Oathbreakers by Mercedes Lackey

Part Two of Vows and Honor (some time last month). This held together better than the first book although even this was really two stories tied together by common characters. It certainly wasn't as episodic as The Oathbound, but it did read like two novellas rather than a single story.

Tarma and Kethry take their show on the road and join a mercenary company remarkably similar in general organization to Phelan's company in the Paksenarrion stories by Elizabeth Moon. The exiled nobleman leading Idra's Sunhawks is a woman and an exile by choice. We even have a magic sword to identify the rightful king.

The first story is a fairly standard mercenary company story. In the second, our pair, their wolf, and their battlesteeds are sent off to investigate the succession to the throne in the nearby kingdom of Rethwellan (that has come up before - the home of the traitor consort of Queen Selenay of Valdemar).

They get over by the border to Valdemar and meet a herald and his companion. Not just any herald - the heir to the throne of Valdemar. That places it outside the framework of the Arrows of the Queen series, since the heir is neither Selenay not Elspeth, but a fellow named Roald. He may fit into the Valdemar chronology somewhere, but I am not familiar with his name. I suppose someday I should read all those other Valdemar books. Probably should read all those Pern books, too. But it probably won't be any time real soon.