When Tehanu was published I put a subtitle on it — “The Last Book of Earthsea.” I was wrong! I was wrong!
I really thought the story was done; Tenar had finally got her second inning, and Ged and Tenar were obviously happy-ever-after, and if I didn’t know exactly who or what Tehanu was, it didn’t bother me.
But then it began to bother me.
And a lot of things about Earthsea were bothering me, like do wizards really have to be celibate, if witches don’t? and how come no women at Roke? and who are the dragons? and where do Kargish people go when they die?
I found the answers to a lot of those questions in the stories that make the Tales from Earthsea.
So then I was able to find out who Tehanu is — and who the dragons are — in The Other Wind.