My Spiffy Splendid Career
by Amber Cartwrite
Can a little lady from the Dwarven Gold Mine Complex find true happiness in the land of the Stork Leg people"
"Yep. I was born in the far away Golden Mine Mountain Village, under the earth, far and safe in my family's keeping room. Six brothers; then me. See. my brothers were way older than me and the last of our family born; none since that time. Last of many villagers.
I used to run the cavern halls with my brothers, cousins, us all wearin' our homemade shirts, overalls and hobnailed boots, all alike. See, I was the only girl and there was no fuss on that score. Everyone of us did our part to make a living for the family and it was fun, too. We used to run through the caverns and climb up the sides of the tall places, not a care if it was a high place or not. Everything was such fun, until my brothers got old enough to go look for their fortunes. I thought I was going too, but Mum told me that young girls do not travel out in the world like that, unless they got supervision.
How come I left this happy home to go off and work for money' It was because of something my Mum and Da never told me. I am ugly. Yep; I gots a face like a tall person and ears pointy like I was some half Elven child. But I am not. I gots lots of long, curly blonde hair, not red like my folks and am kinda skinny about the waist; us folks are supposta to be kind of globe shape, especially the great beauties. Not me. I am ugly, but until I heard my parents discuss me, the thought never dawned to me. It went like this here:
"Clarissa, you know, with the boys gone, we ought to be able to go on our Grand Tour of the other villages, it's been so long." My Da was talking as him and Mum were clearing the boy's room of clutter. I could hear good because I was in my sorta room, the shelf of the hall table, under a nice long tablecloth.
"Now how long can it be? Soon one of these days, somebody will want her to meet their son..." and they both broke out laughing and said at the same identical time, "Not!"
My parents thought I was ugly, that is not like the standard of beauty the folks got here. I never cried and said nothing about this to anyone, just because it was true. My parents were stuck here, not on their grand adventures because I was still young and not a beauty. But I am smart and clever and figured out a way to make thing better, I thought.
They came marching over the hill and the whistles and drums sounded out big and loud. It was the Dwarven Census Takers! Every few centuries they hire folks to go to the cities and count up how many of the future seekers survive the ordeals, who is left living in the big city and how many are gonners. Oh, I wanted to be one of them counters, so bad! I know Dwarven language, some Drow and enough Goblin to keep outa trouble. Yep. I wanted to learn Common Talk and do sums and write in one of those scroll books!
to be continued...Dwarven Census Taker Cartwrite. My Career begins.
by Amber Cartwrite
Can a little lady from the Dwarven Gold Mine Complex find true happiness in the land of the Stork Leg people"
"Yep. I was born in the far away Golden Mine Mountain Village, under the earth, far and safe in my family's keeping room. Six brothers; then me. See. my brothers were way older than me and the last of our family born; none since that time. Last of many villagers.
I used to run the cavern halls with my brothers, cousins, us all wearin' our homemade shirts, overalls and hobnailed boots, all alike. See, I was the only girl and there was no fuss on that score. Everyone of us did our part to make a living for the family and it was fun, too. We used to run through the caverns and climb up the sides of the tall places, not a care if it was a high place or not. Everything was such fun, until my brothers got old enough to go look for their fortunes. I thought I was going too, but Mum told me that young girls do not travel out in the world like that, unless they got supervision.
How come I left this happy home to go off and work for money' It was because of something my Mum and Da never told me. I am ugly. Yep; I gots a face like a tall person and ears pointy like I was some half Elven child. But I am not. I gots lots of long, curly blonde hair, not red like my folks and am kinda skinny about the waist; us folks are supposta to be kind of globe shape, especially the great beauties. Not me. I am ugly, but until I heard my parents discuss me, the thought never dawned to me. It went like this here:
"Clarissa, you know, with the boys gone, we ought to be able to go on our Grand Tour of the other villages, it's been so long." My Da was talking as him and Mum were clearing the boy's room of clutter. I could hear good because I was in my sorta room, the shelf of the hall table, under a nice long tablecloth.
"Now how long can it be? Soon one of these days, somebody will want her to meet their son..." and they both broke out laughing and said at the same identical time, "Not!"
My parents thought I was ugly, that is not like the standard of beauty the folks got here. I never cried and said nothing about this to anyone, just because it was true. My parents were stuck here, not on their grand adventures because I was still young and not a beauty. But I am smart and clever and figured out a way to make thing better, I thought.
They came marching over the hill and the whistles and drums sounded out big and loud. It was the Dwarven Census Takers! Every few centuries they hire folks to go to the cities and count up how many of the future seekers survive the ordeals, who is left living in the big city and how many are gonners. Oh, I wanted to be one of them counters, so bad! I know Dwarven language, some Drow and enough Goblin to keep outa trouble. Yep. I wanted to learn Common Talk and do sums and write in one of those scroll books!
to be continued...Dwarven Census Taker Cartwrite. My Career begins.