Andre's Parents were part of a caravan of merchants that came under attack when Andre, age 5, was with them. Andre's Mother hid him under one of the carts. He watched as his parents and the rest of the caravan was killed. He wasn't found, mainly because the cart he was under only had people in it originally, so their wasn't anything left in it. He stayed there and cried himself to sleep.
When he woke up he saw a female wolf staring back at him. He was scared at first but when the wolf came closer and began to lick a cut he had on his leg he relax. For some reason he couldn't explain, he knew he'd be taken care of if he went with her and the rest of the pack. So he lived with the pack of wolves and helped where he could he cooked (as best he could, getting burnt flesh and deer several times) and gave some to his family, and when he was old enough he began to hunt with them. He helped to take care of the pups when they were born.
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Eventually, the 'first generation' of the pack (the she-wolf who took him in, and the alpha of the time) died and Andre, having human intelligence and power, became "alpha". Some of the wolves left, and he let them. But Tinka and Geralt always stayed with him. Eventually, around the age of ten, he was living in a cave with Tinka, Geralt and a few other wolves, and one day a man came across the cave while they were hunting. Anton Devox, who was running from some court intrigue in Rathdon, was surprised to see another human, let alone a boy surrounded by wolves.
At first, Andre was wary of the new comer, but once he was seen as no threat, he allowed him to stay. None of the wolves attacked the man, and he lived with them in peace. He taught Andre many things and he's one of the only people he ever opened up to. He taught Andre to read and speak more clearly. He gave Andre the ax that he now carries.Eventually, Anton's past caught up with him.
One day, while Andre and the Wolves were out hunting, Men who had a bounty on Anton's head were traveling through the forest and came across the cave. They approached and attacked Anton. They easily over came the minstrel and killed him. It was getting dark, so they decided to camp in the cave, and they moved Anton's body outside.
When Andre returned he smelt it before he saw it. Death. He knew someone had died and had a good idea who. He grabbed the ax Anton gave him from his belt and approached silently. He glanced at the four wolves following him at the moment and they understood. Two of the wolves broke off and went around. Then Andre Hid in the bushes near the opening of the cave and waited for one of them to come out. He could see the flames of their campfire from inside the cave. When one of the men came out to relieve himself, Andre struck. He cut the man's leg and then slashed at his gut and flipped him over. At that point the men got up and tried to get to their weapons, but the wolves were faster. Two of the men had wolves on top of them as soon as they got up. One man stood alone, against a young boy and two wolves. Tinka and Geralt stayed behind him as Andre attacked repeatedly. The man underestimated the wild boy, and that killed him.
After the men died, he respected the circle of life and left them to the wolfs, and when the wolves didn't finish he carried the bodies off to the middle of the forest for the other animals to feed on. Then he came to Anton's body. This time he didn't respect the circle. He buried the body. He didn't realize it but he had seen it done when he was just a little boy so he knew what was needed. As he moved the body to the grave, something dropped of his pocket. It was a note, with Andre's name on it. It said:
Andre,
I'm sure that I will leave you one day, whether it be at the hands
of the ones who pursue me or the hand of death himself.
I want you to know why I was running.
I loved a woman I shouldn't have. She was a noble and I
a humble Jester, but we loved each other.
I was by no means a pauper but I wasn't of blood good enough
for her hand. I requested her hand several times from her father, but
he never allowed it. I got angry when he gave he to another. The man's
name is Ragis Melvaris. He was arrogant and cruel and there were
rumors from good sources about his interactions with the women of pleasure.
They were horrid. So I attacked him at the wedding, giving
him a grievous wound, with the ax I gave you. He fell but I know he's
alive. He sent men after me and I escaped into this forest, the Weirwood.
Then I found you. I don't know if my beloved is alive but if you are ever
in Rathdon, please try to get word to Lady Mayla Ravenwood Melvaris
(since I presume she did marry the man) and tell her, "The moon Shines
on the raven's wing." She'll know what it means.
With Love,
Anton Devos
After that Andre began using his last name. Soon the two other wolves in the pack had children and departed, and with such a small pack they began to move around more. For the first time since he was taken in by the wolves, he stepped out of the forest at the age of 16. He didn't exactly leave the forest, he just lived closer to civilization.
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He occasionally left the forest to go to town and buy supplies, mainly by selling Anton's things, except for the ax, the necklace that Anton wore, and an instrument Anton called a lute that he was learning to play, and hides to the leather worker. Most people stayed away from him, a a few because they thought he was going to attack at any moment, with his yellow wolf-like eyes and others simply because he never made any attempt to seem friendly.
He bought little things, clothes and leather products mostly and also, when he could spices. He learned what they were from a girl about his age at the Merchant's Festival, were caravans from all over the world to the town and sell their wares. One spice merchant came from far to the east and brought the best spices. The Girl, Margaret, told him to put some of the spices on his food and it would taste better. She also told him he could by some at the general store as well, just in a lesser variety. He tried it and enjoyed the food he made like that.
A few months later, He had heard about an attack on the farmsteads outside of town. Some young girls had been kidnapped and when he went into town to find out more, he found the families of the girls begging someone to go and find their little girls. But no one would. The mayor said that the guard had to stay and no one else was willing to go after the kidnappers. "The Weirwood is too dangerous for me to order anyone to go after them."
"Then let them volunteer. I'll over as much gold as I can scrounge up just save my little girl."
Riesan had started to pop up more frequently in the Weirwood and most people couldn't fight them. Andre knew how to hide from them. So he set off. He never volunteered nor would he take the money after recovering the girls. He tracked the bandits to a cave about a mile in the Weirwood. Night had fallen and He hadn't seen any Riesan yet, luckily, but they were only bound to show up. The girls were all tied to posts set up around the campfire. One looked like she was no older then 9 and another was barely into her blooming years. But one Andre Recognized. Margaret. She was looking defiantly at the men. There were a total of six of them. With Tinka and Geralt, He'd be able to take out three before he got noticed, and then it would be five on one, since Tinka and Geralt took their time with their kills. And Andre didn't like those odds. He waited and one of the men took relieved himself right in front of the girls.
The man laughed saying "You'll be seeing a lot of these where you're going. Heh Heh."
Once the coast was clear, and the men were mostly asleep, he moved to the girls. He whispered,"Act like you're still tied up" to each of them while he cut off their bindings. He then snuck around them and Jumped out, attacking one of the men. The wolves took down two others. One of the men screamed, waking the others. The men sprung up and got to their weapons. Andre wasn't hoping against that.
RAWWWWWWWWWR
The loud roar came from up above them. When they looked up, they saw three Riesan,Perched atop a cliff face above them.
Without a second thought, Andre said "RUN!" to the girls and they did so, The bandits were too shocked by the Riesan that they were motionless. As He ran, he grabbed Tinka and Geralt. They were big enough for the younger girls to ride on so he ordered them to do so. The wolves would run fast then them, even with the extra weight.
He approached Margaret and noticed she was limping. "What's wrong?" He asked.
She said "I tried to escape, cut my leg on a branch, hurts like hell."
With no further ado, Andre Picked her up and said, "Sorry can't have you slowing us down with Riesan in these parts."
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When he got them back. their families were thankful, but he couldn't accept their money. He didn't need it and they did. But then Margaret spoke up and asked him to come to dinner that night and he reluctantly agreed. something about that redheaded girl attracted him.
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Fast forward few years and Andre is a hunter betrothed to Margaret and living on the family's farm. Tinka and Geralt are there too and getting larger. That's when the Riesan came. After hearing about the Reisan reappearing, for some reason Andre felt that someone should go after them. but even more so, he felt the urge to do it himself. After talking to Margaret about it, she tentatively gave her permission, but only on the promise that he wouldn't die. And that they had to be married before he left.
So the next week Andre and Margaret got married and two days after that he left to go fight the Reisan with the memories of his mother and Father, the Minstrel in the Forest and his wife Margaret fresh in his mind.
Refreshing Feed...
