Arlen and his father argued resulting in Arlen running away with the wish of being a Messenger like Ragen.Īrlen, always being a good warder, managed to get a long way before he noticed that if he was going to Sunny Pasture, he was on the wrong path. Early the next morning, they continued their journey to the healer but they couldn't reach her soon enough and Arlen's mother passed away on the road. Arlen's father promised him to the youngest of the Tanner children, Renna Tanner. Jeph Bales didn't think they would make it in time so begged succour at the Tanner Farm on the way. Coline didn't know how to save her and they instead left to get the help of the Herb Gatherer in Sunny Pasture. With a new view of his father they left in the morning to reach the town Herb Gatherer, Coline Trigg, because of Silvy's deep demon-inflicted wounds. Arlen left the safety of the wards and went to help his mother, spending the night with her under a trough in one of the warded animal pens. As night fell, his mother failed to reach the safety of the wards around their house in time and was attacked, Arlen's father only standing and watching without the courage to leave the wards. One day Ragen Messenger arrived in Tibbet's Brook with Keerin the Jongleur, giving Arlen the idea that he wanted to be a Messenger. It didn't get him any new friends, but stopped them from bullying him any more.

One day he was tired of being bullied and brought a stick, determined to fight back. His mother, Silvy Bales, frequently shouted at him for fighting. He never had many friends and was bullied by the other children (especially by Cobie Fisher). Arlen grew up in Tibbet's Brook, unknowing of anything outside the hamlet and the farm owned by his father, Jeph Bales.

The warded man book 3