Prelude to Greatness
The morning was cold and damp. The smell of the sea water came in with the cold wind off the coast of the Fremennick Province. William McGradund awoke from yet another night sleeping on cow manure. He had all but gotten used to the smell, so the trade off was often a battle of disease versus warmth; yet, both were trying to take the only thing that was truly his in this world…his life.
His sister, Karyss, still lay quietly asleep upon the only blanket their family had. He did not envy her but loved her dearly and sought to give her the better life. This was a quality learned well through the example of his father, who was already up scavenging the troughs of nearby farms to find anything of sustenance for his two children. Their mother never healed properly from Karyss's birth and shortly after deteriorated and died from an infection. This was hard on Will, who was fond of his mother, but Karyss has never known any better. Will could see his mother in Karyss's eyes and vowed to keep her out of the filth that claimed his mother.
The birds flew overhead. Will was used to them seeking the same food his family needed. They would come in off the sea and did not fear to challenge for a meal. I guess they could sense the weakness in his bones, and what was worse is they would often win. However, the birds this morning did not come off the sea; they hastily flew from the east, from Trollheim. This could only mean one thing. Will snapped to his senses, shaking off the morning grog. He has to find his father and fast.
"Get up Karyss. Now!" Will grabbed her hand and ran toward where he last saw his father only to find he had moved elsewhere. The first rock came bouldering in and crushed the house nearby, this troll was big and out for flesh. Upon seeing will, it charged. Will shoved Karyss out of the way, into a thicket where she could hide, just moments before the troll 's shoulder plowed into Will's chest, hurling him several feet back into a shed. Just as the rock crushed the house, so Will's body crushed the shed. Pinned beneath the rubble, Will was helpless to watch as the troll proceeded to take everything from him. His father finally came into view. He did not even make it within ten feet of Will before the troll took hold of him. With one motion, the troll snapped his father in two like a stick beneath the wheel of a horse cart.
This was it, a crappy life and a crappy death. Where is the honor in dying beneath the rubble of a cow barn? He could even manage to get off a swing at the troll before he got leveled. The blow probably would have broken his hand, but he would have at least been able to believe that he died fighting. He began to close his eyes only to see his own imagination was worse than what was in front of him as he thought of his sister and what could be happening.
Then as if from nowhere a group of warriors could be heard. Will could hear the clashing of the steel against the scaly armor of the troll, the wisp of arrows flying past his location. He tried to scream to let them know he was there. The rubble began to shift and he could feel the weight being lifted. His strength was gone and he couldn't even pulse his muscles to help push the debris off him, but that didn't matter, he was saved. He could feel the firm, strong hand of a warrior on him. The warrior padded will up and down.
"He must be checking for broken bones and a safe way to move me," Will thought.
"Nothing on this one," the warrior shouted.
"Yeah, nothing on this one either," said another.
The warrior chuckled in response, "don't you mean nothing on that half? I think his legs are over there; be sure to check them out before we move on."
These warriors had no honor. They were not here to help. They were thieves, and they left Will for dead.
Will awoke to the cold shock of freezing rain on his face. It was dark. How long had he been out? That did not matter, his body needed the hibernation. Now he could feel the strength coming back to his bones. Was this true health or just energy fueling him from his rage? He arose from the rubble and raced to the thicket where he lasted saw his sister. She was gone – a fact that gave him hope – perhaps she made it out; perhaps she was taken by the troll. In either case, there was a chance she was not dead and that's all Will needed.
Will tracked the troll to The Forgotten Cemetery. He was tired and exhausted and rightfully so. His body was not fully recovered and needed to rest. He found a pile of leaves that would do for the night, but as he lay upon them, they gave way. The snapping of wood preceded Will's fall. It was an old crypt covered by decaying wood. This was not another of the misfortunes that plagued his life, this was divine intervention. In the crypt among the bones Will saw his destiny. It was simple yet clear. In front of him lay the bones of a corpse long since left from this world. The skeletal hands holding out to him a bow, engraved in the shaft was the name "Zon" and next to it, seven notches. Will took hold of this bow and in doing so took hold of his destiny, a destiny that has only begun to be written.