The reach was truly beautiful. Rows upon rows of fields, meadows and small enclaves as long as the eyes can see. At different points on the horizon I saw buildings and sometimes smoke. The reach was big and heavily populated. Still Eastweald and Tirisfal were bigger and had more people living in it. Not to speak of Great Britain. I slept near woods and rivers, made enough stops to feed my horses and generally took my time to appreciate the landscape. On my second day I came across a farm, which looked freshly burned down. There were still some small embers here and there and I decided to move on. Only three days after I left the burned down farm I had to kill again. Three outlaws were attacking a farm in the distance. Lorien accelerated and I decapitated the first man with my sword. The second yelled and charged at me. I made quick work of the second. My war cry „for the light" was not recognized by any of them, but the woman and her two children were shocked to see me coming after the third.

The third guy I cleaved in half, before I took some medical supplies to look at the farmer.

He was lying infront of his wife, bleeding badly. He had wounds all over his body and blood stained his clothes. I had not much hope without the light to help him survive.

„I will heal him, but you have to give me some room" the children scrambled away to their mother. She looked stricken and still pale from fright.

Concentrating on my connection to the light I held my hand on his breast and asked the Holy Light to heal the poor sod. Light engulfed him and his injuries almost vanished.

His breathing became stable and his posture relaxed.

„What was that?" Asked the frightened boy, as he came back and took his fathers hand.

„That was the Holy Light, lad. It used me as a conduit and channeled its healing powers into your father to heal him of his injuries."

„The light of the seven?" his mother asked.

„I do not know my lady. My mentor never spoke of the seven-who-are-one.

My mother did, but she suffered a fate worse than death at the hands of a Knight. A fate like you would have suffered, too had I not arrived on time." She paled.

Afterwards the older boy asked me what the Holy Light does and how one can use it.

„The powers of the holy Light allow its practitioners to heal wounds and mend broken bones. Its powers can also shield them from damage, cure ills and curses, heighten the productivity of the mind and body. The Holy Light always brings a sense of peace and calmness whenever its blessings are placed on someone. Wielders of the Light can also use the Holy Light to smite their enemies."

They all listened attentively.

„Paladins like myself can augment their own martial prowess as well as those who fight at their side with the Light's blessings. Through the Light, we practitioners can feel a connection that is sometimes established between them, most of all between a Paladin and his Squire to allowing them to know if they are still alive."

The injuries of Joe, the father was healed after two hours, but needed more rest, still.

I spend the rest of the day and the next with them and helped repairing parts of their farm. The boy did not leave my side much after my rescue. He wanted desperately to be able do defend his family. I did teach him some exercises to build up strength.

Joe and I talked about farming and I spoke of my families farm and their fate.

He listened in earnest as I spoke. He was astonished by my farming techniques.

In the end I packed my belongings, put on my armor and mounted my horse Lorien.

The next stop I made near a river, where I took a long bath to wash the grime off of me. Three days later I reached the keep of the lord responsible for the land. Hopefully he was not a dick, or worse, responsible for the attacks. Joe had told me about the high taxes.

„Who goes there!" yelled a guard as I neared the small keep.

„Peace, Ser! I come from a farm three days west with alerting news for the lord."

„Stand down, I will alert the Castellan."

The keep was mostly made of wood with a stone foundation. It hat no drawbridge or the like, but a big wooden gate. The Keep stood atop a small hill from where one could see the nearby farms and fields. A small village was near the keep, where I could hear the noise of craftsmen at work and traders haggling.

I met the Castellan of said keep two hours later and told him about my family. I wanted to leave and he could reclaim the farmland. My retelling of my encounter at the burned down farm and rescue of a farming family was only met with raised eyebrows. It was hard for me to accept the attitude of the man. He looked fat and had a light in his eyes which did not hide his greed, nor his entitlement.

Luckily I had already destroyed the smithy and paper lab at the farm. I had no need to rouse suspicions, or garner unwanted attention. He asked me about the tome at my hip. I told him my father taught me how to read and it was a family heirloom. He only gave me a wry smile, but did not inquire further.

257-260 AC

The following years I made my way through five of the seven kingdoms.

I did not want to visit Dorne and vowed to keep away from Kingslanding. The North would be my last destination. Dorne was too barren and sandy for my tastes. I had lived in the United Kingdom, mostly in Scotland. Lordaerons climate was much the same and I did not like the heat much. Even in my old age I stayed in Scottland, as I felt more at home in unpopulated areas. Envisioning the North and thinking about Scotland and Lordaeron reminded me of better times.

During the years of my travels I did what Uther taught me. I protected the smallfolk I came across, healed them to the best of my abilities and build fortifications in bigger villages together with them, against bandits and other lowlives. I had several theological discussions with wandering Septons from the Seven-who-are-one and gained a name for myself across Westeros as Thomas the Paladin and Thomas the Holy.

Everytime someone said Ser to me, or asked if I was a knight I corrected them.

I was not and would never be a knight. I was a Paladin and lived by the three virtues.

Many were curious why that was and what the three virtues meant. This resulted in me explaining them and what a Paladin represents and should always aspire to be.

Tears flowed almost every time as I told them the tale of my families murder. Many people I met told me similar tales about „knights" and the suffering they inflicted on the smallfolk.

This resulted in me rallying the people of villages and small settlements. I told them if they wanted the situation to end they had to band together and go to the lords of the land. There they could show a „united front" and plead for help and justice. They could also arrange a militia, or watch group to guard the village from outlaws. If they dedicated an hour, or two everyday after work for training, it would go a long way to protect their loved the event the lord had to decide and had only the word of one farmer against one knight, the knight would surely win, as he had a higher standing. But if a hundred farmers came to tell of similar happenings, the lord would be forced to solve the issue, before rumors of his cowardice, or corrupt nature spread.

Over the years the tales would spread of knightly misdeeds throughout the realm and

many smallfolk went to their lords to demand justice, or plead to end their suffering. Some were heard, others mistreated. In the worst case they were killed. This led to uprisings and many a lord lost their lives, because of it.

A handful of landed knights and smaller lords who raped, killed and heavily taxed their small folk were killed, after some veterans began to assemble and force the issue with martial might. To placate the populace and stop more bloodshed the neighboring lords organized a more substantial guarding force and named new lords of the land. No one wanted another uprising and be killed like their neighbors.

I had no idea I started the „movement of the three virtues" during the „spring against tyranny" as it would be called years later. After helping the people in a village or community I would just leave to travel to the next village, never staying longer than a few days. The longest time I had stayed in a village was at the west coast of the Reach where bandits and Ironborn raids were more common. There we build fortifications and I helped train some militia as a quick reaction force against outlaws. We established a defense force against Ironborn with long pikes, lances and shields.

Sometimes I smithed some plows for their farms or horseshoes for their horses.

This improved their lives and helped support some changes that happened. Not everyone was talented, or interest in martial persuits. In arguments during a meeting with the village elders I sided with them, as it was totally fine to have strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise what was the point?

„Keep to your strengths and aid each other to keep your weaknesses in check" was a sentence I said more often, than I liked. The excess food my farming method brought would be stored first in case of emergency and to feed the training militia. This was agreed upon by the elders. All in all it was fun to work with the smallfolk and a humbling experience to know that they trusted me to help them.