"Some have said the First Spellsong was sung by the Tsew flock. Others claim it was the Flock of Three that first cried out, calling upon forces the commonflock could not comprehend. The history of Spellsinging, however, was currently the least of her worries--the Enemy approached, slavering and hungry. Her own Song protected her now."

“They say she tamed it by feeding it her own eggs.”

“Rikriiki clenched her bill as the tailor’s wife tutted, picked out the last row of stitches, and began them again. If the young knight had known what going to get a hole patched would involve, she would have just learned to sew herself.

She noticed the tailor scrutinizing her left Talon. The artificial claws gleamed in the faint daylight. They hadn’t seen battle yet, but by God’s feathers, they soon would. Her heart raced at the thought.

‘The stitching on these bracers is uneven,’ the tailor announced.

She’d had enough. 'The stitching doesn’t need to be even!’ she cried, raising her crest. "The blades need only be sharp, to spill the blood of our enemies!’

The tailor sniffed and picked up a needle. 'And that’s why you’re a soldier, not a seamstress. Hold still.’”

“‘Sure I can put together a love spell for you, darling, of course. But I’m in the middle of something right now.’”

“Deedle was only a few weeks old, but his mother could tell he was destined for greatness. He was a very special boy.”