The Outlaw Book 1: The Rebirth of Oak Blood

Prologue

I lived in that damned town for far too many years, and it was always the same routine. Run and grab new flour from the mill, or go barter off the goat because we need wood, or here is the axe, go and kill the chicken for dinner. Now myself, I was sick of it, I hated having to be the errand boy arround the house.

I begged the merchants to take me with them, I knew it would never work, but I had to try. See I had the dreams ever sense I saw that gleaming broad sword on the wall. A knight. The biggest dream a small farm boy could have that everyone knew, sadly, would never come true. I've been training, a little bit every small chance I get. I know there's a huge jump from riding a small goat, to riding a gallant horse with armour, but I had to try.

My father was no help, he told me to not even bother leaving the town, because it's the only life I had, and the only one I'd ever get, but I never did give up. I trained with pitchforks for spears and bails of hay as the trolls of the south. I knew there was a way to get out, I just had to search

One day, when I was 8, the village was attacked, my mother slaughtered and only my father and brother were left. We fled, and took to the roads, we needed food, so we took as many chickens that we could carry in our small arms, and ran to the snow capped hills to the north. But I saw something extra in my dad's arm, it was wrapped in burlap sacks, which was a mystery to me, but it looked heavy, very heavy as my father must have stopped about ten times before we reached the hills.

We layed out small sticks as shelters, and put our coats down as make shift beds. When all were asleep, I took it upon myself to look in the burlap sack, and that's when I found the biggest shock of my young, boring life.

The jeweled hilt of the gleaming broad sword and the blue feather off the back of a steel helmet.

We knew we were in trouble, we knew the bandits were coming for us, but we had to push on towards the hills. We were almost there, I could feel the snow flakes falling on my skin, and I could see the light of fire in braziers. I had no idea why, but I felt watched. We were travelling for almost two days when we reached the top of that hill, and saw the gleaming city of Snowhold. Then it happened, to the shock of us all.

Arrows, whipping by, and impailing trees and the ground. One found my brother, in the chest, we couldnt drag him, we had to run. We kept moving, and then my father was hit in the leg, he pulled me close and said.

"Malof, when the time was right, these gifts were yours, you are the son of a knight, and you must go, go on to Storms Light, and join the king, he will know you personally, so be prepared, join him, as dark times are upon us."

Those were the last words out of his mouth. I took off, scared for my own life, so I ran to the walls of Snowhold, and prayed they'd let me in.

They didn't, my new life has begun.