As a child his mother always told him,

always look at the positives, and always forget the negatives

He tried to do that, he tried to see the plus of the situation, but the only plus was that, the same mother would not be around to outcast him, to lecture him like the judges or the masses or the people spiting on him. When it came to being thrown out of your home and given nothing but a horse and a sword, that was probably the closest thing to a positive there was.

The Exile rode for days on his mount. A small unassuming brown horse. Despite his former status, he was little more then a peasant, in the eyes of the people who saw him pass by.

His journey brought him to the town of Goldhill, a small mining settlement turned village, where the only thing that supplied visitors and gave the town most of its money, was the Local Tavern. Since the gold ran out a long time ago.

As he approached the local tavern, he was stopped by a man with a black cloak on his back, and short brown hair.

” Sir If I might ask a favor?”

“what is it?”

” My job is a job is to gather anybody that can hold a sword or string a bow, and considering that you have a sword there, you fit the requirement”

” and what is the whole job description exactly?”

” The Warlord who presides over this area, has withdrawn his troops, now usually this would not be a bad or pressing matter, if it wasn’t for the recent elf attacks on several farms near here,”

” and they are going to attack this town?”

” We don’t know, but the consul is assuming yes, and while he assumes yes, its my job to assume yes as well.”

” So where do I come in?”

” The Consul has decided its time to create a militia, and he is looking for any armed individual who can deal with a wage of 20 gold pieces per week.”

” People are willing to work for that much?”

” That doesn’t answer my question”

” I’ll take your job, where do you want me and when?”

” We need every recruit we can get at the north tower, get there as soon as you can.”

The Exile didn’t have much else to do, he didn’t have a destination, he didn’t have money, he had no reason to really say yes to this deal, but he no reason to say no either.

The Exile went to the tower and was gathered around a group of farmers and merchants, armed with wooden spears and clubs, afew hunter’s bows here and there, but as far as professional and elite, this army was all around pathetic.

The militia group was stationed at the north tower. To warn of an elf attack should it happen.

( Ofcourse in a fantasy tale like this, you know its going to happen)

Then it happened, elven raiders, armed with steel blades and axes rode their horses to charge at the north tower. The few men with hunters bows did what they could to repel them. However if goldhill was going to be saved, the exile would need to act. The Exile had experience in war and commanding men,

” PIKEMEN FORWARD!”

he put the men with the wooden spears In front of the tower, to make sure the elf horses would have plenty of trouble. In the case where an elf or got through the pike-men, the surviving elves would be greeted by the exile’s sword and several clubs. 

The Exile slashed his way through elf after elf, and as the men saw this seasoned veteran repel this attack. They knew they could not lose. No elf turned back, No elf bowed down to surrender, the elves attacked to make sure they would either win or they would die. Evidently…. they all died.

The Exile had done the impossible, he took an unorganized group of villagers and turned them into a formidable fighting force, his natural commanding voice, and the fear of the elves had combined to defend Goldhill from slaughter, rape and destruction.

The Exile was a hero.