Her mother Theodwyn dies giving birth to Ulcwyne, leaving her alone with the father Harfed and her older siblings Gleothain and Melowen.

She grows up taking care of the house while the father and her siblings deal with the work in the farm, and grows attached to the family values and life, dreaming to have, one day, one of her own.

She has a strong affective bond with her brother Gleothain, even stronger after their father passes away; she doesn't, instead, get along too well with the older sister, Melowen. Ulcwyne judges her a hot-head and inappropriate maiden, with stupid and dangerous ideas, and generally useless to the farm, in the long run. A shieldmaiden? Melowen? Laughable.

When Ulcwyne is only fifteen, Melowen leaves the house, riding North, and isn't heard of since. Besides the natural sorrow for the loss of a family member, Ulcwyne isn't too sad: whatever her sister is up to, she won't draw shame on their names, and won't give trouble around the house anymore. She's mostly sad for Dagfar, Melowen's fiancé, that she left abruptly, and Ulcwyne can't figure out why.

The last year was very demanding. The family farm is burned to ashes by a band of orcs, the beloved brother Gleothain is slain while trying to save what he could. Ulcwyne flees with other crofters toward Snowbourn, alone, everything lost and only sixteen years old. She seeks refuge at Dagfar's family, the only people she knew since before, and Eliswith is so kind to help her find a job in the Mead Hall as a helping hand.