There once was a woman surrounded by many men. Though beautiful, she was neither highborn nor noble. The men who surrounded her brought her gifts and sought her attention, but she couldn't
make claims on any of them. This woman allowed herself to bear a child, believing that the gods would give her finally.. a man.. to make claim of in the form of a son. For nine monthes she smiled
to herself and ran delicate fingers across her outstretched stomach. For nine monthes she whispered softly to herself the name of hope, "Senji."

After nine monthes she did not give birth to a son, but a daughter...

She wiped away angry tears as she wrapped the child in red swaddling clothes.
And forming her visage to the look of adoration, with delicately-slippered feet she
stepped into her parlour where a ring of men waited expectantly.
"My son," she smiled as she displayed the child to them.
The men smiled and nodded and stole sideways glances at one another, waiting
for one to step forward. After a time, none of them did, and this pleased the
mother further.
The woman recieved even more gifts from the men who surrounded her,
each one secretly believing the child to be his own. But as the child
grew older, the woman knew that she could not keep up her illusions.
The girl was kept secluded in a backroom that the many men never saw.
In that seclusion she grew to a stumbling age where finally she was allowed
to stand quietly in the parlour and take the packages and coats from the men as the
arrived. The girl did not know she had a mother, but only that she was a servant.
And she learned silence and humility as the men would glance over her without a second thought.

Finally came the day when the men no longer glanced above her as the
tossed down their coats and packages, and the woman of the parlour
took her aside and told her that she must leave the house forever.
Confused, afraid but with a growing excitement she left the house behind
seeking to find another place to serve in.

On the first evening as she slept shivering in the cold of an unfamiliar city street
She had a dream that she was aboard a ship on a large and icy river. Far ahead of er
she saw rapids that she knew would destroy the vessel she stood upon. Peering
anxious to her left she saw a river bank with the cool inviting woods the
silent groves stood peacefully beckoning her to their protection. To her right
she saw a distant city burning, and could hear the soft notes of battle on the
river wind. Her heart ached to discover the secrets of the city.. but feared to
stray to far from the safety of the woods.. and softly she cried out in her sleep
as she waited for a decision and as her craft flowed steadily towards destruction.

Penned by my hand on the 9th of Scarlatan, in the year 221 AF.