Tavon Zaralyn

Handle: Jehaine
Email: amyante[at]hotmail[dot]com
== Description ==
NOTE: Given that Tavon has given himself a false identity, his real data is listed between ( )
Character Name: Martyn Stonebridge (Tavon Zaralyn)
Age: 34 (84)
Apparent Age: 34
Place of birth/raising: Whitebridge, Andor (Jenaan, Malkier)
Physical Appearance: Tavon stands at an even six feet, weighing roughly 165 pounds. True to the Malkieri fashion, he wears his dark brown hair to his shoulders, though he no longer holds it back with a hadori. He has dark brown eyes, matching his eye color. Much like his daughter, he has an angular face with a pointed chin, though in comparison his complexion is a bit darker compared to hers due to the time spent living in a Stedding.
 
Clothing wise, he has fully adopted Andoran fashion, and can more often than not be seen wearing a white shirt, a red coat and a simple pair of trousers without accessories. The rather simple cut of his clothing is deliberate, as he doesn't want to risk endangering his cover by adding a couple of typically Malkieri traits by accident.
== History ==
Tavon was born in Jenaan, Malkier, in 916 NE. With his home city being relatively near the Stairs of Jenaan, where the Trolloc hordes were fought back every year, it was effectively a large border fortress. With this in mind, it came as little to no surprise that the vast majority of the male population consisted of soldiers, with Tavon's father among them.
 
The young boy grew up while his mother taught him how to read and write, and his father taught him the sword as he shaped his son into a fine soldier. This was considered normal everyday life in Jenaan, and even though there were some in the city that didn't fight they too were still necessary to keep the place running. One day however, rather than choose his fate, fate ended up choosing him.
 
Masura Kurenin was a childhood friend of his, from a neighbouring family. Still, even though they were pretty close friends it was still somewhat of a shock one day to hear her ask him to become her carneira. Taken completely off guard, he took an involuntary step back, nearly dropping the training sword he was going through his forms with. Despite her blush, he still managed to recognise the trademark look on her face when her temper threatened to flare, and raised a hand in protest. Still, when he tried to think of a way to have her change her mind without insulting her... he found he really didn't want to turn her down. They had been together so often the gradual change in his feelings for her had been unnoticed by him until now, and he had fallen in love with her somewhere along the way.
 
That night, Tavon and Masura strengthened the bond between them as they confessed their love for one another -- be it a bit uneasy after just having slept with each other. Though she did find it amusing when he asked for her help in braiding his own hair into a daiori. It would soon appear that the Wheel wasn't done with them yet though, as Masura found herself with child a few weeks after their union. A few months later, when her stomach had already started to swell, the necessary arrangements for their marriage had been made, and the two were wed, Masura jokingly commenting on how she'd have to give Tavon's daiori to herself now.
 
Five months later, their daughter was born, named after Masura's mother Jerinia (see Jerinia Zaralyn). By this time, Tavon's father had been killed in a Trolloc raid, and Tavon had become old enough to succeed him in the Malkeri army. Yet, even though he realised his duties, he always looked forward to when the campaign would be over so he could return home to his wife and child. Not having had sisters of his own, he told Jerinia the stories of his Campaigns, as his father had done to him many years ago. Masura didn't like stories like that one, claiming they were having a bad influence on the girl, but Jerinia didn't seem to mind so it never really spawned an argument between them.
 
Still, it came as a complete surprise to him when Jerinia wanted to join the Army as well. He quickly glanced at his wife's face -- noticing a look he knew all too well -- and almost jumped into trying to convince his daughter that that wouldn't be such a good idea. Yet, Tavon was never really good when it came to dealing with women, and with a resigned sigh her mother chipped in before the argument got out of hand too much. She did allow Jerinia to dye her hair red though, as a silent reminder to Tavon to be more mindful of her advice next time. She did manage to have her change her mind from wanting to join the Aiel to becoming an Aes Sedai, something he was grateful for.
 
The battles were hard, a large Trolloc host coming to reclaim the land which had been lost when half the Malkieri lances advanced north. It had only been because of a group of Aes Sedai present with them that their lines had held at all, and this was only the advance guard. Word was sent back to the capitol, and preparations were made to have most of its people reach safety while they would hold as long as they could at Herot's Crossing. Feeling worried for the safety of his family, Tavon explained the situation to Masura, and they agreed she would accompany her daughter to Tar Valon. Even if she would not be admitted, she would be safe, and it was the only place the girl'd willingly leave Malkier for.
 
With his heart at easy as his loved ones were heading south, Tavon marched for Herot's Crossing to join the King's forces there. Despite knowing the odds, he held his head high, determination radiating off of him and the men with him to keep the Trolloc host back for as long as they could.
 
-----
 
Tavon woke as an officer prodded his sleeping form. He groaned, shaking his head to get the last remnants of sleep out before standing up from under his blankets. He had slept in his armor and with weapons within reach, as they had for the past couple of days. After the battle, he and several pockets of survivors banded together, intending to march south to Kandor, Shienar and Arafel, to rejoin the fighting from their ranks. Tavon nodded, already knowing that that would not be for him.
 
He had discovered he could channel. Oh, there were a couple of incidents of what he believed to have been luck before that, but no amount of luck made earthen spikes shoot from the ground to impale his enemies like it had. Normally, a Malkieri that could channel would head north into the Blight, but after what happened with Lord Lain he couldn't bring himself to do that. Rather, he'd find a Stedding to live in, hoping the time would one day come that male channelers would not be fated to go mad, killing everyone around them.
 
They marched south, eventually connecting with Shienarian forces heading north, and despite their battle-worn condition felt somewhat reluctant to stop fighting. Some joined the Shienarians, others did not. Tavon didn't join either, heading to a Stedding he had heard about located further to the south, in the Black Hills. An appropriate name.
 
The Stedding was his home for the next couple of decades. Channeling had slowed his aging, making him appear not a day older than he had been at Herot's Crossing, but he could tell enough from the passing of time as he carefully picked out rumors concerning male channelers. Though relatively safe from false Dragons as well as the Red Ajah that hunted them, he nevertheless couldn't help wondering how his wife and child were doing right now. Thus, when during one of his occasional ventures out of the Stedding to hunt for rumors, word reached him of an amnesty for male channelers, he jumped at the chance and left the Stedding, heading south into Andor.
 
Yet, he knew he had to be careful, still being somewhat suspicious of the Red Ajah. Knowing that his Malkieri traits would give him away on sight, he changed his name to Martyn Stonebridge, removed his hadori, and walked into a small village called Kore Springs near the Andor border posing as a traveller from Whitebridge looking for a job. After finding a place to stay, he joined the local militia to train its less capable recruits, and managed to gain their trust over the next couple of years or so.
 
There was still the channeling though. His skill with a blade had been far enough above the militia's that he did not need the Void, but they were starting to get close now. Besides, however much he appreciated their kindness he knew he hadn't left the Stedding for them. Using the excuse of wanting to join the Queen's Guard, he bid his farewell and left after making sure his successor in the militia was arranged, and left the village, knowing they would confirm and back his alias should anyone decide to check.
 
Instead of Caemlyn however, he headed for Tear, where he believed the Black Tower was located. There, he hoped he would find answers on how to prevent this madness, and the wake of destruction it so often resulted in. He was convinced his daughter, now 68 years old, would no longer remember him even if she still lived, but regardless on whether the Light or the Shadow was responsable for his ability to channel Saidin, he knew he at least wanted to make himself useful in fighting the Shadow again...
Category:Soldier Bios
Category:Black Tower Bios
Category:Biographies