Hero

It's hard to be a hero, even when it's your job. Chretien, the troubadour-warrior of Valeros, pursues a mysterious assassin wreaking havoc in Montpellier. It's 1215, and a Church council seeks a peaceful end to the crusade against the Cathar heresy. The Count of Roussillon pleads for Chretien's help, claiming rumored assassination of Church leaders will create a dangerous future for all the lords of the Languedoc. Chretien's family and friends are threatened by this rising chaos in Montpellier. While Chretien hunts the assassin, his nephew Yusuf begs his help to hide science books from his university library, protecting them from monks purging texts by heretics, schismatics, and Saracens. Injured defending a tale-spinning orphan he never intended to rescue, Chretien endures endless stories of pirates and unlikely adventures. When a ghost sharing bad advice settles in as his inconstant companion, Chretien is saddled with burdens and responsibilities he must meet to protect his dead father's honor. Chretien, under the weight of more promises than one man can meet, faces more danger than one man can defend against. Hero, a standalone story, joins the series of 13th century adventure tales, Legends of Valeros.