Her name is rather apt, and I do love apt names. Eithne is Irish Gaelic
(or Manx) for “little fire” and I think I’ve reflected that in this character quite well. I first encountered the name as I did some Irish History research into Fiacha Finnolach, and just fell in love with the name Eithne. The name fits perfectly with my tried and true method of nouns, using root languages to create the strangeness needed without extreme troubles for the reader (if you guessed a pronunciation like Athnee, you’re pretty much right, although modern variations include Enya). What I also found perfect (and in many cases is the secondary root for name choices) is the meaning. I am flawed in that I have routines, ruts, and predictable streaks, so my friends reading this have already assumed Eithne is a redheaded firebrand, and they are mostly right. Little Fire for a petite redhead, what could be better? But nevertheless, let me go on to describe her as a character without giving away too much story or secrets.Eithne’s origins will be in question for quite some time in the story. While she possesses many physical characteristics of the northern territories of Coventry Boondis (much like our heroes Altan and Bauzak), she is decidedly not a resident of such a place.
She wears her hair moderately long – half way down her back – and usually in a ponytail that she splits and lets spill over each shoulder. While she claims she does not dye her hair, it’s hard to believe it is natural. The colour starts as a nearly black auburn at the roots and shimmers and coalesces into a brilliant orange at the tips, covering all manner of dark and bright reds in between.
She is petite – no taller than 5’3” – with the musculature and definition of a runner or dancer; essentially, she is lithe and pliant. She has a thin waist with the minor tummy fat of a lean woman, broad hips (which are somewhat asymmetrical and entirely out of character considering the rest of her body). She does not possess a heaving bosom, rather a chest that is large enough to indicate femininity but certainly not over sized for a woman of her stature.
She has a round, innocent face suggesting youth (why she is thought to be a young adult by all standards), with large doe eyes of steely blue, pleasant lips, small ears that protrude from her hair noticeably but not exaggeratedly, and a nose that is neither buttoned nor bulbous, but crooks slightly to the left. The latter has lead many to believe she grew up on the streets of Coventry upon Bry, and has at some point broken her nose.
To describe her personality succinctly, she is one part brat, one part diva, and one part hardened conscript soldier (although the last is rarely seen, but invaluable nonetheless).
Eithne is extremely loyal – not to mention possessive and protective – of Altan. She knows his goal in life requires him to leave every now and then, and she accepts it with love, but clings to him playfully when he is around. She’s one of the few people he tolerates nicknames from, and his disposition obviously changes when she fawns over him.
This is not to say Eithne is submissive. While she is childlike in her adoration and love for Altan, she can also be rather self-righteous. Her entire personality will change at the drop of a hat if needed, and she will lash out. She feels the entire room should look at her when she enters, and she spends Altan’s money to ensure it (Altan won’t admit it, but he adores Eithne’s “fashion shows”).
No one is quite sure what Eithne’s agenda is; she supports Altan in everything, she is his consummate and eternal companion, but some suspect she has ulterior motives.
A note to readers: Altan Barr, our hero, is thirty five by the time our story is in full swing, and Eithne, his lover, girlfriend, soul mate, what have you, is by all reckoning only twenty. In our real world, contemporary society, this may seem less shocking than in the fictional world. Spring-Winter romances (let us be fair, this is more spring-late summer) are not unheard of nowadays. In Taleasia (or Barsome, still need your opinions) it is not entirely uncommon for someone Barr’s age to have a daughter like Eithne, especially as she can pass for eighteen and he for nearly forty. In many of the towns and cities they have travelled to, they do get strange looks, and the Diva side of Eithne’s personality relishes in them. Some may read this and think me perverse, writing about a man in love with a girl half his age; your opinions are valid and your own, but I find this pair is far more socially interesting, and therefore more interesting to write, than something more generic as we see in modern fiction.
PS: I like to add pictures from Deviant art to help you imagine what I am saying; sadly I’ve never seen an artist’s rendition that gets anywhere near this character.
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