Has anyone wondered why Ceou is the way she is? A generally smooth talker, a crook, a thief, a friend, and a harsh toned brigand, all at once? It was more than likely a result of her upbringing. There was strife, even in the beginning. Ceou was born on a wheat farm amongst the vast plains of Rohan. Her parents were already having difficulties, as they came from two different social classes. Her mother, Celeon, was a very poor woman that lived off the land, just as the rest of her bloodlines. The Leodents (Man-Giant, in Rohirric. More than likely a reference to the men of the family's large build. Not complimentary for the young ladies). Her father was a very wealthy trader, and nobleman. Their conflicting ideas on how to raise children grew to an agreement - as soon as the child was born, they would part ways. It was to their surprise that Celeon had twin girls. Traditionally, Rohhrim name their children something similar to the name of their parent of the same gender. Hence the names Ceou, and Ceoun were given to the twins. Their parents decided it be best that each take one and raise it on their own. The father took Ceoun, and moved to a large city between Gondor and Rohan to raise her under noble heir. Ceou wasn't so lucky. Her stubborn mother decided to keep her at the farm, and raise her under the belief that her birth father died long before she was born.
Her story doesn't improve much after this. Ceou was a very smart young girl, learning to speak her native tongue, read, write, walk, and even ride a pony by the age of three. She'd have much potential if she had opportunity, but that time has long passed. She worked the fields for what little money she could scrape up with her 'widowed' mother best she could, but it was never enough. Ceou was hungry, and penniless. She took frequent walks through a nearby trading hub with her mother, in search of cheap food. Most of the people in this town would mock her for the rags she wore, or her thick hands. Noblemen, soldiers, and merchants alike. Around the age of eight she began walking by herself. She saw a man that looked even more poor than her, hiding out of sight of most. She witnessed him wait patiently, and with a flash, he took the coin purse of a passing noble.
He then realized he'd been spotted, and approached Ceou, "You look hungry kid, when's the last time you ate?" he asked her.
"Yesterday morning, sir." He dug through the pouch and handed her a few silver coins. She'd only seen copper ones up to this point.
"Don't tell anyone what you saw, and you can keep these." he told her with a wink before walking off with the remaining coins. Ceou watched him go and quickly spent the money on food for her and her mother. She headed back home with a few apples, cured meat, bread, and even a bit of salt.
Her mother stared her down with suspiciousness, "Ceou.. How did you afford all this?"
"A friendly man gave me the money mom! He said I could have it if.. If I helped him carry a few things!" Celeon bought into it, and Ceou eventually became a talented.. Story teller.
She had never run into that thief again. But she did remember watching his talented hand at work, and decided to give it a try. She huddled up on the ground in the center of the trading town, examining the knots on the noble's coin purses. Most all of them were basic boot knots, two loops, two strings that could be pulled to untie the knot. She knew she couldn't be as discreet as the experienced thief, so she tried something else. One man she despised, a noble, was Mr. Green. He ran a successful pipe-weed trading empire, and carried a lot of money with him.
Ceou watched him one day, and "accidentally" bumped into him,
"Oh! I'm so sorry sir!" she said as she untied his coin pouch. He gave her a shove,
"Watch it peasant! You'll get dirt on my new clothes!" Ceou was shoved into a grocer, Mr. Green's coins went with her. The Grocer, a one eyed man with a long beard that raised his own cattle, started screaming at Mr. Green for shoving the girl. The flame quickly spread and had the whole town in uproar. Ceou took the opportunity to sneak under every drunken slob, successful merchant, and unruly farmer in town and swipe the coins off about half of them. She had no way to explain this much coin to her mother. Not when a soldier was at their house, waiting for Ceou. Demelin was his name, an older man with black and grey hair. Missing some of it. He wore the armor of an officer among the horse lords. He went on to explain that several people in the city's panic saw her running off with the money, and he insisted she return it. That, or jail and it going back anyway. She took the money back to everyone individually. Demelin didn't leave like she hoped. He and Celeon talked frequently about how Ceou needed a male influence in her life beyond random peasants. Ceou hardly noticed, as she spent most of her time honing her pick pocketing skills. By her ninth birthday, she'd become an avid pickpocket. But her mother, married a soldier, and made them move into town with him.
Things went even more downhill. Demelin tried to put restrains on Ceou's previously cut loose time out of the house. She resisted him every step of the way. Not only did she not like Demelin, she hated him. She detested him. She loathed him. Demelin was her complete opposite. Not even native to Rohan. He made her learn westron (which came in handy later). Their rivalry flourished around the time Ceou was 10. Demelin had enough. He started using corporal punishment. Savage beatings with a saddle-strap if she was home late. It quickly became random acts of abuse if she did anything he didn't like. Celeon knew it was a mistake to sell her farm the first time he hit her, and grew to regret ever meeting him when he turned his punishing into beating both of them.
He started using his fists when Ceou was 13. She'd had more than enough. Every day, she'd go outside and punch a wall until her knuckles bled, she watches the soldiers train and picked up on some of their hand-to-hand techniques. She Could eventually crack bricks before her hand gave out, but the pain meant little to her.. She had felt worse.. Ceou was 14. She had been training herself to fight for a full year. Demelin had a bunch to drink, and came after Ceou with all his might, swinging fists like a bar brawl. She decided to fight back. Demelin was strong. He flung her into the wall with his strength, which put a new thought into Ceou's mind - turning a brutes momentum against him. Demelin came after her, accusing her of something she hadn't even done. "You thieving brat! What have I told you about your stealing problem? Took pipe-weed this time to!" he yelled, slightly slurred and disoriented. He didn't give her time to argue before he threw a kick for her ribs. Ceou snapped this time. She flattened herself against a wall and grabbed Demelin's foot mid kick, and threw him onto his back. This only made him more angry. He threw wild punches at her, each of which were brushed off, and threw Demelin spinning in another direction. He backed her into a closet and locked her in. "learn a lesson you bandit liar!" he yelled through the door. Celeon was just coming home from the store at this time, "Demelin?! What's going on?!" "The girl's a menace! And she should be thrown out on the streets!" "What?! Let her out right now!" Demelin was infuriated. He turned his attack on the defenseless Celeon. Ceou could only listen as things shattered, and her mother cried in agony. She kicked the door, trying desperately to break it open. By the time she did, it was quiet. Her mother was crumpled up on the floor, a bloody mess. Ceou went to her, tears pouring down her face, "Mom! Please! Please tell me you'll be okay!" Celeon couldn't respond. Instead, she dug out a dwarven coin from her pocket and handed it to her with every bit of strength in her mangled arm, "Ceou. this trinket.. It was my mothers.. She.. Lived way in the north west... You should have it..." Ceou went into a panic, repetitively saying the word "no", in utter shock. Celeon told her, "I love you... And I'm sorry.." in her final breath. Ceou sat by her for a moment, take the dwarven coin in her hands and gripped it tightly. Her breath stammered, and she rose to her feet. She wanted blood from the bastard that did this. She took Demelin's bow from the cabinet and went outside, waiting. Demelin was slow to come bounding out the door in a robe, carrying a sack of things to leave the house for good. She wasn't going to let him. With unreal accuracy for a first time shooter, she stuck him in the chest three times in a row with arrows before he finally fell... That's when she took his horse, and left in a hurry. Knowing the death of the two, would be blamed on her..
