Lady Saebra Skye Ansein

Orphaned and not knowing the identity of her parentage, Saebra Skye Ansien grew up under the care of a gameskeeper and his wife. Although they treated her well enough, there was no love involved with her aging benefactors. It was as if they only took care of her as a charge given to them. When Saebra turned fifteen she was given a silver dragon's head pendant, two rubies were its eyes. Neither Garen Kaul, nor Adea, his wife, would tell her where the pendant was from, only that it was her legacy when she came of age.

Saebra's life was not an easy one. She worked hard for her foster parents. Helping Adea in the morning with household chores and Garen in the evening with curing and tanning hides of whatever game he was allowed by Baron Vestavia, whose lands were protected from the ever present poachers by Garen.

Other than her days being filled with a plethora of chores to attend to, her nights were completed with lying in front of a dying fire in the hearth. Adea would be tending to the never ending sewing off to one side in a chair padded with various furs, making new clothing or repairing old. Garen would be off to the other side smoking his pipe, the scent of wild berry tobacco hanging in the air. A wreath of smoke would encircle his gradually balding head. His old, but keen sighted eyes would be closed, lost deep in his private revery. Saebra, herself, would also be lost in wonderings of her real parents and what life would have been like with them. A delicate, diminutive finger tracing over the eyes of the dragon pendant.

On days when Adea had no chores for her, Saebra would go out with Garen on his rounds. He showed her the ways of the wild animals and how to track them. He taught her how to fish for the wiley trout. Showing her the best fishing holes to find them. Saebra was proving to be adept at understanding animal behavior beyond what Garen taught her.

She also had become highly skilled with a bow, saber, and dagger. Although her long skirts sometimes hampered her parries, Saebra was now defeating Garen more often in their mock battles, to which Garen would let slip the rare smile that played across his face when she did get the best of him.

What little time she had for herself she spent alone. She filled the time teaching herself to read and write, using books she had purchased with her small allowance from a travelling peddler in the village. It was on one of these days, while she was out in the woods studying these tomes, that five men came to the home of Garen and Adea. They cold bloodedly murdered the two, leaving the bodies lying where they had died in the front yard. Garen had been unarmed, having been taken completely by surprise it seemed.

It had taken Saebra many months to seek out the murderers and kill them one by one. Always telling them who she was and charging them for their crime before slicing through their throats. Unlike the murderers, Saebra went to each man's family and presented them with a small bag of gold. She blamed herself for not being around when Garen and Adea were murdered and could not handle anymore guilt by leaving the dead men's families without compensation.

After Saebra had avenged her foster parents' deaths, she sought out employment. She found work in one of the larger towns as a serving wench at the "Black Wolf Inn". It was the largest and most luxurious inn within the county. The owner, whom she had never met, had gone all out to make it a grand place. Barons, nobles, and royalty were wont to stay there. Some only staying overnight as they travelled to other places. Others staying on for weeks as they preferred its hospitalities while doing long term business dealings in neighboring counties.

Saebra had been given quarters by the innkeeper, Shane O'Grady, at the inn. Although it was but a small room, it offered her great comfort.

It was here, at the "Black Wolf Inn" that Saebra met a man. A man who changed her life....

Continued in "Lord Mikael Redmond" .