Talib was born to a small family. Residing in the deserts there wasn't much for him to do as a child. He was raised a simple farmer learning to tend to the cattle and crops at a young age. His childhood was spent mainly away from the encampment his family had tending to the cattle. Other than a few sandstorms nothing really happened to him. On rare occasion there would be merchants caravanning through the desert that would seek refuge in the encampment his family had for a night or two. He would spend the entire night listening to the stories the guardsman or merchants would tell. He dreamed to be a guardsman. After the first visit he dreamed about travel and seeing the sites of the world. One day there was a caravan off in the distance so he rounded up the cattle to set off for home as to visit with the new merchants that were coming to his family's place. The cattle weren't as enthused as he was and he had problems getting them together. Once they were all gathered up in the pins he headed off to the encampment. When he reached the encampment he froze with fear at seeing all of his family dead. It's not that he hadn't seen death before but what was done to his family was just a total shock. Slaughter is the only word to describe the state of the camp. Being the only one left he gathered what was left and not destroyed and headed back to the cattle he had pinned. He rounded them up and set off to travel to his uncle's camp a few days away.
Once he got to his uncle's place his uncle's he found that he may have made a bad decision. His cattle he brought with him was taken and branded with his uncle's mark and Talib was used as a helper in the smith. This was something he wasn't used to. He trudged through the labors of his new position in his new family for three years then his uncle came to him. His uncle finally found Talib worthy of showing him the ways of his family... the Bandits way. Talib learned how to use a dagger and sneak through areas as well as plan raids on caravans over the next few years. After the training was done he was aloud to go on his first raid. Anticipation filled Talib while he waited just over the ridge from the caravan they were to raid. He waited barely able to suppress his excitement until his uncle gave the order to go. The order was given and the entire camp charged forward, all intent on one thing surviving the encounter. Talib went to work with his blade, cutting throats like cattle having no remorse being told these people were the officials over-taxing the commoners. Once the commotion died down and he saw what was done to the camp he froze with shock again for the second time in his life. He looked around the camp and saw the same thing he saw five years ago in his own family's camp. He then realized he had become a monster. Shock filling him and making him numb to his surrounding he began killing everyone and everything. He finished bathed in blood and on the brink of madness. He slowly walk to the well in the camp and washed off the blood. He walked to the edge of the camp and fell to his knees in sobs for what he had just done. He wept for hours then got up and wondered off into the desert.
After a few days in the desert he found that this was a bad idea, reality kicked in. Thirsty and hungry he wandered aimlessly and finally collapse on the 8th day. He awoke inside a carriage of all things, as well as awaking to the pale faces of the English. Talib knew nothing about them or their culture let alone their language. Once he woke up completely he was bound in chains. Slavery he thought. He traveled with them for a few weeks before they reached the first town. He was taken to a large building in the center of town and put into a large cell with the other slaves. There he found out the other were taken from the various camps in the surrounding area and were soon to be sold. After a few days Talib was put up for auction and was sold to a fair lady of Chester. She was kind and only needed another servant for her travels. Once they were in Chester he was released. He was given a few gold pieces and sent on his way. He got a room at the Laughing Dragon inn and went to sleep a free man for the first time in a year. |
