Kethryveris of House Pheregrul (called Kethry), is a member of one of the Fifty Noble Houses of Mornedealth. Adept of the White Winds School of magery. When Kethry was twelve, her brother sold her in marriage to a pedophile who preyed upon young girls. She was rescued by her old nurse, who took her to a White Winds school where she was given the magic sword Need by one of the teachers in the school who thought that she might have need of it in her wanderings.[1]
While on a job to get rid of a predatory group of bandits, Need draws Kethry to Tarma, who is also after the bandits. They decide to combine forces. After the job is over, the two swear bloodoath to each other. As part of that, Kethy agrees to help Tarma restore the Clan Tale'sedrin and teases that she will become just a "Shin'a'in broodmare."[2]
Six months after they met, the two need to raise money to continue their trip to the Dhorisha Plains. They travel through Mornedealth, where they mete out justice for Kethry's mistreatment. (Her marriage was seven years prior, so she is nineteen.[1])[3]
She and Tarma become mercenaries, eventually joining the Sunhawks commanded by Captain Idra. Idra was a princess of Rethwellan who chose to leave her privileged life and become a mercenary; through her skill she rose through the ranks to become captain of the Sunhawks and beloved by her followers. After Idra's death at the hand of her traitorous brother Raschar, Kethry and Tarma and the other Sunhawks are key to the coup that places Idra's other brother, Prince Stefansen, on the throne of Rethwellan. During the coup they meet Prince Roald of Valdemar with whom they become friends.[4]
As a reward for their service they are given lands and a manor house, and found the school of their dreams. Kethry falls in love and marries the former Rethwellan archivist Jadrek, and though their children are raised with the knowledge that they can choose whatever life they wish, many chose to become Shin'a'in, thus giving life to Kethry's promise to restore the Clan of Tale'sedrin.[5] One of her daughters who chose to remain Rethwellan was Kerowyn's mother, Lenore.[6]
Due to the life-prolonging side effect of magic, Kethry lived to be over 100 years old.[7]
Family[]
- Mate: Jadrek
- Sibling: Kavin Pheregrul[1]
- Children: Jadrie, twins Lyan and Laryn, young Jadrek, Jendar,[5] Lenore, and two more daughters[6]
- Oathsib: Tarma shena Tale'sedrin
- Grandchildren: Kerowyn and Lordan (Lenore's children),[6] and others
- Great-grandchildren: Keth're'son shena Tale'sedrin[8] and others
- Great-great-grandchildren: Kitha shena Tale’sedrin[9]
In the series[]
Kethry appears in the following works:
- The Oathbound, Vows and Honor, volume 1
- Oathbreakers, Vows and Honor, volume 2
- Oathblood, Vows and Honor, volume 3
- "A Dragon in Distress" by Mercedes Lackey and Elisabeth Waters in Sword and Sorceress XII
- "Landscape of the Imagination", Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar, Valdemar Anthology, volume 3
- By the Sword
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Oathbound
- ↑ The story of her meeting with her partner Tarma is told in "Sword Sworn" originally published in Marion Zimmer Bradley's anthology Sword and Sorceress III and later included in Mercedes Lackey's collection Oathblood.
- ↑ Various adventures of Tarma and Kethry appeared in subsequent Sword and Sorceress collections.
- ↑ Oathbreakers
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Oathblood
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 By the Sword
- ↑ The World of Mercedes Lackey website, "Ask Misty Archive - Valdemar." Lackey stated this in answer to a question received in 2002.
- ↑ Keth're'son first appears in "The Groom's Price", Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar, Valdemar Anthology, volume 6 (2010)
- ↑ Kitha first appears in "Feathers in Need", Crucible, Valdemar Anthology, volume 9 (2015)