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The Oathbound

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This article is for the novel. For other uses, see Oathbound (disambiguation).

Publisher's description:

She was Tarma, born to the Clan of the Hawk of the nomadic Shin'a'in people; she saw her entire clan slain by brigands. Vowing blood revenge upon the murderers, she became one of the sword-sworn, the most elite of all warriors. And trained in all forms of death-dealing combat, she took to the road in search of her enemies...

She was Kethry. Born to a noble house, sold into a hateful "marriage," she fled life's harshness for the sanctuary of the White Winds, a powerful school of sorcery. Becoming an adept, she pledged to use her talents for the greatest good. Yet, unlike other sorcerers, Kethry could use worldly weapons as well as magical skills. And when she became the bearer of a uniquely magical sword which drew her to those in need, Kethry was led to a fateful meeting with Tarma.

United by sword-spell and the will of the Goddess, Tarma and Kethry swore a blood oath to carry on their mutual fight against evil. And together, swordmaster and sorceress set forth to fulfill their destiny.

Additional notes[]

The blood oath made it possible for the Tale'sedrin clan to live on through Kethry's children. The sword Need included a geas to aid women, which frequently pulled Kethry and Tarma into unplanned adventures.

The story of their first meeting is not included here. (That novelette, "Sword Sworn," was originally published in Sword and Sorceress III in 1986, and later collected in Oathblood.)

The book is episodic in nature with each chapter or group of chapters comprised of a short bridge between episodes and a clear single story. Many of the stories were previously published as standalone tales before being woven into this book.

Synopsis[]

Episode 1: Adventures in Mornedealth[]

Chapters 1-3

Six months after Tarma and Kethry initially join forces, they are heading to the Plains to claim the clan banner. They run out of money near Mornedealth, Kethry's home town and the location of her young life's great tragedy. They make friends with two mercenaries, Justin Twoblade and Ikan Dryvale. Kethry faces her past and overcomes it.

Episode 2: Embarking on the mercenary life[]

Chapters 4-5

They reach the Plains, but after several months they are restless. They recognize the need for money to restart the Clan, and to fund their proposed school. A reputation is also needed to attract people to both, so they decide to leave the Plains and make their mark in the world.

Traveling through the Pelagiris Forest again, Kethry tries to summon a kyree for a familiar, but when it shows up, Warrl bonds with Tarma instead.

Episode 3: First jobs and a locked door mystery[]

Chapters 6

Emerging from the Pelagirs, they join the Mercenary Guild and get an escort job right away. When they reach Fromish, they run into their friends Justin and Ikan again, who give them some good advice. They get a couple of jobs.[1]

One morning Need awakens with a vengeance and drags them to an increasingly desperate call from a woman in trouble. Kethry has to solve a locked-room mystery while Tarma fights an endurance contest to the death.

(The locked room mystery is from a novelette, "Keys," originally published in Sword and Sorceress V in 1988, the same year that Oathbound was released. It was later collected in the Oathblood.)

Episode 4: The demon Thalhkarsh[]

Chapter 7

They are next summoned by Need when women are being sacrificed to a powerful demon, Thalhkarsh, to fuel his quest to become a god. Fighting him and banishing him back to the Abyssal Plane adds substantially to their reputation.

(This is from a novelette, "Blind Desire," originally published in Fantasy Book in 1986.)

Episode 5: The bandit Lastel Longknife[]

Chapter 8

Their next mission is more mundane: to find the bandits raiding pack trains, and if possible, rescue the girls who went missing. They join a trip in disguise to solve the mystery, fight the bandits, and put an ironic curse on the bandit leader. The telling of this adventure is interspersed with verses from a song written to celebrate it, "Threes."

(This story is from a novelette, "Turnabout," originally published in Fantasy Book in 1985. It was Mercedes Lackey's first professional publication. The story was later collected in Oathblood.)

Episode 6: The return of Thalhkarsh[]

Chapters 9-11

Later, the bandit leader hires a mage to remove the curse. The mage foolishly summons "Kethry's greatest enemy" - bringing Thalhkarsh back. Now the angry demon is out for revenge on the pair, in addition to his demands for sacrifices. The ensuing conflict is the greatest and most traumatic battle that they have ever faced together.

(This is from a story, "Should Old Acquaintance," originally published as a serial in Fantasy Book in December 1986 and March 1987.)

The novel concludes with Tarma and Kethry re-affirming their bond, and deciding to continue their outClan journeys.

Characters[]

Characters appearing or mentioned in the book.

Main characters[]

  • Kal'enedral Tarma shena Tale'sedrin
  • Mage Kethryveris Pheregrul ("Kethry")

Major characters[]

Minor and referenced characters by episode[]

Episode 1: Adventures in Mornedealth[]

Episode 2: Embarking on the mercenary life[]

Episode 3: First jobs and a locked door mystery[]

  • Sir Skolte - a homely knight
  • Darthela - Skolte's young wife
  • Sun-Lord Resoden - mentioned as part of a thief's punishment
  • Viscount Hathkel - the patron of a mage they guarded
  • Istan - a villager with a torch
  • Lady Myria - a woman accused of murdering her uncaring husband
  • Syrtin - Myria's newborn infant
  • Katran - on of Myria's companions
  • Goddess Kal'enal (Star-Eyed)
  • Lord Corbie - Myria's murdered husband

Episode 4: The demon Thalhkarsh[]

Episode 5: The bandit Lastel Longknife[]

  • Grumio - a merchant whose niece was kidnapped from a packtrain
  • Lena - Grumio's niece
  • Tedric - an old acquaintance of Tarma's, whose visage appears instead of the treacherous guard
  • Lastel - a bandit with Mind Magic

Episode 6: The return of Thalhkarsh[]

Places by episode[]

Episode 1: Adventures in Mornedealth[]

Episode 2: Embarking on the mercenary life[]

Episode 3: First jobs and a locked door mystery[]

Episode 4: The demon Thalhkarsh[]

Episode 5: The bandit Lastel Longknife[]

  • (none named)

Episode 6: The return of Thalhkarsh[]

Terminology[]

 Translations[]

French:

  • Soeurs de Sang, Presses Pocket, 1999
  • Soeurs de Sang, Milady, 2009

Japanese:

  • The book was also published as a manga in Japanese (女神の誓い).

Polish:

  • Związane Przysięgą, translated by Katarzyna Krawczyk, Zysk i S-ka

Gallery of cover images[]

See also[]

  1. ↑ One adventure mentioned though not included in Oathbound is "A Tale of Heroes"
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