Drusilia Naïlo: The Making of a Watchman

[Drusilia Nailo]

Drusilia Naïlo: The Making of a Watchman

Okay, I'm doing this at DrN's request, so if you don't like it, it's all his fault! (If you love it, then of course, it's all me.) These stories that I will be posting are written from the point of view of my character in drnuncheon's Freeport Storyhour, Drusilia Naïlo. In the Freeport Storyhour, she is on the Freeport City Watch, much to the surprise and chagrin of her father, notorious crimelord Tensin Naïlo. These stories explore Dru's childhood, and her relationship with her father. I hope that you find them enjoyable!

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

Rain furiously pounded down onto the streets, soaking the hooded and cloaked figures to the skin. The largest of the figures, a surprisingly tall elf, cursed as he tried not to jostle the small child that he was carrying. He paused, standing up to his ankles in rainwater. "Drusilia, how are you holding up?"

The elven child stared at him from beneath the oversized cloak was draped over her. Her large blue eyes were frightened, and she bit her lower lip in an obvious attempt to keep from crying. "Why can't I stay at the Carter Street house anymore? Where's my Papa?"

The other two cloaked figures had stopped, and were looking at the pair. "Come, Kennic," said a female voice, impatiently. "We don't have the time to stop and coddle the girl. We've got to get her to safety."

Kennic sighed, hugging the child to his chest briefly, and then started trudging through the street again. "Celia is right, Drusilia," he said quietly. "We have to get you to a safer place."

After moving through the outskirts of the Old City, the foursome crossed over into the Merchant's District. Kennic breathed an audible sigh of relief. "It ought to be safer now."

The woman nodded. "Still, let's get to our destination first..."

They moved, more quickly now that they were walking in streets that had superior drainage. Shops gave way to houses, and finally, they reached the city's rather well-known Street of Flowers. They ran up the walk to one of the houses on it, a fine two-story structure, made rough-hewn stone and covered with ivy tendrils. Kennic was just raising his fist to knock, when the door swung open.

"Thank all the gods that you're here," said the woman standing there. She was also an elf, and was dressed expensively in silks and pearls. Gesturing for them to come in, she closed the door behind them, shutting the sound of the rain outside. "I had begun to fear that you had been ambushed."

Kennic set Drusilia onto the floor, and the little girl stood blinking up at the adults around her. She was completely swathed in a man-sized cloak, which obscured anything resembling arms or legs.

"I want to go home," she said, quietly.

The woman tsked at her, efficiently removing the rain-soaked cloak. "Now, wishing for things that won't happen is a waste of time," she said. She led the little girl out of the main room, and took her to the side parlor. "Amuse yourself in here," she said. "We adults have some things that we need to talk about."

The door closed, leaving Drusilia in the room alone. The elven girl didn't waste any time trying to obey the elder's commands, and instead, moved swiftly and quietly back to the door. She cracked it, poking her head around the corner, and listened.

The voices were hushed, but were not impossible to hear.

"...targeting Tensin's properties..."

"I think they're trying to kidnap the girl. The attack on the Carter Street house was no accident. It might be leverage against Tensin. Everyone knows she is his weak point, if he has one..."

"We've got to keep her safe. Does anyone know where Tensin is? Is he safe?"

Drusilia closed the door again, almost wishing that she hadn't heard. Papa, in danger? Even the fact that she was in danger herself didn't bother her as much. She curled up on the satin and lace sofa, wishing that she was with Papa, safe at the Carter Street house.

 

[DiFier]

I was wondering if I was ever gonna see these stories. Kinda makes me want to start writing stuff about Di'Fier

 

[Sniktch]

Good start, I really enjoyed the child's viewpoint of the situation. Keep going!

 

[drnuncheon]

I was wondering if I was ever gonna see these stories. Kinda makes me want to start writing stuff about Di'Fier

Do it! Any help/review/editing/whatever you need, Mel & I will be happy to give. And I suspect that the FSH readers will more than happily check yours out too...

J

 

[Jon Potter]

I suspect that the FSH readers will more than happily check yours out too...

You got that right!!

I love this kind of stuff. It's great to see players that think enough about their character's to invent not only backgrounds but actual snippets of their lives in story form. In my group, I have one or two who do this and I eat it up (and reward it generously with xp).

And why is it that bad things always happen during the rainy season?

 

[drnuncheon]

And why is it that bad things always happen during the rainy season?

Hmm.

Attack on Tensin - rainy season.

Sea Lord tries to summon extradimensional horrors to drive the city mad - dry season.

Underworld war with the Dragon's Claw - rainy season.

Our Heros captured and sold into slavery - dry season.

Clearly, the rainy season is the season of turf wars, probably because all the criminals get cabin fever.

J
that's my story and I'm sticking to it

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

Despite her worry, Drusilia was eventually able to calm herself enough to trance. At least, she must have, because she began to feel her body twitch into awareness several hours later. Warm sunlight bathed her skin. Opening her eyes, she found herself still in that parlor that she had been taken to the other night. Papa was sitting in a chair across the room from her, reading a book.

Without even looking at her, he said, "Ah good. Drusilia, it is time that you and I had a talk." He snapped the book shut, and crossed the room, setting it down on a table. Turning around, he folded his arms across his chest.

Dru hopped to her feet. "Papa!" She felt relief flood through her, and she ran across the room, throwing herself at his legs. He sighed, lifting her up so that she was at eye level with him.

"Did you like being taken through the streets during monsoon season last night?"

She blinked at him, confused by this line of questioning. "No, Papa..."

He nodded. "Good girl. How would you like to learn to defend yourself?"

She stared at him. "I thought you said that I had to wait until I was older."

Tensin nodded, staring back at her. "I know. I changed my mind," he said simply. Then, seeming to think better of his answer, he explained further. "Some people in Freeport have decided that they don't like elves controlling as much of the city's business as we do. At least... elves that do not fawn over the human lords. I do not want for those people to hurt you, in an attempt to hurt me. Do you understand?"

Drusilia nodded, solemnly. There was no level that the humans would not sink to. She knew this for a fact, because Papa had told her himself. "You don't want for the humans to hurt me, so that they aren't able to hurt you."

There was a moment of silence, and then Tensen's mouth quirked up into a smirk. "Close enough."

He put her down on the ground, and scowled at the dress that she had been wearing since yesterday. "Go tell Suina to get you out of that ridiculous piece of fluff and into something sensible. Tell her that you are going to learn to kill someone with a dagger, and don't want to bleed on your dress."

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

First Lesson

Her arms hurt. They were a mass of gashes, some deep, some not. But all of them hurt. The blood was starting to congeal, creating itchy scabs. Drusilia tried not to cry, biting down hard on her lower lip. When the tears started to form anyway, she growled in disgust. She threw the dagger down to the ground. "I hate you," she said to it, her voice quavering. It had failed her.

She heard the door open, and Kennic's voice called out into the garden, "Drusilia, come in for dinner."

Drusilia scowled, wiping her tears away with bloodied hands. "I'm coming, Kennic," she said, casting one more venomous look at the dagger, before leaving it there in the moonlight.

She went into the house with a heavy sigh, ashamed.

Kennic stared at her. "Gods," he said, sitting down. "He said that he went hard on you, but..." He sighed, and held his arms out. "Come here, Drusilia," he said gently.

The gentleness of his tone was all it took to make her cry in earnest. She ran to him and flung herself into his arms, sobbing. "He-he cut me all over," she said. "He said that my enemies wouldn't go easy on me, so neither would he."

Kennic tightened his hold on her. "There, there," he said. "You survived, anyway."

Drusilia started sobbing harder. "But I won't! I couldn't stop him! I couldn't stop anyone from hurting me. Not ever."

He was quiet for a moment, and then started chuckling. "Drusilia. You are so very young. Most children your age have never touched a weapon, let alone used it. You did well for your first lesson. Tensin himself said so."

Drusilia sniffed, pulling back so that she could look at Kennic's face. "Really? He said that?"

"Don't tell him that I told you so," said Kennic, his eyes twinkling.

"Too late," came a voice, Papa's, from the doorway. "I caught you at it." His tone was neutral, but neither Kennic nor Drusilia missed the glint of humor in his eyes.

Drusilia glared at him, suddenly remembering that she was angry with her heartless father.

Papa nodded to her. "Where's your dagger?"

Drusilia felt a moment's embarrassment, for leaving it untended in the garden, but resolved that she wasn't going to show him that. "I threw it away," she said, jutting her chin out stubbornly.

Papa pulled the dagger, her dagger, out of his cloak, and set it on the table. "I saw that," he said mildly, crossing the room and sitting in one of the chairs. "And thought that it showed that we needed to have a talk."

Drusilia scratched at her arms, not mollified in the least. "About what?"

"Your lesson. As Kennic said, I was pleased with your progress. But I get the impression that you are less than pleased. Why?"

"You cut me."

Papa glanced at Kennic, and then said, "Kennic, a moment alone with my daughter, please?"

Kennic nodded stiffly, clearly not happy with Papa either, and left the room.

Papa turned back to Drusilia. "My daughter will not be weak. We are beginning your training now so that you will always be strong." He leaned forward, capturing her with his gaze. "Part of being strong is knowing what to expect from pain, and acting anyway."

Drusilia frowned, but moved closer to him. "What do you mean?"

"Many a young fighter is undone the first time he gets hurt. The first time someone sneaks past his guard and cuts him. If you've already been cut, you won't be surprised, and unable to act, when it happens."

As much as Drusilia hated to admit it, she could see the wisdom in his words. "So you cut me to get me used to being hurt?"

Papa nodded. "In part. It also teaches you how to fight. You won't make as many mistakes if you know that you are going to be hurt if you do."

Drusilia sighed, sitting down. "I don't think that I did very good tonight, no matter what you say."

Papa shrugged. "If this had been a real fight, you would have died. But it wasn't, so you will live another day to learn more. Everyone has to start somewhere, and this is your starting point."

"Alright," said Drusilia with a heavy sigh.

With a tiny smile, Papa reached inside of his cloak again. "When you are older, you should not expect to be coddled like this, but for now -" he held out a tiny vial. "Drink this. It will make you feel much better."

Drusilia drank, unquestioningly, and stared at the wounds on her arms as they knitted themselves closed. "Thank you Papa," she said, breathlessly.

"You will meet me in the garden again tomorrow afternoon, for your second lesson," he said, rising to his feet. "Now. Kennic and I are going out. Celia will be guarding you. See to it that she gives you a bath."

Drusilia nodded, and watched her father stride from the room. "Good night, Papa," she said, too quietly for him to hear.

 

[Jon Potter]

Re: First Lesson

"When you are older, you should not expect to be coddled like this, but for now -" he held out a tiny vial. "Drink this. It will make you feel much better."

Drusilia drank, unquestioningly, and stared at the wounds on her arms as they knitted themselves closed.

Yeah. When she's older she has to buy her own!

And I must say that with a father like Tensin, it's easy to see why Dru is somewhat... anti-social. Lovely write-up, however. No matter how disturbing the father-daughter relationship is.