Tanner had been the third child of a prosperous master blacksmith. He had two older sisters. When Tanner was 8 years old his father decided to relocate from where they had been living near Boise to the smaller town of Sandpoint. His father felt that with less competition he could do better in Sandpoint even though the market there was smaller.
As the family was making their way along the forest road to get to Sandpoint they were attacked by bandits. Tanner was the sole survivor. He had managed to run off and escape into the woods. His small size at the time helping him hide from the quick search the bandits did for him. The screams that his mother and sisters were making still haunt his dreams.
After several days wandering alone and forlorn in the woods Tanner was found and taken in by Bruce, one of the local foresters. Bruce taught Tanner the ways of the woods, how to read both animal signs and people's expressions, how to survive in the wild and how to disarm traps, how to use both weapons and armor, the ways of both a ranger and a rogue.
When Tanner matured into manhood he decided to use the training that Bruce had given him and become a bounty hunter. He liked the idea that he was making the roads and trails safer for honest people. He also liked the money that a successful bounty hunting expedition could bring. Last but definitely not least, he had grown to enjoy just wandering through the forest, either by himself or with a small group of people he felt he could trust. He enjoyed the challenge of making sure that he was the one sneaking up on bad guys and not the other way 'round.