Astaria

Valhalla. A planet ruled by beauty, passion and violence, inhabited by a race of people bred for all three. A people constantly fighting their need to dominate or be dominated. Bound by strict codes of honor, family and blood.

Answering the call of the Sword to serve her people amongst the ranks of the warriors of her home, Lorelei Astaria leaves behind her family and duties. Like many before her she enters the Academy with dreams that cover little more than becoming the best warrior of her age.

Yet in a time of internal war, she will find herself facing more than she ever wanted.

Two men, one woman, and the call of the sword. Can honor and passion co-exist?

Except

Thunder rumbled through the ground, the sound racing along with the beat of her heart as the herd came into view. Their wild, free manes blazed under the light of a new day, their hooves glowed under the heated caress of their world’s cruel sun. This was the herd her family had now protected for generations, the herd she now chose to turn her back on, at least according to her Grandfather.

Two so very different dreams and never the twain could meet.

That the herd called to her was something Astaria could not deny, but there had been a stronger compulsion that had set her nights ablaze with dreams she had yet to fathom. She had tried to ignore it, to push it away and force herself into some measure of contentment, yet every night for the past year had been the same. The darkness of the night filled with dangerous dreams of fire, sword and battle. The call to serve and swear to the living blade was greater yet than her family’s duty to the herd. She could only hope that in time her Grandfather would come to both understand and accept her chosen course in life.

“Your Brother walks the path of the healer, now you look to pick up the blade, to answer it’s cold summons. Those who swear to the sword turn their back on all other callings. Don’t you understand, my child? Can’t you see what a terrible life you will condemn yourself to? Will not one of my line fulfill our pledge to the herd?”

The memory of his words still dug their sharp edges into her heart.

“Oh Gramps, can’t you understand I don’t really have a choice in this?” Her gaze lingered on the herd as they thundered past, dust and flame mingling about their hooves, the multi colored thick coats adding another bright burst of color to the display. “I’m not the last of our line.”

The old man wasn’t even in hearing range and yet still she tried to plead with him. He had kept the mental connection between them locked tight since she had made her decision final. Therefore, it was a waste of time even if he had been in earshot, he still liked to forget about Yvonne’s existence, the youngest of the clan, but that didn’t surprise her. Her Grandfather had always favored her above both Yvonne and Ptior. It had been partly for her spirit but far more because of the gift she shared with him.

That damned ability to hear the herd. It was both a blessing and a curse, but one Astaria had become used to over the years. The headaches had taken a little getting used to, but with the aid of her grandfather she had learned to keep them under control.

“Stay with the herd little Star, they need you, you understand them, their needs, their call. Who else can I trust to watch over them? Stay with the herd, find one who understands your gifts to mate. Satisfy your blood craving within the mating circle. I don’t want to loose my star marked child.” The door opened between them as his thoughts merged with hers.

For a moment the shock of his mental touch caught her off guard. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She had missed their hidden talks, the gift they shared that offered such a tight bond.

A blood craving? No, it went far beyond that. Though there was little point in arguing with him. Perhaps he’d forgotten the passion that burned through her body. Had he ever felt the need to answer the call? Had he known the touch of insanity that had forced her from her bed in the middle of the night, searching for the weapon that now called to her?

No, if he had he would have answered it and served the sword with the same passion she now understood burned within her body.

The wind tugged at her hair, pulling it back from her face as a banner of living gold under the dawn of the twin suns. Light played across her skin, adding fresh sparks to the golden flecks that marked her race. Even without a mirror Astaria knew that her violet eyes almost glowed with the blood and fire lust that burned within the pit of her stomach. Yes, there was a peace here within the valley and one she almost regretted having to leave, but the day had already begun, and with it her journey into adulthood.

It did not matter what her Grandfather said, if she remained in the valley she would never learn to control the fire, nor could she find a way to quench it. And though remaining behind would please her family it would also bring her a long slow death from within.

How could she ignore the summons to enter the Academy? Or the dreams that left her coated in a cold sweat as they jerked her from her sleep each and every night?

Almost as one the herd turned in their tracks, coming to a halt almost too quickly to be believable. Their gazes fixed on the woman who sat on the small rise in silence. Perhaps it was nothing more than her imagination, for their voices remained silent, but she could have sworn she saw something in their eyes. A moment’s acceptance, nothing more, and it was gone, returning to their need to run through the valley that would be their home as long as her family line continued.

“Run free, run well.” Her words little more than a whispered offering in their wake as her gaze followed the path of the herd for a moment longer. It was time. Lorelei Astaria pushed to her feet and turned to walk away from the valley towards the waiting transport that would take her to the Academy.

A shiver worked its way down her back, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. The knowledge that she was being watched, something that she could not ignore no matter how much she might wish otherwise. She could feel the disappointment in the gaze of her Grandfather as he watched her make her way to the waiting transport. Damn him. Even now, with the papers signed, bags packed and the shuttle waiting for her within line of sight, he was hoping she would change her mind.

“Please understand, Grandfather, please. I have to do this.” It did not matter that he was too far away to physically hear her words, she knew he felt them, understood them and she could feel the disapproval vibrating back through the link they shared. Why did he not understand the dreams then? They knew so much about each other and that gift, that blood carried curse had bound them deeper than any others in their family knew and yet he still refused to accept what she needed to do. Was he just too old to understand the call she answered?

‘No, I just fear for you, my Star. More so than I ever thought possible. You’ve always been a wild one, running through the valley in the middle of the herds. I should have known from the start the walls of our home would never be enough to contain your spirit. Serve the sword well, and know this: No matter what happens I’ll be waiting for you when you are ready to return to the herd.’

The answer came as nothing more than a whisper at the back of her mind. Not quite a full acceptance of her path, but neither had he closed the door on her.

Relief washed over her heart. The chance that she might just loose the valley, her home and everything she had known here had weighed all too heavily.

Tears threatened to spill down over her cheeks, a knot closed her throat yet somehow she stopped them and turned towards the waiting craft. Small and compact, the transporter sat on the crest of the hill, and her new life beckoned on the far side of the planet.

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