A Quiet Place (Yuletide; fic; P.C. Hodgell - Chronicles of the Kencyrath)

[opalmatrix]

Title: A Quiet Place
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: very brief nudity (in a dream); possible nascent m/m feelings if you read it that way
Pairing(s): n/a
Spoilers: Kindrie's family tree and situation through Book 3, Seeker's Mask
Notes: The subject of this story is very near to my heart, and I have to thank the recipient for giving me a chance to write about one of my favorite fandoms. Unbeta'ed, I must confess. I'd actually thought about this scene several times in the past, but it changed as I started to write it down.
Summary: Kindrie finds that booklearning isn't the only sort of education a person can get at Mount Alban.

Kindrie didn't realize how tired he had become ...

Comments

[freeradical9.livejournal.com]

Ack. I don't recognize either of your Yuletide fandoms (I don't read nearly as much as I used to, unfortunately).

The primary fic looked wonderfully rich and detailed, but was a bit too involved (too many characters that I didn't know) for me to really follow. But this one--this one was lovely. Just a small part of the original cast captured here, and such sympathetic characters (healer-types, too!). Loved the setting and the herbal lore and the truly peaceful feel to the story overall. I really enjoyed this story a lot. :D

[opalmatrix.livejournal.com]

Wells is a good read, but Hodgell is in the Minekura category for me. I simply had to take that pinch hit when I saw it. It's about a group of races who consider themselves one people - the Kencyrath, also known as the Three Peoples: the human-like but often psychically-gifted Highborn, physically imposing human-like Kendar (great warriors and craftsmen, but psychically dependent on the Highborn), and great-cat-like Arrin-ken, who function as judges and arbiters. They have been fighting the forces of chaos across the millennia, across multiple worlds, and may be about to make their last stand

However, the story is told mainly from the viewpoint of an outcast young woman named Jame, who is seemingly possessed by the spirit of their god of destruction (pretty Shiva-like) but remains uncertain, vulnerable, sarcastic, and hungry to find something to which she can belong.

My fic is about Kindrie, a healer who shows up in the second book of the series. The Highborn who manifest psychic gifts were once greatly valued, but attitudes change over time, and nowadays, many fear and despise them. Kindrie has had an absolutely wretched life, but by the most recent book, he's starting to show signs of being able to deal with himself. My story explores how part of that may have happened.

[opalmatrix.livejournal.com]

(Oh, and the herbalist is an original character ... I've spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of person would most appreciate poor Kindrie.)