Backstory part I

My earliest memories was of sailing with my father. He would boast about how I learned the basics of sailing before I could even form five word sentences. We didn't have a lot when I grew up and the little extra money my dad could get was always spent on the boat. It was important to us since it brought my family fish to eat and on a good day we could even sell some to the travelers that passed our small village. My mom was a crafty woman and supplied us with everything we needed from clothes to small accessories that we could use ourselves but mostly for selling. I don't remember my siblings nor my mother that much, we didn't have that much in common. However, my father was my best friend and I even said that I would marry him when I got older. He could be harsh and give me a lesson with the belt when I didn't comply with his rules but afterwards he would give me a loving embrace and ask me how I was and if I understood why I had to be reprimanded. And I understood for the most part or my then sub 5 year brain made justifications for his actions because I loved him. He said he wanted the best for me and that I was the only out of my 6 older siblings that there was any hope for to get out of poverty. I felt so proud and hopeful.
 
When I was around five years old my whole village fell into hard times. The sea would not provide as much fish as it had been before and there was no extra supplies so that my mom could not make us new clothes. My parents tried to sell belongings like spare socks, the warmest plead we had and our one kettle. It was in vain, the other villagers had no money to buy any of it. Our hope was that adventurers passing our village would have wanted to buy from us but other villagers had the same hopes. Every time a adventurer would show up the villagers would go mad and gather around them, pleading that the villager would buy something. I would just sit in front of our small house, playing with my favorite stones and watch the commotion from a distance.
 
The hunger was affecting all of us. I would get nauseous and try to lie down for the most part, that way I could stop my stomach from making too much sounds. It didn't take away the pain that long hunger brings but I would always wake up after falling asleep, compared to my one year older sister. She passed away in her sleep and it took us a while to understand that she wasn't sleeping anymore. The worst part is that I felt nothing. That is what hunger does to you.
 
The bandits started to raid our town more regularly. It had always been a problem but they only came once every year before. And would only threaten to kill unless they got something in return. The villagers had always been able to provide something but not anymore. So now they would start raping and kidnapping the women. I woke up one early morning and I would just lie on the hard wooden floor in our cold cabin and listen to the others breathing. This was for two reasons, to hear if anyone had died during the night and also because it was calming to know they are just asleep for the moment and don't have to feel the despair that always came with the first waking moment and followed thru out the day until it was finally time to go to sleep. I suddenly sat up. The heavy breathing of my father was missing. I looked at his usual place next to my mother but he wasn't there. Relief spilled over me, that means that he isn't dead and that he had gone out. I stood up and climbed over my brother that was sleeping next to me to get to the window. I hoped to get a glimpse of my dad in the garden, trying to salvage some of the rotten plants we had there. It was foggy outside but I could tell he wasn't in the garden. He stood outside on the small road and spoke with someone that was riding a horse. The man on the horse gave dad a small pouch and my dad took it in both hands and stared at it for a moment. He then put it away and slowly turned to the house and caught me looking though the window. I had never seen him have that kind if disgusted expression on his face before and I got all of a sudden a horrible feeling in my stomach that was not related to hunger. For some reason I knew what was going to happen and there was no where to hide or run away. Fear started to grow with every step my dad took towards the cabin. I tried to tell myself to run, to move, but nothing happened. I had completely lost control over my legs and could only watch with horror as my father opened the door. He didn't even look me in the eyes. He just took me by my hand and started to pull me outside. I finally got some control over my body and started to say "dad what are you doing? Let go it hurts!" His grip was cold and there was none of the warmth I was used to. I started to shout and fight against my dads hard grip and the commotion woke up my siblings that didn't understand what was going on at all. I shouted helplessly for my mom to help me but she wouldn't move. She just lied there with her face facing against the wall. I was pulled out of the cabin by dad and he brought me in front of the man on the horse. He had the same rugged clothes that yesterdays bandits had have with a small black raccoon on the chest. He smiled at me showing the three teeth he had left. I could not fight anymore. I was too tired from not eating and this man had a huge sword hanging in his belt. "This is the one?" asked the bandit eyeing me from top to toe "a bit swanky but I'll take it". Dad forced me closer to the man who pulled me up on the horse in front of him. "dad what is happening?" I said with tears burning my eyes. Dad would not look at me. He just turned around and walked with dragging steps towards the house. I could see my siblings in the window watching what was happening. The bandit steered the horse around and we started to move out from the sleeping village. The bandit was strong and had probably had eaten a lot more than me the last few months so there would be no use in trying to escape. I would at tops get a few meters before he would catch me. And where would I go? I understood that my dad had just sold me to this bandit and would probably only return me to him if I went back there. There was nothing I could do for myself. Only cry.