Usuario:Ammcclain15/kaladin

Kaladin (Alethi pronounciation: [ˈkæl·ə·dɪn]

History

Young Kal and Tien by User: Botanicaxu

Early Life (1153–1168)

Early childhood

Kaladin was born in late 1153 to Lirin and Hesina, a family of second nahn, in the town of Hearthstone in Torol Sadeas' princedom in northwestern Alethkar. His younger brother, Tien was born two years later. Growing up, Kaladin preferred the shorter name Kal to his full name, which he felt sounded like a lighteyes’s name. At the age of eight, Kal began training with his father in surgery, though he dreamed of becoming a soldier. At first, he became sick at the sight of wounds and injuries. Over the next couple of years, he grew used to the sight and assisted his father during surgeries which he figured would come in handy on the battefield. However, the amount of time Lirin spent with books and sick people, coupled with their class disparity, made people uncomfortable to be around Lirin and Kal, by association. As a result of his isolated upbringing, Kal became very close with his brother and, at the encouragement of his parents, Laral Wistiow, the daughter of the citylord.

Surgeon or soldier

In 1164, Kal assisted his father in amputating one of the fingers of a fifteen-year old girl named Sani. Once finished, Lirin asked Kal why he was late. Kal admitted it was because he went with Tien to see what Jam, a boy two years older, had learned from his quarterstaff training. Kal was excited because Jam’s father was a soldier in Brightlord Amaram’s army. Lirin replied that he knew Jam’s father, having operated on his leg three times, a “gift” from his time as a soldier. Kal argued they needed soldiers, but Lirin claimed they needed surgeons more. Lirin doubted that his son could actually hurt someone as he cried nearly every time someone was brought to them. Kal promised he would get stronger causing Lirin to ask who put these ideas in his head. Kaladin countered that it was about honor and that no one told stories about surgeons. Lirin told him there were two kinds of people in the world, those who save lives and those who take lives, that one couldn’t protect by killing. Lirin then informed Kal that once he turned sixteen, he wanted to send Kaladin to train with real surgeons in Kharbranth. Lirin told Kal he had a gift from the Heralds and he didn’t need to waste it on the small dreams of other men.

Kal as a child in Hearthstone by User: Sheep

Two years later, Kal and Laral were talking atop a low ridge of boulders to the east of Hearthstone while Tien gathered rocks at the base. Kal told her of his father’s plans to send him to Kharbranth to train to become a surgeon. Hurt, Laral asked why he didn’t tell her. He lied, saying he didn’t think his father was serious. Placing her hands on her hips, Laral wondered about his previous plans to be a soldier. His expression became gloomy as he was conflicted on which path to choose, surgeon or soldier. Sensing his distress, Tien ran up to Kal with a rock that he found, giving it to Kal to make him feel better. Kal did feel better and went with Tien to find a lurg, pocketing the rock. Laral rejoined them, commenting that Tien changes Kal for the better. Once again, Laral asked Kal what he planned on doing if his father tried to send him to Kharbranth. Knowing they wouldn’t take him until he was sixteen, Kal told her that he had some time to decide. Laral said that it seemed like his father was forcing him to do what he wants, not what Kal wanted. She encouraged him to become a soldier instead, implying that he could marry her if he won a Shardblade in battle, thereby becoming a lighteyes. However, he missed the implication even though he was attracted to her and continued looking for lurgs with Tien.

Later, they encountered a group of older boys, one of whom makes the claim his father won a Shardblade in the wastescum skirmishes. At Laral’s prompting, Kal contradicted him, which led to the boy, Jost, challenging Kal to a quarterstaff fight. Although it was his first time holding a weapon, his natural talent for combat manifested. However, seeing that he hurt Jost, he stops himself from fighting anymore. Jost, having no similar inhibition, beats Kal to the ground. Kal then asked Jost to teach him, but the older boy declined, telling Kal to “go be what you are.” Joined by Tien, Kal made his way home while contemplating what he wants to be. Once home, Lirin informed Kal that Citylord Wistiow had died and bequeathed a goblet full of spheres to Kal so he could study in Kharbranth.

Two months later, thirteen-year-old Kal attempted to treat a five-year-old girl named Miasal on his own. Kal started treating her, but it was too late as Miasal died from blood loss due to multiple severe wounds. An hour later, his father found Kal in front of the surgery room crying to himself. Lirin told him that he is proud of Kal’s work and there was nothing he could have done to stop Miasal’s death. Kal confessed to Lirin that he doesn’t want to be a surgeon, but Lirin just answered that he would have to learn when to care.

“You have to learn when to care, son. And when to let go.”

— Lirin to Kal after Miasal's death

Near the end of 1166, Kal was walking through the city of Hearthstone when he overheard two women claiming that his father stole the spheres from Citylord Wistiow upon his death. Gritting his teeth and knowing that was his father, Kal stepped out of the alleyway and gave one of the women a sharp look, causing both to flee inside the bakery. His satisfaction was short-lived as he didn’t understand why people said such things about his father. He was still stewing when he turned a few corners, walking to where his mother stood on a stepladder. When Hesina asked about his lessons, he blurted out that everyone hated his father and that they believed he stole the spheres from Wistiow. He also lamented that he didn’t have friends and asked what would happen if he wanted to become something other than a surgeon. Hesina reminded him that he had Tien and that he shouldn’t be so quick to discard his studies because he wanted to be like the others. She also told him not to hate the townspeople as they were just repeating what they had heard. Seeing her glance to the citylord’s manor, Kal debated whether or not he should try to see Laral again. Each time he had tried, he’d been turned away by her nurse. He wondered what it would be like marrying Laral and if he did, would he always feel inferior to her. He was still considering this fact and debating whether or not to be a surgeon or a soldier when Lirin ran in declaring the new citylord had arrived.

Desperate times

Kal went with his parents to the town square to await the arrival of Citylord Roshone. Tien was already there waiting for them, having already picked out a spot near the rain barrels. As Tien ran by, some older boys made an unintelligible remark about him which made Kal furious, wanting to confront them, but knowing it wasn’t a good time. Kal joined Tien on the rain barrels so he could get a better view of the procession. A dozen wagons followed a fine black carriage that was pulled by four sleek black horses. The carriage stopped and a middle-aged man stepped out wearing a violet coat. The lighteyed man scanned the crowd with a distasteful look on his face before turning to climb back into his carriage without addressing the crowd. Before he could, Lirin called out, trying to welcome him to Hearthstone, introducing himself as the town’s surgeon. Roshone responded by blaming Lirin as the reason he ended up in “this pitiful miserable quarter of the kingdom.”

Citylord Roshone’s arrival brought great misfortune to Kal’s family. Believing that Lirin had stolen the spheres from Wistiow, he coerced the townspeople to stop making donations for Lirin’s work, which was the primary source of the family’s income. While the townsfolk acquiesced, they still secretly provided provisions to Lirin and Hesina. One night while drunk, Lirin told his son not to make the same mistakes he did and get sucked back into this tiny, foolish town. Kal argued that Lirin had always told him to come back, but Lirin admitted he’d been an idiot when he said that, adding that the townspeople didn’t want him there. Kal asked him why they couldn’t just spend the spheres, but his father said the spheres were for his education. Besides, if they did spend them, they would be doing exactly what Roshone wanted them to do. Instead, they did the best with what they had with Kal continuing his studies, Hesina taking on random jobs, and Tien apprenticing with Ral, a carpenter in town. At the same time, Kal was secretly still trying to decide what path he would take in the next several months, that of a surgeon or a spearman. A series of thumps interrupted Kal’s thoughts, sending him scrambling out of his chair. His father pulled open the door revealing not a monster, but three masked men demanding the spheres. However, they weren’t the highwaymen as Kaladin initially thought, but rather Luten, Horl, and Balsas, normal townsmen presumably hired by Roshone. Ashamed and caught off guard, the men left without taking anything.