Darkland Wayfarer Series

An Iron Age Fantasy with heart.   Darshmir pulled a knife from his tunic and put it to Tierndraal's throat. Tierndraal remained still. "I don't fear death. I'll go to the Otherness as a man and wait for my Eniarmaine there. If it's just a short visit before I'm taken to Gaiahan, I'll see my woman as her man one last time. That's what it is to truly love a woman." The pair locked eyes. Tierndraal didn't move. "I pity you."   So much of life is made up of terrible things. Nobody knew this more than Tierndraal. From a village in the north, he lost his bond when they were attacked by slavers, and with his bond, he lost his home. It is shameful for a Northern Darklander to lose a woman he's bonded with. It demonstrates to the tribe he's unworthy to have been bonded, and unworthy means unwelcome.   Now, Tierndraal and his two companions are on a fool's quest to find the slavers who took their bonds and their homes. Or they were until they encountered the Blutlings of Aldazai, a tribe of warriors who're in a shameful relationship with a neighbouring Darklander village. Part of that relationship puts them all in danger and gives Tierndraal an opportunity to learn that sometimes the evil thing is to do what's right, and the good thing is to do what's wrong. A lesson he must learn for the sake of the lives of some friends he makes among the Blutlings and a neighbouring warrior tribe.   With one woman already murdered, Tierndraal must do the wrong thing to stop there being another.   ---------- Just to let you know, there's swearing and blokey dialogue in these pages. 

  An Iron Age Fantasy with heart.   Tierndraal huffed. "I am a bonded man." "Your faithfulness is admirable, but unnecessary," Fieshtar said. "Because she'll never know?" "Because she'll never return." Fieshtar closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I…" "It's alright," Tierndraal said softly. "My honour is all I have left to feel good about." "I think you should feel good about young Shieshestar. A young girl with so much to fear can see your goodness and know she's safe to sob in your arms."   Life's good for young Gourdia. Son of the leader of the tribe of Darklanders called the Drokart, he gets to do almost everything he wants and have almost as many girls he wants, but there's a catch. He can't do or have the things he really wants.   As the only son he must prepare to one day become the leader himself. This means he needs to grow up. Decisions he makes will one day cost men their lives. He learns this on the day he meets his father's Blutling friend Darshmir and a Northern Darklander named Tierndraal.   Life's not so good for Tierndraal. On a hopeless quest to find the woman he loves, he comes across a young slave girl he rescues from "being whored" on the day he meets young Gourdia. Not knowing the girl's language, Tierndraal needs the help of a woman who does speak her language. Forced to face harsh realities, Tierndraal has a hard choice. Abandon his foolish quest, or abandon the girl he had pity on, the woman who would help him, and the young lad Gourdia to their evil fates.   With treachery, murder, and rare friendships, Tierndraal's choice seems to be a simple one. A simple one if Tierndraal wasn't a Northern Darklander with the sense of honour of a Northern Darklander. He could die looking for his lost woman, as he should, and fail. Or he could abandon his quest for his lost woman and die protecting the women and friends who've become family.   And then there's somebody who wants to see him dead. Something else Tierndraal has in common with Gourdia.   ---------- Just to let you know, there's swearing and blokey dialogue in these pages.   

An Iron Age Fantasy with heart.   "When you long for Axarmania's daughter you're longing for somebody who no longer exists. She is no longer the young woman who shared your bed. She's a bonded woman who's raising children and looking after her bond. You hold a memory of a woman who is no more and fool yourself that you long for her. She's a story. She's not real anymore."   No longer a boy but not yet a man, Gourdia knows what it's like to feel the pain of sacrifice for the sake of his people. As leader of the Drokart, he couldn't have the woman he loved. He tries to soothe the pain with other women he can have but also not keep.   Kaisha is the tan-skinned daughter of Wodabar, leader of the Miearnart. Her father wants an alliance with the Drokart to help protect his lands from the advance of the Thavocurian Empire in the south. The alliance is worth the price of a daughter to acquire it, so he sends Kaisha to Karshdaliard to become Gourdia's.   Problem is, Gourdia doesn't want her, and she doesn't want him. If this isn't complicated enough, there're refugees coming into both lands from the south, fleeing the coming Thavocurians. Then there are further complications from two young boys, their father, and Kaisha's Lilthling mentor.   Although they don't want it, they need each other for the sake of the survival of both their peoples.   ---------- Just to let you know, there's swearing and blokey dialogue in these pages. There's also mention of sex but nothing explicit.