((OOC: My favourite way of story telling and writing; RPing with somebody and logging it, then editing and writing it up in story form. This was RPed out in the little Troll village on the coast of Desolace. I hope you enjoy it.))
Snicka greeted Innkeeper Sikewa with a hearty hello and smiled at Ashya. The little Troll girl blushed and straigthened her traditional robe as she smiled at Snicka. "Good to see ya, Ashya." Snicka said with a slight nod of his head. "'ello Mastah Snicka," Ashya replied with a sigh as she peered around;"goo'ta see yas too. Ah laks it 'ere. Nice an'quiet lak..."
Snicka smiled. "Ya mon... dis village be very homely. No many orcs runnin' 'round. Or... blood elves."
Ashya smiled and looked away a little. "Yah, dat be a blessin'. Dem not so bad, cha? If ya show dem dere place." she added shyly. "Well... da problem be dat most of 'em don' want to be in deir place." Snicka said, rolling his shoulders and cracking his joints. Ashya nodded a little. "Ah think da problem is dat nobodeh tells to share dere place... But ya was 'ere foah summat else, cha?" she said, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh.
Snicka nodded. "Mah storeh... lak ah know it now." Ashya said, nodding at a nearby seat. Snicka sank into the chair and nodded at Ashya again. "Ya mon... tell me ev'rything ya know 'bout yaself. From da beginnin'..."
Ashya cleared her throat and bit her lips, shifting a little nervously in the hammock she had chosen to sit in. "Ah don'remembeh a lot about da earleh days. Jus'da ah was vereh 'appeh. Mah mommy was a Priest, an'mah Daddy was a huntah." she started, blushing a little. "A Priest, just lak mah new mommy.". Snicka smiled and nodded again as he reached for a tankard of ale. "Yes, jus' like good ol' Kemsha. Did ya live in Stranglethorn?"
Ashya shook her head "Ah am no'sure wot 'appened, all ah remembeh was dat one day mommy an'daddy put me in a likkle boat... wif some books. Ah remembeh... from da dreams ah had, dat dey waved at me... an'den dere was fiah from da sky.. an'a big wave... and den dey were gone..." she spoke, ending the sentence with a soft sob. Snicka reached over and patted her hand to comfort her. Ashya looked up and continued. "We lived on a likkle island. Ah remembeh da trees were a'ways green, and in da wintah we 'ad snow, lak in da hills. Da new tribe... dem was in Stranglethorn, cha. dey found me, inna likkle boat. They took me in, an'raised me... but not lak dere own."
Snicka nodded, a fierce scowl on his face "Aaaaw, dem Atal'ai. Dey worship dat devil, Hakkar.". Snicka spat on the ground after speaking the Snake God's name. "Dey called me Oceanchil'... and dey said da angry Ocean Loa 'ated me an'threw me at them, wif da big wave." Ashya continued, watching Snicka take a deep draft of his ale.
Snicka grinned a little. "Surely da Ocean Loa no be kind to ya, if she carried ya to dem Atal'ai.". Ashya frowned at Snicka. "Da Ocean Loa saved me...". Snicka raised his ale and nodded. "She didn' kill ya when she could, dat be true. But bein' an Atal'ai slave be almos' as bad as death."
"Dey was mean ta me... gave me lotsa work and beat me... onleh one dat was evah kind ta me was Ocha." Ashya said, slowly rocking back and forth in her hammock. "He gave me da book ma mommy put in da likkle boat, an'on da first page was mah name. Ashya. Ah could read dat. Ah could read lotsa words in da old book, bu'not da storeh. Bu'ah knew it was importan'... an'den dem eldah came, an'took da book. Dey beat Ocha foah givin'it to me.". Ashya shuddered and closed her eyes. "Ah spent a'most... eight years wif dem Atal'ai... an'den came da time a was becomin'da womon... Ah saw dem eldah look at me... an'den one day dem said it was time foah ma ritual."
Snicka closed his eyes in horror as Ashya continued, her voice filled with the pain of memories. "Dey said dey would do da ritual in 4 days, when da moon was full... dey dit it to all da girls. Ah often 'eard dem scream... some of dem got 'urt...an'.." she sniffled "...one of dem died once... dey said it was Hakkar's will, an'laughed...". Snicka growled as he imagined a wrinkled old troll torturing young women...
"Ocha... mah sweet Ocha... ah loved 'im so much. 'e said 'e would 'elp me. Mek me a womon, but not lak dem eldah..." Ashya said, blushing a dark purple and looked away. "..all.... gen'le lak... an'ah said yes. Ah sneaked outa da village... we met at da watehfall... Ocha 'ad brought food...an'da jungle wine an'blankets...". Snicka smiled softly and sighed. "Ah... da wata'fall o' Stranglethorn..." he spoke as Ashya bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. She swallowed and took a deep breath to continue. "Ocha kissed me... so softleh lak.... an'den dere was da angreh shout. Dah huntahs from da tribe 'ad followed me an'Ocha. Dey grabbed us... it was so 'orrible. Dey tied me an'Ocha up an'dragged us back to da village.. an'to da Pit."
Snicka tilted his head. "Da Pit?" he asked, leaning in closer as he listened. Ashya nodded slowly, her eyes closed as she shuddered. "Wot kinda monsters live in dat pit?" Snicka asked as he patted Ashya's hand gently. "Da Pit... in da middle of da village... full of snakes... nasteh poison snakes. Dey... dey tied me to da ground, at the edge of da Pit... used a sticky vine..." Ashya said as she moved her trembling fingers over her eyelids "...to tie my eyes, so ah coul'no close dem."
Snicka reeled back in horror. "An'... you 'ad to watch da snakes bitin' Ocha?" he asked, his voice trembling with barely contained fury. Ashya nodded. "Mah head was over de side of da Pit, when dey threw Ocha in da Pit. 'e cried as dem snakes bit 'im... he cried out mah name.... Lil'Pearl 'e called me.... while dey bit 'im... 'gain an'gain... until 'e died...". Ashya shivered, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs as Snicka tried to comfort her. "Ocha be alive, Ashya, don' worry. 'e migh' 'ave suffered, but 'e be brave, an' troll wounds heal easily."
Ashya nodded and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Ah know.. mah love is back wif me. Bu'ah got ta tell da storeh, cha? All of it. So yas undahstand.". Snicka nodded and sat back. "How did 'e survive, an' how did ya escape?". Ashya took a deep shuddering breath. "When Ocha stopped da movin'and da screamin', dey threw torches in da Pit, an'da snakes crept into da holes in da walls. Dey untied me, an'made me get his bodeh out of da Pit. Dey made me carreh his bodeh... mah love... to da beach. An'ah had ta bureh 'im on da beach, foah da wild animals to eat, a place of dishono'. Ah cried as dey made me dig da hole wif ma hands, cried foah Ocha... prayed to da Ocean Loa to 'elp 'is soul... when ah was done, dey took me to da village, an'said dey would do da ritual dat night. No waitin' foah da full moon."
Ashya pulled her legs inside the hammock and hugged her knees as she stared off into the distance, the setting sun giving her face a fierce orange glow. "Ah cried an'fought, but dem was to strong foah me. Dey tied mah legs to da stone altar, an'two huntah was 'olding ma 'ands. D-dey used a knife to cut off ma kilt an'... an' tore of mah shirt an'da necklace Ocha gave me.... threw dem inna fiah...". Ashya let out a shuddering sigh. "Dey 'eld me, an'da Voodoo chief came... 'e was all naked... an'painted to look lak Hakkar, scales all ovah 'is bodeh. Ah... ah closed mah eyes an'sta'ted to pray.. ask da Loa to stop da pain... da pain in mah 'eart an'da pain dat was ta come..."
Ashya stared into the setting sun. her eyes unblinking and her voice suddenly bland and emotionless. "Da Voodoo Chief... 'e took me... an'den dey took turns... all'a dem... Dem took all night. Dey made da othah gi'ls Watch, so dem would see wot 'appens to gi'ls dat tries ta run... In da mornin' ah 'eared dem Witch Doctah talk 'mong demselves, sayin'dey was ta kill me when da Voodoo Priest 'ad me... one last time."
Ashya suddenly turned to Snicka, half smiling "Ah.... ah a'ways think ah sound silleh when ah tell dis part... But.... dere was dis voice.... lak...". Ashya tilted her head and peered at Snicka. "Snicka...? 'ave ya evah walked in da Jungle, all quiet lak... an'den dere's suddenly wind? An'it sounds lak da voices?". Snicka nodded, his voice soft as he answered. "Ya mon... da voodoo spirits whisperin'. I sometimes heard 'em when scouting through da Isles... when I been a young Stalker."
"It was lak dat... a voice... lak da wind, da Air Loa... tellin'me not ta be 'fraid." Ashya said, looking at Snicka again. "Does dat sound silleh?". Snicka shook his head. "Da voice asked me, if ah wanted to be free... an'ah said yah... ah wants. An'den mah hands... dey started tinglin'...". Snicka nodded knowingly. "Go on..". Ashya took a deep breath. "Da Voodoo chief was readeh... touchin'me... readeh to... do da ritual... da las'time.. 'e held mah bruised legs... an'den... da lightnin'came... mah hands... dey burned da huntahs... Dey let go of me, screamin'... da Voodoo chief shouted and threw 'imself on top of me... try to do wot 'e wan'ed to do. Bu'ah pushed 'im away. 'e came at me 'gain... mah ankles were lak.. tied to da rock... an''e was grinnin'... an'lak.... rubbin'imself...". Ashya shuddered, her eyes closed as she blushed a dark shade of purple. "So ah called da Air Loa... an'da big lighnin'grew in mah 'ands... An'ah shot da big ball of lightnin'... lak... right... ya know... uhm..."
Snicka nodded. "Yes, I be knowin' wot it be like, when da Windtalkah calls da lightnin'. Den wot?". Ashya blushed and nodded shyly towards Snicka's groin. "Ah shot da lightnin'... right innah thingy...". Snicka closed his legs quickly as Ashya giggled shyly. "Da ba'tard deserved it." he muttered as Ashya sat in her hammock and swayed slightly, and continued her tale. "Da Priest... 'e screamed so 'ard... ah used more lightnin'tom cut da ropes an'ah ran... ran 'way from dem. Ah ran into da Jungle... found a place ta hide when da huntah came foah me. Da next mo'ning ah went to da beach to find Ocha, give his bodeh a propah grave. Bu'when ah came dere, his bodeh was gone. Der was animal tracks all 'round, so ah thought da beast 'ad taken 'im."
"You didn' see troll footprints 'round 'im den?" Snicka asked softly "I mean... 'is place.". Ashya smiles shyly at Snicka. "Ah am no huntah, Snicka." she replied with a sigh "Ah spend lotsa time cryin'... but dat got bettah.. ah found more powah in da Loa, learned to use da lightnin'to fish, so ah could eat. Sumtimes ah would sneak into da village to steal likkle things, lak clothes. Ah tried ta steal back da book mah mommy left foah me, bu'ah couldn't.. Mebbeh, sumday...". Ashya let out a long, drawn-out sigh.."Ah did well, foah a'most two years lak."
"So ya survived in da jungle?" Snicka asked, shifting his big frame around as he sank back in his seat. Ashya nodded. "Bu'one day, da big raptah called Tethis got me. 'e chased me foah hours, until ah coul'run no moah. She got me... pinned me down to da groun'... ah cried... An'ah... ah was kin'a 'appeh...". Snicka raised an eyebrow. "Happy?". Ashya nodded a little, blushing. "Ah was so ti'ed.... an'ah was gonna see mah Ocha 'gain. Bu'den Miss 'boppity came. Dunno if she killed Tethis. Ah... ah kin'a passed out. Bu'when ah woke up, ah was onna airship."
Snicka grinned and slapped his thigh. "Airship? Like dat one da gobbos run?". Ashya nodded again and pointed at her robe. "Miss 'boppity 'ad cleaned mah cuts, and wrapped me in dis robe, an' she took me to Sen'jin. Den she asked Kemsha... mah mommy to look aftah me. Jus'cause, she knew more 'bout trolls den she did.". Snicka grumbled a little. "Yeah... I rememba'... dat been da time when Kemsha tried to make things up between me an' Tee."
Ashya nodded, raising her hand to her mouth as she yawned. "Ah tell yas da rest latah, cha? Gotta sleep... now... she muttered as she slumped in the hammock and closed her eyes. Within seconds she was snoring softly. Snicka got up slowly, chuckling softly as he pulled on of the blankets over the sleeping girl. "G'night mah likkle Oceanchild." he spoke softly as he snuck out of the room.
***To be continued...***
Subject: Ashya tells Snicka all...