Some of you might ALSO be gnashing your teeth at the fact that I leapt ahead 3 years in the storyline! How can we possibly skip ahead when there’s so much going on???? I know, right? I feel like I lost those three years myself! But at the same time…it needed to be done for a few reasons. For one, I couldn’t leave Asha wondering and worrying, book after book. Even I’m not THAT cruel. I wanted to show her and Hemalo happy and their arms filled with joy. Second, Farli’s story is next, and she has to be adult-aged before we see her with her hero. And her story DOES come next in the timeline, and some important stuff goes down. :)
So, yes, we skipped ahead. By the time Farli’s book starts, we’re probably going to be 5-6 years post-original crash. You might notice that my people list has now been updated with ‘unnamed kit’ in several spots, and other couples might have also had more children, but I haven’t named it because we haven’t ran across it yet in story. I like to hold my cards close to my chest like that! Will we go back and fill in some of the stories in between that we missed out on, like Josie’s baby or Liz and Georgie’s second births? I do want to, but I’m also trying not to shower you with super-short stories, because let’s face it - who wants to read a short story when you can read a full book? But there’s still more stuff to cover, so we’ll see. I like leaving myself options, even if I don’t like leaving the characters.
As for why Claire was given a POV (point of view) in this book — I felt like part of Asha’s story was that she’d walled herself off from the tribe and the new human population for so long that she was more alone than ever, and I wanted to give her a friend. I originally thought to include Claire because I wanted to add the holiday fun in, and in my mind, barbarian holidays are narrated by Claire. But! Once I added Claire in, I realized that they would be perfect friends because of Claire’s past with Bek and how she hid away from the tribe when she was unhappy. She, of all people, would understand Asha’s actions, and I love that she turned into a BFF and defender of our prickliest sa-khui lady.
I’m sure someone out there is wondering why Ereven had no POV then, and well…sometimes people just don’t talk to me. That sounds weird and precious even to my own ears, but it’s true. When I write, it’s like a character is yammering in my ear, and Ereven is just so…chill. He doesn’t have much to say because he’s a happy, easy guy. Claire was the one with the story, so she was included. I hope that makes sense. Will we ever see a story from Ereven’s POV? Just like Ariana and Marlene, once they start speaking to me, I’ll write it down. Right now Farli’s been shouting pretty loudly (actually for a few books now) so she’s next in the lineup.
On one final note, this book is dedicated to all my mamas out there who have gone through the loss of a rainbow baby. So many of you have written to me about this and I hope the story was not too painful to read. I’m thinking of you, ladies. <3
Ruby
OceanofPDF.com
The People of Ice Planet Barbarians
As of the end of Barbarian’s Hope
Mated Couples and their kits
________
Vektal (Vehk-tall) - The chief of the sa-khui. Mated to Georgie.
Georgie – Human woman (and unofficial leader of the human females). Has taken on a dual-leadership role with her mate.
Talie (Tah-lee) – Their baby daughter.
Unnamed Kit - Their 2nd child.
_______
Maylak (May-lack) – Tribe Healer. Mated to Kashrem. Mother of Esha and Makash.
Kashrem (Cash-rehm) - Her mate, also a leather-worker.
Esha (Esh-uh) – Their young daughter.
Makash (Muh-cash) — Their newborn son.
_______
Sevvah (Sev-uh) – Tribe elder, mother to Aehako, Rokan, and Sessah
Oshen (Aw-shen) – Tribe elder, her mate
Sessah (Ses-uh) - Their youngest son
_______
Ereven (Air-uh-ven) Hunter, mated to Claire
Claire – Mated to Ereven, pregnant with a second kit
Erevair - Their first son
_______
Liz – Raahosh’s mate and huntress.
Raahosh (Rah-hosh) – Her mate. A hunter and brother to Rukh.
Raashel (Rah-shel) – Their daughter.
Unnamed kit - Their 2nd child.
_______
Stacy – Mated to Pashov. Mother to Pacy, a baby boy.
Pashov (Pah-showv) – son of Kemli and Borran, brother to Farli and Salukh. Mate of Stacy, father to Pacy.
Pacy – Their infant son.
_______
Nora – Mate to Dagesh, mother to twins Anna and Elsa.
Dagesh (Dah-zzhesh) (the g sound is swallowed) – Her mate. A hunter.
Anna & Elsa – Their infant twin daughters.
_______
Harlow – Mate to Rukh. Once ‘Mechanic’ to the Elders’ Cave.
Rukh (Rookh) – Former exile and loner. Original name Maarukh. (Mah-rookh). Brother to Raahosh. Mate to Harlow.
Rukhar (Roo-car) – Their infant son.
_______
Megan – Mate to Cashol. Mother to newborn Holvek.
Cashol – (Cash-awl) – Mate to Megan. Hunter. Father to newborn Holvek.
Holvek – (Haul-vehk) – their infant son.
_______
Marlene (Mar-lenn) – Human mate to Zennek. Mother to Zalene. French.
Zennek – (Zehn-eck) – Mate to Marlene. Father to Zalene.
Zalene – (Zah-lenn) – Baby daughter to Marlene and Zennek.
_______
Ariana – Human female. Mate to Zolaya. Mother to Analay.
Zolaya (Zoh-lay-uh) – Hunter and mate to Ariana. Father to Analay.
Analay – (Ah-nuh-lay) – Their infant son.
_______
Tiffany – Human female. Mated to Salukh. Mother to unnamed kit.
Salukh - Salukh (Sah-luke) – Hunter. Son of Kemli and Borran, brother to Farli and Pashov. Father to unnamed kit.
_______
Aehako – (Eye-ha-koh) – Acting leader of the South cave. Mate to Kira, father to Kae. Son of Sevvah and Oshen, brother to Rokan and Sessah.
Kira – Human woman, mate to Aehako, mother of Kae. Was the first to be abducted by aliens and wore an ear-translator for a long time.
Kae (Ki –rhymes with ‘fly’) – Their newborn daughter.
_______
Kemli – (Kemm-lee) Female elder, mother to Salukh, Pashov and Farli
Borran – (Bore-awn) Her mate, elder
_______
Josie – Human woman. Mated to Haeden and new mother.
Haeden (Hi-den) – Hunter. Previously resonated to Zalah but she died (along with his khui) in the khui-sickness before resonance could be completed. Now mated to Josie. New father.
Unnamed kit - Their 1st child.
_______
Rokan (Row-can) – Oldest son to Sevvah and Oshen. Brother to Aehako and Sessah. Adult male hunter. Now mated to Lila. Has ‘sixth’ sense.
Lila – Maddie’s sister. Hearing impaired. Resonated to Rokan.
Unnamed kit born.
_______
Hassen (Hass-en) – Hunter. Previously exiled. Newly mated to Maddie.
Maddie – Lila’s sister. Found in second crash. Newly mated to Hassen.
Unnamed kit born to them.
_______
Asha (Ah-shuh) – Mate to Hemalo. Mother to Hashala (deceased) and Shema, newborn daughter.
Hemalo (Hee-muh-low) - Mate to Asha. Father to Hashala (deceased) and Shema, newborn daughter.
Shema (Shee-muh) - Newborn girl.
Unmated Elders
_______
Drayan (Dry-ann) – Elder.
Drenol (Dree-nowl) – Elder.
Vadren (Vaw-dren) – Elder.
Vaza (Vaw-zhuh) – Widower and elder. Loves to creep on the ladies.
Unmated Females
_______
Farli – (Far-lee) Teenage daughter to Kemli and Borran. Her brothers are Salukh and Pashov. She has a pet dvisti named Chahm-pee (Chompy).
