The First Feather

Four months after a disastrous battle shattered his wing, cost him his command, and left his living shadow unwilling to carry him into the sky, Betram Talravn is given one last useful assignment: escort Princess Mirelle Caldrane across the Shearwind Peaks. Mirelle has no intention of being cargo. She reads maps, catches mistakes others miss, asks inconvenient questions, and expects the truth rather than comforting lies. Betram knows the mountains, the enemy, and exactly how quickly one bad decision can kill the people depending on him. The road should be difficult. Instead, it becomes clear that someone has prepared for their journey. With ambushes waiting ahead, old failures following behind, and a treaty capable of changing the balance of power at the end of the road, Betram and Mirelle must decide how much they can trust each other before the mountains make the decision for them. The First Feather is Book One of the Wings of Shearwind duology.