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Aelwyn is a young girl of about 15 years old who works for her adoptive parents in their local inn as a general handy-girl. That is, she serves patrons, cleans tables, cooks food, mends, etc. She fits well with her family and her adoption means very little other than she's of slightly different features from her older siblings. She is the youngest of the menagerie, and though she doesn't know her true parents, the most she's ever heard regarding her presence is a shrug and a statement from her father, the patriarch of the home "I don't begrudge my Wyrd, child, and neither should you. Now go scrub the threshold."
Though she was adopted she is generally well-loved by her family, if not as much as her true-blooded siblings. Upon her 7th birthday, her mother gave her a gift, a true iron seax, and told her it was her inheritance from a family she never knew. Of course, this gave her big ideas and she since dreamed of attending the Spring Choosing expecting to become as a Daughter of Tiswesdaeg. Working in her uncle's tavern only further exacerbated those dreams and her secret saex, which she keeps wrapped about her leg under her shift (ie, not remotely accessable) kept the feelings alive day after day.
During this time period, Aelwyn grew into what could only be called 'true beauty' and she's one of the most sought-after maidens in town. Between her secret musings and the general appreciation of the male half of the populace, she's turned into something of a self-absorbed mite with a much too high opinion of herself and a penchant for getting into trouble. People generally consider her gregarious and interesting, but with the downside of finding her troublesome and annoying when she's getting on with one of her pranks. For three years, she worked hard at her uncle's tavern, generally disliking the work, but not resenting it overmuch, and she's developed a strong circle of friends about her own age.
At 10, she went to the Spring Choosing, determined to become a Daughter of Tiwesdaeg. She wore her best shift and even took out her seax (that she had mentally decided was her mother's, who died in some heroic battle with an evil eolderman) and kissed it before going off to fulfill her Wyrd.
Imagine her disappointment when she was not chosen to be a Daughter of Tiwesdaeg. Instead Old Pega, the herb woman, chose her and now she's stuck listening to the old woman's stories while she plays "housewife" cleaning, cooking and generally resenting the fact that she's not learned much at all in the three or so years she's been apprenticed. Of course, she's learned a little, but what she's learned she's gotten out of listening to the Old Witherbones (as she mentally calls her) as Pega tends to customers and the village. Pega calls her stupid and generally makes her life miserable. She's not bothered to teach Aelwyn much of anything, especially not the Bronding written language that she sometimes uses for "runes" and spells. Aelwyn suspects that Pega doesn't know what she's doing herself.
On the bright side of things, Aelwyn's a pretty smart girl, if her head's a bit too much in the clouds, and while it's looking that she'll be a spinister (Old Pega doesn't allow the boys to come around unless they're in need of services, though a few more have been getting minor headaches and such since Aelwyn was apprenticed), she has slowly began to plan to run away, possibly to the next shire, for another Spring Choosing where no one will know her.
