In Celtic mythology the great hero CuChulainn learned love and war from the warrior maiden Scathach. She is always depicted as a Scottish heart-breaker, a martial arts instructor who taught the greatest Irish hero (and many others) how to fight. She would give them Friendship of the Thighs (ie teach those young lads all about sex) shortly before they finished training.
CuChalainn wanted to marry Emer, but was forbidden from doing so until he had finished training. So he went to Dun Scaith (Fortress of Shadows) on the Isle of Skye and seduced Uathach. In the midst of sex her lover discovered them. CuChalainn killed him, and Uathach fell in love with him (I think it was slightly more involved than this. Let's call this the abbreviated version) and taught him how to make Scathach grant him 3 desires.
So he got Scathach to teach him to fight, and to let him agree to marry Uathach, and I cannot remember his third desire. Anyway, Scathach gave him the Freedom of the Thighs (seduced her daughter's lover, fiance, etc) and gave him a magic spear only he could use.
Scathach means shadowy. It is the name I am giving to my Publishing company. The story above will illustrate why Pleasure and Death will be an ace first title. It's pronounced exactly as read (in Scottish, anyway. In Welsh it is Ska ha, but I ain't Welsh. As illustrated by my use of vowels).
Scathach is born.
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