My name is Leama Stockington. My dwarven family consisted of Mother, Father, and my three sisters and I. I am the youngest. We live in a small village on the third level, where everyone knows each other. The people always come around to other people’s houses and bring their wares to trade for something else they need. All the villagers know where to get what they need because most have lived here for generations. All the homes for each family are the same, a small thatched-roof house with very few adornments. To all the people here the land is most important and the homes are only a means of meager shelter. It is not uncommon to find the children sleeping on wool blankets on the floor at night. Nothing bad ever happened here. The weather is always good, rain when needed, the temperature always bearable, never to hot or to cold, a lot of sun to keep the crops happy. All the farmers thrived with their lands. In some ways, it was an idyllic place to live and grow up.
My two oldest sisters now live in a prearranged marriage and live in our little village. My oldest sister, who is now nineteen, is married to a man that is close to her in age and the second eldest sister, who is now seventeen, is married to a much older man whose wife died in childbirth, of which is not uncommon here. When one of these simple little houses becomes available, usually due to a death, then a younger family moves that house and has children so the cycle continues. They each have a small plot of land where they grow their crops and support their families.
Even my parent’s marriage was prearranged. I always wondered if they were happy. Never was love mentioned between them, I never saw Father talk to Mother unless he had to. Mother never ever would talk to Father unless he asked her a question first, of which was rare. My father was a strict man; whatever he wanted he got. Dinner was always ready at the same each afternoon. He would sit at the table and eat and then the rest of our family would eat when he was finished. Mother never went out of the house unless she was working the land. Father was the one that went to the neighbors to trade for what was needed to keep us sheltered and feed.
One day my oldest sister came to visit us in the fields when Father was not there. She wanted to talk to my sister and I. She said, “If you do not want to end up in a loveless marriage where you can not even talk to your husband, then I suggest you run away before Father has you married off.” She looked so unhappy that it made me cry. I held her tightly and thanked her for her concern for me. Though my other sister did not seem to mind the prospect of marrying without love, I did. After our eldest sister left, my other sister told me that a good life was most important, never starving or being without a roof over her head was most important. At the time I was thirteen and I knew within a year or two Father would have me married also.
As the months past I thought of nothing else. Life was so important to me. I knew that loving a man and having his family; making a life together would be the best thing that could happen to me. Maybe it was the hard road, but well worth it. Never being able to talk to him, doing as he wished and being sad all the time was not the life I wanted.
One day while Father ate his dinner, he announced that he found a man for my fourteen-year-old sister to marry. In a quiet whisper she asked him who he had found and he told her it was not important and not to be disrespectful ever again by talking to him directly. It was at this moment I realized I had to run away if I was going to have the life I wanted. So I had to make plans that no one else would know about, especially my sister. I dug a hole in the ground and started to store a small amount of crops in it each day for my trip to who knew where. All I knew was I had to leave. I wanted to stay to see my sister married and then I would be on my way to start my new glorious life.
That day came faster then I thought it would. All the family stood around, this was the first time I had seen my other married sister since she left us, my oldest sister who was pregnant, Father and Mother. The man my sister was marrying was old with grey hair. My sister was not happy. I stepped back and looked at the scene before me and for the first time I realized how very sad everyone looked; even Mother. Only Father seemed somewhat happy standing there watching his third daughter being married off to a stranger old enough to be her father.
So now I had to make a plan to run away. I had put a lot of food away for my trip so I was not worried about that. Now I was getting excited about my decision. To see the world past our little village was going to be great! I had all kinds of thoughts of great people I would meet and places I would see. Finally I found my opportunity one bright sunny afternoon. I took a big sack from the house for my food and I had a large container for plenty of water. No one was around in the fields. I was working all alone, of which was very unusual. So it was simple I just walked away and never turned back.
And was I right, the people I met along the way were so kind to me. Some taking me in their homes and letting me eat their food without any prepayment at all. I saw more love in my trip then I had in my whole life. One couple I met even held hands; they were so much in love. It was a whole new world for me, families talking around the dinner table together; children allowed to sit with their parents while they ate, chattering about friends and the things they did during the day. I just marveled at the things that seemed so common place to them. I vowed that one day it would happen to me, yes it would! I knew I would marry for love and have a family that would be glad to be at home because of all the love that was in that home.
Finally I came to a new place called Hydlaa. I saw so many different kinds of people. They were so nice to me as a new person in town I decided to stay. Never had I felt as welcome as I did here. I have made friends with so many people. I never had a friend before! With all the different races willing to teach me the ways of this new world that I am certain that I have found my new home. So I am here to stay. I love to make new friends and talking to people. Some of the people I have known for a while even give me hugs. I have never been hugged before. To me there is no place like home and I have found my home in Hydlaa. It is a goal of mine to get married and have children, but first I want to make friends and learn more about my new home.
