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    The Black Ospreys
    The Black Ospreys
    The Black Ospreys
    Ebook72 pages1 hour

    The Black Ospreys

    By Michelle West

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    About this ebook

    The Black Ospreys were a war-time unit, created in the heart of the Dominion of Annagar at the behest of one of the Empire’s three Commanders. They did what the rest of the army couldn’t—or wouldn’t—do and their colors became the only colors feared by the Southerners.

    Framed by the end of the events of the final battle in The Sun Sword, this is the story of the formation of the Black Ospreys, twelve years earlier.

    A novella of approximately 16k words.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRosdan Press
    Release dateJul 17, 2011
    ISBN9781927094051
    The Black Ospreys

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      Book preview

      The Black Ospreys - Michelle West

      The Black Ospreys

      by Michelle West

      Rosdan Press, 2011

      Toronto, Ontario

      Canada

      SMASHWORDS EDITION: 978-1-927094-05-1

      Copyright 2011 by Michelle Sagara

      All rights reserved

      Cover design by Anneli West.

      Four Corners Communication

      The Black Ospreys copyright Michelle Sagara 2005, first appeared in Women of War ed. Tanya Huff and Alexander Potter

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

      Novels by Michelle West

      The Sacred Hunt

      Hunter's Oath

      Hunter's Death

      The Sun Sword

      The Broken Crown

      The Uncrowned King

      The Shining Court

      The Sea of Sorrows

      The Riven Shield

      The Sun Sword

      The House War

      The Hidden City

      City of Night

      House Name

      Skirmish*

      War*

      *Forthcoming in 2012 and 2013

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      The Black Ospreys

      Other Stories by the Author

      Introduction

      Women of War is the only anthology Tanya Huff had any hand in editing, at least that I’m aware of. If it isn’t, it’s the only one for which I was asked to write a story. In fact, I was asked twice, because Alexander Potter also asked if I had one to contribute (technically, I suppose I was only asked once, as Tanya pretty much said, you’re writing a story for this. She can, because we worked together in the bookstore full time for many years before she moved out of the city).

      What makes it particularly fitting, though, is the character of The Kalakar.

      I first met Tanya Huff when I was hired to work at Bakka Books, by then-owner John Rose. She was the manager. She had sold some short fiction to Amazing, and had a finished novel making the rounds; I had sold nothing, and in fact, started work on my first novel that year. Tanya has worked the writer’s panoply of jobs—and one of those was as a cook in the Navy, because she figured when women were allowed to actually join ships, it would be the support staff first. She’s practical that way.

      One of the things we’d do, in those early years, was talk about writing. Tanya in particular would talk about the book she’d be working on next (whereas I was still trying to finish the one I’d started, which ended up being four books). And one of the novels she meant to write—which she, of course, no longer remembers—was about a leader of a unit of mercenaries. The thing that stuck with me was the leader was a woman who never left anyone under her command behind. People were loyal to her because she was worth that loyalty, and she returned it. I can still hear her voice as she described this military captain of men.

      Fast forward quite a few years, and I am working on Broken Crown. When I created Ellora, The Kalakar, I could only see Tanya Huff. This very seldom happens to me, but I described her as I saw Tanya (although, to be fair, my writer brain does not possess one tenth of Tanya’s verbal wit). Ellora is, of course, important throughout the whole of The Sun Sword.

      Tanya’s read all of these books. She didn’t notice anything unusual about The Kalakar, the woman who created the Black Ospreys. But when her unofficial son finally read these books many years later, the first thing he asked me was, Is The Kalakar based on Tanya?. Stewart clearly paid attention. Then again, we both have the advantage of seeing her on the outside.

      When I was asked for a story, the origins of the Black Ospreys came to mind, and in particular, Ellora’s part in both their creation and their survival. And I wrote it for Tanya. And, of course, she didn’t notice.

      (Tanya said, after reading this introduction: "I’m kind of stupid that way. But, in my own defense, Ellora is significantly cooler than I will ever be."

      This is actually completely untrue.)

      The Black Ospreys

      THE AVERDAN VALLEY at night: moon low and red, stars bright. Light enough to see by, no torches required, although they were lit and carried. The earth was broken, the scent of newly turned dirt almost overwhelming.

      Commander Kalakar stood at the side of one of her oldest friends, Commander Allen, called the Eagle, and with reason. His eyes were bright in the darkness; bright and keen—but they were dark as well. He touched her shoulder, just that; no words necessary, and therefore none offered. Standing side by side in companionable silence, they could count the dead.

      Not accurately, of course; that would come in the morning, and the days that followed. And

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