by Robert Beers
He looked up at Adam through the sweat pouring down his face. “How'd you get so damn good, anyway? You'd be match fer Bilardi fer sure.” The fight over, he acted like a lot of professional military men. Adam was no longer an enemy, but a compatriot with similar interests.
Adam looked at him. “The Duke?”
“Naw. ‘Is son. The old man's good. I ain't sayin’ ‘e isn't. Used ta be a swordmaster, ‘e did. But age an’ a lotta good food...” He let the rest of the sentence be assumed by the listeners.
“Then who are you talking about?” Milward tamped out his pipe against the bricks of the wall.
The guard looked to the left and right. The crowd, seeing the battle was over, began to filter back into the streets, those not clamoring at the docks for a boat out of the area. He looked back at Adam and Milward and lowered his voice to a whisper. “The Duke's son, named after hisself, pure poison wif a blade.”
Milward stood off from the wall. “Well, he's Grisham royalty, what would you expect? A man of letters? No, I think it's best we ... What is that?”
The sound of snapping timbers and tortured metal brought all their heads whipping around in the direction of the southern gate.
“Southerners! We're being attacked already!” Several in the crowd took up the cry, and what crowd there had been in the gate market square vanished like mist in a summer sun, except for those few soldiers who sense of duty was stronger than their sense of survival.
Milward snorted. “Can't be Southerners, Northerns or Island Folk. No siege engine built has the power to do that. Come on, Adam. This may prove interesting, from a distance, of course.” He added, as a point of caution.
Adam followed the wizard out of the side street and into the Gate Market Square. People who been pleading earlier with the gate guards to let them outside were now pushing past him in an effort to get as far away from whatever was coming through those gates. Foremost in the crowd was Hervy, the inner gate guard.
What ever it was, it was exerting incredible force. The huge gates were bulging inwards, causing timbers to snap, sending splinters and pins whizzing across the Market Square. Some shot out with enough force to embed into the sides of a cart or stall several yards away. The remaining guards took their cue and hightailed it out of there.
Milward took Adam by the arm. “Ready your power, my boy. We don't know what's causing this, but the odds are, it isn't friendly.”
“Can't you sense what it is?” Adam tried reaching out, but all he got was a sense of confusion.
“Not enough time, lad. Besides, I'm a bit knackered from the fight back there.”
“I'm ready.” Adam watched the heavy iron bar that stretched across the twin halves of the gate bend inwards. The screeching sound came from it.
The power had come up almost without thought, and he held it ready, like the waters of a dam. He could see a shape now partially revealed within the ever-widening crack between the doors of the gate. A niggling began in the backside of his memory. He knew that shape.
“Milward...”
He got no further. The gates burst inward with a resounding crash, and the left gate door rebounded against the city wall hard enough to tear itself off its hinges. It slowly toppled over and slapped against the hard packed clay of the Market Square. Through the ruined gates strode Drinaugh, with a radiant Thaylli riding high on his shoulders. Behind the Dragon, the Alpha Wolf looked into the two legs’ den and sniffed. He smelled the fear of the city along with the scents of what man used for his food, and the individual smells of those who'd passed though over time. None of the scents told of danger to the pack. The wolf reflected on the usefulness of having a sky lord with the pack, and sniffed again. Winding its way through the maze of smells intermixing within the Market Square was the scent of their packmate. He gave a very unwolflike bark and bounded through the gate opening on Drinaugh's heels. The pack followed, with their tails wagging.
Thaylli clung to the Dragon's neck as the city gates burst inward. “Can you see him?” She yelled out against the noise.
Drinaugh shook his head, forgetting he had a rider up there. “Not yet, but I smell him.
“Oops. Sorry,” to Thaylli's scream, as she was tossed back and forth by his headshake.
She thumped the top of his head with her fists. “Don't do that again!”
“I said I was sorry.” The dragon said reproachfully. “You didn't have to ... there he is! Adam!”
Drinaugh roared out his friend's name, and took off across the Market Square in a straight line toward the spot where Adam and Milward stood. In his haste, he forgot about the results of what happens when several tons of dragon impact upon the vending carts of produce merchants and the like. The stalls, carts and displays in the Dragon's path toppled and crumbled as if they were made out of so much tissue. Displays of spring melons were squashed into fragrant smears. Penned livestock decided they'd had enough, broke through their enclosures, and stampeded out of the square into the streets that fed into it from the north, west and east. Two mobile chicken coops unloosed from their oxen porters earlier in the morning went toppling to the ground, disgorging their feathered contents. A number of Grisham's poorer families had chicken dinners that night, and a few of the more enterprising ones developed tidy little egg businesses over the following months.
The young Dragon pushed through the last of the stalls and thundered to a stop in front of Adam and Milward. “Adam! I've found you at last! Oh, you don't know how much I've missed our fun conversations. How have you've been? I've found some new friends. I met a pack of wolves who say they know you, and I've...”
“Adam!”
Adam looked just in time to prepare himself for the feminine bundle hurtling towards him. Thaylli threw herself into his arms and buried him in kisses and small cries of joy.
Drinaugh looked down at his two human friends and smiled. The pack with the Alpha wolf and his mate in the lead picked their way through the debris left behind by the dragon's passage. They circled Drinaugh and settled to their haunches in a rough grouping to the left of Adam and Thaylli.
Milward walked over to where the Alpha wolf sat. “I smell you, my friend. Was the hunting good?”
“The hunt is always good, friend two legs,” the wolf replied, and then pointed his muzzle at the billing and cooing Adam and Thaylli. “But not as good as the hunt of our packmate's she.”
The Alpha wolf's mate watched as the couple got reacquainted. “A very good hunt, indeed,” she said, with a wag of her tail.
Adam disentangled himself from Thaylli's embrace and looked up at his Dragon friend. “What are you doing here? Why are Thaylli and the wolves with you, especially now?” He indicated the square with a wave of his hand. “It may not look like it right now, but this place is in an uproar.”
Drinaugh looked slightly embarrassed. “I just wanted to see if you were ok.” His tone of voice made him sound like a child confessing to stealing cookies too soon before dinner.
“I imagine that's the reason they're all here.” Milward said dryly.
The Alpha wolf's mate uttered a series of growls that brought out a chuckle from the wizard and a blush on Adam.
Thaylli looked at the red creeping up to his ears. “What was it? What did she say?”
“I'd rather not say,” Adam replied, as Milward's chuckles grew into outright laughter.
“What did she say?” Thaylli demanded, looking around at the others. “What did she say?”
“She said,” Drinaugh's voice sounded a bit strangled. “That he should go ahead and get it over with, mate with you now, settle down, and raise a litter of puppies.”
“I don't know why you're so red in the face, Adam,” Milward said, between gales of laughter. “You know wolves are a very practical people.”
End of Well's End, volume one.
The Wells End Chronicles Glossary
Phonetic pronunciation in parentheses
Town Names:
Silgert, (sell-gurt)
Dunwattle, (dun-watt-all)
Old Firth, (ol-furth)
Bustle, (bus-all)
Bantering, (ban-tur-ring)
Hetfield, (het-fell-d)
Access, (ak-ses)
Northlake, (north-lek)
Firth, (furth)
Longpointe, (long-point)
Ulsta, (ool-stuh)
Targy, (tar-gee)
Meyer, (my-err)
Beri, (burr-ee)
Marino, (marr-ee-no)
Swaledale, (sway-all-day-all)
Wenslydale, (whens-lee-day-all)
Bern, (burn)
Lamsa, (laam-sa)
Farrar, (far-ar)
Swete, (sweat)
Wycliffe, (weh-cliff)
Hickie, (hick-ee)
Coverdale, (cover-day-all)
City Names:
Spu, (spew)
Avern, (awe-vern)
Leward, (lou-ard)
Mossett, (moss-it)
Orbis, (oor-bus)
Berggren, (burr-grin)
Grisham (gris-shum)—Ancient trading center that grew into the largest city-state in the world. Also site of the great library,
Labad (la-baad)—philosopher's city and university named after Labad the genius of the 7th century, deified by Alford the 7th,
Southpoint, (just like it's spelled)
Bren, (breen)
Ort (oo-ert)—seat of the Southern Empire,
Verkuyl (verr-cue-yewl)—Ruined Elven capital)(leads some to believe the Elvish race is older than common belief holds,
Chrysostom (cris-sauce-towm)—Ancient dragon birthplace
Places:
Old Oak Forest,
Hillside Wood,
Echo Cavern,
The Grotto,
Dragonglade,
The Geode,
The Narrows,
Whistle Bridge,
The Great Library at Grisham,
The Sea Pass,
Labad's Bridge,
Labad's Highway,
North Lake,
Pestilence (Gilgafed's Island),
The Great Wood,
The Long Wood,
Angbar, (aang-bare)
The Great Swamp,
Wildflower Inn,
Willum's Alehouse
The Wayfarer House,
Dwillkillion (de-will-kill-yun)—Home of the Dwarfs
The Well of Sorrows—A supposedly bottomless well in the heart of Angbar thought to be the entrance into the Shadow realm
Rivers and Creeks:
Ort River,
The Mossett (mows-et) River,
Little Ort River,
Milk River,
Elfheart River,
Bastard River,
Black River,
Custom Creek,
Bones Creek,
Troll Creek,
Helmson (helms-un) Creek,
Deer Creek,
Mad Creek
Mountains:
Cloudhook,
Black Ben,
Angbar—island of witches, location of the Well of Sorrows,
Losthope Peak
The Spine—Central mountain range running the length of the continent
Peoples of the world:
Human,
Elf,
Dragon,
Dwarf,
The Wandering Folk,
Wolves,
Maraggar (maa-raa-gar)—dark skinned people with silver hair
The Suldam (sool-dahm) are Maraggar fighters.
The Pfaldam (fahl-dahm) the Maraggar administrators.
Tettuwain (tit-two-ween) is the Maraggar's deity
Human's names:
Bal (bahl)—Adam and Charity's Uncle
Doreen (door-reen)—Adam and Charity's Aunt
Travers (trah-virs)—Ortian patrol Sargent,
Hooper (hoop-er)—Trading States’ soldier that captures Ethan,
Mundy (moon-dee)—lieutenant in Grisham city guard,
Milward (mell-word)—the retired wizard,
Nought: (not)—Milward's storyteller identity in first of new beginning
Darzin (derr-zen)—Lord Mayor's son whose nose Adam bloodies,
Dunn (done)—Duke Bilardi's torturer,
Rolston (roll-stone)—Vedder's brother,
Elssyn (El-see-in)—serving girl in Rolston's favorite pub
Lord Bilardi (bell-ar-dee)—Duke of Grisham, Swordmaster,
Captain Bilardi—Swordmaster, Captain of Grisham City guard
Cloutier (clu-tee-ay)—Villainous Earl of Berggren,
Youch (you-ch)—Cloutier's manservant,
Gerkin (grr-ken)—fat fabric monger in Bantering
Bel (bell)—Church elder in Bantering
Durhan (derr-hawn)—Church elder in Bantering
Old man Falstaff (fall-staw-f)—Silversmith in Dunwattle
Mistress Wermott (worm-ot)—Madam in Dunwattle,
Mr.Sandalwood—miller in Dunwattle
Ornette (or-net)—Hersh the butcher's son,
Hersh (like it's spelled)—Butcher in Dunwattle,
Alverd (all-ver-d)—Baron of Spu's aide
Belcon (bell-con)—Dandy in Dunwattle
Jully (jewel-lee)—Innkeeper in Dunwattle
Harry—Lord Mayor of Dunwattle
Sammmel Gruen—Pig farmer in Dunwattle
Willard—son of the Innkeeper in Dunwattle, Ornette's friend
Flynn and Neely the thieves—Flynn: a Cooper, Neely: Soldier of Fortune and a Tracker,
Thayil (thay-ell)—trapped miner,
Rober (row-bear)—Trapped miner,
Petron (pea-trone)—trapped miner Nowsek's son
Nowsekk (know-sick)—Mayor of Access,
Maibell (may-bell)—Nowsek's wife
Cobain (koe-bane)—Gilgafed's servant,
Morgan—ethical Captain of Cloutier's guard who trains Charity in unarmed combat,
Vedder (ved-derr)—priest,
Mussoli (moose-oly)—Vedder's aide in Bantering,
Chilton (chill-ton)—baker,
Ethan (ee-thun)—soldier with hangover,
McCabe (mac-cabe)—becomes joined with a seeker. Sadomasochist,
Jovovich, (jo-vo-vitch)
Rosenman. (rose-en-mawn)
Howell (howl)—owner of the Wayfarer House,
Mallien (mal-yeen)—High Priest & a pedophile.
Sarai (sair-eye) and Jonas (joan-aws)—Circumstance's siblings,
Thaylli (thay-yee)—Adam's eventual wife,
Tyndale (tin-doll)—Thaylli's father,
Aisbell (aes-bell)—Thaylli's mother,
Merillat (mer-I-yatt)—Thaylli's eldest brother,
Moen (moan)—next oldest,
Monier (moan-yer)—Younger,
Alford (all-ferd)—Emperor of the Southern Lands,
Nicoll (nye-cole)—Spinning woman in Berggren,
Cremer, Sobret (creh-mer, soh-bret)—Alford's aide,
Moulton (mole-ton)—Aide to Philosopher King,
Hodder (hod-der)& “Leum"(loom) Stroughton (straw-ton)—Wuest's friends at court in Grisham,
Souter (soo-ter),—Earl of Avern
Wuest (woost) “Avin"—Duke of Grisham's aide de camp,
Westcott (west-caught)—innkeeper in Access,
Sheriwyn (sheri-win)—Westcott's wife,
Ani (ann-knee)—The Westcotts’ daughter,
Schmidt (sh-mitt)—Grocer in Adam and Charity's town,
Bustlebun (bus-ell-bun)—Innkeeper in wood,
Jully (jewel-lee)—Innkeeper in Dunwattle,
Willard (Jully's son),
Willum (well-umm) the Red—Outlaw band leader,
Felsten (fell-es-ton)—Librarian's assistant,
Lifetile (life-tull)—Mute Dungeon guard in Grisham,
Greenstone (greens-ton),—Soldier who abuses Circumstance in Cloudhook camp
Dolbutt—farmer outside of Avern
Gunther—farmer outside of Avern
Merril (mer-all) and Dinkin (din-ken)—Grish
am gate guards,
Saichele (say-chell)—flirtatious woman in Access,
Decora (di-cora)— young woman in Westcott's Inn
Hypatia (hi-pat-chia)—Ortian Ambassador's eldest daughter,
Nikkas (ny-cass)—Ortian Ambassador and brother of Emperor,
Rawn (ron)—old ferryman in Grisham,
Gessit (guess-sit)—Suldam that captures young Neely,
Brill (bree-ell)—Bandit
Fretin (free-tin)—Bandit
Drynn (drin)—Bandit
Ruggels (rug-gills)—Bandit
Sept-Colonel Fergus (fir-gus)
Lancer Captain Ferrgyn (fear-gin)
Major Gyst-Bersyn (gist-beers-in)
General Jarl-Tysyn (yarl-s-eye-sin)—chief over Ort's armies
Lisbeth (liz-beth)—old woman, cook, housekeeper in Library at Grisham
Lemmic-Pries (lem-mik-prize)—Chief Ortian Engineer at Cloudhook base
Colling-Faler (cole-ling-fall-ler)—Engineer third
Gaspic (ghas-pik)—Lemmic-Pries’ administrator
Durston-Kres (ders-stone-krez)—Ortian engineer
Soddle (saw-dil)—Grisham gate guard
Hervy (here-vie)—Grisham gate guard
Jerrold (jair-awld)—Grisham gate guard
Giff (g{as in get}if) -Grisham press gang leader
Granny Bullton (bowl-ton)—Innkeeper in Grisham where Adam and Milward stay
Travers (trah-verz)—Ortian press gang sergeant
Gupp (goop)—page in Grisham castle
Dorrin (duer-rin)—Door warden in Grisham castle
Magister Mallien (maul-yeen)—the High Priest in Grisham cathedral with a fondness for young boys
Sammel—Ethan's old friend in Berggren
Alten (all-ton) Baldricsson (ball-dricks-son)—Librarian of the Great Library at Grisham
Bright eye—The wolves name for Adam
Aerny (air-knee)—Avernese soldier, one of Vedder's loaned squad
Wullim (wool-limb)—Avernese soldier, one of Vedder's loaned squad
Nestia (nest-chia)—Chambermaid in Grisham Castle
Lisbeth (liz-beth)—Dishwasher in Grisham Castle
Grisabele (griz-a-bell)—Chambermaid ordered skinned alive by Duke Bilardi
Kittlyn (lit-tel-lin)—Waitress in Grisham
Big Keri (curry)—top heavy woman in one of Neely's tales
Dagbare (daag-bare)—Crone in charge of Gilgafed's kennels
Friella (free-al-ya)—Pregnant woman in kennels
Errold (ear-old)—Grisham City repair chief