Merle Vogelsang

**Starling Birdsong** is a wandering minstrel who befriends Fitz. Like most minstrels, she is largely characterized by her independent nature, but at the same time, her deepest wish is to find safety. For this reason, she wants to secure an unlimited place at a court as well as in history by writing a famous ballad. Much to Fitz's chagrin, she follows him in the belief that he will inspire one.

## Description

Starling is a study in contradictions. She is often described as a "typical minstrel": she is whimsical, walks among people of various walks of life, is dedicating to story-telling and to her craft and sleeps with whomever she chooses. But Starling also reveals motivations much more complex than a superficial accordance with stereotypes.

Starling is visibly a Buck woman, with a short stature and dark hair (and presumably skin). She is also notably thin yet muscular. Her clothing is practical when it has to be, but she also enjoys fashion and dressing up once she can afford to. Starling also often wears earrings.

Despite being unbound by family obligations as a traveling minstrel, she is implied to have been close with her family. Her mother died when she was young and she trimmed her father's and brothers' hair and beards for them. All of them were killed during one of the raids. Starling herself was brutally raped and aborted the resulting child. She believes that the herb she used left her infertile and is deeply insecure because of it. She believes that she has no chance of marrying anyone since she cannot bear a child and as such focuses on her skills and identity as a minstrel. She also resolves to sleep with anyone she wants to, as she is the one to make those choices instead of anyone else making them for her.

She later says that the brutality she experienced during the raid killed all the faith and reliance she had on notions of propriety or heroism protecting her, despite this being a clear contradiction to her character and beliefs. The job of a minstrel is a construct of social mores that Starling embraces and relies on heavily. She moves around as if she can't be hurt (such as sharing a bed with a virtual stranger who is accused of murder and treason), despite being intimately aware of her vulnerability. When she is captured as an accomplice to Fitz, she is also shocked when Burl orders soldiers to break her fingers, as harming a minstrel is said to be unlucky and is astounded that Fitz would murder enemies in an "unfair battle".

Moreover, her primary goal is to make a song of such a great occasion that she will always be able to call on the support accorded to the greatest minstrels, which too relies on the sense of propriety of those around her. Starling seeks fame in order to ensure the safety of her future. However, despite "safety" being her primary aim, she puts herself in vast danger in order to support FitzChivalry's quest, despite it having no guarantee of success. The worth of any song would be questionable in the event Fitz failed - even if he provided her with enough material, her association with him made sure that no Inlander would suffer her while Regal reigned. While the other Duchies might possibly prove more amenable, they were besieged by Red Ships and as such were unlikely to offer Starling the safety needed to grow to old age. Starling has to be aware of this, as she spent at minimum several months playing songs for Inlanders, who are heavily and openly prejudiced against Buck. They also largely swallow Regal's propaganda that downplays of the dangers of the war, making the comfort of the Inlands a fragile one.

Starling tends to perceive the world in terms of tales and legends despite proclaiming to know better. She is egocentric and prone to projecting her own worldview on others (majorly shown in her relationship with Fitz and the Fool). Much like the Fool and young Molly, she uses words as weapons and often lashes out at others when she feels threatened. Starling also puts her own desires first - despite sympathizing with Molly over Fitz leaving her alone for a year without telling her he's alive, she has no qualms about asking him to sleep with her. She also abuses Fitz's trust by telling Kettricken about his illegitimate daughter Nettle and does not appear to realize why he is upset with her.

## Relationship with Fitz

Fitz's relationship with her remains erratic and colored by trust, steep misunderstandings and betrayal. Fitz starts off being deeply mistrustful of Starling's motives when he meets her while serving as a sheep-herder in a wandering caravan. After Starling seeks him out and tries to help despite knowing his identity, he grows to confide in her about his true self and his relationship with Molly - the first and only time he has ever revealed himself to someone not involved in his life out of his own free will. This doesn't keep him from rejecting her when she propositions him for a night, claiming that Molly wouldn't begrudge him the warmth.

Their relationship grows more fraught after their arrival in Jhaampe, as Fitz assumes that Starling scorns him due to his Witbond with Nighteyes. Starling on the other hand assumes that Fitz is aware of her rape during their capture and blames her for it. When they share their misconceptions, Starling reveals that she was raped before during one of the Red Ship Raids, resulting in a pregnancy. She took herbs in order to miscarry and consequently believes herself to be infertile. She once again asks Fitz to sleep with her as she thinks this will make her heal due to the meaningful connection between the two. Fitz is sympathetic to her, but refuses once again due to his loyalty to Molly.

After Verity exchanges bodies with Fitz in order to conceive a child with Kettricken, Starling is sent by the Fool to approach him. She notices that he has gone through something harrowing and tells him that she will do for him what he wouldn't do for her. Evidently, she had convinced herself that sleeping with her would heal Fitz, just as she believed it would heal her. However, Starling has a habit of forming a narrative that suits her best (as she later will when she cheats on her husband with Fitz), therefore it remains unclear to which extent she believes it. Fitz responds to this by telling her he doesn't love her. Starling responds she'd rather he wouldn't have said it, as they'll have to live with these words now. Fitz, who had found out about Molly's marriage to Burrich, ends up sleeping with her this time.

Starling then becomes the first person from Fitz's old life to seek him out during his reclusive hermit days. She later admits to receiving the information on where to find him from Chade, whom she takes spying assignments for. She starts up a sexual relationship with Fitz again and they sleep together whenever she visits. After taking in Hap, an abandoned child, and finding she cannot take care of him, she leaves him with Fitz. This speaks to both their trust, as she knew that Fitz would try to take proper care of him, as well as to Starling's carelessness, as she springs this on Fitz very suddenly and does not consult him beforehand. She keeps visiting the both of them and acting as a "connection to the wider world", of sorts, even taking Hap along for a Springfest celebration at Buckkeep once.

Their sexual relationship terminates after Fitz discovers through Hap she has married a minor noble, Lord Dewin Fisher. Her relationship with the Fool also fluctuates, from distaste to belief that he is a woman and so on.

However Starling finds herself pregnant in Fool's Fate (presumably by Dewin) and decides to stop being a minstrel completely as well as cut ties with Fitz in order to be an "appropriate" mother for her child.