Voice of the Just (#1)

Who do you trust?

An unjust beating leaves warrior Alex scarred and deformed, unfit for duty—until a voice calls him to the forests. He is chosen to bond with Tala, a silver wolf, and share a telepathic link. She heals his injuries, and he uses his enhanced abilities to serve his people. He just has to avoid the royal family.

Prince Donal isn’t satisfied ruling his realm. He also wants the smaller nation to the south. But Alex and the wolves stand in Donal’s way. He frames Alex for the murder of a foreign diplomat and deploys hunters to eradicate the wolves.

Now Alex is banished, and he’s the only one who knows the depths of the prince’s betrayal. Separated from those he loves and hunted by assassins, Alex again hears a voice call to him—this time to risk everything, expose Donal’s deceptions, and restore balance to the two kingdoms teetering on the brink of war.

List of characters in Voice of the Just

Aaron	Kiaran Captain; red hair and beard; fights with an axe
Abigail (18)	Kiaran trader; Rafael’s wife
Abner	Kiaran bond-man
Aedan	Dryden warrior
Alex (18)	Kiaran warrior; Master Swordsman & Archer, best swordsman of the generation; bond-man of Tala; black hair, amber eyes, slight chin dimple; parents Joseph & Sarah
Alroy	Dryden trader; dark hair streaked with white, round face, cruel eyes
Amos	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Anika (23)	Dryden baker; daughter of Nina; short, slender, willowy; black hair, blue eyes; wears ankle bracelets; natural scent of hazelnuts; warm hands and feet
Asa	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Asher	Dryden warrior; husband of Nina, father of Anika; killed by human
Bevan	Dryden Lieutenant; Master Swordsman; cadet master; graying hair
Bina	Dryden minstrel; hazel eyes that sometimes glow, long chestnut, curly hair; tall and slim; alto voice
Boaz	Dryden Colonel; mean eyes; huge mole on cheek
Brandon	Kiaran General
Bria (16)	Dryden Princess
Callough	Dryden archer; bond-man of Helki
Chris (27)	Kiaran Master Archer; bond-man; pale blond hair, brown eyes
Declan	Dryden Colonel; long white braid, 4 Mastery Cords; gold eyes
Donal (28)	Prince of Kiaran; curly black hair; afraid of wolves
Eli (30ish)	Kiaran Elder; dark hair, black eyes
Elijah	Kiaran warrior
Enyeto	Wild wolf; tan and lean; scars on face and shoulders
Eva	Dryden Healer; narrow, wrinkled face; long black hair streaked with white, golden eyes
Gil	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Honovi	Wild wolf
Imala	Dryden bond-wolf of Sem; feisty, gray and tan
Isaac	Kiaran Lord; Donal’s cousin
Joel	Dryden warrior
John	Dryden warrior
John	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Jonas	Dryden Elder; short, balding with a fringe of red hair; bulging eyes
Jonathan	Dryden tailor
Joseph	Kiaran jeweler; Alex’s father; black hair gone white
Kaliska	Dryden bond-wolf of Peyton
Kane	Dryden Major; Master Archer; dark hair with white at temples; tall
Kaniel	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Kyle	Kiaran warrior
Lamech	Dryden Captain; severely crooked nose
Leah	Dryden barmaid; wears ankle bracelets; blonde hair, golden eyes; voluptuous build; wears a yellow dress
Levi	Dryden Colonel; twin of Neri; bond-man of Meli; pale blond hair, amber eyes; playful
Lew (63)	Kiaran Lieutenant; salt & pepper hair, scar from left eye to chin; natural scent of garlic
Lonegan	Dryden warrior; dark hair, golden eyes; no natural scent
Mahlon	Kiaran archer
Mariah (17)	Kiaran trader; Alex’s betrothed; auburn hair, brown eyes; natural scent of bayberry
Markus	Dryden King; bond-man of Nashoba; brown eyes; slight build with slim, fine hands
Matthias (30)	Dryden Elder; golden apricot-brandy voice, bronze skin, black eyes and hair; high, prominent cheek bones
Michael	Dryden General; black hair streaked with white; 4 Mastery Cords; gold eyes; half a left eyebrow;
Moses	Dryden Elder; failed suitor of Anika
Motega	Bond-wolf of King Orin; white and brown fur, a strip of tan on his belly, blue eyes
Nara	Dryden bond-wolf of Queen Sabra; reddish-blonde fur on neck and shoulders; gold eyes
Nashoba	Dryden bond-wolf of King Markus; silver with tan underbelly and scarred neck
Neri	Dryden Colonel; twin of Levi; bond-man of Meli; pale blond hair, amber eyes; logical
Niall (23)	Kiaran warrior; dimple, short braid, tawny dark gold hair, amber eyes
Nina	Dryden baker; mother of Anika; tiny, plump, black hair
Noah	Kiaran warrior
Nolan	Dryden Elder
Orin	King of Kiaran, Donal’s father; gray hair, brown eyes
Owen	Dryden Lieutenant
Paul	Kiaran bond-man
Peter	Kiaran Lord; Donal’s cousin; red-gold hair; uses a whip for a weapon; natural scent of dust and buckbean
Peyton (24)	Dryden warrior; bond-man of Kaliska; dark hair, high cheekbones, neatly trimmed beard, hazel eyes; calls male friends “brother”
Rafael (20)	Kiaran trader; Mariah’s brother and Abigail’s husband; dark auburn hair
Ramon	Dryden Elder; failed suitor of Anika
Ravid	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Reuben (40)	Kiaran Elder; gold hair, gold eyes
Robard (106)	Dryden minstrel; white hair; colorful attire; baritone voice
Ryan	Dryden Lieutenant; failed suitor of Anika
Sani (4)	Wild wolf; silver fur, white belly, white chevrons down his front legs, silver face with tan guard hairs; gold eyes
Sarah	Kiaran seamstress; Alex’s mother; natural scent of baking bread
Saul	Kiaran Lord; leader of House Justice;
Saul	Dryden Elder; failed suitor of Anika
Seamus	Kiaran warrior; slight and fair
Sem (20)	Dryden warrior; bond-man of Imala; bond hair, golden eyes, natural fruity scent, no jaw definition; catch phrase “hoy”
Shannon	Kiaran herbalist; bond-woman to Tala; killed by a human
Shannon (3)	Wolf; Tala’s daughter; silver fur, ears tipped with black; named after Shannon the Herbalist
Silva	Bond-wolf of Chris
Sloan	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Steven	Kiaran trader; Mariah’s father; graying ginger hair
Tabitha	Kiaran lady from House Diligence
Tacky	Dryden crow; Healer Eva’s friend
Tala (12)	Bond-wolf; amber eyes, silver fur with a creamy patch on her cheeks and chin resembling a smile
Thomas	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal
Tray	Lorcan-born Councilor to King Orin; lanky build; smokes eel grass
Willow	Lorcan princess, youngest daughter
Zuriel	Kiaran warrior; loyal to Donal

Bond-men can smell emotions. Here are some Alex encounters:

Emotion	Scent
anger	scorched fur
anticipation	mint
awe/surprise	fruity
compassion	honeysuckle
confusion	smoldering pine needles
contempt	bitter
conviction	buttercup
curiosity	elderberry
deceit	cinquefoil (fetid)
desire	campion (light, sweet, musty)
disbelief	green apple tart
dismay	mildew
embarrassment	fading foxglove blooms?
excitement	sweetgale
fear	sour milk
frustration	crabapple (sour)
greed	salal berry (tart)
happiness	lavender & clover
hatred	rotten eggs
hope	hot, spicy hedge mustard
innocence	primrose
irritation	salt marsh
jealousy	scorched milk
joy	blooming clover
lie	crushed peppergrass
malice	silverweed (bitter)
misery	dandelion (bitter)
mistrust	salty
offended	burnt cedar
pity	skunk cabbage
pride	grilled onion
regret	thistle
relaxed	vanilla leaf
relief	sweet/candy
romance	blooming roses
sadness/guilt	fading foxglove blooms
unconditional love	baking bread

Alex and his people, the Jeelys, live on a mountainous, rain-forest covered peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow land bridge, cut off from all contact with humans. Now the three Jeelys kingdoms hold an uneasy peace, but it’s threatened by two power-hungry princes. And someone–or something–in the Shadow Realm is slaughtering wolves.