Sarakeem

Sarakeem of Merwin arrives with the two other Gilmoran-area recruits:

Forondal of Scaford, Bendonal the Outlaw, and Sarakeem of Merwin, our three new recruits.

Present at Timberwatch. Sniper duty on the Boval siege walls:

Sarakeem was so good at the bow, as a matter of fact, that it almost made up for him being a complete tool most of the time. When he picked up his bow and cut loose, he was like a one-man volley.

Fights on the wall at Timberwatch with a newly-granted witchstone. "Utterly convinced of his own greatness in nearly every facet of his life."

Major presence. Arrives at Robinwing for the Gilmora expedition and stays through the Sevendor Magic Fair, the West Fleria conquest, the Barrowbell teleport, and the climactic Wilderlands battles. Executes sniper work during the West Fleria campaign:

after I gave Sarakeem ten minutes to practice the sniper's art, there were half that number.

Shoots Sir Ganulan (the Warbird's landless son) in the knee mid-charge when he breaks truce:

Sarakeem's blue-feathered arrow sprouted from his left kneecap.

Ganulan survives the wound and has a long antagonistic arc in later books.

Volunteered by Lady Varen as the first test subject for the trans-Alkan teleport spell to Barrowbell ("If you can think of a more expendable High Mage..."). Appears in dark leather armor with a blackened steel archer's helm, two quivers across his back, a short mageblade at the hip, witchstone in his earring. Receives an enchanted Alka Alon bow as a gift:

a shining metal bow of Alkan manufacture, but built to humani-sized specifications. It looked like silver or polished tin, only brighter, and it was chased with Alkan writing along the face of the bow. It was gently recurved like a horse archer's bow, and the string appeared to be braided green-gold Alkan hair.

Looks "choked up" receiving it.

Tests it with a 500-yard flare arrow, teleports to Gilmora ("As flat as my first wife's head!"), kills a patrol with one volley. In the Barrowbell cavalry charge "the Merwini mage gleefully using his magic arrows and other weapons to lay waste to the foe," and saves Minalan's life multiple times. Fires the first successful snowstone-tipped arrow into the Cambrian dragon's face, then affixes six snowstone shafts across its face in the "crude mustache" pattern. On his first cavalry charge:

That should teach them to send cavalry against us! Maybe I should just watch and smoke my pipe.

Caresses his new bow "with the tenderness lavished on a virgin bride."

Travels up the frozen Poros River with Minalan's strike force. Tosses "five bulging quivers" of arrows into Azar's lead barge with a line: "Here are your sweetmeats." Learns Taren's barge-teleportation spell and handles the transportation over the falls. Around the fire roasting sausages, welcomes Minalan back to fighting shape: "You feeling ready for battle, now, Spellmonger?"

Kills the first Fell Hound wave from the barge gunwale:

His bowstring twanged like a harp and his quivers emptied at twice the rate of the rangers. He was a one-man volley.

Calls out each new foe: "Trolls ahead!" To Minalan says:

Have you anything that would make the dragon question his role in the universe?

Reacts to Dara's dragon-slaying mountain-drop with signature dryness: "Or she could just do that." First use of the epithet "Sarakeem the Archer" appears in this book.

Lady Estrecel of Clear Harbor — a leading Rardinian authority on Farise, consulted by Pentandra's Garden Society during Minalan's Farise operation planning. Provides background briefings on Farisian noble families and maritime trade.

Dramatic reappearance during the Paranchek spider attack on Castabriel. Sarakeem had returned from Merwyn (where civil war made him uncomfortable) and has been in Castal since the Conclave:

There is war in Merwyn. I have friends on both sides. It was uncomfortable being asked to choose, so I chose to come back to Castal.

Arrives in the middle of Minalan's spider-combat, "bouncing down the walls of a building opposite the flat," boasting in his rich Merwyni accent:

Minalan! I wondered when you would appear to help me save the day!

Drops female Paranchek from towers with skybolts and enchanted arrows; accompanies Minalan on the balcony-scene confrontation with Prince Tavard — "Taren, you and Curmor and Sarakeem can go with me" — hand on sword hilt ready to back Minalan against the prince's retinue. Pushes questions about Korbal:

What you said about Korbal, is it true? He has awakened again?

On the chaos:

A lot of people are angry. Prince Tavard took most of the City Watch away for his war.

Compassionate response to the spider victims:

That is a foul thought. We must do something to help those poor people!

Accompanies Minalan to Merwyn for the consultation with Count Andrevar's rebel movement — a Merwyni civil war in which Sarakeem has personal stakes. Minalan says:

This is Sarakeem, a warmage and a countryman of yours.

Advocates a springtime offensive:

Winter is over, my friend. Spring has arrived, and it is time to march once again.

Minalan's evaluation:

Within reason. He is not the wisest of my warmagi, but he is effective and clever. A battlefield mage, not a strategist. But he has served me well and is versed in all the conventions of combat my warmagi have developed. And he is loyal. He bears no love for the Duke of Merwyn.

Now a mature voice in policy discussions.