His elder brother was always stronger, smarter, and quicker than he. Yet, his brother died first, not from the blade, but a poison. At the age of 8, Jorah became his father's heir with reluctance, and with no other siblings to turn to for guidance.

As he grew older, Jorah learned his father had pushed his elder brother towards a cure for a crippling disease, and the medicine had kill him. All of this had been kept secret as a family shame. He also became bethrothed to Elena, the daughter of a wine merchant, to secure his family's financial future. He was too anxious about becoming heir to get close to her.

Finally, to become the Third Talon at the age of 25, Jorah was entrusted with a risky mission to prove himself to The Crows and his father as a grandmaster: He was tasked with assassinating an emerging Warlord in another city-state. On the surface, the job seemed incredibly dangerous - infiltrate the entourage of a rising Jarl, get close to him to earn his trust, end his life, and then, escape. They say "The greater the risk, the greater the good omen for the Talon's future."

Unbeknownst to the Crows at home, luck kissed Joren's cheek every chance it could. He was quickly named the Jarl's personal bodyguard, next, his general. When Joren put the dagger to the Warlord's throat, the man seemed to want it, as if the pressure of his new-found leadership were too overwhelming for a simple fighter.

Joran Mesonero hasn't told a soul how the assassination fell into his lap. He came home pale, and family did not question what happened. Ever since his wild dance with lady luck, only misfortune has befallen him, his wife, and his children, beginning when his eldest found he couldn't hold a sword, let alone a dagger, with a strong enough grip.

He realized he loved her more than he could ever tell her, when the doctor was unable to look him in the eye. "The babe is tangled. We don't know if its alive, but it will kill her," the healer said, wiping bloody hands on a bloody apron, and opening the door wider. "You can at least talk to her." He didn't know how to speak as he gaped at her, sweating and screaming, crying, in their bed.