Oh, this seems like just the classic high fantasy romp I've been itching for! I have a few pitches in mind:

Dark Elf Spellsword type of warrior, Sapient Undead martial artists (I think this could be kinda goofy and funny, mayhaps), or a Harpy Cup who specializes in travel spells to speed the journey for her fellows up, and is a bit of a chicken (;)) during combat.