Scavenger Hunt Stop #3: Hastra & Limbreth

Now that you’ve met Athson and Spark, let’s move onto some other important characters.

Hastra

For those who have read my free short story, What Is Needed, you’ve met the Withling Hastra. What are Withlings? They were a mystic order devoted to the deity Eloch. If you’re interested in the Withlings, the e-book is still available on all major book retail sites. But here’s a little more about Hastra. She’s been alive for several centuries serving Eloch through many adventures while working against Magdronu’s efforts. Her mystic powers come from Eloch and can come in many forms and at timely moments.

The Withlings were fond of a saying among them, “What is needed, is given.” This simple sentence means that they rely on Eloch to provide what is needed at any time – or not. If nothing happens, Withlings are willing to let things play out no matter how dire things are at the moment or how bad circumstances turn out. This means sometimes a miracle of some sort will be done at the hands of a Withling while at others nothing they take no mystical action. As part of their faith, Withlings learn to be with Eloch spiritually so they are attuned to know what they are supposed to do. Withlings can also be prophets and counsellors. However, there are but a few still living at the time that The Bow of Destiny begins.

As you can imagine, Hastra is rather old, wise, insightful – and faithful. However, all her mystic practice does not make her perfect and certainly doesn’t make her all-knowing by any means. She’s just as apt to make mistakes as anyone. I liken Hastra’s appearance to that of Judi Dench. Though very old, Hastra is rather spry mostly because it’s Eloch’s will that she be nearly ageless but who knows for how long? Not even Hastra knows…

Limbreth

Limbreth is a young woman who appears in the book as a traveling companion to Hastra. At first glance, she’s just a young, brash woman with a horse and a couple of swords. She got a lot of bravado and seems to be looking to make a name for herself. But there’s more to her than meets the eye. Her horse is rather well-trained and Limbreth seems to have some cavalry skill as well as some rather good training at least as a duelist.

But just who is Limbreth? She’s not willing to reveal her identity. Is she the typical beauty so often found in fantasy books? Well, she’s not a model nor is she someone like Brienne in Game of Thrones. Limbreth certainly falls somewhere between in the looks department. Is she like an Amazon, or even Brienne? I’d call her neither. She’s skilled with swords but she’s no knight like Brienne.

I wrote Limbreth into the book many years ago as a young woman with heroic aspirations. She wears white, light-weight leather armor made for dueling and her horse is white – she seems to like the color. Last year, I happened to read about Joan of Arc. I’d always heard about her and even seen a few shrines to her in some churches in France (my wife’s a French teacher so I’ve been a few times). However, I’d never really studied her closely. When I did, I found Limbreth to be eerily similar to her in appearance except for the hair style (Joan bobbed her hair). I never intended Limbreth to appear like her in any way. It just turned out that way through no intention of my own.

Scavenger Hunt Questions:

What’s the name of Hastra’s mystic order?

Who does Limbreth strangely look like through no particular intention of my own?

Let’s proceed onto the next stop…