide my time and watch my back until I could bring the fiend to justice…or death, whichever is more expedient.

So I continue quietly searching for Drake and working with my brothers and sisters of the Order of the Crescent Moon.