The Blacksmith's Vendetta

Blackrock Town's leading families pinned a murder on Cain Voss when he was young. He was beaten and driven out into the wilds, and he was close to dead when a hermit blacksmith named Hagen found him and took him in. Hagen taught him old forging methods and how to fight. Years later Cain walked back into Blackrock and reopened the smithy his father had left behind. The townspeople wanted nothing to do with him and Captain Bryce leaned on him whenever he could. Cain answered by being better than any of them at what he did, and while he worked he gathered evidence about the charge that had ruined him. Gareth, a former cavalryman, threw in with him. Together they turned up what Lord Ron had done: Ron's own son had died in an accident, and Ron pinned the killing on Cain to keep his standing intact. Cain went into the manor and dealt with the men responsible. The merchant Vance, who had run the scheme from behind, sent hired men in return, and Ella's father was killed in the attack. The townspeople blamed Cain and Ella for it. He gave up on the place and took Ella out to a valley, where he built a garden and a forge.