Exile's Honor featuring Weaponsmaster Alberich.
Alberich had spent most of his youth in the Karsite military schools training to be an
officer. At thirteen he had been chosen from among the male children of Karse by
the most powerful priests, the Voices of Vkandis Sunlord. Strong of body, quick of
mind, but also lowborn—and therefore grateful to the Voices for the opportunity he
had been given—he was the perfect candidate for officer training. And for
Alberich there was no other place to go, no way to get into a trade, no hope for any
but the most menial of jobs—no way for the bastard son of a tavern whore to
advance in Karse except in the army. Knowing this, he had left his loving but
impoverished mother, never to see her again.
Alberich had risen in the ranks with almost unnatural speed. He had developed
expertise in many weapons with an ease that was the envy of his classmates, and
picked up his lessons in academic subjects with what seemed to be little or no
effort. But in fact, the reclusive Alberich studied long and hard, pushing himself
ruthlessly. This lean, tall, hawk-faced young man got up before dawn for extra
exercise, spent all his spare time practicing against older boys, and studied by the
light of Vkandis’ lamps in the Temple until the priests came in for midnight prayers.
In battle, Alberich had an uncanny way of knowing what the enemy’s next move
would be, and when and from where the attack would come. He had always had
a sort of “sixth sense” about things which were about to happen. Instinctively, he
hid this ability with the utmost care, for the Sunpriests kept careful watch for
anyone exhibiting the “demon powers” which were the hallmark of Karse’s greatest
enemy—the witch-nation of Valdemar. Those they caught were “cleansed” in the
fires of Vkandis Sunlord.
Both Alberich’s skill and secret served him well in the army of Karse, and when his
cavalry captain was killed during a skirmish with bandits at the border, Alberich
was honored by a Voice, becoming one of the youngest captains in the army of
Karse. And with this commission came a gift—a handsome white stallion “liberated
from the enemy” and reputedly bred by the barbaric Shin’a’in nomads. But both the
commission and the horse came with burdens of their own. Alberich had been
promoted ahead of two older and more seasoned officers. It did not matter that
those other two together hadn’t been half as effective as Alberich had been
alone--those men would want revenge. And riding a white stallion, no matter how
powerful its gait and excellent its temperament, made him feel as if he had a target
on his back.
But these problems were merely distractions, for the Voices had laid a trap which
even Alberich’s strange foresight could not predict….
