Okay, here's the deal. When did people become "that" instead of "who?" I hear this on the radio on the TV ( and shouldn't news reporters know better )? and unless my memory is wrong, have even read it in places. Why? How hard is it to remember that people require a "who"? And here's another--myself instead of me. My boss did this all this time and it drove me crazy. Are we so afraid to be in the spotlight that we have to say, "So-and-so and myself did such-and-so?"
Exiled to distant posts, given impossible challenges
and threatened by an unknown assailant,
Iol and Pelra only have the hope of a future together to sustain them.
But can their love survive the accusation of witchcraft?
and threatened by an unknown assailant,
Iol and Pelra only have the hope of a future together to sustain them.
But can their love survive the accusation of witchcraft?
First, since I haven’t been here for a while, I want to reintroduce myself. I am Helen Henderson, the author of the Windmaster Novels. I like to hang out with mages and fly with dragons.
But we are not here to talk about me. One of the fun things to do as a writer is to visit with our characters. Today’s guest is Lady Pelra of the House of Pirri from the third book of the Windmaster Novels, Windmaster Legend. In most of my novels, a myth or legend is told and Pelra is the subject of one of them. She was first introduced in Windmaster(Book 1 of the Windmaster Novels) when Captain Ellspeth told the tale of a pair of star-crossed lovers.
Q: Your title says you are from the House of Pirri. Can you tell us a little more?
Pelra –Pirri is one of several trading companies. Each house is ruled by a guild master and a council of up to ten senior officers. We refer to them by their seat number of which the guild master is First Seat. The current First Sea is my mentor. I studied under him since my parents sent me to apprentice with the House of Pirri when I not much more than ten turns.
Q: Your rank of sub-commander is equivalent to that of the first officer of a sailing vessel. Have you ever sailed, and which do you prefer, land or sea?
Pelra – I had to complete a solo sail up the coast to earn my ensign’s stripes. I’ve also served as first officer on a trans-ocean sail to the island continent of Tarekus.
A smile brightened her eyes.
It was the most successful trading trip the House of Pirri ever had and I was in charge of the negotiations and running the caravans. But, I do admit I don’t particularly like the deep blue and prefer to run land caravans rather than voyage the southern seas.
A smile brightened her eyes.
It was the most successful trading trip the House of Pirri ever had and I was in charge of the negotiations and running the caravans. But, I do admit I don’t particularly like the deep blue and prefer to run land caravans rather than voyage the southern seas.
Q: I’ve heard you’re an accomplished musician. Do you also sing?
Pelra – A quick chuckle was her initial response. NO, I don’t sing. While on night sentry duty on one of my first trading trips, I followed instructions and sang to the hauler beasts to keep them complacent. Instead they stampeded. It took a day to recover them all. According to the Bard Guild who are the masters of all aspects of all culture including music, history, and law, there is a timbre in my voice the animals don’t like. So now when on night duty, I play a flute and the beasts are happy. When there is enough space to bring a small guitar, I use it to compose little ditties and play it for the men under my command to help pass the long, cold nights.
Q: Care to tell us about any special friends and how you met?
Pelra – I count Conall, a journeyman of the Bard Guild, as a friend. I don’t have the time to dedicate to formal musical training so he has helped me with private instruction in instruments and composition.
Eirik is the son of the rulers of Clan Daimh and one day when his parents retire to their cottage will take over as chieftain. I met Eirik when I spent a cold season at his clanhold providing insight and training on contracts. Conall was also there and the three of us spent many hours together.
Eirik is the son of the rulers of Clan Daimh and one day when his parents retire to their cottage will take over as chieftain. I met Eirik when I spent a cold season at his clanhold providing insight and training on contracts. Conall was also there and the three of us spent many hours together.
Q: Who is Iol?
Pelra – Ensign Iol is a member of a competitor, the House of Cszabo. Unlike me he loves the deep blue and someday hopes to have a vessel of his own. We met on the night of the summer captain’s while I waited in the gardens to take the stage. The bard who was supposed to perform the special composition I wrote for the event was stranded on the wrong side of a flooded river and couldn’t make it. No other bard was available. Conall said Iol was the only one with sufficient skill to perform the piece, so he conscripted him to replace the missing member of our trio. He also interferred when I rejected the advances of Leod, another member of my trading house.
Q: I’ve heard whispers about you and magic.
Pelra – Eirik’s mother is also the mother of Dewin, Archmage of the World. I escorted her to the Isle of Mages so she could watch her grand-daughter take the first step to becoming a mage. However, I am NOT a wizard. I worked too hard, fought against too many obstacles, to achieve my rank to throw it away for the lure of magic.
Thank you, Lady Pelra, for sharing with us. I hope everyone will consider adding Windmaster Legend to their to-be-read pile to learn more about you.
~till next time, Helen
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