Yfandes was the Companion of Herald-Mage Vanyel Ashkevron.
Yfandes Chose Vanyel after Tylendel threw himself off the tower, and Vanyel stumbled away. Once Vanyel collapsed, he felt Yfandes in his mind for the first time. Yfandes shielded Vanyel for some time while his mind and emotions were in turmoil, and his magic was out of control. Since Yfandes had waited ten years to Choose, Heralds took Yfandes' Choosing a Herald to have a certain significance. Even Herald Mage Savil expressed surprised disbelief, as well as being deeply concerned about what the Choosing meant for both Yfandes and Vanyel.[1]
Yfandes was known to be very caring and even protective at times of Vanyel, as is expected of Companions. In fact, the only sign other Heralds had of Yfandes' Choice was her fierce guarding of Vanyel, letting no one near him.
Nothing is known about Yfandes' previous life as a Herald. All Heralds are offered three choices at death: to come back as someone who will be Chosen, as a Companion, or to retire and go to the Havens. Valdemarans are universally unaware that Companions are reincarnations of Heralds.[2] Not even Vanyel knew who his Companion was, but there were several brief moments where Vanyel caught a possible glimpse of her appearance from her previous life, superimposed on Yfandes: "the image of a dark, wise-eyed woman, weary, but smiling"[3]
Yfandes was with Vanyel and contributed her energies and her life to his Final Strike. After their deaths, she continued to protect Valdemar, alongside Vanyel and Stefen, in the Forest of Sorrows.
Centuries later, the three joined the group in the remains of Urtho's Tower who were attempting to stop a repeat of the Cataclysm. The trio attached themselves to the frame of Stefen's old gittern, which he left behind leaning against a tree at the time of his death. Altra Jumped the frame to the Tower, bring all three spirits with him. In their last ditch effort to stop the Final Storm, Yfandes helped Need protect Firesong, while Vanyel and Stefen stood with the mage Sejanes. They succeeded in saving the mages, though they met dissolution themselves. Finally free of their duty in the Forest of Sorrows, Florian indicated that the three were given the more usual choices presented to recently dead Heralds and Companions, and had to make their decisions and move on too quickly to say goodbye.[4]
In the series[]
Yfandes from Magic's Pawn
Yfandes appears in the following works:
- Magic's Pawn, Last Herald-Mage, volume 1
- "Vixen" in No True Way, Valdemar Anthology, volume 8
- "A Midnight Clear" in Seasons, Valdemar Anthology, volume 13
- Magic's Promise, Last Herald-Mage, volume 2
- Magic's Price, Last Herald-Mage, volume 3
- Winds of Fury, Mage Winds, volume 3
- Storm Breaking, Mage Storms, volume 3
References[]
- ↑ Magic's Pawn
- ↑ In The Mage Storms series, Karal realized that knowledge of such reincarnations would cause havoc, with people wanting their loved ones back.
- ↑ Magic's Promise
- ↑ Storm Breaking