Rosheen had known some coburn in her time, but never long enough to call them familiar. They were not Fae, and thus their years were short, often dying well before what a human would call elderly, but that was mostly due to their warlike ways. The origins of the coburn were murky and not even the elves could say from whence they came. The first of them were not encountered until after the Usurpation, during those awful years when many Fae were forced to live wild in the forests and mountains for fear of the Red Caps and the unjust laws of the Goblin Kings. The first coburn was quite literally stumbled upon by chance. In those days, they were uncouth and barbarous, the males jealously guarding their clutches against outsiders and others of their own kind, wielding nothing but crude clubs and their deadly spurs. But the Seelie Court, even one dispossessed and hiding, was wise and saw much capacity for good within this proud race. They slowly gained the trust of the coburn and taught them language and many of the males took well to the elvish ideals of honorable combat. After many years of tutelage and careful interference, the elves were able to forge the Order of the Valiant Spur, and the coburn that fought under its banner helped win the Rebellion.

The coburn had never known community, as each male individually governed and guarded his mates and their young, an instinct which persisted. Rosheen knew the oaths of the Order forbid coupling, and no female coburn were allowed in its stronghold as it would awaken the warriors’ territorial nature and destroy their brotherhood. Many coburn still lived in the old way, and, indeed, must for the race to survive. Only the most strong-willed males show up at the Roost, forsaking their drive to breed and covet. Flyn was most certainly an exceptional individual, but that heat remained in his blood and Rosheen saw it well. She only hoped Corc did, too.