Tanara sat in the corner of the dark, dank cell she had been locked in, chained up like a rabid beast. Well, I suppose that's what I am to them now, she thought to herself. Emel had been the one who first noticed her screams. Emel had been the first one to burst into the hut and see the terrible scene that lay within. Emel had been the first to scream 'Murderess!' at her, calling the rest of the village to the Darson hut. The guards had grabbed her, just before the chieftain arrived. He would have been happy to kill her there and then, Tanara knew, from the cold, furious look in his eyes, much like that of a stalking wolf. But the traditions of the clan dictated that a murderer could only be hung at dawn, and the sun had risen some time before the terrible scene had played itself out. So Tanara had been given a stay of execution, dragged through the snowy village by the angry guards, while the villages shouted "Murderess! Evil One! Burn for all your sins!" at her, and threw offal and other waste. It had only been the presence of the guards that stopped the baying mob from ripping her apart, like hounds after a fox.
Tanara felt the fury rise within her again, the fury that had kept her stabbing at Dar's body long after he was dead. How dare they treat me like this! Dar was going to kill me, and my unborn child. If he had killed me then, none of this would have happened to him...instead a story, a story of a tragic accident would have been spread, and while everyone tutted and shook their heads, they would have known the truth. The injustice rankled at Tanara, like a thorn in the paw of an angry bear and she felt like screaming, screaming so loud that the guards were forced to kill her. If it had been just herself, Tanara would have most likely have done so, but the presence of her unborn child kept her from such a destructive path. I will free myself, I will!...I will escape and show them that no daughter of the Roaring Boar Clan is to be treated like this! IF only I knew how though... A memory called at her mind, and she realised she did know how to escape...
It had been a hot summer, on the plains of Tanara's homeland, and the eleven-year-old girl that she had been was sitting in the hot sun, listening intently to her older brother, Tlaman, who had just returned from a long journey to the southlands.
"And so" he said in his deep, rich, bardic voice "after that, the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate was shown that no matter how high your station in life is, you can still be made to look foolish by common-day events"
"That was a really great story, Tlaman, but the one bit I don't get is how the thief got past the guards and the lock on the treasure chest" she had asked him, in her childish voice
"Very simple, little sister...would you like me to show you how?"
"I didn't know you could do all that kinda stuff too Tlaman...I'd love to learn how to"
And so her lessons had begun. Throughout that long, glorious never-ending summer, her brother had taught her all the things a rogue (never a thief, she recalled, remembering her brother's reaction to that accusation) needed to know. He had taught her how to pick pockets, or sneak past people without being seen, along with a thousand and one other tricks. That had been the last time she had seen Tlaman, for he had left that autumn, to continue his adventures in the south, and he had never returned. Tanara didn't even know if he was dead or alive.
Tanara shook herself out of her reverie with a jerk, and told herself to concentrate on getting out of here. It had been several years since she had needed to use her skills, but after a short amount of wriggling, she managed to pick the locks that chained her to the wall, using her hair pin. Creeping over to the door, she risked a quick glance through. On the other side, Erinan, another of her husband's guards, had fallen asleep. No surprise, considering the cask of spirits at his feet. Being careful to keep noise to a minimum, she carefully picked the cell door open, and crept over to Erinan. She saw the plate his dinner had come on, iron and heavy enough for the task ahead. With no small amount of trepidation, she picked it up, and hit him hard on the head, making a loud clunk as it bashed against his helmet. With a thud Erinan fell, to the floor, unconscious. Tanara froze, fearful that the noise of the blow might have alerted others, but her luck held, and no one came to investigate.
For her escape to work, Tanara would need a horse, but the stable would be watched over. The only way to get close enough would be to steal Erinan's heavy chainmail, sword and helmet, and masquerade as a guard herself. She felt the fear building up in her, as the audacity of plan set in, but the thought of her unborn child being hurt spurred her on. You shall not be punished, my son, for the actions I was forced to take in defence of my own life, she swore, and then wondered exactly how she knew with such certainty that the babe she was carrying was a boy. The will of the gods perhaps, but what god would take interest in a murderess like me?, came the sardonic thought.
Tanara managed to tug off his chainmail, and remove rest of his belongings, including the small purse at his belt. What is theft, after the crimes I've been forced to commit? She was about to pull on the shirt, when she heard a noise from outside the main dungeon room. There's another guard...damm it, he must be at the top of the passage towards the stables. I'll have to silence him as well. But I can't hide in the shadows lugging that big plate. Then she saw the short sword lying at her feet, the one she had taken from Erinan. But if I use that...I'll have to kill him...can I do that? Then the alternative came to the forefront of her mind. Her body, dangling on the hangman's noose, swaying like a sapling in the wind. NO! That will not happen! Even if I do have to kill another person... And with that last thought, she belted the sword at her waist, and crept silently up the passage, the passage that led to the stables and freedom, and the poor, doomed guard at the end.
Emel was still in shock over the scene he had seen that cursed morning. How could Tanara have done that? I thought she was a good person, but Dar was right, she is evil. There could be no excusing Tanara's foul act, and clan law dictated the foulest death for her, having her skin flayed from her body. The evil bitch probably thinks she'll get away with hanging, but not after the crime she committed. And who she had committed it against...Emel had never seen his chieftain so angry, screaming insults at the woman who had dared to kill his precious son Dar. He was distracted from his train of thought by a soft noise, just behind him. He did not manage to whirl round in time to stop the thrust of Tanara's sword under his helmet, and straight into his brain, killing him instantly.
This time, Tanara did not continue her stabbing, but leapt forward to grab the guard's body, before he could collapse to the ground. In the dim light of the passage she could not make out his face, and did not waste any time in attempting to do so. Instead, she dragged him into a dark alcove, and slipped back down the passage to retrieve Erinan's armour and helmet. Suited up at last, she strode confidently towards the stable, amazed at the ease with which she had killed the guard. Serves him right, for being so lax on duty...none of my father's guards were so poorly trained. I almost feel I did him a favour, for such a useless, unskilled, pathetic excuse for a guard could never have survived long against the harshness of clan life. She realised with a shock she was at the stable already, and she marched down the line of horses, seeking the nondescript horse she wanted. As she was doing so, the stable boy poked his head out of the hay loft, but seeing nothing more than an unusually short guard going to fetch a horse, thought nothing more of it, and went back to sleep.
Leading the horse out, Tanara mounted up and heeled the beast southwards, towards the cities and peoples of her brother's stories. Maybe I'll find Tlaman there...in Baldur's Gate, or Waterdeep perhaps, or maybe even Athkatla. She felt exultation build in her as she realised she had done it. I've escaped...my plan worked and now I am free to leave this hell behind, and seek out my brother. Tlaman is sure to understand why I've done everything. Tlaman will understand. Yes, he will. He won't be angry or anything, but will just understand. And if Tlaman will understand why I've done everything, then it can't be that wrong. In fact, if I hadn't done all that I have, I'd be dead, along with my child, and that would make him very angry...so yes, everything I've done, he will understand.
