B O O K O N E O F T H E S W A N S ’ W A R
THE
ONE KINGDOM
SEAN RUSSELL
For Karen and Brendan,
keepers of my heart.
To my children I bequeath my hatred of the Renné,
for all the atrocities they have committed against
us, and all that they will commit.
THE FINAL TESTAMENT OF ABRIL WILLS
Contents
THE FINAL TESTAMENT OF ABRIL WILLS | ||
1 | IN THE MOVING LANDSCAPE ONLY THE MEN WERE STILL. THEY SAT AT. . . 1 | |
2 | THE RUINED TOWER STOOD ABOVE THE OLD BATTLEFIELD AT TELANON. . . 8 | |
3 | FIVE HOURS OF FIGHTING THROUGH THICK UNDERWOOD . . . 36 | |
4 | “THE RIVERBOAT IS A SIMPLE CRAFT”, BAORE EXPLAINED, “FLAT. . . 50 | |
5 | TOREN RENNÉ READ BY CANDLELIGHT ON THE STONE TERRACE OF. . . 57 | |
6 | ELISE LOVED ONLY ONE PERSON IN THE WORLD WITHOUT . . . 65 | |
7 | ELISE HEARD HER FATHER BEFORE SHE SAW HIM. THERE WERE NO. . . 71 | |
8 | IT WAS A ROOM TO WHICH VERY FEW HAD KEYS. DEASE COUNTED. . . 79 | |
9 | BAORE AND FYNNOL BROUGHT THE BOAT TO THE FOOT OF THE. . . 84 | |
10 | THE ISLAND HAD ONCE BOASTED GREATER FORTIFICATIONS; LIKE. . . 100 | |
11 | THE GARDEN OF BIRDS WAS HIDDEN WITHIN A BOWER . . . 104 | |
12 | TAM AND HIS COMPANIONS PERCHED ON A ROCK AND LOOKED. . . 111 | |
13 | THREE DAYS AFTER LEAVING THE BRIDGE AT TELANON THEY SEEMED . . . 118 | |
14 | THEY SPENT TWO DAYS BENEATH THE TWISTED TREES, AND THEN . . . 138 | |
15 | THE MEN WHO HAD ATTACKED THEM SCRAMBLED OUT OF THE. . . 134 | |
16 | FIRST LIGHT FOUND THEM ON THE RIVER AGAIN. THEY EASILY . . . 156 | |
17 | THE CASTLE HAD COME TO LIFE AS THOUGH A SPELL HAD BEEN . . . 169 | |
18 | CARRAL COULD NOT QUITE BELIEVE WHAT HE WAS DOING, . . . 179 | |
19 | TAM AND THE OTHERS BENT OVER THE MAP, THE BOAT FINDING . . . 182 | |
20 | THE NEXT DAY BAORE WAS WEAK AND STILL TROUBLED BY PAIN, . . . 201 | |
21 | CARRAL WILLS LOVED TO SIT IN THE GARDEN HIS LATE WIFE HAD . . . 219 | |
22 | THE TWON OF INNISETH APPEARED AROUND A BEND IN THE RIVER, . . . 226 | |
23 | NO OFFERING HAD BEEN LEFT FOR THE CASTLE GHOSTS THAT . . . 237 | |
24 | ELISE OPENED THE DOOR TO HER ROOM WITH SUCH CARE THAT . . . 240 | |
25 | MENWYN WAS IN A RAGE. CARRAL COULD TELL BY THE WAY HE . . . 256 | |
26 | THE MUTTERING BEGAN AS SOON AS THEY DESCENDED INTO THE . . . 258 | |
27 | ALAAN HAD LIT A FIRE IN THE HEARTH TO COOK THEIR MEAL . . . 278 | |
28 | TAM WALKED THROUGH THE DEW-DAMPENED MORNING, . . . 284 | |
29 | MORNING FOUND THEM SAILING ACROSS AN OPEN LAKE, REACHING. . . 291 | |
30 | THE APPARITION THEY HAD SEEN PASS THROUGH THE EYE OF THE. . . 305 | |
31 | THEY SAW HIM FIRST ON A RIDGE HIGH ABOVE OPEN FARMLAND. . . . 317 | |
32 | BAORE TOOK THEM ASHORE AT THE MOUTH OF A SMALL CREEK. . . 319 | |
33 | LLYN WALKED IN HER GARDEN, ACCOMPANIED BY UNEASY WIND. IT. . . 323 | |
34 | ARDEN RODE ALONG THE GRASSY LANE BESIDE HIS COUSIN TOREN. . . . 327 | |
35 | THE CIRCLE OF SILVEROAK LAY HIDDEN WITHIN A SHALLOW DRAW. . . 338 | |
36 | THE RIVER SWEPT THEM SOUTH WITHOUT REST OR HESITATION. IF. . . 342 | |
37 | THE GHOSTS OF EREMON-HAFYDD HAUNTED HIS FATHER’S CASTLE,. . . 352 | |
38 | ARDEN OPENED THE DOORS ONTO THE BALCONY AND THE SCENT. . . 359 | |
39 | “IT WASN’T NEAR BAORE,” GARTNN SAID. “IT HOVERED OVER YOU,. . . 366 | |
40 | THE MOMENT BAORE HAD PRONOUNCED THEIR CRAFT . . . 368 | |
41 | “THEY’VE HUNTED US DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE WYNND,” . . . 378 | |
42 | TUATH COULD SEE RATH RIDING IN THE CART BEFORE HER. HE SAT. . . 384 | |
43 | LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE SHADOWED RIVER—CANDLES IN STORM. . . 387 | |
44 | THE VALEMEN AND THE MINSTRELS WERE GIVEN A COLD SUPPER. . . 394 | |
45 | PRINCE MICHAEL WATCHED HIS FATHER’S COUNSELOR WITH HIS. . . 398 | |
46 | ELISE WAS BRUISED, DISHEVELED, AND FRIGHTENED NIGH TO DEATH. . . . 402 | |
47 | LORD CARRAL WILLS SAT PLAYING AN OLD FÁELLUTE; AS ALWAYS, IN. . . 407 | |
48 | TAM POURED ELFFEN’S STILL-WARM ASHES INTO THE RIVER. THE. . . 410 | |
49 | DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE JOUSTING, ARCHERY, AND . . . 411 | |
50 | PRINCE MICHAEL MADE HIS WAY THROUGH THE CURRENTS AND. . . 413 | |
51 | THE FOUR MEN-AT-ARMS WERE LAID OUT ON TABLES IN THE OLD. . . 419 | |
52 | PRINCE MICHAEL HAD MANAGED TO ELUDE THE GUARDS HIS . . . 423 | |
53 | THE NIGHT WHISPERED, FASHIONING WORDS FROM THE RIPPLING. . . 431 | |
54 | LLYN SAT IN THE WINDOW OF HER ROOM, WORRYING AT A RING OF. . . 433 | |
55 | THE VALEMEN TOOK SERIOUSLY THE WARNING ELISE HAD SENT TO. . . 438 | |
56 | THERE WAS, AT THE WESTBROOK FAIR, ENTERTAINMENT EVERY. . . 445 | |
57 | THE NEWS CAME LIKE A SUDDEN, HARD FROST, SPREADING ACROSS. . . 451 | |
58 | MIDSUMMER’S DAY WAS HOT, WITH ONLY THE SMALLEST BREEZE TO. . . 455 | |
59 | LLYN SPREAD THE COSTUME ON HER BED AND GAZED AT IT, A. . . 470 | |
60 | THE STRANGE WIND THAT HAD DARKENED THE BALL CARRIED COLD. . . 505 | |
61 | ON THE FINAL NIGHT OF THE FAIR A SUDDEN WIND FUNNELED. . . 515 | |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | ||
ABOUT THE AUTHOR | ||
PRAISE FOR | ||
ALSO BY SEAN RUSSELL | ||
COPYRIGHT | ||
COVER | ||
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER |