Tales of Illdaera - part 1
When Alaris was young and the snows had only just stopped, there were wars. With the freezing cold gone, tribes expanded, each trying to lay claim to lands as they became fertile again. Tribes battled tribes, each trying to destroy or conquer the others.
Among them rose a young leader. Al was quick and deadly and alir people loved ali. Al would sneak into the camps of other tribes and leave marks on their leaders to show that al could have killed them had al chose. Many tribes joined the young warrior's tribe after such actions.
One evening this young warrior chose to sneak into the camp of the greatest tribe and show their leader that al could defeat them at any time. But the leader was wise and had expected the young warrior to try just such a trick. The leader had placed alir saddle and a basket under alir blankets and was sleeping in the corner of alir tent amidst some pillows.
When the young warrior knelt over the fake leader to leave a stone on alir chest, the wise leader leapt from the corner and grasped the warrior, calling for alir guards. The young warrior was trapped and yielded to the guards.
They kept the young warrior imprisoned for days. They sent runners to the warrior's tribe insisting that they yield or their leader would be slain. The tribe held back their response, trying to find a way to defeat the great tribe and save their leader.
Each day they held their reply, the great tribe visited a tribulation on the young warrior, then dispatched a messenger to the other tribe telling them what had been done. The first day they refused ali food and water, saying they would not give ali any until alir tribe surrendered. The young warrior simply smiled, telling them that al did not need the food or water.
The second day the great tribe's offer was rejected, they stripped the young warrior of alir clothing and took away all of alir bedding, forcing ali to sleep on hard, jagged rocks. The young warrior just smiled and thanked them from freeing ali from the bonds of alir clothing and for the perfect bed. It was not proper for a warrior to sleep softly when at war. The leader of the great tribe grew angry at this, but kept alir anger to aleself.