Sunlight dappled her path, as her feet walked along what she assumed was a road of this place. The land did not seem so different from her home. Birds chirped, and once in a while she would see a deer bounding across the path before her. Shana smiled to herself. She remembered her days walking along similar paths outside of Myth Drannor. One memory in particular came to mind as she walked...
"I won't leave you here and you can't make me!" Shana's blue eyes flashed fiercely at the ironclad Knight before her. The purple dragon crest upon his tabard identified him as one of the Purple Dragon's of Cormyr. She knew him a bit more personally though. Terrill Trager, one time squire of Sir Hendle Stoneaxe, now a Knight himself. And her bondmate.

"Look, Shana... I know you are worried about me, but really. I can handle this. I want you to go home and watch over the children."

"Why can't you just come home with me? Haven't we been through enough?"

"Yes, love, we have. And even through death, we've been rejoined each time. Do you think this paltry war can keep us apart? No. Now Shana, grow up and stop being a child. I have to go... Stay in camp if you like, I will be back. It's just a meeting with the Lord High General of Tempus." Terrill shook his head, showing he would brook no further arguements this day, as he picked up his helm and stepped out of the tent.

Shana screamed at the tent walls.

Shana smiled to herself, watching a bird fly overhead. She had had such a temper long ago. Time had taught her humility and patience.

She decided to take a walk. Away from this camp of metal clad men. And so she walked. Night was falling and soon she had just starlight to guide her. That suited Shana just fine. A light breeze blew; seemingly Nature's attempt to cool her temper. "Not likely," she muttered to herself.

She was so wrapped up in her temper tantrum that she failed to hear the tell-tale sounds of an ambush. Before she knew what was happening, several men stepped from the bushes and underbrush on either side of the path she was travelling.

"Hello there, my beautious elfmaid." One spoke. "We shall be relieving you of your gold, if you'd be forthcoming. And a few other things, if you won't be." The threat was clear.

"You'll have nothing but death if you do not leave me be." Shana made the statement simply. She wasn't certain of her words, but she didn't let that show.

At once, they all charged her. Quickly gathering power from the Weave, she whispered a quick prayer to Mystra, before releasing her fireball, targetted upon herself. She felt, more than heard, the huge explosion. Her world flared to bright pain-white, and then to darkness, and then slowly her vision returned.

First she smelled the burnt flesh. Looking down, she saw she had only been damaged in the slightest amount. Around her lay the bodies of her former attackers. Not a one of them was identifiable as anything more than humanoid in shape. And the trees around the path, for a full 20 or more feet on either side were singed into toothpicks.

The sound of horse hooves approached, and Shana simply stood in the middle of the carnage. She was too dazed to react with little more than to turn to see who it was that would be approaching. First, she noted it was an armor clad figure. Probably someone from the camp, come to see what that large explosion had been. Lord Dinadin came into view. His warhorse heaving puffs of steam from its nostrils into the fall night air. He leaned down, and lifted the elf mage from where she stood, lying her across his saddle. And he galloped back toward the camp.

She had been allowed to stay afterall, and became a War Wizard for Azoun during that war. Ah, sweet memories.

Shana was brought from her daytime reverie as she caught the scent of something out of place. The birds had stopped chirping, and all other forest sounds had ceased. Ahead on the path, she could see something... perhaps a body. She hurried forward, watching small creatures lope away from the body and into the bushes. Stopping herself short, she leaned around a tree to retch.

The body that lay there was stripped of all of its skin. There were shreds of tattered clothing visible in the growing pools of blood. Every muscle, tendon, ligament, and organ could be seen. It all glistened obscenely in the afternoon sunlight.

Taking a breath, Shana steeled herself to look closer. Not one miniscule amount of skin was left on the surface of this poor soul. And then it moved. Shana gasped.

"..Puh...Puhleez.....heeellp..." it rasped. The grotesque figure lifted an arm toward her. Blood dribbled down from its hand, and along its arm, to add to the growing pool about it. And just as suddenly as it moved, its arm dropped and a sigh of death escaped its... mouth. It had no lips.

Shana cast about, searching for signs of this person's attacker. Movement from the nearby bushes caught her attention. Slowly she moved forward, poking at the plantlife with her staff. A chittering sound was heard, and 5 very odd looking creatures emerged, fleeing away from her. She took a few running steps forward to catch a better glimpse of them.

They loped off on all fours. One stopped, sitting up on its hind legs and turned back toward her. Shana once again stopped to catch her breath. It had no eyes. Its small dark body faded to white at its head. It let out a terrible hiss, and then turned to continue on with its brethren.