Liat Chokavi

Warning: Spoilers ahead!!

Liat is an overseer of House Kyaan and used to be the student of Amat Kyaan. She has been romantically invovled with Otah Machi and Maati Vaupathi and has a son, Nayiit.

A Shadow in Summer

Liat is a young woman who is the apprentice of Amat Kyaan, overseer of a Galtish trading house, House Wilsin. She is in love with Otah Machi, who she knows as Itani Noygu, but hopes to find him a position in House Wilsin since he can read and write, knows his numbers, and has an easy smile. After Amat learns more than she should of the sad trade that Marchat Wilsin is facilitating and goes into hiding Liat takes over preparations for the sad trade. She is clever and skilled but very naive, something Marchat and Amat comment on frequently.

Liat is put in charge of taking care of Maj, the pregnant island girl, and making sure she is ready for the ceremony. Liat finds Maj annoying and callous, seemingly unconcerned about the child she is about to give up and more interested in the clothes and baubles she is getting. Liat meet Maati during the negotiations and through Otah and Maati tells Liat not to judge Heshai too harshly as he is suffering.

After the sad trade occurs and Liat realizes her mistake she is devastated. Since Otah leaves so soon afterwards she turns to Maati for comfort and they start a sexual relationship. Before leave Otah reveals his true identity and she is stunned and excited. She feels guilt for being unfaithful to Otah and this is the first time she has been unfaithful to a lover but is less conflicted than Maati because she could feel Otah distancing himself from her and knows that the relationship will end soon. While she and Maati are walking down a street, shingles fall from a roof and break her arm and some ribs and Maati is also injured though not as severely.

When Otah returns, Maati ends things between them and Liat is distressed because she can feel both the men in her life leaving her. She goes to find Otah and insists that they have sex even though she is still injured from the murder attempt. She later goes to find Maati and he tells her that he has told Otah of their unfaithfulness and Liat saves she loves Maati. When Maati tries to bind Seedless she begs him to stop so they can have a life together. They sail for the Dai-kvo's village.

A Betrayal in Winter

Liat does not appear, though she and her son Nayiit are often though about. It is also implied that Nayiit's father might be Otah from their last coupling.

An Autumn War

Liat has gone back to Amat Kyaan, her old teacher, and now is owner of the trading house she established, House Kyaan. It's hidden purpose is to track the movements of the Galts and to try to block any attacks they might aim at the cities of the Khaiem. Her son Nayiit is now one of the overseer's of the house in his own right. Liat discovers signs that the Galts are planning an attack using a rogue poet and whatever andat he can summon. She travels to Machi hoping that Otah and Maati will listen to her and attack the Galts.

Her arrival brings shock and awkwardness to everyone involved. Kiyan, Otah's wife, instantly recognizes that Nayiit is Otah's son, something Liat also realizes once she sees the two of them together. Nayiit still believes that Maati is his father and tries to connect with him but Liat blocks him by taking all of Maati's spare time up by rekindling their old relationship. Nayiit confronts her about it and she admits it and apologizes and also corrects Nayiit's mistaken assumption that Maati left them. Liat tells him how because Maati would not leave the poet's village she took Nayiit and left. Maati later is called by the Dai-kvo to return to the village and he hesitates since it seems history is repeating itself but Liat tells him that he no longer has room in his life and that he should not follow her back to Cenburi Tan. He thanks her and decides to leave for the Dai-kvo's village.

Otah asks for a meeting with Liat and they discuss the fate of Nayiit. Liat tells Otah that had she known how similar Nayiit was to Otah she would never have brought him to Machi but it seems he was too close to her for her to see it. She thanks Otah for his decision not to kill Nayiit and is surprised that Otah wants Nayiit as a hidden backup in case his son Danat dies. She remarks that she would not want Nayiit to become Khai since it seems like an unpleasant job.

When the andat dispear Otah asks her for advice on how to preserve Machi and avoid panic since she lived through it in Saraykeht. When Otah leaves with most of the men of Machi, Kiyan asks her for help in governing and preparing Machi for winter since she has experience doing so.

When Nayiit returns she sees that he is broken from his failure in battle and asks Kiyaan to find something for him to do. She is glad at first at the task assigned to him of protecting Otah's children but becomes increasingly worried when he grows to care for them more than his own family and turning to despair when he eventually dies protecting Danat.

The Price of Spring