The Heldan — Deborah Talmadge-Bickmore

THE LAW OF THE TRIBE

Held-law had been called. Senea, along with the other firstborn of her tribe, was summoned to the Held fortress, there to train as a Heldan warrior. The firstborn would never see family or home agi in. Their lives would be to fight, to become the silent, unseen guardians of their people.

Sena trained with Vayhawk, the greatest warrior of the Held, and this training was in earnest. For other warriors from other lands were coming to claim Senea's tribe's lands for their own. And the greatest threat came from the Ja'sid, who carried a power within them, a blackness that could destroy the soul...

Senea realized that they were playing a dangerous game -- it was apparent that there was no defense against the foul Ja'sid. Only an ancient, forbidden Held practice promised any hope -- but it was this very power that made the tribes-people fear Heldan, even though their lives depended on the Held's protection. Senea and Vayhawk soon realized they must discover their own kind of battle magic -- even as they defended their backs from intrigues within the Held...