Kedez, a Nord, lost his parents to raiding bandits in the dead of winter looking to find anything to sell. But even more so than loot, they were looking for winter clothing and food to stay warm and fed throughout the winter. Kedez's parents were the first of his clan to die that night, as a more than average bandit sneaks into their home and slits his parents throats.
The bandits didn't notice the 6 year old child in the home, as he tended to end up underneath his bed to sleep at night. The Nords, after having dispatched the bandits, started to clean up and count their losses. They noticed Kedez's parents were both dead. A family, close friends of his parents, decided to take him in and raise him with their slightly older son, Tuqrak.
Tuqrak was a savage little 8 year old who hated not having all the attention of his parents anymore. He beat Kedez, made fun of him, took his food, tore his clothes, and any other little thing he could get away with or blame on something else.
On the other hand, Kedez, when not dealing with Tuqrak, grew up doing everything he could to earn respect from everybody he met. He would take care of the livestock, volunteer for extra chores and duties. Kedez would help the women with their responsibilities after doing his own, just for the affection and gratitude that he feels he is missing from being adopted.
Later, at 19, Kedez is in love. On top of that, Tuqrak's parents adore Kedez and his love, Miri. His apoted parents are going to pay the bridal price, and give him gifts and the blessing of inheriting the family business of smithing. They felt, even though they still loved Tuqrak more, that the business would be in better with a more responsible son of theirs running it.
Tuqrak, hateful with jealously, envy, and pride that he is the only rightful heir to his parents belongings and inheritance devises a way to ruin Kedez's life. The night before the wedding, Tuqrak violates and brutally murders the one woman that would never accept him, Miri.
When Kedez finds Miri, in the woods, he notices a bracelet that Tuqrak had always worn. It had gotten torn off in Miri's struggle. In a bloodlust rage, Kedez finds Tuqrak in the middle of a town as he was shopping with his parents. Kedez walks up to him and beats him to death with a stone in each fist, yelling and crying without hearing anything or anyone, but he can't stop hitting Tuqrak with the stones.
His adopted parents, eventually get him to stop, and look at him with disgust and horror, but more so, hatred. Kedez sees that they hate him for murdering their only son, regardless of how just and morally correct it felt to him. He sits on the ground and waits for the guards to come take him away.
Now being 4 years in prison, surviving the dark, damp, dungeons, the guards finally decide to execute Kedez. In those 4 years, Kedez was only able to think of one thing. Of how he felt betrayed in this cruel and unjust world. His parents were taken from him, his love was taken from him by a family member that despised him, and his foster family was lost because their only REAL son was dead by his hands. The world has brought him enough hurt to tear his heart apart.
He never let himself die, even though he wanted to those 4 years in dungeons, for one reason.
A promise. A promise to Miri to always stand strong and look to live life no matter what might happen.
Stand strong he has done, living life he will do.
