a braver choice

Jodhin wants nothing more than to live a simple life as one of the Lady’s Shepherdesses. But her plans are interrupted by a dying Guardian who imparts to her his unfulfilled mission: to save King Leyon from an assassin. If she fails, the price will be her life.

"A Braver Choice" was originally published in the June 2005 issue of Deep Magic under the title "Jodhin" and went on to win Deep Magic’s 2006 Lamp Post Award for Best Fantasy Short Story.