Time of Daughters II

by Sherwood Smith

  With the examples of Totha and Telyer Heyas before them, Demeos Nyidri, who had stepped forward as jarl on the death of Ivandred Noth, declared himself King of Perideth.

  To stem further erosion of Marlovan Iasca, Noddy embarked on a tour of the kingdom, patiently listening to complaints and accusations alike. Unnumbered Marlovans came angry, and went away heartened, assuaged, at least neutral.

  Meeting the three leaders in the Hesea Plains between two of the great rivers, Nadran-Harvaldar signed the Treaty of the Rivers, officially recognizing Totha and Telyer Heyas as allied realms, and Perideth as well. Though in after-years, once Starliss Cassad’s progeny took up the deep-rooted Sartoran inclinations of the Nyidri family, that alliance was more of a wary truce on Perideth’s part.

  Mouse Noth, embittered over the utter betrayal of his family who had served loyally for generations, ran Perideth’s defense, in tandem with Colt Cassad, whose people were legitimized as border Riders, with their own chain of command. Mouse Noth and Colt Cassad shared their resentment against the Olavayirs, who had proved yet again to be terrible kings, a resentment so fierce it not only outlasted Noddy’s reign but was passed down the generations afterward.

  Starliss made an excellent queen, her only stipulation being that Lavais Nyidri be left where she was. By that time Demeos so enjoyed his life that he had no intention of putting himself under his embittered mother’s poisonous rule once again, and so, though she lived to see Perideth restored as a kingdom, and her son as king, Lavais herself spent the rest of her life tending her vegetable garden. But she’d gotten pretty good at her loom.

  Bleak as Noddy’s kingship began, it did not continue all regret and resignation.

  Directly after signing the Treaty of the Rivers, Noddy confirmed Ghost Fath as Jarl of Fath, a decision hailed by all those in the north. Wolf Senelaec outlasted the Jarl of Gannan by a year, after which Senelaec was absorbed into Tyavayir, except for the once-hotly contested westlands returning to Marlovayir. Braids Senelaec remained chief of the Eastern Alliance, and though he was not a jarl, he was as powerful as a king. The horse thieving trade dried up during his lifetime, and trade along the southern pass flourished. Stick Tyavayir became commander of the King’s Army for Noddy’s lifetime.

  Bunny’s daughter came in due time, and proved to be the delight of Danet’s life. Bunny continued to live at the royal castle, and though eventually she had the occasional lover, she never married again, or had another child.

  Danet, who’d insisted on moving up to the old senior gunvaer tower, remained a welcome part of the family.

  Ranet kept her promise and sent her daughters when Iris turned sixteen. Iris was gorgeous, with her father’s blue eyes, and her singer’s voice, which she used often. Little Hliss was horse-mad, and would later marry into the Sindan-Ans. But under her grandmother Fuss’s strict upbringing Iris had settled into a bewitching mixture of her unknown grandmother Fi’s charming wickedness mitigated by Ranet’s clear vision.

  So, when the somewhat unprepossessing Adrani second prince came over for a diplomatic visit (to look around and make sure the Marlovans were staying put, and not boiling up another war) he fell hard for Iris. Whether she fell for him or for his title, the world will never know: She played fair, becoming a loyal princess to her prince once she moved to Anaeran-Adrani at age twenty, where she reigned with grace and charm over the Adrani court.

  Noddy ruled for thirty quiet years, broken only by occasional troubles, mostly dealt with by Braids and Henad until they were able to raise capable commanders again. It has been pointed out in later times by those most ignorant of their own history that the Olavayir kings ranged from bad to mediocre, claiming Noddy the worst of them because he lost so much land. Those with more foresight observe that few write ballads about the peaceful times: Arrow and Noddy together gave the kingdom sixty relatively peaceful (Danet would have said unheroic) years, broken only by outsiders bringing trouble.

  Meanwhile Jarend Olavayir, Noddy’s heir, assumed more and more responsibility in the northwest.

  Jarend became jarl after Tanrid died. Five years later Noddy slipped away in his sleep, and Jarend inherited the throne.

  Jarend was by nature the most rigid and rule-bound of the Olavayir kings. Within the first five years of his reign, he not only reinstituted the “last in line gets beaten” rule, which he had relished during his academy years, but he carried his grudge against women—and his distorted memory of women sneaking in to murder the king he’d admired above all others—to close the academy, and the army, to women.

  Back in 4095, Camerend had, after the kingdom had been peaceful for an entire year, admitted that the one wish of his heart was for the Montredavan-An line not to die out.

  Savarend was born in 4095, Isa in 4096, and Noren in 4098. Noren Montredavan-An had wanderlust, and ended up sailing the coastal patrol out of Lindeth. Isa was a scholar, leading magic studies as a royal runner.

  The third year into Jarend Olavayir’s reign, late one night Quill found Lineas up in the tower library she loved best, which looked westward over Darchelde. She stood before the fireplace with one of her journals, tossing it lightly from hand to hand.

  “What are you doing?” Quill asked, coming up to put his arms around her. “I take it you finished another one? There are plenty of fresh bound books down in the scribe chamber.”

  “I’m considering whether to chuck this, and the rest of them, into the fire,” she admitted.

  He peered into her face, startled. Disturbed. “Why?”

  She looked away, her profile unhappy. “Who could possibly want to read my ravings?”

  “I don’t know what you write in there, but I’m very sure it’s not raving.”

  She met his worried gaze, then tossed the book at him, closely covered pages flapping. “See for yourself.”

  Quill looked down at the tiny, coded hand, then up at her, trying to intuit what prompted this mood. “I would like to very much, but it’ll probably take time to learn your code. I think I’d appreciate revisiting the past through your eyes, written in your wise and compassionate words.”

  “Wise.” She snorted, more like a girl of sixteen than like a middle-aged mother, soon to be grandmother. “I have never in my life felt wise. Especially as I scrambled to understand what everyone else seemed to know.” She smiled reluctantly. “It seemed life never let me be still long enough to sit and try to be wise.”

  “Camerend once told me that wisdom is not a lake, but a river. Unlike a lake, which can become stagnant, a river is forever reinventing itself as it moves along. So flows knowledge through time, gathering strength until it becomes the wisdom of the sea.”

  He cocked his head. “The wisdom of the sea. I do love that image, though I don’t know how wise the sea is. More relentless, I should think.” He pulled her back onto the settee they often sat on to watch the sunset together, and leaned over to tap the worn-edged journal. “You are wise, my Lineas. You proved it by raising kind, long-seeing children.”

  “It seems to me you had a part in that.” She shot him a wry glance. “Why the flattery? Are you trying to jolly me out of burning this thing? It’s not the decision of a moment of pique. I’ve been thinking it this past couple of years, as we watched Jarend Olavayir undo many of Arrow’s more generous laws, and all of Danet-Gunvaer’s changes. I am so glad she didn’t live to see that. It’s as if all her—our—hard work has come to nothing.”

  “But it hasn’t. Remember what Noren said in her last letter: Women always remember, because they write. To each other, to their descendants. And what they remember, they can bring back.”

  Lineas sighed, and leaned against him. “Well, as for that, I still don’t know if it was a good or a bad thing to have women in the army.”

  “I think it was a thing. Neither good nor bad. Like anything else.”

  And—inevitably—both their minds turned to the expected grandchild. She mused, “If Savarend and Dannor have a boy, that dreadful treaty confini
ng the family here will be lawfully concluded.”

  “And?”

  “Well, for one thing, jarlans will be looking for marriage treaties.”

  “We’re used to that with the girls.”

  Lineas turned to gaze into his eyes. “My dear, you and your father put a great deal of effort into giving our son a prince’s education.”

  “Ah. That. I see where you’re going, and you’re right. The older generation always believed we’d regain the throne. Savarend and I have talked about that. He doesn’t have any more ambition than I do, but at the same time, can’t help but think we’d do better than Jarend Olavayir.”

  It was a joke, but went awry. When he saw the tension remaining around her eyes, he added, “It’s only talk. Though I’ve no idea what our grandchildren will be like, I have confidence that Savarend will raise them well, and if one of them should marry a king, or end up as one, it will be lawfully. But the best education in itself is never amiss.”

  “True.” She leaned against his warm shoulder and gazed out the window at the golden fields of autumn. “I don’t know how wise it is. It seems to be too obvious, maybe even fatuous to say it, but peace will only happen when everyone wants it.”

  “And does the work to keep it,” he agreed, hugging her. “You can teach me the code tomorrow. Right now, come away to bed.”

  BOOKS IN THIS TIMELINE

  Inda

  The Fox

  King’s Shield

  Treason’s Shore

  Time of Daughters I & II

  Banner of the Damned

  WHO’S WHO

  The Eastern Alliance

  Tlen, Tlennen, Sindan-An, and Sindan, with the Senelaecs over to the west, were the primary horse breeders of Marlovan Iasca. The Sindan-Ans were the primary family among them, closely seconded by the Tlennens. The Tlens were by this time a much smaller jarlate, and the Sindans never held land at all—their many branches were spread among their cousins as Riders.

  Not only were these clans constantly intermarrying, their family names were often given as first names, so new boys at the new academy could be expected to meet identical-looking blondes named Tlen Sindan and Sindan Tlen—until they got a nickname.

  The Eastern Alliance jarls elected a chief among them who dealt with outsiders, and commanded the alliance when the whole needed to be raised. At the time of this record, that was Amble Sindan.

  The Noth Family

  There were three main branches of the family.

  The Algaravayir Noths descended from Senrid (Whipstick) Noth of Choreid Elgaer, who features prominently in the chronicles about Inda-Harskialdna.

  The Noths connected with Parayid Harbor in Faravayir descended from Whipstick’s second son.

  Then there are the Faral Noths, plains riders and horse masters connected to Cassad, Darchelde, and southern points. They are descended from Flatfoot Noth, Whipstick’s cousin.

  Because the Noths were scattered all over the kingdom, they are listed under the various clans and garrisons where they lived, their names bolded.

  * signifies encountered in Book One.

  Narrator

  The same narrator who oversaw the Fox memoir detailing the history of Inda Algaravayir, known as Inda Harskialdna. (Subsequent details in later records.)

  Marlovan Jarl Households and Rider Families

  Individuals connected to jarl households listed under that household. For example, Farendavan, under Tyavayir.

  Arvandais (of Lorgi Idego)

  Jarl: Hastrid [deceased]

  Jarlan: Starand

  *Daughter: Hadand “Hard Ride” [deceased]

  *Son: Haldren “Hal”, present king

  First cousin: Ndiran Arvandais. (Married to Wolf Senelaec 3 years, took daughter Marend on dissolving the marriage)

  *Third-cousins: Farendavan family [see Tyavayir]

  Anderle Vaskad: [see Nighthawk below list of jarls]

  Algaravayir

  *Iofre: Linden-Fareas

  *Aldren Noth, stable chief, guard captain

  *Daughters (by Aldren Noth): Hadand, Noren (future gunvaer)

  Adamas Totha (cousin to Iofre on mother’s side, the Iofre’s heir)

  RIDER FAMILY: NOTH

  Runners:

  *Pan Totha (runner to Noren)

  *Holly (runner to Noren)

  Cassad [see Telyer Hesea]

  Darchelde (family name Montredavan-An: confined within their own borders for ten generations by old treaty)

  *Jarlan: Shendan, secret mage chief [deceased]

  *Son: Savarend-Camerend “Camerend,” former chief of royal runners, co-chief of royal runner training, now jarl

  *Son: Savarend-Senrid “Quill” by Camerend’s wife Isa Eris, adopted by Frin Basna, married Lineas Noth

  Daughter: Danet “Blossom” by second wife, *Hliss Farendavan

  “Flax” Noth: guard captain

  Tanrid Stonemason: hereditary stonemason for Darchelde castle

  Tdor Noth: runner

  Daughter: Lineas Noth: royal runner

  Eveneth

  Sons: Camerend, Keth “Dognose”

  Daughter: Fnor

  RIDER FAMILY: MARECA, BASNA

  Sons: Barend, David

  Daughter: Dialen

  Farendavan (see Tyavayir)

  Feravayir (family name Nyidri)

  *Acting jarl Commander Ivandred Noth

  Sons:

  *Ganred “Rat,” Vandas “Mouse”

  “Digger”: first runner

  “Jugears”: second runner

  “Salt”: third runner

  “Itch” Noth: long runner, scout

  *Jarlan: Lavais

  Sons by Lavais and former jarl: Demeos m. to Starliss Cassad, Evred “Ryu”

  Plix: kitchen steward under Lavais Nyidri, spy for Ivandred Noth

  Areth: noble friend to Nyidri sons

  Korskei: noble friend to Nyidri sons

  Lemekith: noble friend to Nyidri sons

  Jaya Vinn: noble heir, friend to Nyidri sons

  Holder Nireid: holder, formerly duchas generations ago, friend to Lavais Nyidri

  RIDER FAMILY: NOTH, PARAYID BRANCH

  Gannan

  *Jarl: Evred

  *Jarlan: Fareas

  Sons: Indevan “Blue” m. Lnand Sindan

  *Senrid “Cabbage” m. to Maddar Sindan-An [SEE YVANAVAYIR]

  Daughter: Ndand

  RIDER FAMILIES: STALGRID & POSEID

  *Sons: Lefty and Righty Poseid, twins

  Runners: Kendred (Cabbage’s first runner)

  Halivayir

  Jarl: Indevan

  Son: Kendred “Bendy”

  Daughter: Hadand “Thistle”

  RIDER FAMILY: DORTHAD

  Leaf Dorthad, betrothed to “Ghost” Fath

  Steward: “Goose” Banth

  Nanny

  Jayavayir, also known as Jayad Hesea (family name Jevayir)

  Jarl: Indevan “Iron Spear”

  Grandsons: Hana, Ivandred, Senrid

  Holder Khael Artolei: holder of a border territory, maternal second cousin to Nyidris of Feravayir, friend to Nyidri sons

  Khanivayir

  Jarl: Barend

  Jarlan: Mran

  Sons: Tanrid “Squeak”, Retren “Snake”

  Daughter: Shendan

  RIDER FAMILIES BASNA AND MONADAN

  Marlovayir

  Jarl: Indevan [deceased]

  Jarlan: Ndara (moved back to family in Eveneth)

  *Son: Tanrid “Knuckles”

  *Sons of Knuckles: twins, Salt and Pepper (captain under Rat Noth)

  Wim: recruit under Pepper

  Daughter: Tdiran

  RIDER FAMILY: STADAS

  Marthdavan

  Daughter: Lis

  Sons: Jarend, Chana (once “Chelis”)

  RIDER FAMILIES: BAUDAN, NDARGA, and NOTH

  Dannor Ndarga

  Lemon Noth, Riding Chief

  Olavayir

  Eagle-branch
r />   *Grand Gunvaer: Hesar [deceased]

  *Jarl: Indevan [deceased]

  *Jarlan: Ranor

  Randael: [deceased]

  *Randviar: Sdar

  *Sister: Hlar (born Halrid, third brother), chief potter

  Sons: Kethedrend [deceased], Tanrid [deceased]

  *Jarend (married to Tdor Fath)

  Son: *Tanrid, married to Fala Nermand

  Tanrid’s son: Jarend “Cricket”

  Daughter: Ranor

  *Anred “Arrow,” married to *Danet Farendavan

  Sons: *Nadran “Noddy” m. Noren Algaravayir,

  Connar [see dolphin branch] m. Ranet Keriam, adopted into Senelaecs

  *Hadand “Bunny” m. Ganred “Rat” Noth [see FERAVAYIR]

  Connar and Ranet’s daughters: Daughter: Fareas “Iris,” Little Hliss

  *“Sneeze” Ventdor, second cousin to Jarend and Arrow (Rider captain, Cmdr. At Ku Halir)

  Barend Ventdor, (cousin to Sneeze, third cousin to Arrow)

  Runners: *Gdan (runner to Ranor-Jarlan)

  *Nand (Olavayir border Rider)

  *Tesar “Tes” (Danet’s long runner, niece to Gdan)

  *Nunkrad “Nunka” (in charge of nursery)

  *Loret (Danet’s First Runner)

  *Shen (Danet’s second runner)

  *Sage (Danet’s third runner)

  Fnor (Danet’s fourth runner)

  *Halrid “Floss” Vannath (Tanrid’s first runner)

  *Neit Vannath (Jarlan of Olavayir’s long runner, later captain of skirmishers and liaison between garrisons)

  *Nath (chamber runner to Arrow)

  Aldren (second runner to Arrow)

  *David “Fish” Pereth (Connar’s first runner)