Sutcliff protagonists can be warriors or healers (bonus if they're fighting healers). Some of them are farmers (who are ex-warriors). Some are artists (who are usually also warriors--I think Lubrin Dhu of Sun Horse, Moon Horse is the only artist I can think of who isn't much of a warrior--although she had a slightly recurring theme of the difficulty of being a warrior and an artist, because too much imagination.

I think it may be a product of her Navy brat upbringing.

I think Sword Song is worth reading, if you can ignore Bjarni being a dick for long enough. I really want fic for it, though--I keep struggling with trying to write it because Bjarni has no feelings.