Excerpt from The Tiphereth Trilogy, Book 2: Dunamis

   The next morning dawned crisp and clear.  The leaves on the trees in the City of the King had all become golden in the autumn air.  Iach brought his horse and Aramiel's around to the front of the palace.
   Aramiel had packed her saddlebag the night before with the clothing she would need for her stay in Ewythrin.  She arrayed herself in a scarlet riding habit and descended from her tower with her saddlebags.  She went to bid Gwynarae and her family goodbye, and walked out the palace door.  Descending the steps, she handed Iach the saddlebags.  He fastened them on to her horse for her and gave her his hand to assist her in mounting.  Aramiel sprang lightly into her saddle and waited for Iach to mount.  The two then rode down through the city.

   "Thank you for coming," Iach suddenly said.  "I did not know if you would, but I think your presence will help Iachin greatly."  He looked at the sixteen year old girl with eyes full of gratitude.

   "You are welcome," Aramiel replied happily.  "I don't mind going to Ewythrin, it is such a beautiful silver city.  I shall enjoy seeing Eytrine again as well.  I think I can help Iachin."

The two continued on in silence until they arrived in Ewythrin.
Copyright 2011 Katie Hepner

Character Tag!

I found this Character tag over at the Letters of Askpen blog
 ( http://lettersofaskpen.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-tag-nadarian-style.html )
and thought it looked fun.

I picked four characters:

Prince Aramoth (This tag is taking place in the middle of Dunamis)
Princess Aramiel
Iach
General Rosaline

If you don’t know who they are, you’ll have to buy the book and read itJ.

Questions:

1.      Do you want a hug?
Prince Aramoth:  Here in Basileia, we grasp hands in friendship.
Princess Aramiel: Do you need one?
Iach:  A hug? I am sorry, I am not familiar with this.
General Rosaline: Hugs are for wimps and demeaning to women.  Out of my sight!

2.      Do you have any kids?
Prince Aramoth: Because of the war and my responsibility to this kingdom, I have not had time to pursue a family.  However I love children and hope to have many someday.
Princess Aramiel: Aramoth spoke for me.
Iach: As for me.
General Rosaline: Children?  Children? You expect me to stay at home and have children?  What a chauvinist!  I would rather brainwash other people’s children!

3.      Have you ever killed someone?

Prince Aramoth: I have never killed a human as of yet, and I hope that the need never arises.  However I have found it necessary to kill many Peerthigrin.
Princess Aramiel: I would pray that the need never arises, and that if it were to, that someone else were there to protect me.
Iach: Aramoth speaks for me.
General Rosaline: Ha.  Don’t you wish you knew?

4.      Love anyone?
Prince Aramoth: My sister, and Ynyth and Gwynarae, and their family, as if they were mine.
Princess Aramiel: My brother, Ynyth, Gwynarae, and their family, as if they were mine.
Iach: My family, and my King and my friend, Aramoth.
General Rosaline: Love is for fools.

5.      What is your job?
Prince Aramoth: I am the future King of Basileia.  I am therefore King, judge, and Commander in chief of the army.
Princess Aramiel: I am a child of God.  My job is to serve Him and bless others.
Iach: Loyal servant, friend, and warrior to my King.
General Rosaline: I am the General and commander in chief of the Snozama, an army of rebellious women who are fed up with the typical female roles of safety, daughterhood, motherhood, and all that rot.

6.      Favorite Season?
Prince Aramoth: I don’t have much time to pay attention, but Spring and Fall are the best conditions for the army.
Princess Aramiel: I love Autumn!
Iach: Aramoth has spoken for me.
General Rosaline: Nightime.  Best for surprise attacks and assassinations.
Prince Aramoth: Ma’am, I believe that the only seasons are Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
General Rosaline: You think you can correct me just because you’re a man?
Prince Aramoth: I beg pardon if I have offended, Ma’am.
General Rosaline: Quit “Ma’am”ing me!  Ma’am is a derogatory term…

7.      Thank you!  Next Question: Who is your Best Friend?
Prince Aramoth: Iach, and my sister Aramiel.
Princess Aramiel: Iachin, ,my brother Aramoth, and Gwynarae.  Not to forget Eytrine.
Iach: My King and friend, Aramoth.
General Rosaline: Friends are for fools.

8.      Hobbies?
Prince Aramoth: I am much occupied with the war, and am always productive.  Hobbies, I believe, are something peculiar to countries of leisure.  However I enjoy training for battle.
Princess Aramiel: If you mean something I enjoy, I enjoy sewing, cooking, and helping Gwynarae around the house.
Iach: I am unfamiliar with this.  It means something I enjoy? Serving my King.
General Rosaline: I like to fight, yell, bully people, and I enjoy public speaking to fire the imaginations of good little girls and ignite the spirit of rebellion in them.

9.      What will you do when this tag is over?

Prince Aramoth: Go and prepare for battle.
Princess Aramiel: Help Gwynarae prepare dinner.
Iach: Ride by Aramoth’s side and prepare the men for battle.
General Rosaline:  Ha.  Go ride the backs of the lazy girls, and speak to the enemy about the lack of equality around here.  We don’t need Peerthigrin helping us just because we are women.

10.   Eye Color?
Prince Aramoth: Brown.
Princess Aramiel: Brown.
Iach: Blue.
General Rosaline: Blueish grey.

11.   Are you good or bad?

Prince Aramoth: I serve God, the High King, and Him alone.
Princess Aramiel: Aramoth speaks for me.
Iach: As for me.
General Rosaline: I serve myself!  And I am bad, wicked, awesome, whatever.

12.  What is your greatest fear?

Prince Aramoth: Behaving wickedly in God’s eyes.

Princess Aramiel: The same.  Although I do fear what might happen if we lose this war.
Iach: Behaving wickedly before God and my King.
General Rosaline: Fear is for fools.

13.  What do you think of your parents?
Prince Aramoth: I wish I could have known them.
Princess Aramiel: The same.
Iach: I love and respect them.
General Rosaline: Those losers?

14.  Any siblings?
Prince Aramoth: Only my sister Aramiel.
Princess Aramiel: Only my brother Aramoth.
Iach: Only my sister Iachin.
General Rosaline: What do I care?

15.  Was this fun?

Prince Aramoth: I always enjoy obliging others.

Princess Aramiel: I liked it.
Iach: I live to serve.
General Rosaline: No way.

16.  Do you have any weaknesses?

Prince Aramoth: I ought not to say what they are in the present company, but everyone does.

Princess Aramiel: Aramoth speaks for me.
Iach: As for me.
General Rosaline: No way.  I’m perfect.

17.  Favorite Element?
Prince Aramoth: None.
Princess Aramiel.  None.
Iach: None.
General Rosaline: Fire.

18.  Do you care what others think of you?

Prince Aramoth: Only God.
Princess Aramiel: Only God.
Iach: Only God and Aramoth.
General Rosaline: They had better think I’m every bit as good as a man!

19.  Do you have a theme song?

Prince Aramoth: Miss Hepner informed me that she has written an instrumental piece which is my theme song.  I abide by her will.
Princess Aramiel: Miss Hepner informed me that my theme song is likely “In Christ Alone.”  I abide by her decision.
Iach: Miss Hepner has informed me that my theme song is likely “The Impossible Dream”.  She also informed me that this would be Aramoth’s song as well were it not for the piece she has written. 
General Rosaline: I don’t care who this Hepner person is.  My theme song was written by the enemy, sung by me, him, and the Peerthigrin.  It’s called “Don’cha start believin’ all those Basileian lies.”  It’s mostly rap.

20.  What’s your species?

Prince Aramoth: Human, of course.
Princess Aramiel: Human, of course.
Iach: Human, of…you understand.
General Rosaline: A very twisted, strong, evolved, human!

Aramiel: April's character of the month

Aramiel.
Born in a cabin in the woods after her father's death, Aramiel had an unusual start.  Her mother died soon after her birth, leaving Aramiel to the care of Bagria, an elderly woman who was her mother's friend.  Before she even reached the age of seven, Bagria too died, leaving Aramiel to fend for herself off what was in the cabin, and what she could find or kill. 
   Before long the little girl's provisions ran out, and she wandered into the nearest city, the City of the King.  Completely unaware of matters of state, she found to her surprise that the King was her grandfather, and her father had been the heir to the throne before his death.  Word on the street was that the King had a grandson, the current heir.  Startled by this turn of events, Aramiel knew where to go.  The next day she spent in the grand library in Ewythrin, reading page after page of the huge, leather-bound volumes written by the Kings of Basileia:  The Annals of the Kings of Basileia.  True enough, she found that she was the grandaughter of the King, and that she had a brother three years older than herself, named Aramoth, who had been staying in Ewythrin.
   Hearing that there had been a battle shortly before in Ewythrin in which most of the men were killed, a great fear filled the little girl's heart.  She hurried through the city to the tombs, afraid that when she arrived, she would find that the brother she just found out about would have died in the battle.   There she was found by Eytrine, an Ewythrinae maiden, and given food to eat and a place to stay, as well as being told that her brother the Prince was not dead, but had only moved to Idyllin.

Aramiel then moved in with her brother Aramoth, who was living with Ynyth and Gwynarae Tamam in Idyllin.  There she learned to swordfight and perfected her  archery skills, as well as learning how to be a godly woman from Gwynarae.  A little while later the entire family moved to the City of the King, where they stayed in the palace with Aramoth and Aramiel's grandfather the King.  During the war after her grandfather died, Aramiel was left as the princess regent, acting her brother the King's role as judge and sitting on the golden throne while he led the men in war.  When the need arose, she led her people in a defensive battle until her brother and his troops could arrive to relieve them.

Aramiel grew to be a godly woman and a great encouragement to others.  She married later than most Basileian girls, but when she did marry she and her husband raised fourteen children to love and serve God.

Aramiel loves long and beautiful dresses.  She loves the beauty of a sword but if forced to fight prefers to be at such a distance that she can use a bow.  Her favorite colors are pink and red.  She has long brown hair and brown eyes.  She is not as short as Eleutheria, but she is not tall either, rather being of a somewhat average height.  She loves to ride her horse and she loves to garden.

Stay tuned for our featured character of May!