Olivia's Background
Olivia was born to a human tavern owner and his young elven wife, a happy baby full of smiles and laughter, and an adoration of attention.
From the time she could walk, Olivia was entertaining the customers in the "Stew and Stout", her father's tavern. Her mother played the violin and sang, and Olivia would dance. As she got older, she would sing along to her mother's accompaniment, eventually learning to play the fiddle and the cornett nearly as well as her gifted mother.
As time went by, her brothers came into the world. Olivia was unable to spend as much time performing, as her mother's duties with the little ones - especially the newborn twins - made her unable to continue cooking and serving the tavern patrons. The eldest of five siblings, and the only girl, Olivia was put to work in the kitchen in her mother's stead, while her younger brothers entertained. Olivia loved her family dearly, but she begrudged the loss of her free time and having to do all the difficult work while the two singing brothers - who were old enough to do some of the manual labor as well - earned all the coppers and applause while she was stuck over a hot stove morning until night.
When Olivia was 14, a traveling band of gypsies came through her village. Carlo came to the 'Stew and Stout' on one of the few nights that Olivia was singing. He stayed until closing time, and then asked Olivia if she would come to their performance the next day. Olivia's mother, over-hearing, forbade her to go with the 20 year old human. Olivia went anyway.
She was enthralled by the singing and dancing and the carefree nature the gypsies seemed to have. After the show, Carlo charmed her with his attentions, filling her with romantic stories of the gypsy lifestyle and love at first sight. When he asked Olivia to leave with him that night, she didn't even go home for her belongings.
Life on the road with the gypsy caravan was not as carefree as Carlo had lead her to believe. Olivia didn't like the idea of stealing, but she was so in love with Carlo that she would do anything he asked, excelling in the art because it seemed to make him so happy. He taught her to fight, even presenting her with a scimitar he had stolen from an unlucky elf drunk on gypsy "wine". He continued to fill her with stories of how when she was old enough, they would be married, and she believed every word he said.
Performing for the crowds gave her great pleasure as well. She learned to dance even more gracefully and hypnotically than she had before, and with castanets at her fingertips or her tambourine tapping a silken gowned hip, she mesmerized the crowds, leaving them calling for more.
Olivia spent much time in Bella's company, the old fortune teller who's crystal ball seemed to reveal the past and future of those sitting before her. Bella was kind, and delighted in Olivia's company, as Olivia was sweet to her, and listened to the old woman's stories, even after she'd heard them so many times she could repeat them herself. Bella didn't seem to care much for Carlo, but she would never say why, only running him out of her tent when he came looking for Olivia.
Shortly after Olivia turned 17, Bella fell ill, and she requested the girl come to her wagon. Olivia's eyes overflowed with tears when she saw the woman, who only the day before seemed vibrant, and now was withered and wasted. Urging Olivia closer, Bella pressed the silver medallion that she placed around the neck of those having their fortune's read into Olivia's hand. Her voice a whisper, she told Olivia to put it around Carlo's neck. Olivia looked puzzled, but she trusted Bella, and did as she was told.
Approaching Carlo that night as he slept, she slipped the medallion around his neck. Instantly, Olivia's mind was filled with images.. Carlo's thoughts. She saw his activities of the evening - heading into town with a few of the other men, having some ales.. returning to make love to her. Olivia smiled at the pleasant imagery, until another woman's face appeared where Olivia's had been. It was then she realized that Carlo had been using her all along, and that her so-called friend Marlie's unborn child belonged to Carlo.
Fighting back her tears, she carefully removed the medallion from Carlo's neck, and ran back to Bella's tent. The old woman was near death when she arrived, and barely could speak above a whisper as she refused the medallion Olivia was trying to return. "Take it," she'd said. "Take it, and take the globe, and be gone from here, Olivia. You deserve more from life."
The old woman drew her last breath late into the night, and Olivia took her few belongings and stole away, hitching a ride on a merchant caravan the next morning, and leaving the gypsy life far behind.