<br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx134/ulthakptah/crossbowman_zpsf84ddf49.jpg)</div><div class="floatright">(http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx134/ulthakptah/badger-rx_zps2bb88ddc.jpg)</div>Ted (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=705318), Human crossbowman and his hunting badger Brock (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=705320)<br/><br/>Ted grew up in a hovel in a small village. His father a hunter, and his father's father a herbalist. Many days of his youth were spent out in the woods either helping his grandfather gather plants, or checking the traps set by him and his father. They only ever caught small game like a hare, or the occasional fox. Foxes were the best. They didn't taste that well, but their skins sold for a good price. Which any amount of coin was a tremendous windfall for them. All and all a very modest life, but the fresh meat and herbs they were cooked with had them eating like kings.<br/><br/>Then the war happened. Ted wasn't that old, but he was old enough to fire a crossbow, and that was all that mattered. It wasn't long before he was conscripted. Day in and day out he fought his fellow man, his only reward being a few scraps of bread at the end of the day. After all he was just one of the common men. Not even trained in combat, but that's why they had crossbows. Anyone could use them, and if you should perish on the field, they would just take your weapon and hand it to the next poor sap. However Ted survived. He found the best way to get along in war was to keep the distance between him and the front lines. It didn't take a general to know that the men up front seldom came back. He also started fending for himself when it came to meal time. While on march he would hunt with his crossbow and gather plants as well as fresh clean water. It was much better than the stale bread and murky grim that was provided. He eventually got so well at it he could even spare some for the other men in his squad. Soon him and his fellows were eating better then the knights and nobles, not that they would advertise that to them. However the boosted moral did show itself in battle. It seemed like joyous time had come again for Ted. Only then did the war come to an end.<br/><br/>With the war over he had all this skills that were now useless to his old life. He didn't know what to do. For some time he just did that. He wandered the woods wondering what to do, living off the land. Only thing to his name was his old tent, and trusty crossbow. As night passed he eventually set up a hunting camp next to a road. Here he traded his hunts and sold food to get the supplies he needed. New bolts, pots pans, stuff that did not come from the wild. There was trouble. Bandits mistook him for an easy target, but soon learned else. He was starting to become more at one with nature. Almost like he could hear it speak some times. One day he was tracking an animal. Seems there had been wolfs prowling in his area, and he didn't appreciate the competition. He followed them to a little warren, no doubt looking to eat some tasty rabbit. They eventually flush out their prey; only what came out was a rather cross badger. Ted took advantaged of the wolf's confusion and slayed them all. They had wounded the badger though. He felt something inside him. Something about the badger he liked. He collected the wolves and their skins, and bandaged up the injured mustelidae. It took some time, but he nursed it back to health then trained it like a pet and hunting dog.<br/><br/>After some time living in the woods he eventually traded for a sturdy horse. Ted packed up his camp, and moved on with his life. He started to travel from place to place selling his skills as an outdoors man, tracker, and weapon for hire.