Mara Mormont was born Mara Snow. She did not know her parents very well. Her mother died on the birthing bed, and her so called father was said to have died towards the end of Robert's Rebellion. She was only a young girl, but as she lived on Bear Island in the small town outside of the wood and earthen keep that was the Mormont House. She was only a young girl of four when Darcey Mormont a young version of her mother arrived. Her father had died protecting the lady from a blade that was meant for her. As he died he told the second She- Bear as he slowly died that he had a daughter. So Darcey went to the village, she found the young girl on a small fishing boat just off shore with a young man who was clearly a fisherman. She watched with a great smile that she had. Mara was already learning her skills in the art of fishing and she did indeed seem to be learning quickly. As they fished the man seemed to see the lady. He soon had all his gear stowed away and was rowing back to shore. When they arrived Darcey Mormont smiled a strange sort of smile that held no real joy in it, more a kind of bitter sorrow "Hello, little Mara. My name is Darcey Mormon, I have come to take you as my ward, and I will train you as a warrior of my own guard. It is the least that I can do for you my great battle girl."
Mara seemed a bit confused by all of this, but she knew who her lords and ladies were this meant she could trust them. As she stood in front of the lady she looked up at her "Papa is dead." She said in a statement tone rather than a questioning one.
Still, Darcey nodded her head in answer "Yes my dear. He saved my life and I owe him a great blood debt. As such I am doing him this honor. I have been told you are a snow and while I have the means to take care of you, I do not yet have the means to give you a true home. I shall do so one-day Mara. You need to listen and learn however, as such I will teach you all that you need to know as well as the fact that I will be giving you as a squire to Alysane my sister. She will take you on and see to most of your training. This is all that I can offer you, but it is a great sight better than the life that you could've hoped for in any case. Now, we shall go to the hold at once." She turned and led the girl to the hall of House Mormont. The rest of Mara's childhood was filled with all the training that all the Mormonts went through as both men and women alike.
Mara learned quickly as she was taught and this meant she would not bother with anything that would not help her. She tried as much as she could to try and learn such a thing that would help her make Darcey and Alysane view her as not only valuable, but worthy of the name Mormont. It was a year before she met the future Lord Wolfthorn on her name day that the new lord of the Mormonts Jorah came to her holding a parchment he read it in front of the whole house "In the sights of Gods and men. I Ser Jorah Mormont, Lord of Bear Island do herby name you with not only the honor of Lord Eddard Stark; lord of Winterfell warden of the north our liege lord, but also with his majesty King Baratheon first of his name king of the Andals and the first men, protector of the realm, do herby name you Mara Mormont; the Daughter of Alysane Mormont. In the family, we shall call you the Snow Bear. Arise as one of us Mara Mormont."
At that point, she smiled moving up to her feet slowly the whole hall filled with great joyful cries. The day was one that she would always remember with a great smile on her face she bellowed out against the crowd's cheering showing her own joy. The next year was the one where she had met and began her life with the future John Wolfthorn at her side as a ward. The two lived together, lived together and fought together during the Greyjoy Rebellion. When he left for the citadel she felt grief, but she did not bother with it. Instead, she put herself into her training without waiting for any instruction. She looked off selling herself out as a sellsword among the land. With her was her weapons and a great war hound one of the last that John bred on Bear Island. She then served as guardian for cargo under various merchants. One such was a trader from Highgarden, the trader was called 'Lord Kean' he anchored in White Harbor. He found Mara in the tavern there with her hound. He moved to her table where she sat drinking ale and eating meat pie. He sat down at her table with a friendly smile on his face "So this is what a Snow Bear looks like."
This made Mara slam her cup down on the table empty "And unless you are paying you should know that I do not like being interrupted while drinking." She growled the great hound at her feet looking up snarling softly.
The man's smile faltered ever so, but he kept working his way towards his goal "Ah yes, I have heard just as well. I have come to offer you a job. I need a powerful Snow Bear to guard my wares on my way down to Highgarden. I will be going by sea, I have gotten fine soldiers and guards, but only a Mormont can know and prepare for Ironborn. All we need is to have you lead the men. Can you do this?"
Mara sighed as she picked up the flagon of ale filling her mug to brimming again before draining it in one swallow nodding her head "Aye, I am your guard alright. Now we are ready to go unless you wish to take some different actions. If that is the case however, you should let me drink and eat my fill. Also, if you'd like then we can talk money now rather than later."
The Merchant laughed "I shall pay you whatever you wish that is in the realm of reason. As such I will honor the price you set to me."
She looked her new employer over with a soft smile "I shall indeed present a fair figure to you."
He nodded as he rose to his feet "Alright, I do hope to see you at my ship in the harbor by nightfall. I am the captain of the 'Sea Wind' I do hope to see you there." With that he left the woman to her meal to seek his own business.