Tarbie Hearding

Tarbie grew up among the stone and timber of Thornhege Manor’s estates, where he tended sheep and watched over the hedgerows that bordered the vast Thornhedges. From a young age, he learned to move with a shepherd’s patience, to read the weather in the way sheep shifted their weight, and to soothe a stubborn ewe with gentle voice and practiced hand. His closest companion was the lord’s son, a fearless explorer who shared Tarbie’s fascination with the hidden corners of their world. The two would slip away from the manor at dusk to wander the Thornhedges, where hawthorn and yew tangled with the old stones and rumors of old magics. It was during these explorations that Tarbie first felt the pull of something beyond the fields: a whisper of the wild, a sense that the land itself had a will and memory. The realization that he was different—larger than most men in heart and spirit, connected to trees and animals in ways others could scarcely imagine—grew slowly. He began to study the druids, reading about the old pacts between land and people, and learning how to shape-shape, comfort, and heal with the gifts of nature. When the daily routine at Thornhege began to feel constraining, Tarbie knew he could not ignore the call any longer. He spoke to the lord’s son, who understood the lure of exploration even as he warned of danger. Tarbie decided to leave Thornhege Manor, carrying with him the wisdom of his upbringing—the language of beasts, the sense of the land, and a strong sense of duty to guard and nurture life wherever his path might lead. He set out not as a runaway, but as a seeker, eager to learn, protect, and find a place where the wilds and the road might converge into a life worthy of a shepherd who has learned to listen to the world. The road ahead is uncertain, but Tarbie’s heart remains true: kind, curious, and ready to meet whatever adventures lie beyond Thornhedges with patience, courage, and the quiet wisdom of the forest.