Valarr was the only child of Riego and Arla, two lowly peasants, who owned a farm outside Helena. Valarr was, as all peasant children are, forced to work the farm. His birthright was to inherit his parent's farm and to live like them when he grew up. But Valarr had no interest in this. He loved to fight, though never against children who didn't want to. He started brawling bullies who picked on people smaller than them, and after he made a reputation from this, also against people who challenged him. One day, an opponent who challenged Valarr betted a small piece of money that he would win. Valarr realised that there was money to be made in this business. Knowing his future didn't lie in farming, Valarr ran away.
He made his small living from fighting until one day he was approached by a knight wearing black plate armour with a dragon sigil. The man noticed Valarr's fighting spirit, but also saw he meant no harm to those who he fought. He offered him a squireship, which Valarr gladly accepted. The knight never revealed his true name to Valarr in the years that he trained the boy to be a warrior. He was only known as Ser Blackfyre to him. One fateful day however, as Valarr and Ser Blackfyre were travelling through the woods, on their way to the city of Haense to attend a tourney, they were ambushed by orcs wearing the sigil of the Raguk Clan. Ser Blackfyre was able to fend off several of them, but he was badly outnumbered. He threw his bow to the young Valarr, and ordered him to run. Valarr ran for his life as the sound of clashing iron faded away.
He was now alone, forced to make his living off of brawling once again. He travelled the lands, unsure what his future would hold. Through one of his opponents, he heard a mercenary company in town was hiring men. He knew fighting as a mercenary would make more money than brawling on the streets, so he decided to join the company. As he approached the recruiter at the town square, he was taken off-guard by a question. 'Name?’, the recruiter bluntly asked him, as he noticed Valarr was brawny and fit, likely seeking to join. 'Valarr, sir.’, he answered. 'Just.. Valarr?’, the recruiter replied, clearly annoyed. 'Valarr... Blackfyre.’ The recruiter wrote his new name down. 'Welcome to the Company, Blackfyre.’
'Business’, Valarr coldly says as he walks on, hoping the man would take the hint that he would like to be left alone.
'Business is what brings anyone anywhere around in these parts!’, the man says in an insinuating tone.
Valarr pauses and give the man a cold stare.
'You seem like the fighting type, a mercenary perhaps!’ The man notices Valarr reacted to the last word, be it a small twitch, snort or something else.
'A man of your arts must constantly be looking for the best weapon or piece of armour in town, are you not?’, the well-dressed gentleman asks.
'I already have a fine piece of steel, and perhaps even better plate.’, Valarr replies.
The gentleman notices that Valarr did not lie. His armour, though dirty, was not bent or broken. He also noticed a dragon sigil, almost hidden under the smudge.
'You are right, dear traveller, though you could certainly take a good bath, get that steel cleaned up and perhaps even have some fun during it all!’, the man suggests.
Valarr looks at the gentleman, perhaps intrigued by the offer, but he sees that the man was not as well-dressed as he appeared at first. His suit also had dirt on it, and laps of leather keeping it together were cleverly painted as if they belonged there. Valarr looks at the man's face, and sees not the big smile he first saw, but a forced, perhaps even desperate grin. Valarr reaches into one of his bags, and takes a single gold coin out of it. He forcefully places it in the gentleman's right hand, and without a further glance, walks on as if happened. His face relaxes a bit, and if someone had looked at Valarr's face right then, he would have noticed a faint smile.
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