The Sworn Knight

by Robert Ryan

  Yet that was not her greatest concern.

  Epilogue

  When their wounds were bandaged and they had rested briefly, Ferla insisted they find the bodies of each of the beasts. She would not risk the were-stones ever being found and used again.

  It was a grim task, but they each carried it out without complaint. No one disagreed that it was necessary.

  Destroying the stones was a harder matter, though. Night had set around them by the time they were done, and for once they lit a fire. Cold, wet and wounded they had need of warmth. And Ferla surmised it would be the only way to destroy the stones.

  She did not think they were indestructible as the Morleth Stone was. But the task would require heat. Heat, and magic.

  When they had rested as long as they dared, she cast the stones into the fire and then fed it with her magic until it leaped as high as the treetops in twining columns of multihued brilliance that tore the night. The others, holding her up for she nearly fell, were solemn.

  When she was done, she withdrew her magic and the fire winked out. Only a black hollow in the ground was left, full of greasy ashes. Kubodin, holding a flaming branch, kicked it with his boots, searching for any remnant of the stones.

  “Gone,” he said. “And good riddance.”

  “Time for us to be gone also,” Ferla told them.

  She could barely stand and they knew it. But they did not argue. They would not spend the night here with the corpses of the beasts all around, and the threat of being found.

  “But where do we go to?” Asana asked, and there was sympathy in his eyes as there always seemed to be when he looked at her.

  Ferla was not sure of the answer. It was an impossible choice.

  Was it possible Savanest had tricked her? Were his words mere deceit intended to distract during battle?

  She did not believe so. The magic had connected them, and at that moment she would have sensed any lie. A part of her was in his mind.

  No. Faran was found. And he would die. Unless, perhaps, she could reach him in time. But that would mean putting aside her duty as seventh knight. Could she choose between love and duty?

  She moved off into the night without giving answer. The storm had cleared and the air was fresh. The sweet scent of wet grass, pine and damp herbage came to her. The world was beautiful, but just now it meant nothing to her.

  Asana, and Kubodin, having since retrieved his mule, followed silently. She did not tell them her final choice. Nor did they ask.

  Thus ends The Sworn Knight. The Kingshield series continues in book five, The Scarlet Knight. Therein, Faran will discover more of his true destiny. And where the evil of the Morleth Stone will bend its dark will to destroying him. For it cannot allow him to live…

  THE SCARLET KNIGHT

  BOOK FIVE OF THE KINGSHIELD SERIES

  COMING SOON

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  Dedication

  There’s a growing movement in fantasy literature. Its name is noblebright, and it’s the opposite of grimdark.

  Noblebright celebrates the virtues of heroism. It’s an old-fashioned thing, as old as the first story ever told around a smoky campfire beneath ancient stars. It’s storytelling that highlights courage and loyalty and hope for the spirit of humanity. It recognizes the dark, the dark in us all, and the dark in the villains of its stories. It recognizes death, and treachery and betrayal. But it dwells on none of these things.

  I dedicate this book, such as it is, to that which is noblebright. And I thank the authors before me who held the torch high so that I could see the path: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Susan Cooper, Roger Taylor and many others. I salute you.

  And, for a time, I too shall hold the torch high.

  Appendix: Encyclopedic Glossary

  Note: the glossary of each book in this series is individualized for that book alone. Additionally, there is often historical material provided in its entries for people, artifacts and events that are not included in the main text.

  Many races dwell in Alithoras. All have their own language, and though sometimes related to one another the changes sparked by migration, isolation and various influences often render these tongues unintelligible to each other.

  The ascendancy of Halathrin culture, combined with their widespread efforts to secure and maintain allies against elug incursions, has made their language the primary means of communication between diverse peoples.

  This glossary contains a range of names and terms. Many are of Halathrin origin, and their meaning is provided. The remainder derive from native tongues and are obscure, so meanings are only given intermittently.

  Often, names of Camar and Halathrin elements are combined. This is especially so for the aristocracy. Few other tribes had such long-term friendship with the immortal Halathrin as the Camar, and though in this relationship they lost some of their natural culture, they gained nobility and knowledge in return.

  List of abbreviations:

  Cam. Camar

  Comb. Combined

  Cor. Corrupted form

  Chg: Cheng

  Hal. Halathrin

  Leth. Letharn

  Prn. Pronounced

  Agrak: A rune of several strokes radiating from a central point. It represents a group of doves taking flight from the ground and signifies the word “flee”.

  Alithoras: Hal. “Silver land.” The Halathrin name for the continent they settled after leaving their own homeland. Refers to the extensive river and lake systems they found and their wonder at the beauty of the land.

  Aranloth: Hal. “Noble might.” A lòhren of ancient heritage. Travels Alithoras under different names and guises.

  Asana: Chg. “Gift of light.” Rumored to be the greatest sword master in the history of the Cheng people. His father was a Duthenor tribesman.

  Bouncing Stone (the): An ancient inn built at the same time as the Tower of the Stone. It is said a smithy occupied the land previously, and here of old attempts were made to destroy the Morleth Stone.

  Brand: Duth. A heroic figure in Alithoras. Both warrior and lòhren. Stories of his exploits have spread over the land, and they kindle hope wherever they are heard.

  Caludreth: Cam. “Lord of the waves.” A poetic term in Camar literature for a ship. Once a Kingshield Knight.

  Cardoroth: Cor. Hal. Comb. Cam. A Camar city, often called Red Cardoroth. Some say this alludes to the red granite commonly used in the construction of its buildings, others that it refers to a prophecy of destruction. If so, Brand appears to have thwarted it.

  Cheng: Chg. “Warrior.” The overall name of the various related tribes that dwell in the northwest of Alithoras. It was a word for warrior in the dialect of a tribe that rose to supremacy and set an emperor above all the various clans to unite them.

  Conduil: Cam. Etymology obscure. The first king of Faladir. He broke the Siege of Faladir and founded the order of Kingshield Knights, of which he was the first.

  Danath Elbar: Hal. “Underground mansion.” Halls delved by the Halathrin into the stone of Nuril Faranar, the mountain used at times as a command post during the Shadowed Wars.

  Death-sleep: A state of suspended animation used by lòhrens of the highest order to heal from terrible wounds. It also prolongs life, for it allows the body to repair itself. It requires great skill and magic, but the practice is not without extreme risks. Especially to the mind.

  Discord: The name of Kubodin’s axe. It has two blades. One named Chaos and the other Spite.

  Dromdruin: Cam. “Valley of the ancient woods.” One of many valleys in the realm of Faladir. Home of Faran, and birthplace throughout the history of the realm of many Kingshield Knights.

&nbs
p; Drùgluck: A pattern of three slanted lines, going from right to left and each one longer than the previous. Used by some creatures of the shadow as a warning to stay away from a place because it is a sacred area that serves as a gateway between the spirit and normal worlds. Such areas are used in ceremonies and invocations for help or retribution against enemies. It is believed that at certain cycles of the moon and seasons the barriers that separate the worlds are weakened and the gateway opens. Also marks a place where the effects of sorcery linger or where there is some unspecified but lethal danger. Often it signifies several of these things at once.

  Druilgar: Hal. “Spear star – a comet.” King of Faladir, and First Knight of the Kingshield Knights. Descendent of King Conduil.

  Duthenor: Duth. “The people.” A tribe of people farther to the west of Camar lands. Related to the Camar, and sharing many common legends and experiences. But different also.

  Elves: See Halathrin.

  Elù-drak: Hal. “Shadow wings.” A creature of the dark. Deadly, and used by sorcerers to gather information and assassinate chosen victims. The female of the species is the most dangerous, having the power to inspire terror and bend victims to her will. Few can resist. Of old, even great warriors succumbed and willingly let the creature take their life. One of the more terrible creatures of the Old World.

  Elùgai: Hal. Prn. Eloo-guy. “Shadowed force.” The sorcery of an elùgroth.

  Elù-haraken: Hal. “Shadowed wars.” Long ago battles in a time that is become myth to the scattered Camar tribes.

  Faladir: Cam. “Fortress of Light.” A Camar city founded out of the ruinous days of the elù-haraken.

  Faran: Cam. “Spear of the night – a star.” A name of good luck. Related to the name Dardenath, though of a later layer of linguistic change. A young hunter from Dromdruin valley. His grandfather was a Kingshield Knight, though not the first of their ancestors to be so.

  Ferla: Cam. “Unforeseen bounty.” A young hunter from Dromdruin valley.

  First Knight: The designated leader of the Kingshield Knights.

  Halathrin: Hal. “People of Halath.” A race of elves named after an honored lord who led an exodus of his people to the land of Alithoras in pursuit of justice, having sworn to defeat a great evil. They are human, though of fairer form, greater skill and higher culture. They possess a unity of body, mind and spirit that enables insight and endurance beyond the native races of Alithoras. Said to be immortal, but killed in great numbers during their conflicts in ancient times with the evil they sought to destroy. Those conflicts are collectively known as the Shadowed Wars.

  Harakgar (the): Leth. “The three sisters.” Creatures of magic brought into being by the Letharn. Their purpose is to protect the tombs of their creators from robbery.

  Hundred (the): A resistance group established in Faladir to prepare the way for the coming of the seventh knight.

  Kareste: Hal. “Ice unlocking – the spring thaw.” A lòhren of mysterious origin. Friend to Aranloth, but usually more active farther north in Alithoras than Faladir.

  Kingshield Knights: An order of knights founded by King Conduil. Their sacred task is to guard the indestructible Morleth Stone from theft and use by the evil forces of the world. They are more than great warriors, being trained in philosophy and the arts also. In addition to their prime function as guards, they travel the land at whiles dispensing justice and offering of their wisdom and council.

  Kubodin: Chg. Etymology unknown. A wild hillman from the lands of the Cheng. Simple appearing, but far more than he seems. Asana’s manservant.

  Lady of the Land (the): The spirit of the land. It is she whom lòhrens serve, though her existence is seldom discussed.

  Letharn: Hal. “Stone raisers. Builders.” A race of people that in antiquity conquered most of Alithoras. Now, only faint traces of their civilization endure.

  Lindercroft: Cam. “Rising mountain crashes – a wave rolling into the seashore.” A Kingshield Knight. Youngest of the order.

  Lòhren: Hal. Prn. Ler-ren. “Knowledge giver – a counselor.” Other terms used by various nations include wizard, druid and sage.

  Lòhren-fire: A defensive manifestation of lòhrengai. The color of the flame varies according to the skill and temperament of the lòhren.

  Magic: Mystic power. See lòhrengai and elùgai.

  Maldurn: Cam. “Swimming eel.” A soldier of Faladir. His name is typical of some inland villages of the realm where the tradition of ocean related names is maintained but adapted to the local environment.

  Menendil: Hal. “Sign of hope.” Sometimes called Mender. His is an old family, and he can trace his lineage back to the days before the founding of Faladir to a liegeman of the then chieftain. Unusually, his name is not of Camar origin. Family history records that his forefather was a seer, and was greatly esteemed by his lord.

  Morleth Stone: Hal. “Round stone.” The name signifies that such a stone is not natural. It is formed by elùgai for sorcerous purposes. The stone is strengthened by arcane power to act as a receptacle of enormous force. Little is known of their making and uses except that they are rare and that elùgroths perish during their construction. The stone guarded by the Kingshield Knights in Faladir is said to be the most powerful of all that were created. And to be sentient.

  Norgril: Cam. “Leaping fish.” A member of the Hundred.

  Norla: Cam. “Fish hunter – fisherman.” Wife of Menendil.

  Nuatha: Cam. “Silver wanderer – a stream.” A vagabond healer that travels widely throughout Faladir. Aranloth in one of his guises.

  Nuril Faranar: Hal. “Lonely watchman.” A single mountain rising above the flat lands that border Halathar. Used as a vantage point and command post for several great battles during the elù-haraken. Currently under the guardianship of Asana. For this, Aranloth interceded on his behalf.

  Nurthil Wood: Cam. “Dark secrets.” A great forest north of Faladir. Home to outlaws and disaffected from the wide lands all around. Once, a stronghold of the forces of darkness, but cleansed by succeeding kings of Faladir.

  Osahka: Leth. “The guide – specifically a spiritual or moral guide.” A title of enormous reverence and respect. Applied to Aranloth for his role as spiritual leader of the Kingshield Knights.

  Savanest: Cam. “Subtle skill.” A Kingshield Knight. All the knights think of each other as brothers. But Savanest and Sofanil are also brothers by blood.

  Shadow Fliers: See elù-drak.

  Shadowed Lord (the): Once, a lòhren. But he succumbed to evil and pursued forbidden knowledge and powers. He created an empire of darkness and struck to conquer all Alithoras during the elù-haraken. He was defeated, but his magic had become greater than any ever known. Some say he will return from death to finish the war he started. Whether that is so, no one knows. But the order of lòhrens guard against it, and many evils that served him yet live.

  Shadowed Wars: See elù-haraken.

  Sofanil: Cam. “Sharp of wits.” A Kingshield Knight. All the knights think of each other as brothers. But Sofanil and Savanest are also brothers by blood.

  Sorcerer: See elùgroth.

  Sorcery: See elùgai.

  Three Sisters: See harakgar.

  Tower of the Stone: The tower King Conduil caused to be built to serve as the guarding structure of the Morleth Stone. Some claim his sarcophagus rests upon its pinnacle, as it was the custom of some ancient Camar royalty to be interred on a high place where the lights of the sun, moon and stars still lit their long sleep.

  Way of the Sword: The martial aspect of the training of a Kingshield Knight.

  Were-beast: A creature of the shadow. Said to be able to shapeshift from animal to human form.

  Were-hound: A creature of the shadow that takes the form of a dog.

  Were-stone: An artifact of sorcery. Used by elùgroths in ancient days to control servants and transform them against their will into beasts. Different stones have slightly different powers, and thus different beasts are created. Usually for
med out of pearls, but not always.

  Wizard: See lòhren.

  About the author

  I’m a man born in the wrong era. My heart yearns for faraway places and even further afield times. Tolkien had me at the beginning of The Hobbit when he said, “. . . one morning long ago in the quiet of the world . . .”

  Sometimes I imagine myself in a Viking mead-hall. The long winter night presses in, but the shimmering embers of a log in the hearth hold back both cold and dark. The chieftain calls for a story, and I take a sip from my drinking horn and stand up . . .

  Or maybe the desert stars shine bright and clear, obscured occasionally by wisps of smoke from burning camel dung. A dry gust of wind marches sand grains across our lonely campsite, and the wayfarers about me stir restlessly. I sip cool water and begin to speak.

  I’m a storyteller. A man to paint a picture by the slow music of words. I like to bring faraway places and times to life, to make hearts yearn for something they can never have, unless for a passing moment.