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.