A Child Born

It was a dark and cold night, evidence of the winters arrival was easily noticed by the withering of plants, leafless trees, bird-less skies, and the obvious snow covered grounds. The village was quiet, and would remain so for some time, before the clear-cut tragedy would change not one, but many peoples lives.

The village was, like most villages really, beautiful in its own way, with a handful of soldiers to guard it.  All together there would be twenty families in this village, but one would not be ordinary, one would hold the future of all in its hands.

Sire James Tombly was one of the few guards that protected this little village.  He was not overly built, but was clearly not a small man.  His wife Joanna and he settled down in this village after he served directly under the king as a royal guard.  He was still young, still capable, if it wasn't for that injury he received fighting against an assassin sent to kill the good king himself, he would happily serve for more years then he had.  He was rewarded for saving the king, and was given the title and honor of knightly hood.  With saving the king came many perks, one such reward was the early retirement and settling down with a family, and what better way to settle down then in a village that he was appointed to defend, said the king when he was letting Sire Tombly go, clearly not wanting to insult the man that saved his life.

Sire Tombly was loved in this village, as well as respected for not one man could best him in sword fighting, nor in the reading and writing and intelligence he possessed.  He was a good soldier, a good man, a good husband, and soon to be a good father.