Born to a fairly wealthy family within a small community on Mt. Sundabar on the Pelvuria glacier, his birth was a time of great celebration for his family, and soon after - at his naming ceremony, his people. Angharradh appeared by his crib at the ceremony and placed both a blessing and a destiny upon him.
“Ye shall grow fair, wilful and agile; and ye shall grow quick. Ye shall also grow to serve me as one of my singers, in the aspect of the skies ye shall come to love as ye parents have. Ye shall find the aspects of the heart and the dreamer, and together ye shall fulfil the task I have set for ye.”
He was not to discover the full prophecy until much later, during his lessons at the Aerie of the Snow Eagles. As blessed, he did grow fair, wilful, agile, and quick. He was the centre of his parent’s world and was granted much freedom within the community due to his divine future. His childhood was fast and fulfilling, and he spent many years learning the ways of the Triune Goddess, though his heart remained restless and adventurous. His faith in Angharradh and the plans she had for him grew with each passing day, never questioning and never doubting her intentions.
Eventually, after many decades, the One and the Three appeared to him in his dreams, dreams that could not be false as they occurred during the dreamless sleep, during Reverie. She floated serenely above an iron throne, unseen foes slashing at her wildly with daggers and swords, their reach always just short. He knew it was time, time to leave his family behind, time to find the heart, time to fulfil his destiny. His travels led far, deep into countries bent on conquering the world, countries ruled by honour and family, and those whose populations starved while the powerful lived in luxury. To those who would listen he brought the wisdom and compassion of the One, and to those who would do him harm or who threatened the innocent he brought the swift justice of the Three. He heard many rumours of a group calling itself the “Iron Throne” and followed these rumours westwards. It was at this time, close to the borders of old Cormanthor, that he unknowingly met the heart and took her under his wing, literally.
She was born in a small community in the still inhabited regions of Cormanthor, living there most of her life, even after her father married her off to another family to secure a trade deal. She was always good at hiding and “finding” what she needed. In time she even managed to convince herself that she loved her husband, though they never fulfilled their marriage and soul-bonded. She bore him a son after a surprisingly easy pregnancy and drew her happiness from watching him prosper, burying her true emotions deep within her soul where they began to slowly eat at her. Her happiness was to last but a short time, as shortly after her son’s twentieth birthday bandits raided her village. Her husband was cut down while trying to get to his wife and child and tragically her son was caught in a cross fire and fell, crossbow bolts protruding from his stricken form. Frilianiae escaped, though she wished she had not.
With the death of her son she shut down emotionally, withdrawing into herself and refusing to trust even those who had been her closest friends, even her own family. She cut herself off from the world, from all the hurt and pain, and began to take what she wanted rather than trade for it. She was banished from the village after her stealing became too much for even the forgiving elves. That is when she met him.
Hew found her cold and hungry on the trail through Cormanthor and felt pity for her. He nursed her back to health, never revealing to her who or what he was, simply giving her his name. When she was well enough to travel she asked to accompany him, the first person to show her kindness and compassion for its own sake, rather than due to the loss she had suffered. He agreed and they continued through the forest and into the Dalelands. She repaid his kindness as best she could, aiding him and “acquiring” food for them when funds were short. They travelled together in the dales for a long time, following vague rumours about the Iron Throne or aiding the innocent and oppressed. All in all it was a good ten years before they finally found a way out of the dales, a rumour of the “city of splendours housing and Iron Throne” leading them north and west.
During those years she gradually came to trust this man who showed her nothing but compassion and kindness and allowed him to slowly learn of her history. She also came to the slow realisation as to why her heart fluttered whenever he was near and why her defences seemed to melt away whenever he spoke to her, she realised that she loved him, this mysterious man who had nursed her back to health and never let a bad word be spoken about her. She swore to herself that she would not lose him as she had her son and from that moment on never left his side unless absolutely necessary. He soon became intrigued by the sudden change in her behaviour and asked her what was wrong. When she shyly told him he was silent for what seemed an eternity, though in reality it was only a few minutes. Her heart sank as her head ran through all the ways in which he would ridicule her for her feelings. His actual reaction caught her completely off guard. He leaned forwards and, drawing her to him, kissed her quite passionately. Once the initial shock of what he was saying had passed she returned the passion of the kiss and allowed herself to fall into his embrace. It was a long time before they broke that first kiss, finally knowing each other’s true feelings. That day and the next they spoke nothing more of it, simply enjoying each other’s company and the quiet laid-back peacefulness of the village.
The evening of the second day after their discovery, however, he took her by the hand and led her deep into the surrounding woods. She was looking at him curiously and a little timidly, wondering and hoping about what he was intending. What he did was not exactly what she expected. He sat her down on a large rock in an open glade and stood with the sinking sun behind him, stepping back from her. He then threw off the large, heavy cloak that had always hidden his lithe frame from her view and for the first time she saw him in his full glory. She gasped as the sun silhouetted his angelic white wings, creating an aura of light around them; in fact, she almost feinted. She was overjoyed at the trust he was showing by sharing his secret with her. She leapt to her feet and ran to him, embracing him and pulling his lips down to hers in a long, loving kiss as his wings wrapped around her. He then led her back to the rock and sat with her leant against him and told her of his past, and his future. She was overwhelmed, even more so when he told her that he had discovered the identity of the heart, and that it was she, that she was the one who would aid him in fulfilling their destiny. No longer constrained by his natural tendencies towards secrecy, they gave themselves completely to each other, the passion between them ignited beyond all proportion. Angharradh smiled to herself as she shielded them from all eyes, including her own, content in the knowledge that the first part of her prophecy was fulfilled.
They repeated this on many nights as they travelled from place to place following the rumour to the “city of splendours”; always they were alone, shielded from prying eyes by Angharradh herself. Thus it was that Thil’Calestiath’s secret was, and still is, kept a secret. They eventually reached the city and after purchasing a room, went down to the common room to begin their search for the dreamer…