Synopsis

Set on planet Series, Mali is a 11 year old girl and she lives in a fairly remote mountain valley village called Monsine, by a river, monsine is high up near the tree line. It's hard there - winters are brutal and long but the community is close and the people are largely free.

The parent society is the nation-state Alder a circa 1700 era early steam punk society.

Monsine has about 240 people and is a lumber settlement with a large amount of pastural livestock - sheep. About a days ride from the nearest next (even smaller) village down the valley, because the river is not more than a stream beyond the village there is nothing further up the valley apart from a small fur trappers hut. In the summer the villagers float rafts of wool, furs and lumber down once a month down river to the town 3 days away Dockton.

Mali is the daughter of a sheep farmer. She is a bit of a tom boy, precocious, intelligent and athletic for her age, at least equal to most boys.