Sheepfarmer's Daughter
Sheepfarmer's Daughter is the first novel in The Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon. It was followed by Divided Allegiance (1988) and Oath of Gold.
Military fantasy, about a young woman who ups and joins the local mercenary army. Paksenarrion (Paks) is a Good Soldier, and this first book in the trilogy charts her growth in skill and experience. Utterly realistic in its portrayal of the life of a young soldier, the first novel in the trilogy relies very little on its fantasy background.