Sword in the Stars - Download Sample

8/8/2019 Sword in the Stars - Download Sample

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Sword in the StarsVolume 1 in Te Dark Sea Annals series

Copyright 2010 by Wayne Tomas Batson

Published by Living Ink Books, an imprint o

AMG Publishers, Inc.6815 Shalloword Rd.Chattanooga, ennessee 37421

All rights reserved. Except or brie quotations in printed reviews,no part o this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any orm or by any means (printed, writ-

ten, photocopied, visual electronic, audio, or otherwise) without theprior permission o the publisher.

ISBN 13: 978-0-89957-877-4First PrintingOctober 2010

HE DARK SEA ANNALS is a trademark o AMG Publishers.

Cover designed by Daryle Beam at Bright Boy Design,Chattanooga, N.

Interior design and typesetting by Reider Publishing Services,West Hollywood, Caliornia.

Edited and prooread by Jef Gerke, Christy Graeber, and Rick Steele.

Printed in the United States o America15 14 13 12 11 10 DP 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


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To the One who rescues the wicked and the brokenand bears them to heights never imagined,

I bow my knee and oer my sword.
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- vii -

Acknowledgments

Sword in the Starsthe whole Dark Sea Annals serieshas beenon my heart or many years. To inally have a chance to shareit with readers is a such a weighty blessing that I may never beable to adequately thank those who have made it possible. To my

wie, Mary Lu, you relentlessly gathered up every ball I droppedwhile trying to inish this book and so many others. Dinnersmade, laundry done, trips to the grocery store, a million home-work assignments--you did it all to spare me burden ater burden.I know you didnt do it or credit. You simply put my needs andthe needs o our amily above your own. I love you. Oh, and Idont want to be around your place in heaven when you rst openthe door. Youre going to be buried in crowns! To my parentswho rst breathed lie into my imagination and who continue tosupport me and pray or me. Mom and Dad, I love you. Let everyword I write be a eather in your cap! To my dear riends whopray or me, encourage me, hang with me, and understand when Icant hang at all: Doug, Chris, Dave, Heather, Chris, Dawn, Je,Leslie, Bill, Lisa, Todd, Dan, Warren, Don, Valerie, and manymore who are geographically distant: I love you all very much.

To the peeps in the Underground: Endurance and Victory! To allthe Tribe Winners and Books-4-Lie winners, did you nd your


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the swordinthe stArs

- viii -

character namesakes? For my students at Folly Quarter MiddleSchool: thanks or enduring the early drats o Sword in the Stars

and or not killing me when you didnt get to read the ending.Pip Pip Cheerio. To my readers: what do I say to people like you,who take a chance and give up their time to spend it on a story omine? You connect at such a deep level and never ail to amaze mewith your encouragement. And, Lord Jesus, your grace and mercyare so deep and so vast that I cannot discern their boundaries. Youloved me when I was an enemy. You are trustworthy even when I

am worthless. And to think that youd even go so ar as to makemy dreams come true just blows me away. The glory is yours.
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- ix -

the nine rAcesof myriAd

HUMAN: Brayden Arum: the proprietor o the Hammer and Bow, West-

moors most popular tavern. Warden Caddock o Chapparel: ruler o a council o coastal

villages. Alastair Coldhollow: ormer assassin or Morlans secret Wol-

guard; now tenuously holding to the aith o the First One andsearching or the prophesied Halainin.

Rhydic Cringeholt: King Morlans chie astrologer.

Daribel: Head Cook Mistress in Anglinore Castle; known orher trufes and her lightning quick spoon.

Laeriss Fenstalker: eisty contestant in the Thel-Mizarettournament.

Binik Gelsh: Steward o Thel-Mizaret; collector, dealer o raretrinkets.

Abbagael Rivynfeur: virtuous maiden rom Edenmill; not-so-secret admirer o Alastair Coldhollow.

Queen Fleut Silvalore: Regent (ruler) o the nation called Keen-ing on the Nathe.

Aravel Stormgarden: bold-hearted High King Overlord o allo Myriad; brother o Morlan.


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- x -

Maren Stormgarden: wise High Queen o Myriad; wie oAravel.

Morlan Stormgarden: ruler o Vulmarrow; brother o Aravel. Duskan Vanimore: extremely polite contestant in the Thel-

Mizaret tournament.

WAYFOLK: Cythraul Scarhaven: Morlans bloodthirsty second in command. King Ealden Everbrand: strict ruler o the Prydian wayolk.

Yasmina Vanador: wie o Rhys Stonehand; becomes unlikelytutor o her husbands murderer.

Queen Savron: willowy and lithe, beautiul and beloved ruler othe Vespal branch o the wayolk.

WINDBORNE: King Drst: winged Skylord o the Windborne; charged with

monitoring the borders o the Gorrack Nation.

WILLOWFOLK: Sprye: curious and impulsive Mistmaiden o the airy-like

willowolk. Alacritous Tracer: High Noble o the Kinship o Willow Dell,

land o the willowolk.

STONEHAND: King Vang: King o Tryllium, oten called Old Stone Hands

because he once knocked a panther unconscious with a singlepunch.

Carraig Rendel: Alastairs avorite blacksmith; operates asmithy in Edenmill.

MARINAEN: Prince Navrill: ruling prince o the amphibious Marinaen

people.


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- xi -

the nine rAcesof myriAd

ELLADORIAN: Queen Briawynn: stunningly beautiul ruller o Ellador to the

ar south o Anglinore. Uncle Jak: Abbagaels hammer-wielding uncle; raised Abbagael

ater the death o her parents; only part-Elladorian.

GORRACK KIND: Diavolos eSkel: orward scremander o the Gorrack raiders,

southern continent; one o many raiding parties.

THE SHEPHERDS:Jonasim Kindle: contestant in the Thel-Mizaret tournament;

has latent Shepherd git. Alex Lastname: ormer Shepherd in Ellador, but, by Morlans

request, transerred to Vulmarrow. Mosteryn the Old: sage leader o the Shepherd Order; has the

git o storms and lightning. Sebastian Sternbough: High Shepherd o Anglinor, advisor

to the First Lord and Lady o Myriad; gited with control oplants.


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- 1 -

CHAPTER 1


When the moon is blood red

and the Sword is in the stars,

the Man o Ice will call Him,

the Hero rom aar.

From Canticles (XI.i)

Barde Smythe (r. 989 AS)

3 Celesandur 2212

Alastair Coldhollow tried to wipe the blood rom his hands butailed. His gashed palm and torn knuckles had never had a chanceto clot, not with all the struggling to pry o his mounts ruinedhorseshoes.

Steam hissed a ew paces away as a burly man plunged a redhot shoe into a barrel o water next to his anvil. Yuh want someelp wi that? Carraig asked.

Strong as you are, Carraig, I dont think even you can helpme with this. Alastair gripped the horses let hoo awkwardly

between his legs and tried once more to pry ree the shoe. The pli-ers snapped o the edge o the horseshoe, pinching Alastairs palm
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in the handle. He grunted and swore and slammed the bloody toolto the ground.

Cut yer ands to ribbons that way, it will, Carraig said. Hewas a mass o muscle covered by mottled skin and prickly darkhair. His eyes shone brightly, though, refecting red and orangerom the orge. It was dusk, but the overcast sky darkened theprovince o Ardon as i it were night.

Ill get it this time, Alastair said. Long, black, sweat-soakedhair whipped into his eyes as he bent over to etch the pliers.

Carraig hal-watched while he hammered a horseshoe threetimes. Satised with his work, he tossed the shoe in the water bar-rel. Ive never seen shoes so blasted, not even rom a war orse.Yuh shouldna waited so long tchangem.

Not much choice there, Alastair said, straining again withthe pliers. You knowvery wellthat I cantjust wander intoany town I like. Not with so many nooses being held or me.

Yeah, but whatre the odds aolk recognizin yuh ater allthis time?Rrrrrah! The horseshoe popped o and clattered to the foor

with a dead metallic thud. I cant take that chance. Would you?The blacksmith shrugged. Still searchin er that Hal

HalnHalainin. Alastair snorted in disgust.Right, Halainin. Carraig pounded on a shoe. Havena

ound em yet, then?Alastair hung his head and pinched the bridge o his nose.

With a great, shuddering sigh, he whispered, No.Meanin yuh no disrespect, but never could gure that one

out. Mighty warrior, right? Sposed to come and save the world,eh? Save it rom what, I wonder? Seems tme, Myriads gone onpretty much the same er ages o ages.

Alastair smeared more blood onto his breeches and sat up alittle straighter. Weathered skin hung loosely on his oblong ace,


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especially in the circles and olds under his glistening dark eyes.He was not old, as people in Myriad counted old. But he looked

it. Knowledge o the worlds troubles would be enough to do thatto a man.

The Gorrack Nation threatened war rom the north, and HighKing Aravel, once a mighty ruler, seemed reluctant to do anythingabout it. There were also rumors rom the Hinterlands in the arwestrumors o legendary evils and ell deeds. And, o course,there was King Morlan in Vulmarrowto this day he continued

his eighteen year campaign, a desperate, secret quest to murderall ollowers o the First One. Things were denitely changing inMyriadand not or the better.

But good or Carraig, thought Alastair. Let him be blissullyignorant o the cataclysmic war that is coming. Alastair rubbedthe criss-cross scar on his cheek below his right eye and then thelonger, more pronounced scar that carved a pinkish urrow rom

his jawline to his chin. I dont expect you to understand.Yer right. I dont understand yuh. But I respect yer passionyer commitment. Carraig hacked and spat into the orge. Heh,all Im livin er is me next meal.

I you only knew, thought Alastair, staring at his bloodstainedhands. My passion is gone. I am committed to nothing. The onlything let or me now is a dark bottle.

The bottle o Witchdrale had waited many winters in the lone-liest corner o Alastair Coldhollows dank basement. On anarrow shel it stood, its dusty black glass shrouded in cobwebs,between the Books o Lore and the last o the kings gold. Therethe bottle rested, almost orgotten, like a skull in a charnel house.Alastair had sworn not to drink o that tempting, bitter ruit everagain. It was his way o puriying himsel as he waited or the

Promise to come true. Ten years, Alastair thought. The Promisehad not come true. And the Witchdrale was calling.


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Abruptly, he pushed aside the Books. Youve rescued mebeore, Alastair thought. But tonightI do not want to be res-

cued. He grasped the black bottle and charged up the stairs.The Witchdrale elt heavy. It even made a weighty thud when

he let the bottle slide rom his hands to the small table by the win-dow. Alastair lit a candle, sat down, and stared into the depths othe black glass.

At length, he roused himsel. How much time had passedwhile he sat staring, he did not know. The candle seemed to have

burned lower. Alastair ound his hands on either side o the bot-tle, opening and closing absently. There were fecks o dried bloodon the table. He realized he hadnt even washed his hands.Just aswell. A reminder o older stains, the innocent blood spilt by mysword.

He clutched his head in his hands and wept. His mind was amelee o want:Just open the bottle. And hating to want: Remem-

ber what happens to you. Remember what it does.But within his stormy thoughts, it seemed there was anothervoice.Alastair, go back to the Books. It was a deep, emale voicetender, concernednot unlike his mothers. But she had beengone so many years. Alastair gripped his skull harder but thevoice would not stop. There is orgiveness in the Books. Mission.Hope. You are the Caller.

Caller! Another voice spoke with a sneer, this one stern andcommanding. You have not called orth the Hero. You have notcalled anything since you let Morlans service. In Vulmarrow youhad mission and respect. In Vulmarrow, your talents were held inhonorrather than wasting away.

Feared, the womanly voice returned.As the icy fst o a blood-thirsty tyrant, you gained only earand visions that haunted youmercilessly, until you came to the Books.You are the Caller. Only

you can bring the Halainin to this dying world. Heed the Prom-ise. When the moon is blood red and the Sword is in the stars, theMan o Ice will call Him, the Hero rom aar.


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Ten winters wasted, waiting or one who will never come. Itwas the nal wordAlastairs own thoughts. He snatched up the

Witchdrale and went to the cupboard or a mug.He roze in mid-stride, staring rom the window into the

night sky. The bottle ell rom his hand and shattered. The ullharvest moon had nally risen above the treetops o Ardon.

The moon was blood red.Alastair stumbled over a chair, raced into his study, and delved

into a dark cedar chest that hadnt been open in years. Where is

it? he yelled, rantically searching. Where is it?Finally rom the depths o the wide chest he withdrew a proud

broadsword, a weapon o innitely better cratsmanship than theplain steel hed been wearing on his recent journeys. The bladegleamed a cold blue, even in the dark.

Then up the spiral stairs and through the trapdoor Alastairfew until he stood out in the night air upon the naked stone tur-

ret he had built or this very occasion. That sturdy platorm gavehim a view o the sky like none other. Alastair wrung his hands onthe swords pommel and closed his eyes or a moment.

A shooting ear went through him. I the signs were there,everything would come together. The Halainin would come. TheSilence would end. The Convergence and its catastrophic warwould be averted.And at last, thought Alastair, I will be orgivenor the deeds o my past.

But i the signs were not in the stars o the heavens, thenwhat? Alastair did not know. He elt the swords grip in his hands,and he had a terrible feeting thought. I the signs are not there,then perhaps Ill use this blade or something else.

At last, he orced open his eyes and beheld the night sky. Itwas gloriously clear. There were so many stars, twinkling andblinking. Alastair knew them all. He had mapped them on his

own, over the years. He had sketched their ormationsthe bull,the archer, the twinsand he knew where they should be at everyseason o the year. But never had the Sword been visible.


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Until this night. There! He called aloud. The nine stars oElspeth Gawain are the hat. And there, Caedmons Bowthree

points or the hilt. And the blade? Yes, oh, it is there! The SevenLights o the First One have aligned at last!

Alastair held his sword alot, but inverted, and lined it up withthe stars in the heavens. The sword is in the stars, at last! hecried, looking to the sot pink glow on the horizon. And theStar Sword points towhy, that must be the mining city, Thel-Mizaret. So the Hero will come rom the City o Jewels. And I,

the Caller shall go with all speed to call Him orth!
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CHAPTER 2

the BlAckstone tABle

Lyonette wept. The Table was gone.

The Eye o the north was now blind.

The Pureline betrayed by one o its own.

Sad questions linger behind.

From The Ballad of Lyonette

Aeld and Prys Valtaire, (w. 2114 AS)

3 Celesandur 2212 (thatsamenight)

A thousand hammers ell, ringing like bells o judgment. An armyo blacksmiths labored in the angry orange light and dragon-

breath heat o their orges. And a ormidable armory was borno re.

There, in the northwest corner o the region o Fen, deep inthe bowels o the Malerion Forest, the once-abandoned city oVulmarrow teemed with more activity than it had seen even in theElder Days. Training by the light o bonres and torches, hostso soldiers dueled, lunging and blocking, honing their warcrat.

Stonewrights ortied the citys bulwarks and raised new walls.And rom the high turret, the only tower that pierced the or-

est canopy, a very curious eye peered through a crooked spyglass


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into the night sky. The man turned the glass sharply to the let,gasped, and turned away to scribble on a chart.

He went back to the spyglass and began to mutter, Folk-tales, he says. Weak lore or the weak-minded. Bah! Lucky orhim old Rhydic stays at his post. Sword in the Stars! Ha, whodhave thought? Therell be trouble in Tryllium. Maybe in Fen too.Better tell im right quick, or hell toss old Rhydic out a window,like as not.

Rhydic made a ew more notes on the star chart, tucked it

under his arm, and scurried down a ladder through the trapdoor.

Rhydic rubbed the back o his hand so hard on his stubblychin that it burned his skin. He hated the throne room. Everytime he parted those tall slab doors, it elt like death leaked outavaporous presence writhing, reaching Rhydic shook his head.No, nothing would be worse than not telling him. Rhydic knew

King Morlan had special ways o dealing with those who crossedhim. Agonizing methods o prolonging the pain o death withoutallowing his victims the relie o crossing its threshold.

Rhydic shuddered and put his right hand upon the throneroom door. A vaskerstone had been cunningly inlaid on thebrushed granite door: black but gleaming red in the torchlight.The vaskerstone warmed immediately to Rhydics palm. Withinthe doors, a stone latch scraped into place, sounding much like thelid o a crypt sliding and locking above a corpse.

The door separated, and dust rained down on Rhydics sleeve.He brushed it o and pushed the throne room door in a ewinchesjust wide enough to stick his head and one shoulder inside.

Dark. Utterly dark. It was the kind o suocating darkness othe inside o a tomb. Why does he always sit in the dark? Rhydicshrugged.Kings do what kings do.

The darkness was pierced rom above. Thin knives o whitemoonlight stabbed down upon the throne and splashed the broadshoulders o the immense gure seated there. The kings helm and


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mantle shited orward and the moons light traced the intricatedesigns o his armor like rivulets o silver blood. Beside the throne

sat another menacing shape. Skll, King Morlans pet blackwol.Rhydic wanted to slam the door. He wanted to fee, shrieking

down the hall and the stairs to the stables, and lash a warhorseuntil it bore him ar rom Vulmarrow and this castle o horrors.But Rhydic did not fee. Under a compulsion he could not resist,he stepped inside and shut the heavy door behind him.

A great deep breath exhaled in mirthless laughter, and lumi-

nous yellow eyes opened beneath the helm. Speak, soothsayer.The kings voice, like icy wind slithering between the cracks

o shutters or under a door, sent chills careening down Rhy-dics spine. He elt his heart begin to seize, and he croaked out,C-couldnt we have a bit more light?

Very well. The king grasped the black silhouette o an enor-mous table. Its opaque surace became translucent as a ilm o

ghostly green light began to swirl within. King Morlan strokedthe side o the table, and the thin bands o moonlight rainingdown began to widen. It was a vaskerstone table, o course, but oa vein so pure and a design so cunning that its likeness could notbe ound in all o Myriad.

Soon the throne room was lit in an eerie hal-light. It was pre-cious little comort to Rhydic, or now he could see King Morlanmore clearly. He was tall and broad-shouldered and wore a mix-ture o silver and coal-gray armor. But like the ur o blackwolvesthat roamed the kingdom ater dark, there was a strange hint oblue in Morlans armor whenever he turned at a certain angle. Hishair was long and streaked with premature gray, and it swept backbehind his head like a cape. He wore a very thin beard, cut to theskin. It knied down rom the corners o his mouth and ran alonghis jawline almost to his ears. Above his brow, he wore a thin,

sable crown encrusted with red diamonds.Skll, thankully, looked sleepy. His normally piercing eyes

blinked shut and he his head lay on his orelegs. But the creature


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yawned, revealing rows o jagged teeth and wickedly long canineangs.

King Morlans yellow eyes dwelt heavily upon Rhydic, and hecould eel the kings impatience growing like the tightening o arope. Maybe even a noose

It-its happening, Rhydic blurted out.The king removed his hands rom the table and leaned back in

his tall chair. Are you certain?The charts conrm it, lord.

Where?Tryllium, Rhydic said. Northern Tryllium. In Ardon, Car-

rack Vale, m-maybe Thel-Mizaret.Maybe? The king leaned orward, and Skllhis yellow

eyes open and gloweringgrowled ercely. Have you any ideahow many might die due to your maybe? The prophecies thosezealots cling to tell that the Halainin will rule over all other

authority. I am such an authority, Rhydic. And I will not suereven the smallest encouragement to those who call the First Onetheir master. Many will die. Are you certain you can do no betterthan maybe?

Rhydic began to tremble. He had the distinct impression thathe was now standing at the edge o a great precipice, that he waslosing his balance, beginning to all By all my divinationsthat is, as close as I can tell. Ii I still had the Rhydicsmouth snapped shut beore he made the atal mistake.

The Star Sword, King Morlan said dryly. The yellow eyesnarrowed. Pity its loss, soothsayer. More blood must be spilledin its absence. The king leaned orward once more and the yel-low in his gaze kindled. I will consult the Table.

The king gripped the sides o the table and closed his eyes.He began to tremble. A shrill ringing lled the chamber. Rhydic

clutched his ears and cringed, but he did not take his eyes o KingMorlan. The king shook. Veins appeared on his neck and arms.The moonlight dimmed, and suddenly Morlan tore his hands


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rom the table. In that moment, it seemed to Rhydic hed heardthe echo o a horric scream.

Your skills with that spyglass are considerable, King Morlansaid, his voice low and thick. Northern TrylliumI have seen it.But not Ardon. Not Carrack Vale. There were mountains, mines,and ortied armoriesWestmoor, Stonecrest, or Thel-Mizaret.

Rydic nodded. Truly, lord, the Black Table gives you sightbeyond men.

Report your ndings to Shepherd Alex in the library, the

king said. Then return to your roost. I you observe anything oimportance while I am away, alert Cythraul in the Bone Chapel.

Rhydic elt the tightening in his heart again. I there were anyplace in Vulmarrow Keep worse than Morlans throne room, itwas the Bone Chapel. Cythraul would just as soon gut a man aslook at him. And Cythraul was always more ruthless when theking was away. Lord, must you oversee the Rhydic swal-

lowed business in Tryllium?I wont be going to Tryllium. Velach Krel will lead my Wol-guard. He is veryecient. I have business o another sort inAnglinore. Morlans eyes narrowed to slits. Important business.I shall return in three weeks time. Now, depart rom me. KingMorlan slashed his nger across the table. The moonlight van-ished rom the throne room, and Skll howled.

Rhydic fed and desperately squeezed between the tall stonedoors. They shut a heartbeat ater he was through. As Rhydicraced down the corridor he heard thunder rom below. It was thethunder o hooves. Rhydic stole a momentary glance rom a tallarched window. A sliver o star-strewn night appeared throughthe always-swaying black trees in the direction o Tryllium. Rhy-dic muttered all the way to the library.
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- 12 -

CHAPTER 3

lookingforA hero

My Halainin will be born into sorrow.

Wise beyond his years.

No blade will daunt him.

No blade will pierce him.

His eye will be keen.

He will tame beasts with a touch.

And he will bring fre rom a stone.

From Canticles (XII.iii)

Barde Gray (r. 919 AS)

7 Celesandur 2212

I dont much like the looksa ye, dats a act, said Old BinikGelsh, Thel-Mizarets ruling steward. He leveled a loaded cross-bow at Alastairs chest. Just ye stay right there.

I I stay at your door, Alastair said, then it will be impos-sible or us to do business. He jangled his coin pouch.

I like the sound adat, Binik said. But yer business might

be cuttin me throat and llin yer satchel with my silvercominhere this timea night.


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lookingforA hero

I apologize or the late hour, Alastair said. But Ive comewhen Ive come. I you dont want my gold

Did you say gold? The crossbow shited o center.Yes, and more than a air amount. Im looking or someone, you

see. I dont know who exactly, but I know hes in Thel-Mizaret. Tond him, I will need to hold a special kind o tournament.

Gold, eh? Binik echoed dreamily. Ye best take a seat then.He lowered the crossbow to his side and motioned to the chairopposite his desk.

The parlor o Hazzlebrim, Biniks cottage manor, was large androughly round, lled with rusty suits o armor, dusty paintings, anddozens o trinkets. In the center o the room was what had oncebeen a very impressive desk. Now it had lost its color and had beenscratched innumerable times. Binik sat behind the desk in a massivehide-covered chair. The chair across the desk was a mere stool.

Alastair sat down and shited his weight to avoid crushing his

seat. Have you run tournaments beore? You know, jousting,duels, archerythat sort o thing?A tournament? Binik scratched the ew oily curls on his

shining headas i hed not understood Alastair rom the begin-ning. Oh, dat kinda tournament! O course, o course. Ill makea decree et sun up. Well have everyone in town attender asmall ee, o course.

Gazing at the collection in the parlor, Alastair had no doubtthe ee would not be small. Not a spectacle, mind, Alastair clari-ed. Id rather avoid drawing too much attention.

But ye wont be able tdraw out the best dat way. Binikpursed his lips and worked his jaw. We gotter post signs andbanners, oer prizesmake her known. Only way tget worthyladsuhand lasses.

So be it, said Alastair, letting his money pouch drop to the

desktop with a rich thud. Youre sure we can get this all readyor tomorrow aternoon?


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O course.Ill need some supplies rom your armory, Alastair said,

nodding to the pouch on Biniks desk. But I included a bit oextra gold. Will that do?

Binik snatched up the pouch so ast and with such a broadgrin that Alastair could just see plots and ploys bouncing on hissweaty brow. But when Binik opened the pouch, his jaw wentslack and his eyes would have leaped rom his skull i they werenot internally attached. This he mumbled, this be kingsgold!

Where? He almost asked, but caught himsel.Your armory? Alastair reminded him.Ah, yeswell, o course, Binik ell all over himsel scoot-

ing rom the table and waddling to the door. Dagget! he yelled.Dagget! Get yer bitty eet in heyre with me keys!

A handul o heartbeats later, a nervous-looking stonehandwith exactly our hairs on his chin appeared in the doorway. Like

most o the stonehand race, Dagget was only about our eet tall,stocky and muscular. He held up his meaty st and showed theexpected key ring. Vis dring, bozz? he asked, looking like apuppy waiting or a scrap rom the table. Ye called, and snap-pity-crack, Daggets here!

Binik Gelsh was a great many things, but he was apparentlynot in the habit o neglecting his help. Yay, Dagget, ye diddersgood, ye did. Here ye go. He tossed Dagget a piece o kingsgoldand took joy in watching the dwars eyes bulge, much like hisown had just moments beore. Now, get ye to the armory widmisteruh? He glanced nervously at Alastair. Fraid I dontknow yer name, dere. Not that I need to know yer name, mind.Its jest I

Tolke, Alastair said, laughing inwardly. Hed used the oldAnglish word or Caller.

Who are you? Alastair asked, one eye on the irst o thepotential champions, the other on the crowd gathering


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lookingforA hero

upon the length o the city walls. Biniks signs and banners hadworked as promised. Your name, lad?

Jonasim Kindle, Mister Tolke, sir, the nervous teen replied.Well met, Jonasim! Alastair cried out, eliciting an unwanted

cheer and a ew lusty boos rom the crowd. Alastair glowered atthe city walls and then turned back to his rst candidate. The kidcertainly looked heroic. Sixteen, maybe seventeentall, broad-shouldered, lean, solid as an oak. Large, piercing green eyes anda chin hewn rom granite. Well now, Jonasim, youve brought

your own bow, I see.Yessir. Arrows too.

Good, good. Well, lets put them to use then. You see the tar-get there? Three shots. Three bulls-eyes. Think you can do that?

Aye, Jonasim said. I think I can.Thwip. Thwap. Thwip. The arrows leaped rom the lads bow,

and one-two-three, they plunged into the bulls-eye.

Eyebrows raised and lips pursed, Alastair nodded to Jona-sim. Not bad. Nice grouping too. You advance. Wait over by thealder tree.

Next up was a dark-skinned lad named Duskan Vanimore.Please, Sirrah Tolke, he said, ducking his head as i Alastairwere some kind o royalty, would it be obtuse or me to inquireas to the nature o the prize?

Gold, Alastair said. Among other things too great to revealto anyone but he who stands victorious at the end o the day.

Or she! came a erce voice rom behind Duskans broad back.When the speaker emerged, she at rst seemed a child. She

stood no more than ve eet tall, with large eyes and cute puck-ered lips. She wore a motley combination o light leather armorand ancy attire. She might have been comical i her voice werentso womanly and serious.

The poster did not disqualiy women rom the contest. Shegestured behind her. I know most o theseboysand I canbest about all o them.


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- 16 -

Some o the lads behind her laughed openly. Duskan remainedsilent.

Alastair cursed himsel or not making it clear that only mencould compete. Ater all, the prophecy did say Wait, he thought.Did the prophecy say who could? He couldnt remember. Nomatter. What is your name, lass?

Laeriss, she said. Laeriss Fenstalker.Well, Laeriss Fenstalker, you need to wait your turn. Come,

Duskan, let your bow sing, i it will.

Yes, sirrah. Duskan took up his bow. The lads eatureswere smooth, as i carved and crated by a master sculptor. Inact, everything about Duskan was smooth. His movements, theway he put an arrow to the bowstring, the way he held his ormeven ater the arrow was gonevelvet smooth. Alastair won-dered at him. Could this be the Halainin? He had to catch hisbreathhope and joy threatened to burstbut not yet. More

tests remained.Three arrows and three bulls-eyes laterthe grouping notquite as tight as JonasimsDuskan had passed the rst testasAlastair thought he would and much to the delight o the thicken-ing crowd on the walls. Some spectators had even grown so boldas to leave the city and venture into the airgrounds.

Laeriss came next and, true to her word, put three arrows inthe gold.

A strong pull, Alastair thought. Hed expected thered be earlysuccess. In a mining town like Thel-Mizaret there were bound tobe some talented warriors. But these rst three were exemplary.One o them was bound to be the Halainin. All the prophecieswere coming true. Alastair silently exulted. It was more joy thanhed elt in a dozen years.

The next handul o candidates produced a much dierent

result. First, there was club-ooted Negis Gorber, whose initialshot plunged into the bulls-eye. His second shot, however, doveinto the sod three eet in ront o the target. In the process, he


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lookingforA hero

somehow managed to slash his orearm with the bowstring andwas unable to continue. Then there was young Darius Nook, who

couldnt keep an arrow nocked long enough to re it rom thebow. And worst o all was Carvel Ploddington. When Alastairhanded him the bow, Carvels rst words were, Cant we startwith sumpin else?

The bow, Alastair said.Cause Im really good with the sword.Three shots, Alastair said curtly. Three bulls-eyes or you

join the spectators.Carvel grimaced and looked down at the bow as i it were a

snake liable to strike. He nocked an arrow and took aim. Carvelpanicked, yanked back the bowstring, and let the arrow fy.

And fy it did. Straight into the top o a nearby apple tree.Ahhgh! came a sudden yelp rom the treetop. Branches

snapped. A person appeared, tumbling rom bough to bough and

nally dropping awkwardly to the ground. But clearly, he was notdead. This lad leaped to his eet. Both hands few to his backsideand he hopped around like hed sat in a replace. Ya shot me! heyelled as he hopped. Ya shot me! Im dyin, I am! Youve kilt me!

Alastair was rst to the lad, ollowed by many o the othercontestants. And indeed, he had been shot through with Carvelserrant arrow. The point had penetrated the seat o the teensbreeches. The fetchings were visible on one side o the lads rearand the arrowhead protruded rom the other side.

Hold still, lad! Alastair yelled. Hold still!Whining and muttering, the lad inally stopped hopping

around. Im dying! You kilt me!Oh, no! yelped Carvel. I didnt mean to! He turned to

Alastair. Hes not going to die, is he?Not hardly, Alastair said. With a swit ficker o his hand,

he whipped the arrow right out o the lads trousers. He held thearrow up so that the lad whod been shot could see it. Therenow, not even a speck o blood.


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- 18 -

But?It was close, Alastair said, but the arrow missed your bot-

tom entirely. Youll need these britches stitched up, but youllhave to wait another day or a heroic death. What were youdoing up in that tree, anyway?

Watchin, he muttered, his ace red. With his wild thatcho wheat-brown hair, he looked like a turnip that had just beenpicked. Me mum said I wuz too young tenter mesel.

Whats your name, lad?

Tonsel, the boy said.Well, Tonsel, Alastair said, i you believe you have the

skills to enter such a contest now, I can only imagine what kindo warrior you will be in a ew years when youre old enough.See, thisquestthat Im on, well, Im looking or someone abit older.

Tonsel nodded bravely. Kay.

Good show, Alastair said. Now, o you go. Find a saerperchon the city walls. I daresay you have nothing to earrom us there. Then Alastair turned back to Carvel Plodding-ton. Sorry, Carvel lad, but I dont believe youll be needing this.Alastair snatched the bow rom Carvels hand. In act, or thesake o all o our buttocks, I think it best that you never pick upa bow again.

The other contestants laughed, and Alastair immediatelywished he hadnt been so demeaning. There was nothing quiteas mortiying or a young man as being embarrassed in ront opeers, especially i that group counted young ladies in its number.

Carvel looked at his shoes and then back up at Alastair. Iknow Im no good with the bow, he said. Its swordplay or axesor me. Cant I just do that part or you?

Alastair remembered how his mother had treated him when

hed ailed, so he looked kindly upon the lad. Youre a braveyoung man, Carvel. You came out and contested, when so many


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lookingforA hero

others stayed on the wall or he drew close to Carvel and whis-pered or climbed trees to watch.

Carvels chin rose a little. He grinned.I have a eeling about you, Alastair said. I have a eel-

ing you are very good at the sword. I should know, as it is myspecialty as well. But or this contest, its all or nothing. I wish Icould explain more, Carvel. But do not walk away with a heavyheart. Remember, you stepped orward.

When Carvel walked away, he did so with his chin held high.

What had begun as a group o twenty-our contestants soondiminished to seventeen. Ater the javelin, eleven remained. Thenal event or the day, a race up a steep hillside while wearing asatchel ull o stones, narrowed the group to ve: Jonasim, Laeriss,Duskan, and brother and sister twins, Niar and Nairi Jaiktide.

Get a good nights rest, Alastair told them. I have a longnight opreparationahead o me, so well begin at noon. Meet

me just outside o the city gate. Come ready, with sharp mind andblade. Youll need both.


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- 20 -

CHAPTER 4

tAming wAter

When frst has become last

And old aith has passed,

The Halainin, the Halainin.

When evil comes callin

And towers are allingThe Halainin, the Halainin.

In times awhen all broke men despair,

Allhaven will send us a love and a care,

A warrior so valiant and rare,

The Halainin, will save us.

A Myridian Folksong

By Dannal Newfellow

9 Celesandur 2212

Whats with the hole? Niar asked, scratching at a dark brownsideburn that ran all the way down to his chin.


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- 21 -

tAming wAter

And whats with the shelleck paddles? asked Nairi, lookingaround. They had gathered outside the city walls in a patch o

hardpan where the old stables used to be. Are we going to playa game?

Not exactly, Alastair said. You see, I am not only lookingor a warrior with unparalleled skills, but heor shemust pos-sess wisdom well beyond his years.

Well, that rules you out, Nairi, Niar said to his sister.Ha! she replied, her dark green eyes smoldering. Such bra-

vado! But who was it who couldnt lace his boots without helpthis morning?

Jonasim laughed and looked down at his own boots.Duskan was silent, but considered the elements laid beore

them. There were two shelleck paddles: wide wooden saucerswith leather-wrapped handles about the size o a normal swordhat. There was no net or ball. Duskan looked or a thread to pull

that might unravel this mystery. He ound none.What must we do? Laeriss asked.Ah, a very good question, Alastair said. I said you wont

be playing a game. But to solve this conundrum, you will need toassume that you were indeed playing shelleck, but the ball escapedyou and went down this hole.

The youths stared down at the ground. There was a perectlyround opening just large enough or a shelleck ball to t down.

So get another ball, Niar said.Ah, but you cannot, Alastair replied. You see, this shelleck

ball is the only one in the city. And you cannot carve another one.Thats stupid, Nairi said.Nonetheless, Alastair said, these are the rules o this

challenge.What sort o hole is this, Sirrah? Duskan asked.

Another excellent question. Its more than a hole. Actually,its an iron tube, two eet o iron tube, anchored in the ground by


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- 22 -

elstone. Your task is to retrieve the ball without damaging it. Butall you may use are the paddles, the laces that tie up your boots,

and your waterskins.Dont worry, Niar, his sister said, Ill help you get your

boot laces ree.Niar glared at her.Can we work as a team? asked Jonasim.Ill leave that to you, Alastair said. Begin.YAY! came a high voice rom above. It was Tonsel, sitting

on the edge o the city wall. Apparently hed gotten up early justto watch.

Alastair waved and received a very enthusiastic wave in return.Duskan, will you work with me? Jonasim asked.Certainly, he replied. You are kind to ask. He turned to

Laeriss. Will you join us as well?Uhm, uhsure, she replied. Twins too? Maybe just one

big team?No, Niar said. I can do this mysel.Not beore I do, Nairi said.Alastair shook his head. You have one hour.

Time! Alastair called out. He summoned the youths back.Niar and Nairi stood about three eet apart, both witharms olded, rowning. They looked like angry mirror images. Bycontrast, Duskan, Jonasim, and Laeriss returned with smiles. Theywere uncertain, nervous smiles, but smiles nonetheless.

Now then, Alastair said, you will take your turn.Sir Tolke! Nairi said. Id like to go rst.So be it, Alastair said.Me next, said Niar.Fine. Alastair looked to the other three. Did you remain a

team? Or did you split apart?We stayed together, Laeriss said.


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tAming wAter

Alastair nodded. You will go last then. Nairi, remain. Therest o you, enter the city and wait or my command.

When the others departed, Alastair walked over to the hole. Iam ready to see your solution, Nairi.

Nairi looked at the hole and back to Alastair. Honestly, sir,she said. I dont think my solution will work.

Why then did you volunteer to go rst?Well, I knew none o the others could watch the rst one go,

right? Otherwise, they could see what the other had done. I just

didnt want anyone to see me mess up. Especially my brother.I have to admit, Alastair said, I had my doubts about the

two o youthe way youve bickered so much. And your inde-pendence, while admirable in some ways, could become a prideuldisaster. I know something o this.

Nairi rowned pensively.However, Alastair went on, you were clever enough

to think this throughand courageous enough to admit yourshortcomings.Thank you, sir.Still, you must show your solution.Nairi nodded and picked up the shelleck paddles. She had

already removed the laces rom one o her boots, and now shewent to work tying one end o the lace to the handle o one o thepaddles. She tied the other end o the lace to the other paddle sothat the lace now hung between the two handles in a kind o loop.

Nairi looked up to Alastair or a nod or some other sign oapproval. She received none, and so went back to work. The ironpipe was narrow, perhaps three inches in diameterjust large enoughor the shellack ball to slide into it. Nairi held a paddle in each handand let the lace-loop dangle into the pipe opening. She loweredthe lace-loop into the pipe until she elt some resistance. It seemed

the right depth, about two eet o lace.Now or the tough part, shethought, shing in the loop so that it would drop beneath the ball.


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- 24 -

She twisted the paddles this way and that, one higher, onelower and then tried rom dierent angles. It didnt seem to be

working. There just wasnt enough space between the shelleck balland the inner surace o the iron tube. Ah, wait! I eel it. Just atiny bit o weight on the loop. She looked at Alastair. Ready orthis?

He nodded.Okay, here it comes! In a swit but controlled movement,

Nairi drew her hands apart, causing the lace loop to withdraw

rom the pipe with a snap.Alastair heard the clatter o the wooden ball as it ricocheted

within the pipe. The lace came outbut the ball did not.Oh, Nairi said sadly. Do I get another try?Alastair nodded. I you wish.Nairi did wish. She tried againand again. But each time the

result was the same. The ball would travel a ew inches up the

tube, and then the bootlaces would slide out rom underneath it.Not once did the ball come within a oot o leaving the tube.I am sorry, Nairi, Alastair said. And he was. What had

begun as a contest ull o hopeuls, any one o whom Alastairthought could be the young Halainin, had diminished to a tinyeld. O course, it had to. Only one could end up being the herothe sword in the stars had pointed to.

Wait over here, Alastair said, and he went to etch Niar.When they approached the hole, Niar ran to his sister. Did

you But Niar never nished the question. He could tell romNairis expression. Im sorry, sister.

Niari trudged to the oot o the alder tree and sat down towatch her brother.

Proceed, Niar, said Alastair said.Niar picked up the shelleck paddles and saw how his sis-

ter had strung them together with the laces. That was clever, hethought. But he would never tell her so. He untied the laces and


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- 25 -

tAming wAter

dropped one o the paddles. His plan didnt involve the laces atall, so he dropped those as well.

He looked up at Alastair and then ell to his knees near thepipe. Then, using the shelleck paddle like a spade, Niar began todig. Two eet down, thats all. I I can loosen the pipe rom thestone down there, then Ill have it! As he suspected it would, thesoil around the pipe came ree easily. Mr. Tolke had prepared thisthe night beore, so no matter how hard he packed in the dirt, itwould be easier to dig through than normal, more established soil.

Kkuuurrrrssst! The paddle struck something hard. Awww,not the elstone already, Niar groused. He tried the paddlerom a dierent angle and, ater an inch o uninhibited digging,crunched into the stone once more. Niar glanced up to Alastair,who sighed and raised an eyebrow.

Niar dug everishly, but managed only to scrape the edge othe shelleck paddle to splinters. He threw down the paddle in

disgust and rose to one knee. At the last moment, he seemed tohave a brainstorm. Without looking back at Alastair, Niar put hismouth to the pipeand began to suck.

Uughuck! Niar ell away rom the pipe and landedsmartly on his rear end. His mouth wide, he coughed and hackedand spat until, at last, a blue beetle few out o his mouth.

Not sure how that got in there, said Alastair, trying hardnot to laugh. I dont suppose the shelleck ball is in your mouthas well?

Red rom chin to crown, Niar shook his head and joined hissister.

Alastair let them to gather the other three youths. When hereturned, he noted that a ew more sleepy townsolk had joinedyoung Tonsel on the wall to watch.

Cmon, you guys! Tonsel yelled down. How hard can it

be?Oh, you think you could do it? Laeriss called back up to him.


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- 26 -

Well Tonsel made a ace. Maybe I could.Laeriss grinned at Duskan and Jonasim.

I hope youve come up with something, Alastair said.Uh, we have an idea, Jonasim said. We think it will work.Did they get it? asked Laeriss. Did they get the ball out?Niar and Niari stared in opposite directions. Alastair shook

his head.Alastair handed Duskan the paddles, but he handed them

back. Thank you, Sirrah, he said, but our plan does not involve

the paddles at all.Really? Alastair stretched the word out. And all at once

he elt the strange joyous anticipation again. Surely one o thesethree would be the Halainin. But which one? Duskan? Jona-sim? Laeriss? Laeriss was certainly impressive, but still, Alastaircouldnt admit to misinterpreting the Books o Lore. He took adeep breath. Well, show us your solution then.

It was Jonasim who rst put us on to the thought, Duskansaid. He has played shelleck oten and remarked at how light theball wasmade with dimpled cottonwood, he thought.

Laeriss approached the pipe and removed a waterskin romher belt. So we wondered i the ball might just be light enoughto foat.

The twins gasped. Laeriss misunderstood and a chill ran upher spine. Oh, no, theyve already tried thisand it didnt work.

Itll work, Jonasim whispered. Go on. Pour it in.Laeriss pulled the stopper and poured her waterskin into the

pipe. Glad I didnt drink it, she said, stepping out o the wayor Duskan.

Duskan carried two waterskins, and he poured them both in.I believe I can see the ball in there now, he said. Jonasim, theball foats!

Alastair grinned. They had it. Theyd igured it out. Well,almost. But the last obstacle shouldnt hinder them.


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- 27 -

tAming wAter

Well, said Jonasim, here we go. He poured in his water-skin. The shelleck ball rose with the water level. They could all see

the ball clearly now.Can you reach it? asked Laeriss.II think, Jonasim said. He poked his ngers into the pipe

as ar as they could go. Then he sighed. I cant reach it.Let me try, Duskan said. I am certain my ngers are lon-

ger. Duskan tried, but while his ngers were indeed longer, hestill could not reach the ball.

Let me try, said Laeriss. My hands are smaller. And theywere, but not small enough to reach into the pipe ar enough toreach the ball. Oh, no.

The three youths stood around the pipe and aced Alastair.Alastair looked to the skies. They were so close. How could

they miss that nalWait! Laeriss said. Wait, we didnt think this through.

Sure we did, said Jonasim. We needed to get the ballout o the pipe with only the paddles, our boot laces, and ourwaterskins.

Right! Laeriss said, exulting. Mr. Tolke said we could useourwaterskins. Without another word, she walked over to thelummoxed twins and took their waterskins. First, she pouredNiars into the pipe. Then, Nairis. The shelleck ball rose to thetop o the pipe and ell harmlessly to the ground. Laeriss pickedup the ball and said, We have solved the riddle.

Hoorah! Alastair said. Brilliant!You did it! You did it! Tonsel cried. Just the way I thought

it should be done too!I told you we should have worked together, Nairi said as

she and her brother walked slowly back to the village gate.Oh stu it, Sis, he replied. You said no such thing.

So what happens now? asked Jonasim. Do we all threewin?
http://www.parable.com/parable/item.The-Sword-in-the-Stars-Batson-Wayne-Thomas.9780899578774.htm


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Cmi i 2011 fm Lii I Bs

the errant kIng

(Book 2 In the Dark Sea annaLS SerIeS)

Wayne Thomas Batson

www.SwordInTheStars.com

www.DarkSeaAnnals.net

F ucsi ifmi isi

.LiiIBs.cm

cll 800-266-4977

Deep in the caves o the distant Hinterlands, an ancient men-

ace stirs. ownsolk shudder at violent memories o he Red

Queen and even dare to whisper the name Raudrim. At the same

time, word comes to Alastair that Cythraul has at last resuraced,

seeking a devastating weapon in the ruins o Grayvalon. Blood-

soaked clues lead Alastair into a conrontation rom which only

one warrior will return alive. Meanwhile in Anglinore, youngLochlan Stormgarden, the new High King o Myriad, leaves the

pomp and politics o the throne once too oten. While blending

in with the people o his kingdom, Loch suddenly realizes that hes

put them all at risk. Te ate o his new ound love Arianna, his

best riend elwyn, his amily, and indeed the world o Myriad all

depend on the decisions o the errant king.


39/42


the woLF oF teBron

(Book 1 In the gateS oF heaven SerIeS)

C. S. Lakin

ISBN-13: 978-0-89957-888-0

F ucsi ifmi isi

.LiiIBs.cm

cll 800-266-4977

All Joran wanted was to live a peaceul lie in his orested vil-

lage o ebron. But when his wie, Charris, is captured by the

Moon in a whisk o magic, he must go on a grueling journey to the

our corners o the world to rescue her. On his way, he beriends

a wol named Ruyah who becomes a trusted companion while he

solves riddles and eventually battles the Moon to save his wie.
http://www.wolfoftebron.com/


40/42


the Map aCroSS tIMe

(Book 2 In the gateS oF heaven SerIeS)

C. S. Lakin

ISBN-13: 978-0-89957-889-7

F ucsi ifmi isi

.LiiIBs.cm

cll 800-266-4977

An ancient curse plagues the kingdom o Sherbourne, and unlessitis stopped, all will all to ruin. Te King, obsessed with greed, can-not see the danger. But his teenage twin children, Aletha and Adin,know they must act. A hermit leads Adin to a magical map that willsend him back in time to discover the origin o the curse. Once back,Adin must fnd the Keeper, who protects the Gates o Heaven, but allhe has is a symbol as a clue to guide him. Unbeknown to Adin, Ale-tha ollows her brother, but they both arrive in Sherbournes past atthe precipice o a great war, and there is little time to discover how tocounteract the curse. An epic airy tale with surprising twists, embrac-ing the enduring power o love.
http://www.mapacrosstime.com/


41/42

Cmi S fm Lii I Bs

SworDS oF the SIx

(Book 1 In the SworD oF the Dragon SerIeS)

Scott Appleton

ISBN-13: 978-0-89957-860-6

F ucsi ifmi isi

.LiiIBs.cm

cll 800-266-4977

Betrayed in ancient times by his choice warriors, the dragon

prophet sets a plan in motion to bring the traitors to justice. On

thousand years later, he hatches human daughters rom eggs and

arms them with the traitors swords. Either the traitors will repent,

or justice will be served.
http://www.swordsofthesix.com/


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