You’d think growing up on a farm in the outskirts of Ruriksgrad, Lloyd would be a hardy, stout boy. This assumption would definitely be wrong, though- He’s as mild mannered and wimpy as they come. While his younger sister did the harder chores with their father, he milked the cows, harvested eggs from the chickens, and helped his step-mother out with the cooking. Of course, he generally just chopped things for her. Anything more usually resulted in disaster. Friends of the family often made jokes about how strange it was that he and his sister had reversed roles, and his parents sometimes agreed. But, as wimpy as he was, they did love him.
Even still, it was tough growing up. It was worse still when both his mother and his father fell ill, passing away several days later due to their rapidly deteriorating condition. He and his sister were officially orphaned. One of their uncles came to claim the family farm, but he didn’t claim them. Both children were sent to a nearby orphanage, Lloyd a mere fourteen years old, and Torel only twelve. It was a nice enough place. Nobody was mean to them, Lloyd was content enough. But his sister had a fire burning in her heart. Enraged at the way their uncle could just get away with doing something so awful, she came up with a foolhardy plan; One where they could get their home back and put their uncle six feet under.
It probably wasn’t wise to listen to a twelve year old girl, but Lloyd had always thought his little sister was a good leader. So, he agreed. In the early morning hours, while it was still dark, the two kids slipped out of their beds and crept down the stairs, wincing at every creak and groan that came from the poor quality wooden boards. They snuck through the entry hall and out the door, disappearing into the night. With them, they took some provisions, enough for at least a week if they rationed it right. Lloyd felt a little bad stealing from people who had been so kind to them, but sometimes a kid just had to do what a kid had to do.
Smuggling themselves onto a ship wasn’t hard. They were small, and lazy morning workers didn’t really suspect much. Quiet as mice, the children waited it out. They had no idea where the boat was going, only that wherever it went, they would make their fortune and come back to put their uncle in his place. It was harebrained, sure, but what kids had enough foresight to know that? Torel rationed their supplies throughout the journey like a frugal hag, and the hunger was almost too much to bear. But it lasted them through the entire trip, so she did her job well. When the ship docked in Santegia, they found themselves in Presa de Madera. Sneaking off the ship wasn’t so hard, at first. They passed by drunken sailors with ease, unnoticed by the crew.
But they let their guard down as they walked down the board that served as a bridge between the dock and the ship. The captain, who had exited the ship a while ago and was talking with the dockmaster, spotted them and quickly cut off their escape route to question them. The man quickly realized that they were stowaways and just as he was about to call for the guards, Lloyd did something brave for the first time in his life; He shoved the man out of the way and told his sister to run. He ran too, but in the opposite direction- All the focus was on him, and since he ran to the end of the dock and thus a dead end, his bravery had earned him a trip to a different orphanage.
He never did learn what happened to his sister. He could only assume that she managed to escape, since he never saw her again. These past four years weren’t so bad, though. The orphanage took care of him, though they kept a close eye on him so he didn’t escape and cause more trouble. Having reached eighteen, he plans to try and find his sister, though he’s unsure where to start looking. There’s also the matter of his uncle to deal with, too, though it’s not very high on his agenda.
