What is with these names?
MILD SPOILER MILD SPOILER MILD SPOILER
Isern-i-Phail is a healer. And the person who will judge the duel between the Young Lion (Leo dan Brock) and the Great Wolf (Stour Nightfall).
YAY, a DUEL! The armies of the North and the armies of Angland (representing the Union) have fought to a draw. A draw to be decided by man-to-man combat between the two sides’ greatest fighters: the Young Lion and the Great Wolf.
Since the Young Lion is VERY pretty (and his shield man seems to be in love with him, thus leading to the only fan fiction ship in this universe), and the Great Wolf is loathsomely ugly apart from being hairy, self reckons the Young Lion will lose. Because that is the way of Grimdark. Why bother to write someone as pretty if he doesn’t die?
Anyhoo, Isern-i-Phil is in the middle of her presentation when Scale Ironhand, King of the Northmen, uncle of the Great Wolf, says: “Get to it, woman.”
“That I will, you hill of lard.” Isern thrust her spear into the ground with a thud and snapped her fingers . . . “Lend me your shield, handsome.” He glanced over his shoulder like he thought she might be talking to someone else, then tossed it to her. She snatched it from the air, set it down on its rim. “Straps or paint?”
“Paint,” said Leo.
Isern set the shield spinning, and men started shouting and whooping and calling . . .
— p. 329, A Little Hatred: Book One of the Age of Madness
Stay safe, dear blog readers. Stay safe.