On May 23rd of the year 209, a daughter was born to the Duchy of Sutherland. She was named Caitlyn Alysandra Crawford and as the first daughter of Duke Pallow and his Duchess Amellia, she was pampered and protected, adored from her fuzzy pate of shockingly silver-blonde hair to her tiny toes. Eyes the color of a clear summer sky, large and wide, observed the world around her with fascination. Ahh, but sometimes the gods can be cruel. Her birth was not an easy one and by all calculations, little Cait was born early, lungs gasping for breath, fighting to survive. When laid in her mothers arms, there were whispers and shaking of heads in sympathy. It was fairly expected that come the morn, the babe Caitlyn would pass on. But as luck would have it, she managed to survive. The irony was that it wouldn't be the last time she knocked at death's gates. A majority of her childhood was a dance with the grim reaper.
From her birth in 209 until 217, when she turned eight, Cait spent much of her time indoors, confined to her bedchamber. Every little bug, virus and flu attacked her frail body, leaving her a practical invalid. Her one bright spot was her older brother, Cedric, who would spend hours entertaining Cait with stories of chivalry and battles, of monsters and gods. He would tell her of the horses he was breeding. She loved hearing about them and dreamt of the day she would be allowed to ride. It seemed an impossible dream.
One thing though, the time spent inside and in bed, left her plenty of time for studies. She was a bright child and excelled in subjects such as History and Languages and she loved them all, even Etiquette and deportment and she was particularly good with an embroidery needle. Yet still her health failed.
That would all change in 217 though. A particularly bad winter was upon them and as always, Cait fell sick. This winter though had seen a wandering healer seek refuge in the castle, bartering his services for a place to stay. His name was Gaelen, and he was an odd sort, with strange ideas. While some learned scholars were drilling holes in skulls to release the bad 'vapors, Gaelens approach was far more subtle and less invasive, relying much on teas and poultices mad from various, sometimes exotic plantlife. The Duke and Duchess heard wind of Gaelen's good deeds and brought him to the castle to minister to young Caitlyn. She responded to his treatments almost immediately. Color that had been absent from her pale cheeks returned. More than that, Caitlyn bonded with Gaelen, coming to love him like a second father. Gaelen became her tutor and mentor and as her health returned she begged him to teach her the healing arts so that she might help another as he did her. She learned every plant, every treatment, absorbing the knowledge like a sponge.%rCaitlyn blossomed under her newfound health, spending more and more time outdoors, especially with Gaelen as he tutored her. She would traipse all over the nearby fields and forests, digging up roots and climbing trees for bird's nests, not at all ladylike pursuits and het her mother, for all her worry, couldn't find it in her heart to deny her daughter anything that brought a smile to her lips, even if it wasn't 'proper'. She learned to ride and use a bow as well. She was a natural in the saddle, gentle with the sometimes highstrung beasts. She was no slouch with the bow either and though she begged to be taught swordplay, her parents drew the line, tough she did manage to convince Cedric to teach her some small bit of knife skill.
It was 223, and Caitlyn turned 14. Sometime during the night it seemed, she blossomed, and though not yet a woman, it was clear to see that she was destined to become a beauty indeed. Skin that had been sallow in her childhood, turned healthy and clear. Her dulled eyes sparkled clear and blue. Gangly, coltish limbs grew stronger. Though she would always have a certain fragility about her, there was a strength as well, one of stubborn conviction to her cause of helping those around her.
Her blossoming did not go unnoticed, especially by one of Cedric's closest friends, Sinjin Danforth, the eldest son of one of her father's loyalist retainers, Baron Collier Danforth. One afternoon when Cedric and Sinjin were riding , they stumbled upon Caitlyn on one of her herb-gathering outings, her dress torn at the sleeve and her cheek smudged with dirt from digging up gods-know-what. Sinjin was smitten, much to the consternation of Cait's protective older brother.What concerned him more though, was they way she looked at Sinjin. For years Caitlyn had had a crush on her brother's friend and it was plain to see in her eyes. After much cajoling and pleas from both Caitlyn and Sinjin, they were betrothed at the Harvest Festival, with the wedding date to be held when she turned 17. Though the marriage wasn't particularly 'advantageous' to the Crawford family, it was a love match with a good and kind man from a trusted allies house and they could not deny her happiness. As a present to the couple, the Duke appointed Sinjin to his private guard, joking that this way, he could keep his future son-in-law too busy to even think about his wedding day until the time came upon them.
Caitlyn's happiness was short-lived though. As part of her father's guard, Sinjin accompanied Pallow on a fateful journey north in 224 to assist their allies in the war. During the terrible fighting Pallow and his entire personal guard were caught in an surprise attack and slain. Caitlyn was devastated. To lose father and betrothed like that was a crushing blow to the 15 year old girl. Caitlyn retreated in solitude for some time, refusing guests and callers. Even her own family at times were turned away. Slowly though, as pain fades, she began to accept the loss. Her resolve to see no harm done and to ease the pains of the suffering became even that more important to her.
The woes Caitlyn would face did not end there. Her mothers passing in 226, her 17th year, was no less hard to take than her father and beloved's deaths. The violent way in which her mother died disturbed her. To avoid capture the Dutches and her handmaidens chose death to being slaves and fell upon their own knives when raiders threatened to capture them. Caitlyn understood what capture would have meant, but doubted she herself would have that sort of courage. She was meant tp preserve life, this she knew. She only wished she had the power to bring her mother back to her.
