A Main Character

Erving

Erving was born to Nodor, chieftain of clan Opal, as his firstborn and therefore, the heir. He was raised by Nodor to be a warrior and to take after him but never had a close relationship with his father. When he was twenty years old, he traveled to Heir's Trial, a competition for the heirs from each of the clans. He performed well, to the notice of the Trial heads, but did not win. At the Trial, he met Ada of Waldheart, and found out that they were soulbound. This distracted him and prevented him from focusing on the competition and winning, though he had trained and prepared to do so. After meeting Ada, his life was permanently altered and he traveled back to his own clan without making a decision with her about their future. At his clan, he continued being distracted and anxious about his life and choice, and confused about his duty. He had a duty to his clan, to his father, and to the role as heir. He also had a duty to Ada. During the time he spent home, he visited the Hermitory and spoke with the hermits to find out more about the soulbound and what it would entail for him. He learned that the soulbound entails a destiny that he cannot escape. He realized then that he must contact Ada and consult with her about their future. But before he was able to send a letter to her, a series of events occurred that changed his life ever after. He was exiled by his own father, and branded an exile, and had to leave his own home without saying goodbye to his mother. He sent a letter to Ada before he left, so that she would expect him a few weeks later.

He started traveling to the territory of Waldheart while he was in immense pain from the brand on his side. He arrived after three weeks and met Ada again, and her family. He was disinherited, an exile and thus disgraced, and he had not told her this. He kept it a secret from her until he found a way to break it, and until he knew he trusted her. He did not believe he could trust her fully, did not know if his perception of her from the Trial was correct, but after a short while, he began to trust her and knew he could depend on her. To him, she was beautiful and kind and honourable and good. And she had a knowledge of him that went beyond the plausible, because they did not know each other beforehand. He developed a unique understanding of her as well, stemming from their link as soulbound. Something was supernatural about their bond, they knew. Erving began to like Ada quickly, because of her natural, honest and heartfelt nature, and her loving eyes. He wanted to stay with her. He also got to know her family, her strange, reserved mother and her steady, intelligent father, Berach. Berach and Erving started out taciturn and neutral toward each other, Erving did not know him nor trust him and Berach was suspicious and worried about Erving's relationship with Ada. But as the time passed and they began talking, and Erving told him the truth, their relationship began developing positively.

Berach accepted Ada and Erving's bond, and the implications of it, and made Erving his heir, and began mentoring him to become the chieftain after him. Erving loved his own father, but Berach related to him and displayed leadership, masculinity and strength that Erving needed from a father figure. They grew closer and developed a budding trust and love. Erving's feelings for Ada grew. In order to become part of the Waldheart clan and ascend as chieftain later on, he needed to be initiated into the clan. This was done through a ritual which only the men from the clan were a part of. He was ceremonially drowned a number of times, reborn, and vowed his allegiance and loyalty to the Waldheart clan. After this, the clan celebrated with a feast. He saw Ada in her feast dress, with the beryl necklace around her neck, and her hair free and he realized that he was falling in love with her. And that he was afraid. Before he would be announced as the new heir, he had to serve a mandatory half-year with the Waldheart military forces to learn their ways, get to know the men, learn to lead, and to commit to their clan.

During the time from his exile, his branding, to his initiation into the Waldheart clan, Erving was extremely low and troubled. He was changed as a person and scarcely found any enjoyment from life. He felt that he had no purpose and nothing to offer Ada, and that he was dishonoured and disgraced, and ashamed of his past. This affected his capacity to relate to his new home, and to bond with Ada. But when he was initiated into her clan and made the heir, he started feeling like he had a purpose again. He grew to have more energy, more force, more power in himself, and when he left to serve his half-year with the Waldheart forces, he got respect, love, and trust from the warriors he would one day lead. He returned more to his normal self: commanding, strong, intense and determined. Before he left, he asked Ada for her promise (against the wishes of Berach) and he returned with power and strength to be announced as the heir officially. Officially engaged to Ada.