Vaya Dratia was born an only child in a shoddy cabin some distance away from Haelunor. Her parents were Volura and Elemern. The Dratia family was absolutely dirt poor, and yet despite this Vaya had a good childhood. Only the occasional wild animal would disturb her play in the forests.
One day, her family took her to see Haelunor, where she saw the city library and the soaring towers. She basked in the decadence, vowing that one day she would live there, among the elite of her race.
Tragedy befell Vaya when she was just nineteen, barely an older child. Her family's shack was struck by lightning, resulting in her parents dying in the fire. She was rescued by a human woman, whose name she did not bother to ask; she was far too sad at her family's deaths and far to scared of this... thing that had rescued her. Over the months that passed with this unnamed human, she slowly grew to trust her. She seemed to be an independent hunter - perhaps maybe even some sort of poacher.
She was with this woman for three months, helping her with traps and skinning animals, and overall having a great time, until winter began to set in. The hunter began to worry, as she rarely had enough food for herself, let alone an elven child! The hunter began thinking of places she could leave Vaya where she would be safe, and so Vaya told the hunter about her grandfather. A farmer who lived a few days' walk from Haelunor, along the coast, Balaena Dratia would surely care for her. So, the hunter took her to Grampy Balaena's house.
Balaena was indifferent to the return of his once-missing granddaughter, and once the hunter had left (Vaya still hadn't asked her name, it was just too late into the relationship to!), her grandpa immediately began to put her to work. She plowed the fields, even though it was late fall and very little could be planted. If she stopped, her grandpa would yell and yell and yell until she kept going.
This went on until she because fourty-nine, when her escape from her grandpa's tyranny became in sight! As an adult, she could finally escape from his terrible yelling and brutal working conditions, and make it big in Haelunor like she'd always wanted to! Finally, on the day before her fiftieth birthday, she fled from the house. She ran as far as she could, making her way inland on a careless breeze and hooting joyously that she'd done it! She survived! And as the sun rose on her fiftieth year, she smiled and vowed to make her way to Haelunor! All she had to do was follow the... coastline... she ran inland, didn't she? Where'd she put the map.... oh. She forgot to pack one. (This might be a more difficult journey than she thought...)
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