When Alaena was born she seemed normal enough. The younger child, and only daughter of a loving family. She had an older brother, who was seven years older than she was, oddly enough, and she was something of a surprise to her parents, but other than that she was a perfectly normal Elven child. Or so it seemed.
It soon became apparent what her two talents where, however. Water Magic, Ice most specifically, and Transfiguration. She seemed very fond of the Snowy Owl form she most often took, even at her young age, barely two at the time she started practicing.
Her prowess in Water came as no shock to the parents, however, nor to many other people, since both her parents had close family with Water or Ice, or some Liquid type Magic, as did there son, Alaron, though where she gained her ability with Transfiguration remained a mystery.
She grew up a reasonably happy child. Both her parents where riders, her mother of the sky blue Feryn, and her father of the ice blue Transhal. She lacked no protection, and her older brother was very good to her, always looking after her and trying to aid her in what he could, especially concerning magic, being an Apprentice mage when she was born, and soon a Journeyman, always having been a fast learner.
When Alaena was five her brother, Alaron, was invited to Stand for Candidacy, though he politely declined. The reasons why remain a mystery today, and always will.
Sadly, on the eve of Alaena's twelfth birthday disaster struck. She had wandered off, wanting to spend some time alone to think before her birthday, not minding the heavy snow outside at all, though she took a bunch of furs to keep her mum and dad happy. The valley she chose to rest in, however, was the worst possible, for there a creature lurked, most likely a Dark Elf, sometimes referred to as a Drow, was waiting for the perfect victim. The perfect person to test his newly found skills on...
That unlucky person, however, ended up being Alaena's elder brother, Alaron, who intervened just in time to save her life, but not in time to save his. He died there, in the eve of her birthday, perhaps even on her birthday for all she knew, for the hour was late, and the snowfall heavy as she fled, blaming herself for his death, and swearing never to forgive herself for it.
For days no one could get her to eat or sleep, for her sleep was tormented by nightmares, and her appetite was gone. She wanted nothing more than to die and join her brother, perhaps take his place. She should have died, not him. It was all her fault...
Death would have claimed her if not for a small spark of hope, of love, of life that entered her life not long after. One day, as Alaena walked into one of her favorite caves, trying to escape the loathsome pity that came from everywhere, and ponder death she came upon an egg. A lone Dragonet egg. She saw no one near it at first, and started to approach it, only to pause as a white Dragonet, obviously the mother, raised her head.
"Layla?" she had queried after looking at the Dragonet for a bit. "Is that you?"
The Dragonet nodded and she had drawn nearer, curious. She didn't think Layla had clutched, after all this time. Some curious spark remained, and the child reached forward to touch the egg gently, and her eyes widened as she realized it was hard. "Is it going to...hatch?" came her breathless query.
Layla nodded again. "Yes," she spoke to the girl in soft Draconian. "Right now, I believe."
Layla's predictions were true, and the egg soon hatched to reveal what was thought to be the first and only silver Dragonet, who claimed Alaena for his own and became her Alryuhn, filling at least part of the Void her missing brother left, though not all, but enough at least to keep her alive.
She soon joined the Mage Guild, and devoted herself to her Craft, the Art of Sorcery. Certain things came naturally to the girl, such as Animal Empathy and Telepathy, though she never Heard Dragons unless they bespoke to her, and Gryphons were questionable as well, unless they spoke aloud, but Alaena somehow found she didn't mind very much.
The years rolled by, and Alaena made Senior Apprentice, Journeyman, and finally Senior Journeyman, all by the age of seventeen, and the Arch Mage himself posted her at Pertineo Astrum Eyrie, thinking her talents best used there, in the cold north.
Perhaps he was right, perhaps he wasn't, but if he was it is not known, for only a few hours on the road Alaena came across a Dragon. A Night-Green Dragon named Auspexeth, and her rider Minaeya (Min for short). The green, it turned out, thought she'd make an excellent Candidate, and asked her to stand at Ryslen Weyr, and she ended up inadvertently agreeing, and thus ended up on Pern, a Candidate for an odd Flurry clutch (though just what was so odd about it Alaena couldn't figure out, though people said the weather was off) and trying to fight off the nightmares, which for some reason, have returned...
Will Alaena ever live in peace? Only Time will tell...
