by Kate Forsyth
Lightning flashed, frighteningly close. It hit the top of a nearby oak tree, with a great whizz and bang, and a sudden leap of silver fire. Blackthorn screamed and reared again, almost throwing Rhiannon. The dark figure put up a hand and seized Blackthorn’s bridle and, at the familiar touch of the hand and the familiar smell and murmur, the winged horse quietened and came back down to earth.
‘Lewen!’ Rhiannon cried.
His wet hair was plastered to his head, and water streamed down his face. ‘Rhiannon! I could no’ let ye go without …’
His words faltered. He seized her arm. She bent and they kissed passionately, their skin wet and cold, the rain pounding on their backs. It was so cold, their breath blew in white plumes when at last they drew reluctantly apart.
‘Rhiannon, Rhiannon!’ he cried. ‘Have a care for yourself!’
‘I will.’
His breath heaved. ‘Come back to me,’ he managed to say.
‘I will.’
He stepped back, and Rhiannon dug her heels into Blackthorn’s sides. The winged horse sprang up and away, and disappeared into the storm, black into black.
acolytes: students of witchcraft who have not yet passed their Second Test of Powers; usually aged between eight and sixteen.
ahdayeh: a series of exercises used as meditation in motion. Derived from the Khan’cohban art of fighting.
apprentice-witch: a student of witchcraft who has passed the Second Test of Powers, usually undertaken at the age of sixteen.
arak: a small, monkey-like creature.
Arran: south-east land of Eileanan, ruled by the MacFóghnan clan.
Aslinn: deeply forested land, ruled by the MacAislin clan.
banprionnsa: princess or duchess.
banrìgh: queen.
Beltane: May Day; the first day of summer.
Ben Eyrie: third highest mountain in Eileanan; part of the Broken Ring of Dubhslain.
blaygird: evil, awful.
Blèssem: rich farmland south of Rionnagan, ruled by the MacThanach clan.
Blue Guards: the Yeomen of the Guard, the Rìgh’s own elite company of soldiers. They act as his personal bodyguard, both on the battlefield and in peacetime.
Brann the Raven: one of the First Coven of Witches. Known for probing the darker mysteries of magic, and for fascination with machinery and technology.
Broken Ring of Dubhslain: mountains which curve in a crescent around the highlands of Ravenshaw.
Bronwen NicCuinn: daughter of former Rìgh Jaspar MacCuinn and Maya the Ensorcellor; she was named Banrìgh of Eileanan by her father on his deathbed but ruled for just six hours as a newborn baby, before Lachlan the Winged wrested the throne from her.
Candlemas: the end of winter and beginning of spring.
Carraig: land of the sea-witches, the northernmost land of Eileanan, ruled by the MacSeinn clan.
Celestines: race of faery creatures, renowned for empathic abilities and knowledge of stars and prophecy.
Clachan: southernmost land of Eileanan, a province of Rionnagan ruled by the MacCuinn clan.
claymore: a heavy, two-edged sword, often as tall as a man.
cluricaun: small woodland faery.
Connor: a Yeoman of the Guard. Was once a beggar-boy in Lucescere and member of the League of the Healing Hand.
corrigan: mountain faery with the power of assuming the look of a boulder. The most powerful can cast other illusions.
Coven of Witches: the central ruling body for witches in Eileanan, led by the Keybearer and a council of twelve other sorcerers and sorceresses called the Circle. The Coven administers all rites and rituals in the worship of the universal life-force witches call Eà, runs schools and hospitals, and advises the Crown.
Craft: applications of the One Power through spells, incantations and magical objects.
The Cripple: leader of the rebellion against the rule of Jaspar and Maya.
Cuinn Lionheart: leader of the First Coven of Witches; his descendants are called MacCuinn.
Cunning: applications of the One Power through will and desire.
cunning man: village wise man or warlock.
cursehags: wicked faery race, prone to curses and evil spells. Known for their filthy personal habits.
dai-dein: father.
Day of Betrayal: the day Jaspar the Ensorcelled turned on the witches, exiling or executing them, and burning the Witch Towers.
Dedrie: healer at Fettercairn Castle; was formerly nursemaid to Rory, the young son of Lord Falkner MacFerris.
Dide the Juggler: a jongleur who was rewarded for his part in Lachlan the Winged’s successful rebellion by being made Didier Laverock, Earl of Caerlaverock. Is often called the Rìgh’s minstrel.
Dillon of the Joyous Sword: Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. Was once a beggar-boy and Captain of the League of the Healing Hand.
Donncan Feargus MacCuinn: eldest son of Lachlan MacCuinn and Iseult NicFaghan. Has wings like a bird and can fly. Was named for Lachlan’s two brothers, who were transformed into blackbirds by Maya the Ensorcellor.
Dughall MacBrann: the Prionnsa of Ravenshaw and cousin to the Rìgh.
Eà: the Great Life Spirit, mother and father of all.
Eileanan: largest island in the archipelago called the Far Islands.
Elemental Powers: the forces of air, earth, fire, water and spirit which together make up the One Power.
Enit Silverthroat: grandmother of Dide and Nina; died at the Battle of Bonnyblair.
equinox: a time when day and night are of equal length, occurring twice a year.
Fairge; Fairgean: faery creatures who need both sea and land to live.
Falkner MacFerris: former lord of Fettercairn Castle.
Fettercairn Castle: a fortress guarding the pass into the highlands of Ravenshaw, and the Tower of Ravens. Owned by the MacFerris clan.
Finn the Cat: nickname of Fionnghal NicRuraich.
Fionnghal NicRuraich: eldest daughter of Anghus MacRuraich of Rurach; was once a beggar-girl in Lucescere and Lieutenant of the League of the Healing Hand.
First Coven of Witches: thirteen witches who fled persecution in their own land, invoking an ancient spell that folded the fabric of the universe and brought them and all their followers to Eileanan in a journey called the Great Crossing. The eleven great clans of Eileanan are all descended from the First Coven, with the MacCuinn clan being the greatest of the eleven. The thirteen witches were Cuinn Lionheart, his son Owein of the Longbow, Ahearn Horse-laird, Aislinna the Dreamer, Berhtilde the Bright Warrior-Maid, Fóghnan the Thistle, Rùraich the Searcher, Seinneadair the Singer, Sian the Storm-Rider, Tuathanach the Farmer, Brann the Raven, Faodhagan the Red and his twin sister Sorcha the Bright (now called the Murderess).
Gearradh: goddess of death; of the Three Spinners, Gearradh is she who cuts the thread.
gillie: personal servant.
gillie-coise: bodyguard.
Gladrielle the Blue: the smaller of the two moons, lavender-blue in colour.
gravenings: ravenous creatures that nest and swarm together, steal lambs and chickens from farmers, and have been known to steal babies and young children. Will eat anything they can carry away in their claws. Collective noun is ‘screech’.
Greycloaks: the Rìgh’s army, so called because of their camouflaging cloaks.
Hogmanay: New Year’s Eve; an important celebration in the culture of Eileanan.
Horned Ones: another name for the satyricorns, a race of fierce horned faeries.
Irving: seneschal at Fettercairn Castle.
Isabeau the Shapechanger: Keybearer of the Coven; twin sister of the Banrìgh Iseult NicFaghan.
Iseult of the Snows: twin sister of Isabeau NicFaghan; Banrìgh of Eileanan by marriage to Lachlan the Winged.
Iven Yellowbeard: a jongleur and courier in the service of Lachlan the Winged; was formerly a Yeoman of the Guard; married to Nina the Nightingale and father to Roden.
Jaspar MacCuinn: former Rìgh of Eileanan, often called J
aspar the Ensorcelled. Was married to Maya the Ensorcellor.
Jay the Fiddler: a minstrel in the service of Lachlan the Winged. Was once a beggar-boy in Lucescere and member of the League of the Healing Hand.
Johanna: a healer. Was once a beggar-girl in Lucescere and member of the League of the Healing Hand.
jongleur: a travelling minstrel, juggler, conjurer.
journeywitch: a travelling witch who performs rites for villages that do not have a witch, and seeks out children with magical powers who can be taken on as acolytes.
Keybearer: the leader of the Coven of Witches.
Khan’cohbans: a faery race of war-like, snow-skimming nomads who live on the high mountains of the Spine of the World.
Lachlan the Winged: Rìgh of Eileanan.
League of the Healing Hand: a band of beggar children who were instrumental in helping Lachlan the Winged win his throne.
leannan: sweetheart.
Lewen: an apprentice-witch and squire to Lachlan; son of Lilanthe of the Forest and Niall the Bear.
Lilanthe of the Forest: a tree-shifter; married to Niall the Bear, and mother to Lewen and Meriel.
loch; lochan (pl): lake.
Lucescere: ancient city built on an island above the Shining Waters; the traditional home of the MacCuinns and the Tower of Two Moons.
Mac: son of
MacAhern: one of the eleven great clans; descendants of Ahearn Horse-laird.
MacBrann: one of the eleven great clans; descendants of Brann the Raven.
MacCuinn: one of the eleven great clans, descendants of Cuinn Lionheart.
Magnysson the Red: the larger of the two moons, crimson-red in colour, commonly thought of as a symbol of war and conflict. Old tales describe him as a thwarted lover, chasing his lost love, Gladrielle, across the sky.
Malvern MacFerris: lord of Fettercairn Castle; brother of former lord Falkner MacFerris.
Maya the Ensorcellor: former Banrìgh of Eileanan, wife of Jaspar and mother of Bronwen; now known as Maya the Mute.
moonbane: a hallucinogenic drug distilled from the moonflower plant.
necromancy: the forbidden art of resurrecting the dead.
Niall the Bear: formerly a Yeoman of the Guard; now married to Lilanthe of the Forest, and father to Lewen and Meriel.
Nic: daughter of.
Nila: King of the Fairgean; half-brother of Maya the Ensorcellor.
Nina the Nightingale: jongleur and sorceress of the Coven; sister to Didier Laverock, earl of Caerlaverock, and granddaughter of Enit Silverthroat.
nisse: small woodland faery.
Olwynne NicCuinn: daughter of Lachlan MacCuinn and Iseult NicFaghan; twin sister of Owein.
One Power: the life-energy that is contained in all things. Witches draw upon the One Power to perform their acts of magic. The One Power contains all the elemental forces of air, earth, water, fire and spirit, and witches are usually more powerful in one force than others.
Owein MacCuinn: second son of Lachlan MacCuinn and Iseult NicFaghan; twin brother of Olwynne. Has wings like a bird.
prionnsa; prionnsachan (pl): prince, duke.
Ravenscraig: estate of the MacBrann clan. Once their hunting castle, but they moved their home there after Rhyssmadill fell into ruin.
Ravenshaw: deeply forested land west of Rionnagan, ruled by the MacBrann clan, descendants of Brann, one of the First Coven of Witches.
Razor’s Edge: dangerous path through the mountains of the Broken Ring of Dubhslain, only used in times of great need.
Red Guards: soldiers in service to Maya the Ensorcellor during her reign as Banrìgh.
Rhiannon: a half-satyricorn; daughter of One-Horn and a captured human.
Rhyssmadill: the Rìgh’s castle by the sea, once owned by the MacBrann clan.
rìgh; rìghrean (pl): king.
Rionnagan: together with Clachan and Blèssem, the richest lands in Eileanan. Ruled by MacCuinns, descendants of Cuinn Lionheart, leader of the First Coven of Witches.
Roden: son of Nina the Nightingale and Iven Yellowbeard; Viscount Laverock of Caerlaverock.
Rory: deceased son of Lord Falkner MacFerris of Fettercairn and Lady Evaline NicKinney.
Rurach: wild mountainous land lying between Tìreich and Siantan, and ruled by the MacRuraich clan.
sabre-leopard: savage feline with curved fangs that lives in the remote mountain areas.
sacred woods: ash, hazel, oak, rowan, fir, hawthorn, and yew.
Samhain: first day of winter; festival for the souls of the dead. Best time of year to see the future.
satyricorn: a race of fierce horned faeries.
scrying: to perceive through crystal gazing or other focus. Most witches can scry if the object to be perceived is well known to them.
Seekers: a force created by former Rìgh Jaspar the Ensorcelled to find those with magical abilities so they could be tried and executed.
seelie: tall, shy race of faeries known for their physical beauty and magical skills.
seneschal: steward.
sennachie: genealogist and record-keeper of the clan chief’s house.
sgian dubh: small knife worn in the boot.
Siantan: north-west land of Eileanan, famous for its weather witches. Ruled by the MacSian clan.
skeelie: a village witch or wise woman.
Skill: a common application of magic, such as lighting a candle or dowsing for water.
Spinners: goddesses of fate. Include the spinner Sniomhar, the goddess of birth; the weaver Breabadair, goddess of life; and she who cuts the thread, Gearradh, goddess of death.
Talent: the combination of a witch’s strengths in the different forces often manifest as a particularly powerful Talent; for example, Lewen’s Talent is in working with wood and Nina’s is in singing.
Test of Elements: once a witch is fully accepted into the coven at the age of twenty-four, they learn Skills in the element in which they are strongest, ie air, earth, fire, water, or spirit. The First Test of any element wins them a ring which is worn on the right hand. If they pass the Third Test in any one element, the witch is called a sorcerer or sorceress, and wears a ring on his or her left hand. It is very rare for any witch to win a sorceress ring in more than one element.
Test of Powers: a witch is first tested on his or her eighth birthday, and if any magical powers are detected, he or she becomes an acolyte. On their sixteenth birthday, witches undertake the Second Test of Powers, in which they must make a moonstone ring and witch’s dagger. If they pass, they are permitted to become an apprentice. On their twenty-fourth birthday, witches undertake the Third Test of Powers, in which they must remake their dagger and cut and polish a staff. If successfully completed, the apprentice is admitted into the Coven of Witches. Apprentices wear black robes; witches wear white robes.
Theurgia: a school for acolytes and apprentice-witches at the Tower of Two Moons in Lucescere.
thigearn: horse-lairds who ride flying horses.
Tìreich: land of the horse-lairds. Most westerly country of Eileanan, ruled by the MacAhern clan.
Tìrlethan: land of the Twins; ruled by the MacFaghan clan.
Tìrsoilleir: the Bright Land or the Forbidden Land. North-east land of Eileanan, ruled by the MacHilde clan.
Tòmas the Healer: boy with healing powers, who saved the lives of thousands of soldiers during the Bright Wars; died saving Lachlan’s life at the Battle of Bonnyblair.
The Towers of the Witches: thirteen towers built as centres of learning and witchcraft in the twelve lands of Eileanan. Most are now ruined, but the Tower of Two Moons in Lucescere has been restored as the home of the Coven of Witches and its school, the Theurgia. The Coven hope to rebuild the thirteen High Towers but also to encourage towns and regions to build their own towers.
tree-changer: woodland faery that can shift shape from tree to humanlike creature. A half-breed is called a tree-shifter and can sometimes look almost human.
trictrac: a form of backgammon.
uile
-bheist; uile-bheistean (pl): monster
Yedda: sea-witches.
Yeomen of the Guard: Also known as the Blue Guards. The Rìgh’s own personal bodyguard, responsible for his safety.