Somewhere in the Vale, in a small town consisting only of a couple peasants, a baker and a general store, grew Laevo. The boy always aspired to raise himself up in the world, to one day own a nice estate, or perhaps even be a knight. Although he was a bastard, a child named Stone, he felt that he was born into this world for bigger, and better things. Day in and day out he would practice his swordsmen-ship, fiercely attacking a tree with a short-staff for hours at a time, for how could a baseborn peasant afford a real weapon?
By the time Laevo was 17, war had struck Westeros. Because he lived in a small town, with no garrison to speak of, it fell to Laevo and a handful of able bodied villagers to try and keep their homes safe, a makeshift militia if you will. Luckily they didnt have much trouble, being a small backroads town to begin with, off the map and out of sight. Because of his silver hair, and purple eyes Laevo had never had very many friends, or any to speak of at all. Nobody knew what this young, slim looking boy was capable of, assuming him to be just another one of the farmer boys, better armed with a pitchfork than a longsword.
One day however, a woman and a few battle worn, savage looking men came riding into the village at a breakneck speed. This, naturally, raised the alarm, however after the riders surrendered their weapons, the crowd quickly dispersed, with the exception of those whose shift it was to watch the gate. Laevo took the girl off her horse, startled and impressed by the fact that, although she was unconscious, she managed to stay ahorse at the speed they were traveling. "You in-love over there, Albino?" yelled Jake, one of the village boys, "She looks like shes perfect for you." Rather than responding to the brute, Laevo looked back down at the girl. Her hair was silver like his, and although she was clad in riding leathers, with dirt clumped in her hair, and lines under her eyes from restless nights, you could tell there was a greatness about her.
A few hours later, a riding party came, flying a lion sigil. They dismounted at the village gate and demanded to know if any horsemen had come this way, and more specifically they were asking after the girl. Although Laevo had just met her, he felt a need to protect her, a sort of kinsmenship, as if she was the girl he'd been waiting for his whole life, the one who would lead him to greatness. Laevo felt a gnawing feeling in his gut, he knew that this was going to be it, his first fight of the war.
"What is it to you, lion?" yelled Laevo. Before the man had time to respond, Laevo was upon them, using their annoyance as a distraction. The riding party was only 4 men strong, and obviously tired from a long chase, so with lightning fast speed, Laevo swung his poorly made sword, which the villagers took turns wielding while on watch at the gate, and opened the throats of the first two men in quick succession. Before the third had time to draw his sword, he found Laevo's sword in his chest, sheared straight through the rider's chainmail. As the man fell to the ground, Laevo finished drawing the rider's sword, ready for the fourth lion, who instantly dropped his sword, and surrendered.
"Heh, a man could get used to this." said Laevo, as he sheathed his new sword, and walked back to the front gate of the village, a reborn man. Ready for the future. Ready for the war.
