The Character Project : Leah Vindral

I ranked higher than the common thief, it seemed.

Leah Vindral – Protagonist & Narrator

Leah Vindral is the first and only child of Sir James and Lady Castilla Vindral. Small and skinny, awkward and plain, Leah is born in Willow Manor, to a life of wealth and ease. But Leah doesn't care much for society. In fact, she finds it irksome and bothersome. Such beliefs often lead her into feuds with her governess, Miss Perish.

Lady Castilla dies when Leah is two, which in effect causes Leah to be very close to her father, but also leaves her wondering what could have been for her mother is never spoken of. It takes a chance encounter with her godmother (a woman that has been hidden away from Leah) that sparks Leah's curiosity.

Leah's plainness and clumsiness disappears in a frightful and highly unexpected way. She becomes deathly ill and slumbers as if dead. But she awakens to find herself changed. Her hair, once black and straight is white and flowing. Her skin, once sickly pale now sparkles with an inner flow. Her eyes, once green are now the deepest blue of the ocean.Those around Leah are just as startled by her changes as she is and Leah finds herself isolated and treated with suspicion and fear.

In Writing…

Leah was the first character that came to me all those years ago at 14. She came in both forms — before and after the illness. The moment her haunting face flashed in my brain, I knew I had something and I went through a whirlwind of supporting characters and plot ideas. She was always the main character, but for the first spell of writing, she wasn't the narrator. My sister, upon reading the first few chapters, thought the humor would shine through easier if the story came through Leah's eyes. I just KNEW it would be impossible to switch perspectives, but it actually turned out to be ridiculously easy.

Leah came very natural to write. I often feel that I put a lot of 'me' into her. Leah is a girl with spunk. She isn't afraid to disagree. She has spirit and at times her emotions run wild–something that isn't always helpful.

Quotes

I understood that my drastic change of appearance would take getting used to, but life at Willow Manor just seemed different. Frank was kind to me as usual, but there was sympathy in his gaze. It was now common for Guinevere to drop what she was holding or run into something whenever I passed her. Adam, the stable hand, didn't seem to be around anymore. I finally snapped at Ann to talk to me normally instead of whispering quietly like I was on my death bed. She didn't take that very well and was huffy around me for the rest of the day. Life was tenser than ever before … and quieter … so much quieter.

p. 153

***

"It's lucky you have that nifty sack," said Ian happily over his shoulder. "Huntin' in the dark isn't fun."

"I'm so glad I've helped make this trip less unpleasant," I said dryly, as I pulled my foot out of a particularly muddy puddle.

p. 259

***

"There are dragons in the Brendor Mountains?"

"Course, didn't y'know?"

"Dragon habitats aren't exactly a lesson topic for a governess's pupil."

p. 304