Ahira's Hangar

One of the underlying themes of the entire Malazan series if the relationships and rivalries between siblings.

In the first chapter we met the Sengar brothers, and saw how the youngest brother Rhulad is envious of his older brothers - lusting after the eldest brother's fiance, and spreading negative gossip around about his brother Trull. Both of these elder brothers are among the best warriors of their village, and the untested Rhulad is plainly jealous of them. The third brother is the loner, who likes to wander the wilderness alone - and he, too, is a goiod warrior and is among the strongest mages of their people. Rhulad, as a low ranking boy, wants to surpass his three brothers.

In this chapter we begin to meet another set of brothers, humans from Lethar of the last name of Beddict.

Hull Beddict is the eldest, and he is a broken man in many ways. He was once a high servant of the Empire, and he was unwittingly used as an agent of conquest and genocide.

He now wanders the north, and wishes to use the Edur to war against the Empire which used and broke him and destroyed three tribes he considered friends for their land and natural resources. He believes that the Edur can defeat the Letharii.

One of his friends is the loner among the Sengar brothers.

Seren Pedac is a licensed guide who brings traders back and forth between the Letharii and Edur lands. She was once the lover of Hull, and she thinks that the Letharii will soon make war against the Edur to take some of their natural resources (sorcorous wood) from them.

Seren, Hull, and Binadas Sengar (along with the party Seren is guiding) have met up on the trail and are traveling to Binadas's village.

Second of the three Letharri brothers is Tehol Beddict. He was once a legendary finacier, who led others to financial ruin. He now lives in poverty with his man servant, Bugg. Or does he? There are rumors...

Three women from the islands want to hire him to due some financial voodoo and ruin the Letharii Empire. They know some of his secrest - such as owning some islands which he gave to the three tribes/peoples his brother inadvertantly led to genocide, so they can try to save their cultures.

Third among the three brothers is Brys Beddict, who is now high in the military. Despite his wishes, he is enroiled in court politics - and people keep bringing up his brothers, of whom he is estranged, even though he loves them.