The Rider

Many words came to describe The Rider such as bold, beautiful, and kind. Words that The Rider herself would have refuted in life but that she cannot refute in death. The only word she seemed fond of for a descriptor was “jovial” which means cheerful or friendly. An odd word for such a fierce woman to take kindly to, but only her lover knew the reasons as to why and now so shall you.

Born in a camp settlement in The Savannahs, before The Rider there was Augline. A young girl with brown eyes and long brownish red hair who would often seek fights for sport among her peers. Augline was not unhappy or angry but rather… energetic, one could say. Her father sought to put this energy to far better use, horseback riding. This was an art among the Savannah settlers, as the abundance of flat land lent itself to horseback riding as the ocean did for sailing.

Augline had mastered all there was of horseback riding in a few short years and had begun to invent new techniques and flair. The word of this girl had spread to the halls of Kingsport and soon enough the King of Man was in The Savannahs learning from this young girl. Dark Elves came from The Great Deserts and The Northern Isles, all those of Asgarten came to challenge or bear witness to The Rider, to Augline.

All seemed well until the advent of war came on one dark eve. Orcish fiends attacked Augline’s settlement, pillaging, plundering, and ravaging those who they wished. Augline fell victim on this night when she witnessed the murder of her father. The warriors among Augline’s settlement suffered great casualties but were able to push back the villains which would spread suffering and darkness onto them.

Violated and traumatized, Augline remained despondent for days. Her mind was in pain, her body was in pain, and her heart was aching from her loss. The village mourned their loss of life and innocence, then she rose. Augline called a meeting and those who answered were the strongest of character, warriors, riders, and those who sought justice.

The warriors would teach them all the arts of combat and Augline would teach them to ride as one. For weeks they trained with swords, axes, spears, and shields only to be followed by weeks of horseback riding. Their discipline was unmatched, and their comradery was legendary. They had become the new face of The Savannahs and they were to be led by Augline.

On the edges of the Wild Forests, those Orcish raiders had settled, reveling in their loot and plotting their next foul escapade. Then as if there were a storm brewing, rumbling came from a distance. The Orcs ran out to meet it in kind, only to see her on the horizon leading a reckoning by which they would die.

The Rider led her forces and won her battle with no losses. Few among them suggested further battle be brought upon the Orcs. Augline fiercely revoked the idea, noting that this was a mission of justice and righteousness not one of vengeance and hate. So they rode home, to be hailed as heroes.

Through the years, she would lead her group across The Savannahs, bringing justice to those who had none. Wherever indecency and wickedness lay in The Savannahs, she arrived. Settlements turned to towns, time passed, riders fell, and Augline was alone once more.

The trauma of the past had prevented her from taking on a proper lover. Flirtation and intimacy were things she had left behind in an old life, a life uncomplicated. The complexities of love didn’t evade her, but she evaded them. Many men she encountered were far too boastful and the women she considered only brought confusion to her mind. Then came Arlon, the only one for her as she thought. Kind, considerate, and most of all humble, so humble that Augline often became peeved at him.

The Rider became a moniker of the past and those who wished to honor the work of Augline became known as the Savannah Riders. Mastering the art of horseback and going further, mastering the riding of a striped wild horse known as the Zebera.

Time passes and Augline grows old, having led a life of her own and a life with Arlon, she is satisfied. Word spreads across The Savannahs that a hold is to be built, Augline Hold. Arlon comforted Augline at this moment as she knew it would immortalize her as a stone-faced warrior. Augline wanted her remembrance to be of the great big smile she gave to the people of The Savannahs, of the joy she brought in her justice, not this common idea of a stoic warrior who did what was necessary.

Augline wanted to be remembered the way Arlon described her when they had first met, jovial. This is exactly how he remembers her in his writings. She is a jovial hero who rose above her peers to bring justice to those who settled the Savannahs. She may still be remembered to many outside those flat lands as The Rider, but to those who read Arlon’s loving words, to those who heed the tales of her exploits… They call her Augline the Jovial, First Rider of The Savannahs.