Lostara Yil

Lostara Yil
Lostara Yil by Corporal Nobbs
Biographical information
Race	Human (Pardu)
Gender	Female
Social information
Affiliation	Malazan Empire Red Blades
Occupation(s)	Soldier
Rank	Captain

Lostara Yil [lah-STAIR-ah YEEL] was a Pardu woman from the city of Ehrlitan and an officer in the Red Blades. She had the rank of captain and served under Ehrlitan commander Tene Baralta.

Lostara was described as having dark skin which was tattooed in Pardu style, with large, black eyes, set wide above high cheekbones, and a narrow, aquiline nose. She was said to be a stunning woman whose every movement was sensuality personified. The fullness of her figure was not disguised by her armour. Her hands were calloused.

She carried an aspected sigil hidden on her person.

In Deadhouse Gates

Lostara Yil by Mer Helv

Tene Baralta devised a plan to locate Sha'ik, the leader of the Whirlwind uprising. He passed the stolen Book of Dryjhna to the spy Mebra to offer as bait and the spy convinced Kalam Mekhar to deliver the holy book to Sha'ik in Raraku while the Red Blades secretly followed.

Lostara and another Red Blade followed Kalam to Ladro Keep. Suspecting someone in the keep of colluding with the assassin, they waited until Kalam continued on and then murdered everyone inside.

Eventually, Kalam succeeded in delivering the book to Sha'ik. As she opened the book, Baralta, Yil, and the other Red Blades struck. It was Lostara's crossbow shot that killed the prophetess, although she was subsequently knocked out by Toblakai, one of Sha'ik's bodyguards.

Afterwards she continued to follow Kalam through the desert. About to follow him into the Imperial Warren, she was joined by the Claw, Pearl, who suggested they enter together and that she tell him about her mission. She concurred.

Pearl instigated a brief excursion to assist Fist Coltaine's forces against the Semk godling. Lostara, hearing the enemies were followers of the Whirlwind, decided to join him in the fighting. When it looked like all was lost, and Pearl was about to die defending the wounded Lostara, they had unexpected help from Apt and Panek who had been trailing them, trailing Kalam. As Pearl and Lostara returned to the Imperial Warren, she fell unconscious.

Lostara was healed by Pearl. They caught up with Kalam in Aren. There Lostara was arrested and imprisoned along with the rest of the city's Red Blades whom High Fist Pormqual wrongly suspected of treason. Pearl continued on the trail of Kalam without her.

In House of Chains

Lostara Yil and Pearl by dejan delic

Lostara was back in her post as Tene Baralta's aide in Aren and the Red Blades, although now freed and under Adjunct Tavore Paran's command, were being treated as a company separate from her punitive army. Lostara received a note, asking her to come to Dancer's Tavern. She was not impressed to be met by Pearl who had left her rotting in jail the last time they had worked together. Pearl told her that he had asked the Adjunct to have Lostara as his aide on a forthcoming mission.

Tavore asked them to locate her sister Felisin. Lostara had misgivings that this personal mission from the Adjunct bordered on treason but was placated by Pearl's assessment that the mission had the potential of handing the Talon to the Empire if they could locate Baudin, a Talon employed to help Felisin.

As she was getting ready for the mission, Cotillion appeared. He told her that he had seen her dance many years ago (see History) and asked her for help. When Pearl arrived half a bell later, he could sense sorcery which she told him was part of the Shadow Dance. He was surprised to learn she had been a Dancer.

Lostara and Pearl interviewed Gesler, Stormy, Pella, and Truth to find a trail for Felisin. Pella told Lostara about his involvement in the girl's escape from the camp and the others recounted how later on she, Heboric, Kulp and Baudin had been lost, presumed dead, when they were washed overboard as the ship they were on went through a Warren of fire. Afterwards Pearl and Lostara went to inspect the ship, the Silanda.

Lostara and Pearl finding Korabas by Taylor Christensen

On Felisin's trail they travelled again through the Imperial Warren and came across an Otataral Dragon nailed to a cross. They left the Imperial Warren via a gate to Kurald Thyrllan. On the other side, they found a pillar inscribed with the names of those who had imprisoned the dragon. Fleeing from an oncoming wall of fire, they ended up in a cavern where they found the decapitated body of a T'lan Imass called Olar Shayn. Pearl took the still sentient severed head with him as they left Kurald Thyrllan and placed it in a pleasant location where it might enjoy the view.

Days later, in the Pan'potsun hills, north-east of the wall of the Whirlwind, Pearl performed a ritual to try and find a trace of Felisin. This led them to the wreckage of a caravan and burned rats that had been part of the D'ivers Gryllen. They also found the remains of others including they surmised those of Kulp and Baudin. Lostara deducted that their deaths had occurred after the Red Blades' assassination of Sha'ik and that Felisin was likely now with the Army of the Whirlwind. Inspecting the location and remains of that assassination they came to the conclusion that Felisin was the one who had replaced Sha'ik as leader of the rebellion and that they would need to go through Raraku to get to the Adjunct to appraise her of the situation. Lostara was surprised to hear that Pearl was part Tiste Andii.

After having passed the wall of the Whirlwind without trouble, Lostara and Pearl became lovers. Lostara viewed the encounter as a passing moment of passion and dismissed Pearl's attempts at being romantic.

As they approached the center of Raraku the earlier, sudden demise of the wall and the following haze of settling dust, made it easier for them to continue undetected. Lostara used a feint to knock Pearl unconscious. She carried him to a shallow basin in the lee of the slope then bound and gagged him. Soon after Cotillion arrived. It turned out that Lostara was supporting Cotillion's plans in Raraku and had knocked Pearl unconscious as his ambitions to get involved might have endangered these plans. She was told by Cotillion to wake Pearl the following night.

Cotillion returned briefly after she had woken Pearl to advise patience as that night worlds would be at war.

Lostara and Pearl were within sight but too late to prevent Tavore from unknowingly killing Felisin, who was disguised by armour. They agreed to keep Felisin's identity a secret between them and only told the Adjunct that unfortunately, her sister was dead but had died quickly. Then, whilst Lostara diverted the attention of others arriving, Pearl took Felisin's body away via Warren to bury on a hilltop they both knew.

As Lostara was watching the waters of Raraku return, she reflected on all that had happened and realised that she cared for Pearl after all. Even as she was thinking this, Pearl turned up at her side and confirmed that he had accomplished their aim and Felisin's body was now out of reach.

Throughout the mission, Lostara and Pearl's conversations were conducted in an antagonistic kind of manner by Lostara and a mostly flighty, slightly mocking one by Pearl. He told her that he thought she derived satisfaction from discord and would even invent it if it did not exist.

In The Bonehunters

Lostara by PLUGO

Pearl and Lostara Yil remained with the 14th Army as it followed Leoman and the Whirlwind army to Y'Ghatan. Lostara was still acting as Pearl's aide and their relationship was as contentious as before, the couple seemingly incapable of deciding if it was based in desire or spite. They spied on a secret meeting between Dujek Onearm, Tayschrenn, Quick Ben, Kalam, and Fiddler, but Lostara found the whole exercise stupid and left Pearl on his own.

At the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan, a frustrated Lostara asked Pearl if he ever planned to release her back to the Red Blades. Meanwhile Pearl was piqued when Adjunct Tavore refused to send him into the city alone to finish off Leoman and end the war. Lostara told him that the Adjunct was right to mistrust him, and the Claw cruelly mulled the possibility of informing the Adjunct of Sha'ik's true identity. Lostara and Pearl argued, and the Claw released her to participate in the siege. He told her that she was temporarily a free agent and to come crawling back to him after the fight. She told him that should she come crawling back, it would be to stick a knife in his neck.

Lostara joined her former commander, Tene Baralta, at the picket line in front of the massed army just prior to the attack. He was surprised to see her. When Crump prematurely set off a huge amount of Moranth munitions, Lostara was knocked off her feet by the blast wave but managed to ignore the hail of stone and body-parts to observe the walls of the city crumble. Lostara was amongst those moving towards the breach once the fires had died down. As the army was pushing inwards Fist Keneb saw Lostara leading three squads towards the sound of distant fighting.

When enough Malazans were engaged in street fighting inside the city, Leoman sprung his trap. The city's olive oil-soaked buildings were set alight and the streets quickly became an inferno. Lostara killed several enemies, fighting with a sword in the right hand and a Kethra knife in her left. The fighting had reduced her three squads to less than a dozen when their position was engulfed by the burning oil. She was pulled from certain death in the fires by Cotillion. She woke up four days later in a secret temple of Rashan, a league and a half from the city just off the Sotka Road. Cotillion warned her that a time would come when she would be forced to choose between the Adjunct and Pearl (and the empire he represented). He assured her that she was not in his debt for her rescue, calling it repayment for once having watched her dance.

Leaving the temple, Lostara found those 14th Army soldiers who had survived the firestorm by tunneling their way out of the city walking on the nearby road. Captain Faradan Sort filled her in on what had happened, and they hurried west to catch up with the rest of the army on the shore of the Kokakal Sea. She again took up her position as Captain under Fist Baralta, who had been grievously disfigured by the fires of Y'Ghatan and was now full of malice. Pearl in the meantime was convinced that Lostara had died in the flames and returned to Malaz City. He blamed the Adjunct but also himself for having sent Lostara away.

Lostara Yil Interpretation by Grimhilde aka Tattersail

The Whirlwind rebellion was over and Seven Cities was stricken by the Bluetongue Plague. Admiral Nok's Malazan Imperial Fleet brought the Bonehunters back to Malaz City where Empress Laseen waited to meet Adjunct Tavore. The wary Adjunct ordered her ships to anchor in the bay while only her flagship, the Froth Wolf, and the Silanda moored at the city docks. Baralta ignored these orders and took Lostara and the other Red Blades to shore by longboat to secure the pier against an angry crowd. They accompanied Tavore to her meeting with Laseen in Mock's Hold. Baralta immediately requested the Empress relieve the Red Blades of their conscription in the 14th Army.

Later, in Baralta's private room in Mock's Hold, Lostara helped remove his armour. The Fist looked forward to being tended by the Empress' High Denul healers, especially for its impact on what he saw as a blooming relationship between himself and Lostara. Lostara told him she always regretted following his orders to slay everyone at Ladro Keep. Then she sliced his throat for betraying Tavore and the Bonehunters. Leaving his room, she told the two Red Blades guarding the door outside: "The commander sleeps now. Do not disturb him."

Grub intercepted her return to the Adjunct's ships telling her she was needed elsewhere. He led her to where Pearl was dying a prolonged, agonising death, from Kartoolian paralt. He explained that Pearl "thought you were dead...He'd given up. On everything. Except revenge. Against the Adjunct." Grub refused to tell her it was Apsalar who had attacked Pearl saying, "Pearl hungered for vengeance, and vengeance was repaid him. That's all." Lostara reluctantly put a knife into Pearl's heart to stop his suffering.

Among the fighting on the docks they came across the corpse of T'amber, Tavore's aide and lover. They witnessed the Eres'al rise from the body and kiss its forehead before departing. Grub told a puzzled Lostara that she needed to take T'amber's place at Tavore's side because the Adjunct "cannot do this alone". And she could never tell the Adjunct what she just saw. They both finally returned to the Froth Wolf hitching a ride aboard Cartharon Crust's vessel, the Drowned Rat. Adjunct Tavore, now a renegade after refusing to betray her troops at the Empress' command, took her fleet out to sea.

In Reaper's Gale

Lostara Yil by Max Davenport

After departing Malaz City, the army was demoralised and on the brink of mutiny with no home to return to and Tavore was still in the clutches of her grief at having lost T'amber. The fleet had been about three days east of Kartool when Fist Blistig saw Lostara approach Tavore one night. The two women had a brief exchange after which Lostara had taken up the role of Commander's aide, effectively running the army of eight thousand miserable soldiers. Lostara sorted out the finances of the army after a tip from Grub by cornering Banaschar and gaining access to D'rek's endless stolen coffers. She reawakened the Adjunct's spirit in a night-long argument in the Adjunct's cabin resulting in Tavore giving a speech to her officers about the future of the army. The Bonehunters were going to war with the Letherii Empire who had ravaged Sepik.

As aide, she appraised the Adjunct of various matters. Lostara's own personal mantra became 'Remain a soldier, and all the rest will go away'. Although Lostara and Tavore had a close working relationship, they did not seem to be close friends. Lostara accompanied the Adjunct to meetings and took an active part in deliberations, although she was kept completely in the dark on Tavore's larger plans, such as the role of their Khundryl and Perish allies. Shurq Elalle thought of Lostara as Tavore's ever present bodyguard.

The Malazan fleet followed the Tiste Edur fleet back to Lether over the course of a year and the Adjunct made her headquarters on Second Maiden Fort. While on the island, Telorast and Curdle were terrified to discover traces of Kilmandaros' presence in Lether. They rushed to inform Lostara, who they referred to as 'Not-Not-Apsalar', but she shooed them away. When Phaed was injured attempting to murder Sandalath Drukorlat in the room she shared with Withal, Sandalath left to seek help while Withal stood guard. But by the time she returned with Lostara Yil, Banaschar, and Phaed's Tiste Andii kin, Phaed had already fallen to her death from the window. Lostara questioned those present as the death was suspicious.

While Tavore sent Fist Keneb and his Marines to land on Lether's western coast and fight a guerrilla style war to Letheras, she took the fleet with the main army up the Lether River to the Letherii capital. Lostara remained close to Tavore during the campaign. Some among the Bonehunters thought Keneb's outnumbered troops had been sent to their doom, and their fears seemed to be proved true. As they made landfall outside the city, those on the fleet saw a massive release of enemy sorcery near Fist Keneb's reported position near the city walls. Grub watched from the Froth Wolf's foredeck and begun dancing about the deck talking of candles. Lostara thought him addled, but Adjunct Tavore had confidence that "Grub does not behave like a child who has lost a father." Lostara did not share her belief that Keneb and his Marines were still alive.

Tavore put Lostara in charge of command for the night as she herself went off to see Withal and his wife. At dawn, she accompanied the Adjunct at the head of a column of cavalry to Letheras where Fist Keneb and his Marines controlled the city's western gate. After the City Garrison surrendered, she accompanied Tavore and the Marines to the Eternal Domicile where they were introduced to Tehol Beddict, the newly proclaimed emperor of Lether. Lostara frowned at the disgusting blanket that seemed to be the new emperor's only clothing.

In Dust of Dreams

Lostara had become obsessed with cleaning her knife. Despite this, she felt she could still see 'the stains'.

Lostara by HeathWind

She was commanded by Tavore to gather the participants for a reading of the Deck of Dragons. During the reading, Lostara was dealt the card of 'Champion of Life'. The experience left her shaken.

Lostara took part in a meeting Tavore called prior to their departure from Lether with Keneb, Blistig, Sinn and Quick Ben also in attendance. Lostara felt she saw a new side to Tavore. Lostara and the others, apart from Sinn, then accompanied Tavore to a meeting with Tehol.

Lostara nearly chopped one of Bottle's rat in half. Quick Ben told him not to spy on the Adjunct unless she was alone as Lostara was suspicious.

On one occasion, Tavore sharply told her to 'Leave it' when Lostara was about to reach for her knife (again). Lostara obliged and apologised. Tavore then commanded that she pay no attention to her knife during the following meeting with Tehol Beddict. Lostara thought that Tavore's irritation at her pre-occupation with her knife bordered on obsession.

Tavore addressed Lostara as Lieutenant - likely a continuity error as she was referred to as Captain again a page later.

When Tehol bid Lostara farewell, he told her not to neglect his brother (Brys Beddict). Tehol had also previously tried to encourage Brys to take an interest in Lostara.

Banaschar pondered his attraction to Lostara, Tavore's sole member of staff. He was attracted to the 'haunted shadow in her face...the stains of old guilt, the bitter flavours of regret and grievous loss'. Lostara though had no interest in him which he thought both fortunate as well as disappointing and baffling.

After leaving Letheras, Lostara and Tavore got into the habit of sharing a meal in the evenings. There was little in the way of conversation and Lostara thought that Tavore behaved as if she were a widow. After each excruciating meal, Lostara fled back to her silk-walled chamber and continue cleaning and sharpening her knife.

Lostara kept thinking of Pearl and mourning his loss.

Tavore sent Lostara to the Letherii camp to report the kidnapping of Gesler and Stormy to Brys. Whilst there, she encountered Henar Vygulf who was completely captivated by Lostara the moment he set eyes on her. Seeing the first hint of life in Lostara's face since knowing her, Brys decided to try and bring the two together and attached Henar to his staff to create opportunities for further meetings between them. Brys and Aranict also both noticed that when Henar had admired Lostara's exposed legs, she had made no attempt to cover them.

Lostara Yil by Ylva Ljungqvist

Just before the battle with the K'Chain Nah'ruk, Lostara prayed that Brys and Henar would get out of it rather than die.

During the battle, Lostara's horse was burned by a bolt of fire but she managed to roll aside as it collapsed. Her hair got scorched, then she was struck by a shock wave. As it pushed her to the ground, her thought was of Pearl. Henar had been sent by Brys to retrieve the Adjunct. When he got to the command post, he saw Tavore and Lostara on the ground and charged to meet four Nah'ruk who were just arriving on the opposite side. The sound of battle woke Lostara. Henar was about to fall to the Nah'ruk but she told him that he was not to die and that what she was about to do was not something she did for just anyone. As more Nah'ruk arrived she began to dance her Shadow Dance.

In The Crippled God

Tales were told of Lostara and her dance. That she had been almost invisible in a cloud of blood which wasn't her own, that the Nah'ruk had recoiled and those that had come close had been cut to pieces. People were looking at her with questioning eyes. She told Henar that in truth, she had been possessed by Cotillion and that the rage she had felt coming off him had scoured her clean. Henar observed that the haunt had gone from her face. Lostara called him 'my love' and gave him the knife she had been so obsessed about. She told Henar that he was going to be riding at her side once restored to health.

Lostara was approached by four marines who thought they might be able to help the wounded Adjunct using an Elder Warren. She led them past the assembled Fists to Tavore, noting that even the officers were staring at her.

Cotillion appeared in Lostara's tent. He explained that it had been her desire to defend the man she loved which had summoned him to help her against the Nah'ruk. Even as she had experienced his anger, he in turn had felt her love - feelings which he had forgotten existed. Lostara offered to let herself be possessed again so he should feel it once more but he refused. She came to the conclusion that that had been a mercy.

When Tavore attached Ruthan Gudd to her staff she advised him to speak to Lostara if he considered that to be some kind of promotion.

Stormy told Lostara that he didn't think Quick Ben was dead in answer to which she gave him a dazzling smile.

After a meeting with the Adjunct, Lostara, Ruthan Gudd, Faradan Sort and Kindly deliberated what had been said and voiced their concerns about the moral amongst the troops as well as the threat posed by Blistig's attitude.

Henar told Lostara that he was looking forward to introducing her to his father one day. Lostara was pleased that Henar was a talkative man who always had something useful to say.

Ruthan Gudd observed that Lostara seemed to be in better shape than others and wondered if having been possessed by a God made her more resilient to the rigours of the march through the Wastelands.

When thirst had driven the army to its knee and it seemed to be the end for all of them, to the Captain's consternation, Tavore asked for Lostara's kit bag. From the bag they retrieved the dagger which had been given to Tavore by Mael. Lostara was told that the dagger had been placed in her bag as Tavore had judged her to be the strongest, possibly just the most stubborn, someone who could be relied on to stay close. When the following ritual resulted in water pouring from the ground, Lostara sank to her knees and drank like a wild animal.

Lostara had visited Hanavat to see her newborn son. Upon returning, Banaschar saw that her eyes were red from weeping. He overheard Tavore saying to Lostara that she herself only needed to look at Hanavat to find the strength she needed.

After showing Blistig to Tavore's tent, Lostara took Banaschar to join her and a small group of officers for a last palaver. She told the others that she and Henar had been told by Tavore to stay close to her at all times during the final engagement. She also told them that she did not think she would be performing another Shadow Dance as Cotillion had sworn to never take possession of her again.

Lostara had been ordered to help Tavore get kitted up. Lostara stared when Tavore asked her to fasten an eagle talon on a chain around her neck.

When Tavore addressed the troops, she singled out a few individuals for praise. One was Wreck-Eye for having come to retrieve them once Lostara had fallen unconscious after performing the Shadow Dance during the battle against the Nah'ruk.

Lostara was in the vanguard with Tavore, Henar and Gudd. The power of the Forkrul Assail's voice attacking them caused blood to pour from their bodies. Lostara momentarily fell to the ground screaming. After Badalle had managed to call locusts to devour the Assail, the four of them went on the offensive against the Kolansii. Lostara was deadly in her dancing. They were hard pressed but the arrival of some of the regular eased the threat. When Henar was injured, Lostara fought like a maniac to reach his side.

The appearance of Paran's Host saved them.

History

Having been born a daughter, rather than the desired son, she was given away by her parents following her fifth birthday and lived on the streets of Ehrlitan for the next couple of years. She was snatched by members of the Cult of Rashan when she was about seven and a half and trained to become a Shadow Dancer. At the age of about 14-15, she had made an undeniable impression on both a visiting High Priest who turned out to be Delat under an assumed name, and Dancer who was watching unbeknown to her from the shadows, when she performed the 'Song of the Reeds' dance. After the dance, during the night, the cult members were assassinated by Delat and an accomplice, with only Lostara being left to escape, as far as she knew. She only found out years later that Bidithal had also been spared by Delat. Her memories of that evening seemed to suggest that there had been a certain amount of physical intimacy between her and Quick Ben.

Following a short period during which Lostara suffered hunger, denigration and humiliation, she joined the newly formed Red Blades.

Trivia

Erikson's inspiration for the repartee between between Lostara Yil and Pearl came from close to home. "A lot of their dialogue and their interchanges is snatches of conversation that I have with my wife...they're almost verbatim. We've matched some of those conversations word for word." Much like Yostara Yil, his wife's "patience regarding my endless puns and jokes and all the rest--it's been getting progressively shorter as the years go by."

Speculations

Lostara's antagonistic behaviour towards Pearl throughout House of Chains was likely explained by her ponderings just prior to setting off on their mission. Thinking about her past, she concluded that she did not ever want to get hurt by betrayal again. It seems reasonable to draw the conclusion that she tried to keep Pearl at a distance to ensure that it would not hurt her should he betray her.

Notes and References

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