To'Darc was not a normal kid. He was always curious about everything. As a teamsters son, To'Darc was expected to learn the family business at an early age. The redheaded child would sit next to his father on the wagon filled with goods from whatever merchant would hire his father. His father owned the horses, the merchants the wagons. To'Darc's father was one of the best teamsters and To'Darc was always filled with pride when he heard people talk about how good his father was handling his horses. To'Darc was a happy child.
But everything changed that faitfull day in the mountians outside of a small farming community called Haven. To'Darc's father was guiding his team of horses down the mountainside trail. He had made this trip many times before and knew the road well. He was the lead wagon of three for a merchant traveling around the nearby communities buying furs from the local trappers.
As the wagon rounded a sharp turn, a large boulder dislodged itself from the cliff-face. The boulder rolled slowly down the mountainside and directly into the middle of the horses. The screaming horses plunged over the side of the path; a sheer drop of over 60 feet. As the horses plunged over the side, the wagon followed. With the pure love of a devoted father, To'Darc's father pushed him from the wagon seat and onto the dirt path. The horses, wagon, and the best teamster that To'Darc ever knew plunged to their death.
Upon arriving at Haven, the merchant sold To'Darc to the local blacksmith. The merchant didn't want a dead man's son riding with them. And he needed to recoup his losses from the destroyed wagon and the damaged goods. The merchant took everything that his dad brought with him.
To'Darc lived and worked hard with the blacksmith for 11 years. The blacksmith was a kind man and worked To'Darc no harder than his own sons. One fateful day, the mage who lived on the side of the mountain, came to get a pot mended. When he walked into the forge, he spied a red-haired boy working the bellows. The mage could feel To'Darc's magical aura even without having to try hard. To'Darc worked the bellows oblivious to the mage scrutinizing him. The fire of the forge burned hotter and brighter than it normally should by burning only coal. To'Darc didn't notice that the fire was different; he just always had a way making the flames burn just right for the blacksmith.
Tyndall immediately went to the blacksmith and told the man that he was taking To'Darc as his apprentice. The blacksmith wasn't too happy about losing To'Darc but quickly changed his mind as money exchanged hands between the mage and the blacksmith.
To'Darc left that very day to live with the mage and learn his craft of magic and the control of the elements. Life was easier living with the mage; easier than working the forge constantly. To'Darc began to gain weight. The cold winter months came quickly and To'Darc was stuck inside during the cold winds that blew upon the mountain. To'Darc wasn't a lazy boy, but learning spells doesn't burn away food as well as working a forge.
To'Darc always stayed close to the hearth. So many years working with the forge, To'Darc had grown accustomed to the heat and hypnotic qualities of fire. Tyndall knew that To'Darc had familiarality with fire and was proven right when he tested his magical energies. To'Darc was trained by Tyndall in the arts of manipulating the magical energies to bend the elements to his will. He was trained in air, water, and earth magic. But mainly, he was trained in how to bend fire to his will.