Cast of Characters (In My Story):

Alex: The younger of Keighven's twin brothers.

Aren (Companion): The reborn Shadowdancer, Aren is lifebonded to Sundance and Companion to Herald Silver.

Beryl: Companion to Queen Sophya.

Bonden, Lord: Illegally owned gladiators in the borderlands where Keighven was originally from. Supposedly lived in Valdemar for a time before being banished for untold reasons.

Braedon: The elder of Keighven's twin brothers.

Devon: Keighven's older brother. He was five years Keighven's senior.

Dominick(Companion): Companion to Joselyn.

Featherfire (Herald): A Tayledras of k'Valdemar and the armsmistress of the Heraldic Trainees.

Fedor (Companion): Companion to Justyn.

Garth: Self-appointed leader of the escaping group of gladiators from the borderlands. He knew about Waystations and Heralds.

Gryphon (Companion): Chose Keighven but is not officially bound to him. Jem comments that he is the trouble-maker of the Companion herd.

Jem (Herald Trainee): A Firestarter and Mindspeaker Chosen by Kadin. Gryphon remarked that he was a strong fighter. Keighven offered to bout against him. Jem has a younger brother, Nadav. He is the son of Monarch's Own Herald Randall.

Jenna (Companion): Companion to Senchenal's Herald Lance.

Jet: A small prizefighter who escaped from the Fighter's Collegium in Keighven's group. Keighven recognized him as belonging to Lord Raedlin.

Joselyn (Herald): Half Shin'a'in, Joselyn was Keighven's mentor during his first few weeks as a Herald Trainee.

Justyn (Herald): Chosen by Fedor, Justyn was the Herald investigating the claims of gladiatorism in the borderlands. His appearance sparked a mini-riot and resulted in Keighven's escape to Valdemar. Gryphon noted he was an excellent hand with the sword. Brother to the current Monarch's Own, Herald Randall.

Kayla (Companion): Companion to Satyrian.

Kadin (Companion): Companion to Herald Trainee Jem. One of the better fighters in the Companion's herd.

Keighven (Herald): Originally a gladiator in the borderlands before being Chosen by Gryphon. Keighven had small difficulties at first adapting to the change in his life. A born fighter by nature, Keighven made his way through the Collegium in two years. His Gifts are Fetching, Mindspeech and Empathy.

Kyrith (Companion): Companion to Monarch's Own Herald Randall. Often worried about Randall's brother, Justyn.

Lance (Herald): The late Senchenal's Herald chosen by Jenna. He was Joselyn's uncle and died of natural causes during Keighven's training as a Herald.

Marti (Healer): A bright young Healer in the town Gryphon first brought Keighven to. She had created quite a sensation by achieving her Greens so early. She promised Keighven they would see each other when she came to Haven.

Nadav: Younger brother to Jem. Nadav served as a page in the palace. His father is Monarch's Own Herald Randall. He is mute.

Nanotak: Ran the gladiator matches in the borderlands. He also ran betting on the matches and traded in slaves.

Nathaniel, Lord: One of the lords of the borderlands who illegally own gladiators. Keighven fought one of Nathaniel's fighters.

Raedlin, Lord: A borderland lord, owning illegal gladiators. One of his fighters escaped in the confusion created by a Herald arriving and ended up in Keighven's party.

Randall (Herald): The current Monarch's Own Herald, Chosen by Kyrith. Randall is sickly.

Regen (Companion): Companion to Featherfire.

Satyrian (Herald): Herald-Chronicler Chosen by Kayla. His Gift is Foresight. Satyrian was supposed to be Keighven's mentor on his Internship, but was injured so the job was turned over to Herald Silver.

Silver (Herald): A Herald-Adept Chosen by a pair of lifebonded Companions and also the Senchenal's Herald after Lance's death. Silver is supposed to take Keighven on his Internship after Herald Satyrian's injury. Silver is descended from Vanyel Ashkevron and generally considered an oddity.

Sophya, Queen (Herald): Chosen by Beryl. Queen of Valdemar.

Sonya: A good friend of Keighven's from when he lived in the borderlands.

Sundance (Companion): The reborn Sunsinger, lifebonded to Aren and Companion to Herald Silver.

Vernos, Lord: One of the borderland lords who illegally owned gladiators.

Cast of Characters I Borrowed:

Aren (Shadowdancer): Lythe Shadowdancer was one of a pair of early lifebonded Heralds. Her bondmate was Rothas Sunsinger. (Arrows)
The name I actually used came from 'Arven', Vanyel's daughter by one of Guard-Captain Lissa Ashkevron's shaych guards. (LHM)

Beryl: A Herald who died during Talia's second year at Court. Her death caused Queen Selenay profound guilt, because she believed she had sent an inexperienced Herald on a fatal mission. (Arrows)

Dominick: A Herald whose old room at the Palace complex featured a door leading to the garden. It was assigned to Vanyel when he arrived at his Aunt Savil's school for Heraldic trainees. (LHM)

Fedor: A Herald, his Gift is ForeSight. He was assigned to assist Lord Marshal Weldon at the Karsitefront, speaking for the ForeSeers among the Heralds. (BB)

Garth: A Sunhawk scout, he was a dark, tiny man, who rode a tall Shin'a'in gelding. An excellent tracker but a lousy archer, helped find a back way into the Jkathan rebels' stronghold. (Oath)

Gryphon (Griffon): One of Talia's year-mates, his Companion is Harevis. A tall, somber young man, his Gift was FireStarting. In the battle with Hardorn, he used his Gift to turn some of the demon warriors into walking pyres. Then he joined forces with Farseer Davan, Rolan, Talia and Dirk to locate and destroy Prince Ancar's primary mage. He eventually became Herald to the Lord Marshall of Valdemar. (Arrows, Storm)

Jenna: Companion to Herald Loris, she was confused almost to the point of catatonia on the night when Loris was deluded into believing young Tashir and his new Companion were a murderer and a demon respectively. Yfandes picked up Jenna's horrified panic as far away as Forst Reach and urged Vanyel into going to the rescue. Only after Loris realized what he was doing to Jenna by his brutal behavior did he abandon his attempt to destroy the "demon" Companion Leshya with a whip. (LHM)

Joselyn (Jolene): Companion of Herald Evan. (BB)

Justyn (Justen): A Herald-Mage whose Prime Focus stone was aruby. He was part of the Guardian Web in Vanyel's time. (LHM)

Kayla: The Weaponsmaster at the Collegium during Vanyel's time. (LHM)

Keighven: Talamir's predecessor as Monarch's Own Herald. (Arrows)

Kyrith: The original Grove-Born Companion who Chose King Valdemar's Herald in the first days of the special bonding between the magical creatures and the realm's governors. (Arrows)

Lance (Lancir): He was the Queen's Own Herald to Elspeth the Peacemaker, and was an expert on reading people's inner nature. A Mindhealer, he came through Tylendel's Mage-Gate with Savil and Jaysen on Sovvan-night to try to help with the tragedy Tylendel had caused. Afterward, Lancir and his Companion Taver volunteered to stay behind to deal with the surviving Lesharas. (LHM)

Randall (Randale): The grandson of Queen Elsepth the Peacemaker, son of Herald-Mage DArvi, King of Valdemar during Vanyel's time. Life-bonded to Healer and Herald Shavri, he slowly succumbed to a long wasting ailment. In the year before Randale's death, his unbearable pain was kept at bay by Bard Stefan's Gift, prolonging his life. Despite his pain, Randale grew from the young boy who assumed the throne unexpectedly after his father's early and unexpected death to become a superb monarch. (LHM)

Regen: Vanyel's deceased friend from among the Heraldic circle. (LHM)

Satyrian: Companion to Herald Pol. (BB)

Silver (Kantor): While Silver the Herald is my brainchild, he was inspired by throwing Kantor into Vanyel's bloodline. (Arrows, Exile)

Sophya (Sofya): A Herald Courier Vanyel met at an inn on his way to Forst Reach for a vacation. Sofya's Companion is the stallion Gavis. (LHM)

Sundance (Sunsinger): One of a pair of lifebonded Heralds that fascinated Talia. (Arrows)