Daniel Archambault

John C. Bunnell

Janet Elizabeth Chase

Doranna Durgin

Sarah Jane Elliott

Jim C. Hines

Catherine Dybiec Holm

Mindy L. Klasky

Jay Lake

Fran LaPlaca

John Mierau

Devon Monk

Ruth Nestvold

Jane Carol Petrovich

Kent Pollard

Wen Spencer

Matt Walker

K.D. Wentworth

Janny Wurts

Blood Ties

copyright 2005 Sarah Jane Elliott and Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Used with permission.

They've learned.

The first creature had been a pathetic specimen, weak and dying, scarcely enough to awe the people of the kingdom with her father’s hunting prowess. This one was bloody and bedraggled, but not seriously hurt, and the expression in its eyes was anything but pained.

Talons as long as her forearm dug into the floor of the cage, gouging deep furrows into the ironwood, as the creature fought against the shackles binding each limb. Massive golden wings strained against the walls, feathers gleaming as bright as polished gold. Then the great head swung round, the razor edges of the beak barely clearing the bars.

The griffin rose to its full height, and Kayla had to stifle a gasp as those enormous golden eyes fell upon her. The force of the creature's malice struck her hard enough that she stepped back. Its eyes burned with anger and hatred, the lashing leonine tail betraying the creature’s barely contained rage.

"Father," she breathed. "What have you done?"

"Hush!" Rylan's harsh whisper in her ear startled her. "Someone will hear you."

She didn't care. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the griffin's unblinking gaze. It was so different... The first had been smaller, the fur duller, the feathers a muted tan with brown patterning the wings and head. The only time she had ever seen feathers near as brilliant as the ones this one bore were on some of her mother's songbirds...

Kayla gasped. Rylan's hand was instantly on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"It was his mate," she said. The golden eyes bored into her, stripping her down to her soul as realization spread through her. "That first one. She was his mate. He was killing our people because we killed his mate."

"Cestril." Rylan tugged her away from the cage. "You forget, you are speaking of an animal. An unintelligent beast."

She couldn't look away. "Am I?" But she allowed Rylan to drag her into the warmth and light of the great hall, away from those eyes so deep she felt herself like to drown in them.

And so she did not see that the griffin continued to stare long after she had vanished into the keep.

Ah, "Blood Ties". Also known as "Wings of Fate." Also known as "Blood Ties" again. Also known as "Kichani". Also known as "When Kayla Met Variel".

This story is near and dear to my heart, and Variel is the character who's been with me longer than any other (save those who've been relegated to the "never again to see the light of day" shelf).

Variel began his first incarnation as an unfortunately-named griffin called Astar in the book I started writing in grade 11, which hit 80 pages before I reached the talking dinosaur and realized that it was going to The Shelf. But I really, really liked the relationship this griffin was forming with the heroine of the story.

When I first saw Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", it woke this sleeping griffin in my head, and out came a story about a young girl who befriends a griffin called Tamiel. The girl had been enslaved by the travelling people (a nomadic race who still exist in Taramor), and Tamiel captured as a kit and exhibited in their travelling circus. The two of them... had issues. They're still probably the most emotionally damaged characters I have. The story just wasn't clicking.

Then, in second year university, I had my first exposure to Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Sword and Sorceress" books, and decided I could write a story for them. But this story wasn't quite right. It needed a princess. Who could fight. And use magic.

Exit emotionally-crippled-gypsy-girl. Enter Kayla t'Meladon.

But with the new heroine, I needed a hero. Emotional shut-in Tamiel wouldn't last a moment against Kayla. I needed a new griffin. I needed a new name.

I came up with the name -- Variel. He looked up at me, said "Well it's about time," and promptly took over. Everything.

I have never had a character become quite so vocal as Variel did, but the story pretty much wrote itself. At the end of third year, I had a 120,000 word novel. KICHANI.

Fortunately, I'd learned a lot about writing in the year of KICHANI. Unfortunately, it really showed. I loved the story. I loved the characters. But the book would have to be completely rewritten before it was publishable. Unable to face that particular task, I set Kichani aside and began work on ELYSIUM.

But Variel was not about to let himself be set aside. He kept cropping up -- in writing exercises, at the bank, on various newsgroups. The story was dormant, but the griffin was anything but.

So along came Julie Czerneda, with SUMMONED TO DESTINY, the first Realms of Wonder book. Wanted: One story featuring the theme of finding one's destiny.

Kayla wasn't right (and did I ever hear it from Variel on that decision), but I wrote another story from Taramor, featuring a young girl named Alyssa and a griffin poet called Marlaea -- two characters who will eventually meet Kayla and Variel, but not for another ten years or so after "Voice of the Wind".

Julie rejected it (contributing to the running gag of all Julie's authors must first get a rejection from her before she'll accept a story). However, in the rejection, she asked for something else. Julie was quite familiar with Variel by this time. She wanted a Variel story for the next anthology, FANTASTIC COMPANIONS.

Variel was insufferably smug about it. I believe his exact words were "of course she does."

So, what to write? I instantly knew what I wanted to write about. Unfortunately, they were two completely different stories. But after a frantic consultation with Julie, she very graciously agreed to read both, so I didn't have to choose (I am extremely fortunate to have an editor as forgiving as Julie).

The first story was "Warmth", which essentially came about because I wanted a 'caper' story and Kayla and Variel were the perfect duo to pull one off. It's a standalone, and though it happens about three months after they meet (the first book spans almost a year), I don't think it'll make it into the book. It's going to remain a side trip in their story. Provided I can sell it.

The second story was "Kichani" -- the original short story sent to (and rejected by) Sword and Sorceress, which became chapter one of the novel. But there was no way to salvage it -- it was quite painfully obvious that I'd written it while I was still at the beginning of my writing career (yes, I know my "career" is only a few years old. Stop laughing). My only option was to read it through, close the file, and completely rewrite it from the ground up.

Maybe four paragraphs survived. Everything else is completely new. It was an odd experience. It's the same story -- but it's not. The same things happen, but it's completely different. It's like the same script with new actors, or the same actors playing different characters. It's a lot darker. The original Kayla's Mary Sue-ish tendencies have been pretty much winnowed out. She's gone from the happy child everyone loves to the lost and confused child pretty much overlooked by everyone. She gained a pack of siblings. She gained Issues. Lyssia actually makes an appearance. Her father became human. Rylan went from Inigo Montoya to Will Turner. There's more religion. There's more mysticism. Both lead characters are a lot more disturbed.

But it worked. "Blood Ties" is a lot better than "Kichani" ever was. And Julie bought it.

So, now all I have to do is finish the book.