|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Overview
Atalanta was born in Ga'leah somewhere on the northern coast. She had a brother named Nereus who was three years older than her. Her mother died when she was very young and her father didn't care much for her or her antics. Atalanta lived with the Amazons for much of her life and has only been in Ga'leah for the past few years. She has taken up residence on the Argo with her adopted son Laeto and is Jason's first mate.
Early Life[]
Atalanta was born 1,973 AH in the Yarrow on the Northern Coast of Ga'leah. Her father was a retired soldier from the Calladahnian Army. When Atalanta was three years old her mother passed away from some kind of sickness. Her father never went into much detail. Atalanta was fairly certain that her father loved only two people in his whole life and it was her mother and her older brother Nereus. Nereus was born prematurely and because of this the boy was rather sickly. He did, however, have a very quick mind.
Atalanta was a very rambunctious and energetic child. She almost never learned her lesson and loved getting into trouble. Where her brother was the responsible and careful one Atalanta was the trouble maker who climbed trees and broke her arm only to try and climb the tree again the next day with only one arm. One could never pin her down no matter how many lashings her father gave her.
At the age of seven Atalanta and her brother Nereus were left on their own while their father was away at market. During his absence Atalanta decided to go for a run in a storm. Nereus not wanting her to by herself went with her and fell ill soon after that. The fever burned through him and he soon died. Atalanta's father grieved for several days refusing to eat or do anything. A few weeks later Atalanta's father took her to a high peak in the Hyadies, tied her up, and left her to die. The young girl managed to escape her binds and was found by a group of Amazons traveling Ga'leah to find other women to add to their ranks. They took her back to Themyscira in Allutheria.
Life in Themyscira[]
There Atalanta was raised. She was taught to fight, hunt, and be herself. Here she found herself a new family. Atalanta grew close to a girl named Laeta who was of a softer disposition than many of the Amazons. The two were the best of friends and got into all sorts of trouble. The two loved each other like sisters and both would die for the other.
When Atalanta was fifteen she managed to catch the Amazonian queen Hippolyta's attention. She beat Hippolyta's daughter Nike in a race and thus was chosen to finish her Amazonian training as one of the queen's pupils. This, however, did not mature Atalanta one bit not that anyone seemed to care.
At seventeen Atalanta's faith in the Amazonian way began to be shaken. Her friend Laeta gave birth to a baby boy and upon seeing the infant Atalanta was reminded of her brother the one positive male figure in her life. She quickly banished such thoughts until Laeta gave birth to another boy two years later. Atalanta questioned why a boy could not be raised in Themyscira. Hippolyta spoke of how it was tried once and the boy grew to wish to overthrow the Amazonians. Atalanta took this as good enough reason. Her faith was shaken again though when Laeta gave birth to yet another boy and this time it broke Laeta as well. She begged and pleaded to keep her son, but it was not allowed. A week later Atalanta found Laeta lying dying in her bed from poisoning herself. Atalanta stayed with her till she died and due to her taking what the Amazons considered a coward's death she was buried beyond the borders of Themyscira with no rights. For weeks after Atalanta picked fights with anyone that dared say a negative word about Laeta. It got out of hand and Hippolyta stepped in trying to get her to direct her anger towards other fights. This made Atalanta snap and she picked a fight with the Amazonian queen herself. She fought till she passed out and after that Atalanta felt lost. Everywhere she looked she saw her brother's face and the faces of Laeta's baby boys.
Leaving Themyscira and the Argo[]
Atalanta never quite recovered till she was twenty five and chose to join a group of Amazonian missionaries. It was then that she dreamed of her brother Nereus. He told her he was proud of her and that he loved her. This made Atalanta realize she could not stay with the Amazons and she left. She also made a vow to find Laeta's three boys and until then she would not lie with a man or marry one.The man would also have to beat her in a race if he wished for such an honor.
Atalanta searched for Laeta's three boys, but only found one of them. The boy had been a servant to a faery named Meleager. He had been physically aged to appear nineteen. Atalanta managed to get Meleager to also age the young man up mentally. She named him Laeto after his mother. The two left to find the other two boys. They traveled Ga'leah for a bit and found themselves aboard the Argo which they now call home.