The cave dragon might’ve been talking to me, Connwaer, when it said the word. I opened my eyes. “But it might’ve been talking to you, Pip,” I said.
The little dragon twitched its tail. It crouched lower on the tabletop. For a moment I thought it was going to fly away. Then it edged closer. I stayed very still, holding my breath. Using its claws, Pip climbed up my arm and perched on my shoulder, clinging tightly to my sweater, and wrapped its tail around my neck like a scarf.
Maybe the cave dragon had been talking to both of us when it’d said the word.
Tallennar.
I knew what it meant. It meant thief.
Well, that was all right. Because a thief really was a lot like a wizard.
A GUIDE TO PEOPLE AND PLACES
PEOPLE
ARGENT—A noble young man with a sense of honor but no liking for former thieves and gutterboys. He is an expert swordcrafter.
BENET—A rather scary-looking guy but one who loves to knit, bake, and clean. His nose has been broken so many times, it’s been flattened. If he were an animal he’d be a big bear. His hair is brown and sticks out on his head like spikes. You wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley, but you would want to eat his biscuits.
CONNWAER—Has shaggy black hair that hangs down over his bright blue eyes. He’s been a gutterboy for most of his life, so he’s watchful and a little wary; at the same time, he’s completely pragmatic and truthful. He’s thin, but he’s sturdy and strong, too. He has a quirky smile (hence his quirked tail as a cat). Conn does not know his own age; it could be anywhere from twelve to fourteen. A great friend to have, but be careful that you don’t have anything valuable in your pockets in reach of his sticky fingers.
THE DUCHESS—Willa Forestal, the duchess, rules the wealthier part of Wellmet, the Sunrise, from the Dawn Palace. Rowan is her daughter. The duchess doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, even less now that she’s been attacked and wounded by the Shadows. The wound is still troubling her; it’s slowly turning her to stone. Fortunately, she is highly intelligent and foresighted and has trained her daughter well to take over as duchess if necessary.
EMBRE—A young man about eighteen years old. He is very thin and has a sharp face with dark eyes and black hair, and he might have smudges on his hands and face from working with blackpowder. Everything about him is sharp, including his intellect.
KERRN—The captain of the Dawn Palace guards, Kerrn is tall and athletic; she wears her blond hair in a braid that hangs down her back and has sharp, ice-blue eyes. She is an expert swordfighter. She speaks with a strong accent because she comes from Helva, far away from the Peninsular Duchies.
NEVERY FLINGLAS—Is tall with gray hair, a long gray beard, shaggy gray eyebrows, and sharp black eyes. He’s impatient and grumpy and often hasty, but beneath that his heart is kind (he would never admit it). Mysterious and possibly dangerous, Nevery is a difficult wizard to read but a good one to know.
NIMBLE—A magister and rather weak wizard, Nimble was a colleague of Pettivox but was cleared of any wrongdoing after the destruction of the Underlord’s device. He looks like a bat and is a pen-pushing, officious man. He dislikes Conn very much.
PIP—As Conn says, Pip is an “it,” not a “he.” Pip is a small dragon, no bigger than a kitten, but it has a very big attitude. Pip does not trust Conn at first—and why should it? Conn stole it from its cave in the mountains, after all. Still, one thief should be friends with another….
ROWAN FORESTAL—A tall, slender girl of around sixteen, with red hair and gray eyes. She is very intelligent with a good, if dry, sense of humor. She is the daughter of the Duchess of Wellmet. She is also very interested in studying swordcraft.
PLACES
ACADEMICOS—Set on an island in the river that runs between the Twilight and the Sunrise, the academicos is a school for the rich students and potential wizards of Wellmet. Conn enrolls there after becoming Nevery’s apprentice.
DAWN PALACE—The home of the duchess and Rowan. The palace itself is a huge, rectangular building—not very architecturally interesting, but with lots of decorations crusted on it to make it fancy.
DRAGON MOUNTAIN—Far away from Wellmet, in the very highest of the Fierce Mountains to the south, is a strange mountain with a huge cave right at its peak. Do dragons live there? Is it a place of magic?
DUSK HOUSE PIT—The place where the Underlord’s Dusk House used to stand. It’s a pit now because the house was destroyed—blown to bits when Conn freed the magic from the Underlord’s evil device. Now the city’s magic gathers its strength in this pit, maybe drawn there by the slowsilver left behind when the device exploded.
HEARTSEASE—The old Heartsease, the mansion house with the big hole in the middle, was destroyed in a certain pyrotechnic experiment, so Nevery is building a new Heartsease. When finished, it will have plenty of room for Nevery and Benet and Conn to live there. Conn might even get his own workroom!
MAGISTERS HALL—Seat of power for the wizards who control and guard the magic of Wellmet. It is a big, imposing gray stone building on an island with a wall built all the way around it at the waterline.
WELLMET RUNIC ALPHABET
In Wellmet, some people write using runes to stand for the letters of the alphabet. In fact, you may find some messages written in runes in The Magic Thief: Found.
a
b
bb
c
d
dd
e
ee
f
ff
g
gg
h
i
j
k
l
ll
m
mm
n
nn
o
oo
p
pp
q
r
rr
s
ss
t
tt
u
v
w
x
y
z
Uppercase letters are made by adding an extra line under a letter; for instance:
Uppercase A
Uppercase B
RUNIC PUNCTUATION:
Beginning of a sentence
End of a sentence (period)
Comma
Question Mark
BENET'S MAGIC THIEF LOCKPICK SCARF
Benet’s scarf has keyholes at both ends and a checkered pattern in the middle.
Materials:
Yarn: 2 skeins nettle green (300m/100gm each) DK weight (Benet used Shilasdair luxury DK in nettle green [color 209])
Needles: 5mm (US 8)
Scissors
Darning needle to weave in ends
Crochet hook for tassels
Gauge: approx 20 sts = 10cm (4 in) in main pattern
Terms
BO = bind off
CO = cast on
K = knit
P = purl
Inc = knit into front and back of stitch
K2tog = knit two together
P2tog = purl two together
Keyhole Panel
CO 32 stitches
Row 1 to 4: knit
Row 5: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * till last 3 sts, K3
Row 6: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 7: Repeat row 5
Row 8: Repeat row 6
Row 9: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * five times, BO 6 sts, *K1, P1 repeat five times, K3
You will be working both sides with separate balls of yarn.
Row 10: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * to end. Attach a new ball of yarn past the bind off and *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 11: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * to end. *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 12: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * to end. *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 13 and 14: Repeat rows 11 and 12
Row 15: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * t
o last stitch before end, inc1. Inc1, *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 16: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * five times, P1. K1, *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 17: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * five times, K1. P1, *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 18 and 19: Repeat rows 16 and 17
Row 20: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * five times, inc1. Inc1, *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 21: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * six times. *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 22: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * five times, P2tog. K2tog, *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 23: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * four times, K1, P2tog. K2tog, P1, *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 24: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * four times, P2tog. K2tog, *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 25: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * four times, K1. P1, *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 26: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * four times, inc1. Inc1, *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 27: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * five times, inc1. Inc1, *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 28: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * five times, inc1, CO3, join two sides, inc1, *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 29: K3, *K1, P1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 30: K3, *P1, K1 repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3
Row 31 and 32: Repeats rows 29 and 30
*If you don’t want a keyhole, just repeat rows 5 and 6 for 26 rows
Main checkered pattern
Row 33: K2, K7, P7, K7, P7, K2
Row 34 to 39: Repeat row 33
Row 40 and 41: knit
Row 42: K2, P7, K7, P7, K7, K2
Row 43 to 48: Repeat row 42
Row 49 and 50: knit across
Repeat row 33 to 50 until scarf measures approximately 150cm (60 in)
End panel
For keyhole: repeat rows 5 to 32
For plain end without keyhole: repeat rows 5 and 6 for 26 rows
Knit four rows
BO all sts
Tassels:
Cut 60 strands of yarn 30 cm (12 in) long
With three strands fold in half
Pull loop end through a stitch at end of scarf
Pull cut ends through loop
Repeat for ten tassels at each scarf end
The scarf can be fastened by looping one end through one of the keyholes.
Use gold or silver yarn to embroider the runes for your name at one end.
Thick pattern at each end of the scarf is perfect for concealing lockpick wires.
A Treatise on Dragons
by
Arista Spyke
Senior Magistress
Torrent City
Peninsular Duchies
After consulting the historical grimoires (found in the great library of Free Ennis), and after translating and transcribing the notes of the wind-mages of the far south, it is possible to draw some conclusions about the creatures known in other parts of the world as
Firedrakes
Wingéd-lizards
Wyrmes
Dragonets (or Dragonettes)
and
Serpentes da magi
And to us as
Dragons.
It is well-known that dragons have been extinct for hundreds of years. According to the crumbling tomes unearthed in forgotten shelves of the library, written a thousand years ago by nameless scribes, dragons were once common in the Peninsula and coexisted peacefully with humans. If these tomes are to be believed, dragons ranged in size from small (the size of a rat or a cat) to quite alarmingly large (the size of a building, or larger). Their colors varied significantly, one dragon displaying scales the deep blue of the ocean, the next as gold as the lost city of Tar-Mentir, the next greener than the finest adamant stone.
One historical source, a scroll faded with age, asserts that dragons’ scales were made of some substance impenetrable to conventional weapons (swords, axes, arrows). (If, as another source claims, dragons and humans lived at peace with each other, it is not known how this conclusion could have been reached.)
Dragon lore tells us that dragons were known to be fire-breathers, but no commentary on this ability was found in the sources consulted. One source, a barely legible pamphlet by a writer with the initials L.A.W., notes that “firedrakes” (as she calls them) were often associated with fire, sparks, smoke, and even explosions. It is not noted whether the dragons themselves caused these explosions, or were simply attracted to them.
The dragons’ means of reproduction remain unknown. No mention of dragon eggs or offspring has been found. Footnotes in a wind-mage journal mention that dragons were solitary and did not live in family groups.
According to the one drawing of a dragon found—a poor sketch made in the margins of an ancient book—the dragons did fly, yet they were not aerodynamical. If their wings were actually able to lift them into the sky, said wings would require a musculature anchored to a keelbone far larger than that which the sketch indicates. It is possible that dragons fly through the operations of magic, though it is impossible to guess how. It is not possible to conclude that dragons themselves were creatures of magic.
One finding is perplexing. An ancient map of the Peninsula was examined, marked with places called Dragonlairs. Strangely, these Dragonlairs correspond exactly to the places where cities exist now.
I can draw no conclusion from this strange finding.
THANKS TO…
The usual dear friends, with love: Jenn Reese, Greg van Eekhout, Sandra McDonald.
My steadfast agent, Caitlin Blasdell.
To my editor, Antonia Markiet. Thanks, Toni. You’re the best!
The great team at HarperCollins Publishers, including associate editor Alyson Day, copy editor Kathryn Silsand, editorial director Phoebe Yeh, publisher Susan Katz, assistant editor Jayne Carapezzi, associate art director Sasha Illingworth, production supervisor Ray Colon, Tony Hirt, publicist Marisa Wetzel, artist Antonio Javier Caparo.
For their support, friendship, and advice during this crazy publishing ride, Deb Coates, Melanie Donovan, Kristin Cashore, Dori Hillestad Butler, Wendy Henrichs, Ellie Ditzel, Bev Ehresman, Lori Dawson, Jonni Hecker, Britt Deerberg, Katherine House, Lisa Bradley, Laurel Snyder, Dorothy Winsor, Steph Burgis, Tim Pratt, Heather Shaw, and Shawna Elder. And, most particularly, Ingrid Law (three years until our lunch date!).
To the lovely people at Quercus, most especially Roisin Heycock, Nicci Praça, and Parul Bavishi.
Lisa Will for helping me put the sun and moon in their proper places.
Dima Nikolayenko for the explosive chemistry experiment.
Jennifer Adam, who made sure the horses were behaving as horses do.
To the Blue Heaven crew, especially C. C. Finlay.
To Lauren “Deadly Knitshade” for the wonderful “Lockpick Scarf” pattern.
Finally, to all my dear families, especially Theo, Maud, John, Anne and Ward Bing, Pat and Frank Hankins, and that Grrrrrr, Anne Hankins.
About the Author
SARAH PRINEAS lives in the midst of the corn in Iowa City, Iowa, and can usually be found writing fantasy novels and stories on a stealthy silver MacBook called Pip. THE MAGIC THIEF and THE MAGIC THIEF: LOST, Sarah’s first two novels, introduced readers to the irascible wizard Nevery and his gutterboy apprentice, Connwaer, whose adventures continue here. Sarah holds a PhD in English literature and recently taught honors seminars on fantasy and science fiction literature at the University of Iowa. She has an amazing dragon action-figure collection and occasionally bakes biscuits (although she says hers never seem to turn out as tasty as Benet’s do in THE MAGIC THIEF: LOST).
Sarah is married to John Prineas, a physics professor, which comes in handy when she’s writing about magic prisoning devices and pyrotechnics. They are the parents of Maud and Theo. You can visit Sarah online at www.magicthief.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for ex
clusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Credits
Jacket art © 2010 by Antonio Javier Caparo
Jacket design by Sasha Illingworth
Copyright
THE MAGIC THIEF: FOUND. Text copyright © 2010 by Sarah Prineas. Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Antonio Javier Caparo. Knitting pattern copyright © 2010 by Lauren O’Farrell. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Prineas, Sarah.
Found / by Sarah Prineas; illustrations by Antonio Javier Caparo.—1st ed.
p. cm.—(Magic Thief; bk. 3)
Summary: Connwaer, the young thief-turned-wizard’s apprentice, escapes from prison and follows the call of magic to the distant and mysterious Dragon Mountain on a quest to save Wellmet from Arhionvar, a dread magic that can destroy the city.
ISBN 978-0-06-137593-4 (trade bdg.)—ISBN 978-0-06-137594-1 (lib. bdg.)
[1. Magic—Fiction. 2. Wizards—Fiction. 3. Apprentices—Fiction. 4. Fantasy.] I. Caparo, Antonio Javier, ill. II. Title.
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