The Twenty-Year Slave

Avinasi Lumadai is a member of the Satya people, also known as the Truth Tribe. Through her own carelessness, she almost kills Skamsen while he was visiting her village seeking help to cross the dangerous Dahri Desert. As a result of her lack of integrity - as well as prior crimes - Avinasi is given as a slave to Skamsen, to serve him for a period of twenty years.   Skamsen reluctantly allows her to travel with him, though he despises the practice of slavery. He also hates that the young girl seems to have little use for him, since he is a warrior on the trail of a dangerous criminal and she can barely trap animals for food, can't cook, can't ride a horse, and is continually getting into trouble while seeking the origin of a priceless jewel given to her by her late mother.   As Avinasi seeks answers to her past, Skamsen seeks the man that attacked his family. But it seems her past and the man responsible for killing Skamsen's family are more connected than either realize. It seems it was fate that brought Avinasi and Skamsen together. And this fate may be the death of both of them.   The world of The Twenty-Year Slave will be written in three books. The first book in the series is Three Steps Ahead, which is a reference to how far ahead of Avinasi her master must walk. It is in the middle of being written.