Ihriel

       
      Ihriel is a small gnome, barely three feet tall. She is very quiet, 
for a gnome. She tries to get along with the rest of the world. She grew 
up in a tiny village called Stone Rose, near Yaet's Hold, he eldest 
daughter of a family of eight. All her life she heard stories about Asp 
and Freg, but it was the stories about Freg that caught and held her 
attention. 
      Her mother, Morgan Espoir, would send her to her grandmother's with
baskets of bread and sweetings every Shadowday. Her grandmother, Cora 
Oldensteen, would tell her tales of the gnomes at Yaet's hold and how they
got to be there. She told her tales of the leader of the Torched Clan, 
and his compatriot, Asp. Ihriel was enraptured by the stories and on her 
sixteenth birthday decided that she would follow in her heros' footsteps. 
She asked her father, Natya for his permission to study Wizardry. Her 
father was saddened by this news. He had wanted her to become a carpenter 
like himself. She had shown considerable skill in the art. Her heart was 
set, however and her father, seeing this, allowed her to become a mage. 
He sent a message to Yaet's Hold asking for a mage who needed an 
apprentice. 
      One spring day in Ketralki, a message came from the Hold. There was
an elderly mage there who needed an apprentice, but he didn't have long 
to live. Natya told this to his daughter. She told her father that she 
would have to consider it. 
      The next day she had her meager possessions in a small bag and said 
good-bye to her mother, father and her two grandmothers and her 
grandfather. She left with the messenger leaving for Yaet's hold, to see 
the elderly mage about her apprenticeship. 
      They arrived at Yaet's hold a few days later. Ihriel went looking 
for her new master, Gavril Featherhill. He was indeed an elderly mage. He 
was a head and a half taller than Ihriel. She was a little frightened of 
him at first, but found him to be a gentle master. She was given a small 
room in the attic. At first he would have her making his meals, cleaning 
his small house and her own room. But soon he had her lighting candles 
with her own magic power. She was amazed by her powers of magic.
      For two years she studied with Gavril, and often he called her, 
"My Dawn's light". She was adored by and adored her master. She learned 
more of The Torched Clan, Asp and Freg. She yearned to join their ranks, 
but knew she could not leave the side of her master. Gavril, like most 
mages, knew of his own death. He didn't tell Ihriel of this, for he knew 
what heartache it would cause her. He began to grow distant from his 
young apprentice, as he counted the days to his demise. Ihriel was 
distressed at the growing gulf between her and her master. She cooked his
favorite dishes, mended his clothing and did all of the chores he asked 
of her in silence. She never complained and never questioned his bidding. 
      Around the time of her birthday, she woke as usual, and began her 
chores, though by this time with a heavy heart. Her master was distant 
and aloof, and would barely speak to her. His tasks were hard and his 
discipline harder. She went into his bedroom, as usual, to wake him for 
breakfast. It was harder than usual to wake him, she found. 
      After he woke finally, he looked at her with tears in her eyes and
said, "You are free, my dear, to do with your life as you wish. My dawn's
light, you have been my joy these past two years. Go, now, and seek 
knowledge in the city of Kieron, where there are more mages to help you 
learn the Art of Magic." He then closed his eyes and went to sleep forever. 
      Ihriel began to cry. She thought about her family in Stone Rose, and
decided to let them know of her upcoming journey. She packed her things, 
and went to her former master's family. She told them about Gavril's death
and she and the family mourned. After the mage's body was buried, and his
small estate was settled, she set out for Stone Rose, alone.
      She arrived at Stone Rose in a few days, only getting lost once. She
 found her parents' house and went inside. Her mother and father were 
overjoyed to see her. They sent one of her younger sisters to find and 
fetch her grandparents. 
      After her grandparents arrived, she told them of her studies. Her 
younger sisters all begged to be shown some magic tricks. She complied with
the lighting of all the candles and lanterns in the house. She told them 
about Yaet's Hold and news of the various gnomish heroes. Later, when the 
children were asleep, she told her grandparents and her parents of her 
master's last charge. They grew quiet at this news. After a few moments of 
uncomfortable silence, her father finally spoke, "We knew this day would 
come. When you spoke your desire to learn the art of magic, we knew. We have 
rejoiced, this day, at your return to us, Ihriel. We will rejoice at the day 
when you return to us again." Her grandparents nodded and smiled with tears 
in her eyes as her father said this. Her mother got up from her chair and 
hugged her oldest daughter. Ihriel's heart was glad.
      The next day was her birthday, her eighteenth. The day when, had she 
stayed and learned carpentry, she would have had to choose a husband. Her 
family had a small dinner in the honor of her eighteenth and she got tipsy 
for the first time in her life. In the afternoon her father drew her aside 
and told her, "I have made you a gift, my daughter." With that he showed her 
a small carriage that he had been making in his spare time. It was large 
enough for two gnomes, or a gnome and his luggage. He hugged his daughter 
and said, "With this you go to Kieron." He hitched up the carriage to a 
shaggy brown mountain pony. He packed her things onto her carriage and 
wished her well. Her sisters ran up to her and hugged her and kissed her 
with tears in their eyes. Her grandparents told her to write to them often 
and she promised to do so. Her mother hugged her tightest of them all and 
told her to be careful, that there were very tall people out there. Ihriel 
hugged her mother and told her not to worry. Her grandmother Cora told her 
to look up her great-uncle Myrddhin when she got into Kieron.
      Ihriel got onto her carriage and left for Kieron. Through all of her 
growing years, from when she was able to understand the stories her 
grandparents told her, she had been nursing a crush. Being in Yaet's Hold 
only tightened the yearning for Freg in her little gnomish heart. She had 
longed to catch glimpses of him, but she never did. She saw her other hero, 
Asp, often enough, but never Freg. As she drove to Kieron she swore to meet 
Freg, for it was rumored that he stayed there more often than he did the 
Hold. She drove on into the sunset of her birthday.

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