Catessa

I was but a young girl living with My Father and Mother near the cliffs that over looked the Thassa Sea, on the small but beautiful Island of Tyros. I loved walking along the cliffs, something about the sea intrigued Me. I would stand near the edge of the cliffs embracing the wind, inhaling the salty smell of the sea, and found the crashing waves against the cliffs so calming and soothing. I would often escape the temper of My father and find Myself back at the edge of the cliffs most often.

My father could be a very cold and mean man, I remember fearing him greatly. The cold empty look in his eyes, the harshness of his voice when he was angry. It was enough to make me shake with fear. That same fear grew stronger and more frequent after that day on the cliff. My mother was a beautiful and vibrant, strong willed woman. A woman My father loved fully. She was his one weakness. Until that day. My mother took Me upon a cliff we sat talking, She began to tell Me the story of her and My father and how he claimed her when she was so young. I remember my heart racing as I listened to her. She told me of how the choice was not hers that he simply wished to have her and that he did. She was young herself when he took her from her family, at first she didn�t want him, infact she hated him for taking her away. He was patient and waited as she slowly came around, finding herself falling in love with him more and more each day. I was engrossed in My mother�s story as she was in telling it Me, we had no idea that we were being watched. Before either of us knew it there where a couple of huge men running fast towards us, I remember My mother screaming as one of the big men grabbed her, I was struck with fear and the last words I remember spoken by My mother was , � Catessa run, run fast and hide� not wanting to leave My mother but fear of what the men might do, I did as I was told and ran fast, I hid in a cave not far from the cliff waiting until I could no longer hear My mothers screams. The day fell late, it seem like days I was hiding there when it actually had been only a few hours. I could no longer hear My mother, nor her screams, I went back to the cliff but there was no sign of her, only a torn sleeve from her dress which I still keep with Me to this day. I still hear her words in My sleep, I sometimes wake in fear feeling the need to run.

My father loved my mother so deeply so passionately that her absence slowly drove him insane. I left My father a year after My mother was taken, unable to deal with his misery any longer. I set out in search for My mother little did I know where that journey would land Me. I was naive and young, I had a lot to learn through out My travels. I would roam from city to city searching for My mother hoping to find even a small clue but My searches always failed Me.

My journeys continued until the day My luck changed drastically. I was following a path that would lead me to the next city and found Myself riding smack into the middle of a band of Men that were anything but nice. My mothers words came crashing to mind � run Catessa run fast � and that�s exactly what I tried to do. I turned the kailla and tried to escape the mob of men who seemed to be laughing at My attempt to leave. Needless to say My attempt was unsuccessful. I was grabbed rather harshly by two of the bigger men, they tried to bind My feet and wrists as I was not giving up without a fight. It appeared that My kicking and screaming only fed their laughter and fueled my anger. I will never forget that moment when I was stripped of My clothing and feel of steel being snapped around My neck. At that moment all I could think of is, was this what happened to My mother? The laugher and harsh words of the men snapped Me back to reality rather fast. At that moment I wished more than anything to be back on the cliffs of Tyros, All I could do was close My eyes and accept My fate as I was introduced fully into the world of slavery.

The Wayside Manor near the Markets of Semris became the first place I can remember calling home since that day My freedom was taken. I worked along side other slaves, learning the ways but never really fitting in, inside I knew what I was and slave was not it. I bided My time staying out of trouble. Eventually that would pay off. I left the Manor and was taken to a band of wagons called the Alar, a place that I feared greatly. The stories I had heard sent fear crashing though Me. Learning the ways of the wagons people was not easy especially for a slave. I worked hard, staying quiet and to Myself hoping not to be noticed, but being unnoticed by the Cheiftain was not an easy thing. Eventually My hard work would pay off, I regained My freedom and took My place as a Free Woman of Gor. I once again began My search for My mother, after the fall of Alar, I traveled abroad for awhile with endless results, My search would then take Me North to Torvaldsland, one of the coldest places I�ve been. For now I call this Home, a place called RedTarns Landfall, Home to Perrin Neillson.