“Did Annhad reclaim her ring?” he asked, sleepily moving to take her in his arms.
“No,” she said, snuggling in beside him, grateful, that at least for this night, they had found this warm berth. “For I am the Wanderer still, and Hylor yet has secrets it will open for me!”
Also from Tor Books by Cherry Wilder
Signs of Life
Also from Tor Books by Katya Reimann
THE TIELMARAN CHRONICLES
Wind from a Foreign Sky
A Tremor in the Bitter Earth
Prince of Fire and Ashes
PRAISE FOR CHERRY WILDER
Cherry Wilder’s classic fantasy trilogy, The Rulers of Hylor, established a detailed and intricate fantasy world. Its warring kingdoms, treacherous advisers and generational conflicts are set in a world of rich physical beauty, vibrant life and a realism leavened with occasional and startling magic. Fifteen years after the third book in the series, Wilder returned to this favorite world and was working on a draft of this volume at the time of her death in 2002. Katya Riemann, creator of her own acclaimed fantasy adventures and passionate admirer of the original trilogy, asked for the opprotunity to complete and polish this last treasure of Wilder’s legacy.
“The Wanderer is wonderful homage to her terrific fantasy series, The Rulers of Hylor. Fans will not be able to delineate between Ms. Wilder and Katya Reimann who apparently completed this tale. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Gael becomes a soldier in training and never slows down as The Wanderer tries to make things right.”
—Harriet Klausner, Allscifi.com
THE RULERS OF HYLOR
“Cherry Wilder’s subtly told stories have an incantatory power.”
—Pamela Sargent
“Enthralling and romantic.”
—Booklist
“Extraordinary richness of invention.”
—Horn Book
PRAISE FOR KATYA REIMANN THE TIELMARAN CHRONICLES
“Deftly interweaving the various subplots in a rich yet accessible prose style, Reimann transports the reader to a world of magic and action in this rewarding and intricate read.”
—Publishers Weekly
APPENDIX A
CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVENTS IN THE CHRONICLES OF HYLOR
I.
A Princess of the Chameln Yorath the Wolf The Summer’s King
284 Farfaring—In Mel’Nir, the death of Ankar Duaring, the Wizard King. Ghanor Duaring, the “Great King” begins his reign.
300 Farfaring—birth of Raff Raiz; in the Chameln Lands, birth of Princess Aidris Am Firn.
301 Farfaring—Beginning of the “Long Peace” in Mel’Nir.
304 Farfaring—In Mel’Nir, Prince Yorath born, son of Gol, Ghanor’s only son. Because he is marked by a twisted shoulder and a vestigial tail, his grandfather, King Ghanor, orders his death. Yorath’s mother, Elvédegran of Lien, preserves his life by sacrificing her own to magic, committing her infant son to the care of Hagnild Raiz the Healer, a noted magician at the Melniro court. In the Chameln, Prince Sham Am Zor is born.
310 Farfaring—Princess Merilla Am Zor born.
311 Farfaring—murder of Racha Am Firn, King of the Firn, and Hedris his Queen, by agents from Lien.
314 Parfaring—Prince Carel Am Zor born.
316 Farfaring—Death of King Esher Am Zor, following a suspicious hunting accident. Annexation of the Chameln Lands by Mel’Nir’s forces, as ordered by King Ghanor.
319 Farfaring—Visit by Hagnild the Healer’s family to Nightwood (Jalmar, with his son Raff Raiz). Markgräfin Zaramond of Lien is 30. Ghanor campaigns in the north and Huarik of Barkdon, Lord of the Eastmark, revolts. End of the 18-year “Long Peace” in Mel’Nir.
321 Farfaring—Yorath, at 17, starts to have dreams of Guenna of Lien.
323 Farfaring—The massacre of the Melniro army by the Chameln (led by Queen Aidris Am Firn) at Addemeck Pass. Yorath is a young soldier serving in Strett of Cloudhill’s household.
324 Farfaring—In Mel’Nir, King Ghanor’s treacherous massacre at Silverlode, which turns half his country against him. Princess Fadola of Mel’Nir is pregnant Yorath, after distinguishing himself at Silverlode, enters the service of Valko Firehammer, the Melniro Lord of the Westmark.
326 Farfaring—In the Chameln, the official coronation of the Daindru rulers, King Sharn Am Zor and Queen Aidris Am Firn.
327 Farfaring—battles between King Ghanor and Valko of Val’Nur at Aird and Goldgrave on the High Plateau.
328 Farfaring [1172 since the laying of the stones in the south wall of Achamar; third year since the humbling of the Melniros and their expulsion from the Chameln; civil war in Mel’Nir in its second season; year 2221 in Lien, which shares its dating with Eildon; Year 37 in Athron since the Carach Tree returned]—Kelen of Lien and his wife Zaramund have given up hopes of an heir. King Sharn is 23, Prince Carel and Princess Merilla return from Lien to the Chameln.
329 Farfaring—In Mel’Nir, Valko victory at Donhill; in Eildon, birth of Dan Royl, King Sharn’s bastard son.
330 Farfaring [1174 Chameln]—King Sharn arrives in Eildon for an unsuccessful courtship.
331 Farfaring—Yorath sent west into the Chyrian lands. Prince Rieth of Mel’Nir, Princess Fadola’s son, is 4 years old. The rebellious Southland takes Lowestell and lays siege to Hackestell. Yorath sets up base in Coombe to repulse the Southlanders, and raises “the army of the west” (Chyrians). Yorath called Ruada (prince of the blood) on freeing Krail—first hint that the truth of his birth is coming into public knowledge. In the Chameln, Princess Tanit Am Zor, daughter to King Sharn, is born at some time during this year.
332 Farfaring—Yorath “kills an old man” after the second battle of Balbank. Caco Bray’s amulet is read (revealing proof of Yorath’s birth); death of Valko Firehammer. Knaar rises in his father’s place as Lord of the Westmark.
333 Farfaring—Gael Maddoc is born, toward the end of winter . At the year’s end, Knaar of Val’Nur prepares for a treaty with Prince Gol of Mel’Nir—and Yorath voluntarily jumps off the cliff at Selkray after Knaar tries to have him killed, effectively abdicating his claim to Mel’Nir’s throne. In the Chameln, Princess Merilla’s twins Till and Tomas are 4; Sasko, son of Queen Aidris and heir of the Firn is 8; Prince Gerd Am Zor, Sham’s second child, is born this year. Queen Aidris is pregnant with her daughter Maren, Tanit is 21/2. In Lien, Fideth of Wirth (who is not yet 17) is pregnant with Matten by Kelen of Lien (who is nearly 50).
334 Farfaring—death of King Ghanor at the year’s start—Ghanor is the “old man” mortally wounded by Yorath after the second battle of Balbank, and his death this year fulfills the prophecy that he will die at the hand of a marked grandchild. Prince Gol, Ghanor’s son, Yorath’s father, succeeds to Mel’Nir’s throne. Prince Rieth, the heir apparent of Gol, is seven. In Lien, at the Swangard fortress, Queen Aravel (Sham’s beknighted mother) is healed of her madness by Yorath’s mercy. While hidden at Guenna of Lien’s retreat in Erinhall, Yorath learns that
Fideth is pregnant, and that the Markgrafin Zaramund has been killed by Rosmer—on Swan Greeting, end of Birchmoon and the beginning of Summer, Zaramund and her family have been assassinated by Rosmer, Lien’s treacherous archmage vizier. Guenna lays a curse on the roses of Lien, not in the Chyrian tongue, but in the Old Tongue of the North—the people of Lien believe it to be the curse of the Goddess, and many turn to the Lame God for his protection. Kelen and Fideth marry soon after Zaramund’s death, and Prince Matten of Lien is born this year.
335 Farfaring—Yorath leaves the land of Mel’Nir. He travels east to the Chameln and meets with King Sharn Am Zor—who is the same age as Yorath, almost to the day, as well as Queen Aidris Am Firn.
336 Farfaring—In the Chameln, King Sharn Am Zor rides west and pushes back the rebellious Skivari tribes.
339 Farfaring [1183 Chameln]—Balbank, rich lands of Mel’Nir, are ceded to Lien for cash. In Lien Garvis of Grays leads the Green Riders against the tax collectors of Lien,
accompanied by Mayrose Wirth. In the Chameln, Aidris visits Sham and hears “The Rose Lament” (written by the poet Robillon Hazard for her grandmother Guenna 20 years past). The death of Guenna of Lien (of apparent old age) swiftly follows. Back in Lien, Garvis of Grays and his wife Mayrose are brought to Guenna’s secret retreat, the magically hidden Erinhall. Aidris Am Firn’s old scourge, Hunter of Lien goes to join Garvis of Grays.
340 Farfaring [1184 Chameln]—Lien annexes the peaceful land of Cayl. In autumn, Kelen is crowned King, and all his vizier Rosmer’s plotting seems to have met success. But Rosmer has pushed too far, timing for this moment also King Sharn Am Zor’s murder. Though Sham does die, falling victim to Rosmer’s plotting, he performs the “Harkmoor” curse with his last breath, and takes Rosmer to the grave with him.
II.
The Wanderer
349 Farfaring—Summer, Gael Maddoc is 17 and trains with the Summer Riders for the Westlings.
350 Farfaring—Gael is 18 in the Willowmoon, meets Blayn Pfolben, and joins his service.
354 Farfaring—On her arrival in Aghiras as part of Blayn’s escort, Gael has reached the rank of Acting-Captain. Maplemoon and Maurik of Pfolben’s birth celebrations, Gael arrives home, age 22.
355 Farfaring—Prince Kirris Rieth Elwin Duaring is born, early in the year. Spring, Gael begins her service to the Shee.
Turn of the moons in Hylor:
Tannenmoon—“Old Man’s Month”
Crocusmoon—“Last Snows”
Willowmoon—“Month of Planting”
Birchmoon—“Young Girls’ Moon”
Elmmoon—“Young Men’s Moon” (in Athron: Lindenmoon)
Oakmoon—“The Midsummer Month”
Applemoon—“Month of Plenty” (in Athron: Carachmoon)
Maplemoon—“Moon of Blood”
Hazelmoon—“Harvest Month” (in the Chameln, the “Month of Plenty”)
Aldermoon—“Moon of Death”
Thommoon—“Month of Sacrifice”
Huntress Moon—an extra moon wedged into the late autumn calendar
Ashmoon—“Month of Changes,” includes the 5 day Winter Feast
APPENDIX B
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is not possible to make a complete list of those who have contributed to this work. Cherry’s agent, Jim Frenkel, her editor, David G. Hartwell—without their efforts, this book would certainly never have been published. All Cherry’s friends, her readers, her inspirations—I cannot speak to these, I do not know the names of all those who helped her in the last months of her life as she struggled to bring the manuscript of The Wanderer to something like completion.
I first read the Rulers of Hylor trilogy when I was in college. I couldn’t know then that these books would be among those that would have the greatest impact on my writing life. Why Cherry’s books appealed to my imagination so strongly remains to this day an incompletely solved mystery: when I read Yorath, at least, I was of an age where I was very keenly disappointed when Cherry’s hero, the great general, decided to turn his back on his birthright. At 19, it was clear to me that a man who was born to be king must certainly take up the throne when the moment came on him. There was no nobility that I could see in his abdication—besides, how disgusting that he had taken as his lover an older woman he had first met when he was but twelve years old!
Almost twenty years later, I can still remember the strong feeling of my post-adolescent disgust.
I was at Oxford when I first started writing fantasy; I had not thought of Cherry’s books for years, but for some reason I found myself searching for her in the Bodleian library’s card catalogue—the attractions of my dissertation had temporarily palled. In the Bodleian I discovered Cherry’s most recent book, Cruel Designs—a chilly Viennese arts and crafts murder mystery, as I remember it—most striking to me because of the heroine, Katya Reimann. Not long after that, I completed the first draft of my first book.
When I heard of Cherry’s orphan novel, this last chronicle of Hylor, I was filled by the same churning determination that fueled me through that first draft of my first book. I had some sharp discussions with James Frenkel and David Hartwell, trying to keep on a leash the ludicrous hunger I felt that I should be the one to work on, and complete, this book. Some more rational discussions with my own agent, Shawna McCarthy, brought things into a calmer perspective, and then—the actual wrestling with the unfinished book.
I want to thank everyone who offered me their perspectives on Cherry’s writing—not least John M. Ford, who gave me permission to redraw and expand the beautiful map he had made for Princess of the Chameln. I want to thank my family, for putting up with me.
More practical (but no less fervent!) thanks go to the unflappable Moshe Feder, David’s editorial assistant, and to Gerri Lynch, Amanda Haldy, Amanda Vail, Sarah Galbraith, and Chloe Kiritz, for the child-wrangling services that have made my writing possible during this past year.
And lastly I want to thank Cherry, for a wonderful creation that has lived with me for many years now, and all the great mystery that allowed me to be a part of the completion of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE WANDERER
Copyright © 2004 by Catherine Grimm, Louisa Grimm, and Katya Reimann
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
Edited by David G. Hartwell
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
eISBN 9781466828698
First eBook Edition : September 2012
ISBN 0-812-56781-1
EAN 978-0-812-56781-6
First edition: May 2004
First mass market edition: December 2005
The Wanderer Page 48