I have always been fascinated by the lore of Dryads, which come from Greek mythology, and based the Mirrowen series on a new interpretation of them. As always, I weave together elements to try to breathe new life into an older idea. Dryads in history are always associated with oak trees, for example. Mistletoe grows on oak trees as well. In many parts of the world, it is a tradition for couples to kiss under a sprig of mistletoe during Christmas holidays. Hence, the creation of the Dryad’s Kiss ties together several traditions and ideas into something new and a possible origin of how the tradition came to be.
I apologize again for another cliffhanger ending. As I’ve said before, I tend to tell stories in a three-book arc. All will be revealed in book three. One of my all-time favorite reactions to the ending of Fireblood came from a friend of mine in Rocklin. I got several distraught texts from him while I was traveling across Nevada because of how things ended with Tyrus. He was especially upset because he has a hard time remembering plot points after finishing a book and waiting for the next would cause him to forget everything. He consoled himself with this concluding line, which cracked me up: Perhaps I’ll go around kissing trees in hopes of improving my memory.
Until we meet again in Book 3.
GLOSSARY
Aeduan: A race from the southern kingdoms of Wayland and Stonehollow. They are primarily fair-skinned with dominant and recessive traits for hair color, eye color, and complexion. Many consider the Aeduan as mongrels because of the variety of their physical characteristics (hair color, eye color, skin tone). However, they have proven to be very adaptable and most resilient to the Plague. The Aeduan were the principal founders of Kenatos.
Boeotian: A race of tribes from the northern territories known as Boeotia. They have no central government, though purportedly revere an individual known as the Empress. They are nomads with no permanent cities and live off the land. They are strong and typically have brown or black hair and are prone to fight amongst themselves, pitting tribe against tribe. Their skin is heavily veined and tattooed, giving them an almost purple cast. They have sworn to destroy the city of Kenatos and occasionally unify for the purpose of attacking the island kingdom. Silvandom is the primary defense against Boeotia, for they have conflicting ideologies.
Bhikhu: A class primarily found in Silvandom and Kenatos. These are highly trained warriors that specialize in all forms of armed and unarmed combat and are trusted to preserve the peace and dispense justice. They cannot own treasure or items of value and treat life with the greatest respect. They are often mistaken as being cruel for they will punish and deliberately injure as a way of teaching their morality of painful consequences. The Bhikhu are typically orphans and nobility who have abandoned worldly wealth.
Canton Vaud: The seat of the Druidecht hierarchy, known as the Thirteen. These are the wisest of the Druidecht and they travel throughout the kingdoms to solve social and political problems and to represent nature in disputes over land. When one of the Thirteen dies, the remaining vote to replace that person from a promising Druidecht who will join Canton Vaud and travel to kingdoms solving problems.
Carnotha: A small marked coin denoting the rank of thief. Showing it to another ensures cooperation in an activity as well as access to information and illegal items. There are purportedly only five hundred such coins in existence and so in order to acquire a carnotha, one must steal it from another thief. They are carefully safeguarded and hidden from authorities. There is one carnotha that identifies the location of all the others and can determine whether one is a fake. The bearer of this one is known as the master thief.
Chin-Na: A lesser-known class found in Silvandom and only taught amongst the Vaettir and usually only to nobility. In addition to the martial aspects of the Bhikhu, the Chin-Na train their bodies to exist on very little air and have learned to harden their bodies and focus their internal energy to the point where even weapons cannot pierce their skin. As such, they do not float but their attacks are so focused and powerful that they can strike down an enemy with a single blow that damages internal organs. Only the most trusted and dedicated to Vaettir ideals are allowed to learn the secrets of the Chin-Na.
Cruithne: A race from the eastern mountains of Alkire. They have grayish-black skin, ranging in tones, with hair varied from pale blond to coarse gray. They are easily the largest of men, in terms of weight, not size, but not slow or ponderous. The Cruithne are known for their inquisitiveness and deep understanding of natural laws and spirit laws. They founded the Paracelsus order in their ancient homeland and transferred its knowledge to Kenatos.