Joel Shepherd - Sasha

Lenayin

Valhanan

Sasha former Princess of Lenayin

Kessligh Cronenverdt warrior, former Commander of Armies

Peg Sasha's horse

Terjellyn. Kessligh's horse

Teriyan leather worker

Lynette Teriyan's daughter

Jaegar. headman of Baerlyn town

Andreyis Sasha's friend

Lord Kumaryn Tathys. Great Lord of Valhanan

Tarynt. councilman of Yule village

Tyree

Jaryd Nyvar heir to Great Lordship of Tyree

Lord Aystin Nyvar. Jaryd's father, Great Lord of Tyree

Captain Tyrun Commander of Tyree's Falcon Guard

Lieutenant Reynan Pelyn Falcon Guardsman

Lord Tymeth Pelyn. Tyree noble

Sergeant Garys. Falcon Guardsman

Tarryn Jaryd's younger brother

Wyndal Jaryd's brother

Lord Redyk Tyree noble

Lord Paramys Tyree noble

Lord Arastyn. Tyree noble

Galyndry. Jaryd's sister

Pyter Pelyn. nephew of Lord Pelyn

Rhyst Angyvar Tyree noble youth

Baen-Jar

Damon Prince of Lenayin

Torvaal Lenayin King of Lenayin

Krystoff Prince of Lenayin, deceased

Koenyg Prince of Lenayin, heir to the throne

Wylfred Prince of Lenayin

Wyna Telgar Koenyg's wife

Sofy Princess of Lenayin

Marya Princess of Lenayin, married in Torovan

Petryna Princess of Lenayin, married

Alythia. Princess of Lenayin

Myklas Prince of Lenayin

Queen Shenai Queen of Lenayin, deceased

Anyse Sofy's maid

Archbishop Dalryn. Lenay archbishop

Hadryn

Lord Rashyd Telgar. Great Lord of Hadryn, deceased

Lord Usyn Telgar Rashyd Telgar's son, Great Lord of Hadryn

Farys Varan. Hadryn noble

Lord Udys Varan Hadryn noble

Heryd Ansyn Hadryn noble

Martyn Ansyn Hadryn noble

Janeryn

Lord Krayliss Great Lord of Taneryn

Captain Akryd Taneryn soldier

Udalyn

Daryd Yuvenar Udalyn boy

Rysha Daryd's younger sister

Essey Udalyn horse

Chief Askar Udalyn chief

Banneryd

Captain Tyrblanc Banneryd Black Storm captain

Lord Cyan Great Lord of Banneryd

Corporal Veln. Black Storm soldier

Isfayen

Lord Faras Great Lord of Isfayen

Neysh

Lord Aynsfar Neysh noble, deceased

Lord Parabys Great Lord of Neysh

Ranash

Lord Rydysh Great Lord of Ranash

Bacosh

Duke Stefhan Larosan duke

Master Piet Larosan bard

Saalshen

Rhillian serrin leader in Petrodor

Aisha. female serrin

Errollyn. male serrin, archer

Terel male serrin

Tassi female serrin

Others

Jurellyn. senior Lenay scout

Alden Nasi-Keth from Petrodor, Kessligh's friend

Historical Figures

Hyathon the Warrior Goeren-yai mythical hero

Markield Cherrovan warlord

Leyvaan of Rhodaan Leyvaan the Fool, King of Bacosh

Tharyn Askar. great Udalyn chieftain

Essyn Telgar Hadryn chief

Soros Lenayin former king, head of Liberation army of old

Chayden Lenayin former king, Soros's son

Tullamayne Goeren-yai storyteller

Sasha circled, a light shift and slide of soft boots on compacted earth. The point of her wooden stanch marked the circle's centre, effortlessly extended from her two-fisted grip. Opposite, Teriyan the leather worker matched her motion, stanch likewise unwavering, bare arms notted with hard muscle. Sasha's eyes beheld his form without true focus. She watched his centre, not the feet, nor especialy the wooden training blade in his strong, calloused hands.

An intricate tattoo of flowing black lines rippled upon Teriyan's bicep as his arm flexed. Thick red hair stirred in a gust of wind, tangled where it fell long and partly braided down his back. High above, an eagle called, launched to flight from the row of pines on the northern ridge overlooking the Baerlyn valley of central Valhanan province. The westerly sun was fading above the ridge, settling among the pines, casting long, looming shadows. The valley's entire length was alive with golden light, gleaming off the wood-shingled roofs of the houses that lined the central road, and brightening the green pastures to either side. Nearby, several young horses frolicked, an exuberance of hooves and gleaming manes and tails. From a nearby circle, there came an eruption of yells above the repeated clash of wooden blades. Then a striking thud, and a pause for breath.

Of all of this, Sasha was aware. And when Teriyan's lunging attack came, she deflected and countered with two fast, slashing strokes, and smacked her old friend hard across the belly.

Teriyan cursed, good-naturedly, and readjusted the protective banda that laced firmly about his torso. "What'd I do?" he asked, with the air of a man long since resigned to his fate.

Sasha shrugged, backing away with a light, balanced poise. "You attacked," she said simply.

"Girl's gettin' cute," Geldon remarked from amidst the circle of onlookers. Sasha flashed Geldon a grin, twirling her stanch through a series of rapid circles, moving little more than her wrists.

"Always been cute, baker-man," she said playfully. Guffaws from the crowd, numbering perhaps twenty on this late afternoon session. Strong men all, with braided hair and calloused hands. Many ears bore the rings of Goerenyai manhood, and many faces the dark ink patterns of the wakening and the spirit world. Lenay warriors all, as fierce and proud as all the lowlands tales, a sight to strike terror into the hearts of any who had cause to fear. And yet they stood, and watched with great curiosity, as a lithe, cocky, short-haired girl in weave pants and a sheepskin jacket dismantled the formidable swordwork of one of their best, with little more to show for the effort than sweat.

Teriyan exhaled hard, and repeated his previous move, frowning with consideration. "Bugger it," he said finally. "That's as good an opening stroke as anyone's got. If someone has a better suggestion, I'm all ears."

"Improve," Tyal remarked.

"Kessligh says the low forehand is a more effective opener than the high," Sasha interrupted as Teriyan gave Tyal a warning stare. "For a man your size, anyhow."

"Ah," Teriyan made a mock dismissive gesture, "that Kessligh, what would he know about honest swordwork? You and him can stick to your sneaky svaalverd. Leave the real fighting to us, girlie."

"Zook, do you want to know how I do it, or not?" Sasha asked in exasperation. There weren't many men in Lenayin who would dare call her "girlie." Teriyan was one. Kessligh Cronenverdt, the greatest swordsman in Lenayin and her tutor in far more than just swordwork for the past twelve years, was another.

Teriyan just looked at her, a reluctant smile creeping across a rugged face.

A bell clanged from the centre of town, midway up the valley. Stanches lowered, and all commotion about the training yard ceased as men turned to look, and listen. Again the bell, echoing off the steep valley sides, and then again, as someone got a good rhythm on the pulley rope.

"Rack your weapons!" yelled Byorn, the training hall proprietor, above the sudden commotion as men ran, boots thundering up the steps from the outside yard to the open, broad floorboards of the inner hall. "No haste in this hall, respect the circles!"

Despite the haste, men did keep to the dirt paths between tachadar circles, careful not to disturb the carefully laid stones, nor the sanctity of the space within. Sasha moved with less haste than some, seeing little point in elbowing through the crush of young men taking the lead. She walked instead with Teriyan and Geldon, up the dividing steps and into the highceilinged interior, unlacing her banda, and taking time to select her real weapons from the wooden rack where she'd hung them earlier. With weapons, Kessligh had instructed her often, one never rushed.