Dyrhildr is from a small village in the hills in eastern Dale. Her father, Guthrum, was sort of the local strongman, he was of  Wilderland and had come to take a wife, bringing his sons from his previous marriage. He had a warrior's mentality, easily dominating the sheep herders and weavers of the land. The area is far from the cities with their law and order. She learned from a young age to use weapons and defense, spending more time doing martial training than working a loom or cooking.

Dyrhildr rode with her father and his men at his indulgence when he would collect his "taxes" from local merchants and farmers. When he was killed she left as heir but his eldest son had issue with that and a feud broke out among the siblings that ended with her killing her half brother in self defense. During this squabble some of the local men tired of being extorted rebelled and burned down the holdfast so she decided to get out before getting caught up in the mob. After some roaming she went to Lake town to find work, her talents leaving her with choice of selling her body or sword so she chose the latter, most of the time. Later she moved to Dale, and started working for low rent merchants but had her sights set on a fatter purse and eventually was hired by the wealthy owner of Deepwater Trading to guard his warehouses and caravans.

She became good friends with a young guard named Eroforth and though he's been gone for sometime she finally heard word that he is in Bree. Following the deaths of his mentor and their boss, she is released from her contract and decided to track her old friend down to not only let him know what happened but to see what is keeping him in the isolated town.