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  “GODDESS, WHY DON’T YOU LISTEN? HAVEN’T YOU KILLED ENOUGH?”

  “Enough? What is ‘enough?’” the Warlord said. “What payment for your evil? I tell you ‘enough’ is not yet, will not be until all are dead!”

  The two Meiglans glanced at each other, well and truly frightened now.

  “I will tell you how it was,” the Warlord continued in a low, lethal voice. “Islands under swords, warriors killed, women raped, children dead. Herds slaughtered so people starved. Crops burned, so people starved. Fishingboats sunk, so people starved. For a hundred thousands of days, we remember. For such evil, no numbers of killings can be enough.”

  The two women traded looks, and one of them said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. A hundred thousand days?”

  “Your evil! Yours! No peace until you starve and die as we did! Until the Azhrei and all his lands and people starve and die!”

  “That’s insane! You can’t mean this war is because of something that happened almost three hundred years ago, that we had nothing to do with!”

  He whispered to her, their faces a breath apart, “You forgot us. But we remember. Your evil. Your magic. Our deaths. A hundred thousands of days. You do not remember. But you will. Before he dies, the Azhrei will know. Before I kill him and his evil magic for the Dragon, he will know. He will speak all lost names before I slice out his faradhi tongue, and he will see the truth before I carve out his Goddess-green, Goddess-blue eyes. . . .”

  DAW Books Presents

  the Finest in Fantasy by

  MELANIE RAWN

  EXILES

  THE RUINS OF AMBRAI

  THE MAGEBORN TRAITOR

  DRAGON PRINCE

  DRAGON PRINCE

  THE STAR SCROLL

  SUNRUNNER’S FIRE

  DRAGON STAR

  STRONGHOLD

  THE DRAGON TOKEN

  SKYBOWL

  THE GOLDEN KEY UNIVERSE

  THE GOLDEN KEY

  (With Jennifer Roberson and Kate Elliott)

  THE DIVINER

  Copyright © 1993 by Melanie Rawn.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Jacket art by Michael Whelan.

  ISBN: 978-1-101-66630-2

  Map by Marty Siegrist.

  DAW Book Collectors No. 903.

  Published by DAW Books, Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious.

  Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

  First Paperback Printing, March 1994

  DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED

  U.S. PAT. AND TM. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES

  —MARCA REGISTRADA

  HECHO EN U.S.A.

  Version_1

  For

  Sharon Jarvis,

  Sheila Gilbert,

  and

  Michael Whelan

  for so graciously enduring

  six books’ worth of dragons,

  Sunrunners, and me

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Map

  Author’s Note

  PART ONE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  PART THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  PART FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  EPILOGUE

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  A summary of casualties, how they died and where, may suffice as a reminder of events in Stronghold and Dragon Token.

  Killed

  on Kierst Latham of Kierst, his wife Hevatia of Isel

  at Gilad Seahold Segelin, his wife Paveol (sister of Edrel and Kerluthan), their son Edrelin

  at Faolain Riverport Baisath, his wife Michinida (parents of Mirsath and Idalian); Miral of Faolain Lowland, his wife Kemeny (parents of Karanaya), their son Gevnaya, his wife Pelida (Draza’s sister);

  Brenlis

  at Goddess Keep Oclel, Rusina

  at Tuath Castle Jahnavi

  at Stronghold Morwenna; Relnaya

  at Swalekeep Kerluthan of River Ussh; Branig

  at Tiglath Tallain; Birioc (Miyon’s son); Vamanis

  in the Veresch Lyela of Waes (Tallain’s cousin); Rabisa of Tuath Castle; Feneol (Hildreth’s son)

  Died of wounds Rihani of Ossetia

  Died of natural causes High Prince Rohan; Myrdal; Volog of Kierst; Narat of Port Adni; Siona of Tuath Castle

  Murdered

  at Balarat Arpali

  by Merida Kostas of Syr

  at Swalekeep Halian of Meadowlord, his niece Cluthine; Aurar of Catha Heights; Rialt and Mevita

  at the Ussh River Edirne of Fessenden

  at Einar Camanto of Fessenden

  Executed

  by Mirsath Patwin of Catha Heights

  by Kostas Patwin’s daughter Izaea, his brother Othreg

  by Meiglan’s order her half-brothers Duroth, Ezanto, and Zanyr; Birioc’s Merida uncle Urstra

  by Andry Miyon of Cunaxa

  Major characters surviving as of the fifty-seventh day of Winter, 737:

  The Desert and Princemarch

  ALASEN of Kierst, Lady of Castle Crag.

  ANDREV Andry’s son; Tilal’s squire.

  ANDRY Lord of Goddess Keep. Maarken’s brother.

  ANTALYA of Tiglath. Sionell’s daughter.

  BETHEYN Formerly betrothed to Andry’s twin brother Sorin.

  CAMIGWEN of Castle Crag (Jeni). Ostvel and Alasen’s daughter.

  CHAYLA of Whitecliff Manor. Maarken and Hollis’ daughter.

  CHAYNAL Lord of Radzyn Keep.

  DANNAR of Castle Crag. Ostvel and Alasen’s son; Pol’s squire.

  DRAZA Lord of Grand Veresch.

  EDREL Lord of River Ussh. Norian’s husband.

  FEYLIN Lady of Remagev.

  HOLLIS Lady of Whitecliff Manor.

  IDALIAN of Faolain Riverport. Mirsath’s brother; Laric’s squire.

  ISRIAM of Einar (in Fessenden). Pol’s squire.

  JIHAN of Princemarch. Pol and Meiglan’s daughter.

  JOHLARIAN Court Sunrunner at Faolain Lowland.

  KARANAYA of Faolain Lowland. Mirsath and Idalian’s cousin.

  KAZANDER Battle leader (korrus) of the Isul
k’im.

  MAARA of Feruche. Riyan and Ruala’s daughter.

  MAARKEN Lord of Whitecliff Manor. Battle Commander of the Desert.

  MEIG of Tiglath. Sionell’s younger son.

  MEIGLAN High Princess.

  MIRSATH Lord of Faolain Lowland.

  OSTVEL Lord of Castle Crag.

  POL High Prince.

  RISLYN of Princemarch. Pol and Meiglan’s daughter.

  RIYAN Lord of Feruche, Skybowl, Elktrap Manor.

  ROHANNON of Whitecliff Manor. Maarken and Hollis’ son; Arlis’ squire.

  RUALA of Elktrap Manor, Lady of Feruche, Skybowl, Elktrap.

  SIONED of River Run, High Princess.

  SIONELL of Remagev, Lady of Tiglath.

  TOBIN of the Desert, Lady of Radzyn Keep.

  TOBREN Andry’s eldest daughter.

  VISIAN Kazander’s brother-by-marriage.

  WALVIS Lord of Remagev.

  Dorval and Firon

  ALDIAR Yarin’s distant cousin.

  ALLEYN of Dorval. Ludhil and Iliena’s daughter.

  AUDRAN of Dorval. Ludhil and Iliena’s son.

  AUDRITE of Sandeia, Princess of Dorval.

  CHADRIC Prince of Dorval.

  ILIENA of Snowcoves, Princess of Dorval. Lisiel and Yarin’s sister.

  LARIC of Dorval, Prince of Firon. Chadric and Audrite’s son.

  LUDHIL of Dorval. Chadric and Audrite’s son.

  MEATH Court Sunrunner at Graypearl.

  TIREL of Firon. Laric and Lisiel’s son.

  YARIN Lord of Snowcoves. Brother of Lisiel and Iliena.

  Gilad and Grib

  AMIEL of Gilad.

  CHEGRY Master Physician.

  ELSEN of Grib. Norian’s brother.

  NORIAN of Grib, Lady of River Ussh. Elsen’s sister.

  NYR Princess of Gilad.

  SETHRIC of Grib. Elsen and Norian’s cousin.

  Syr and Ossetia

  DANIV Prince of Syr. Tilal’s nephew; Pol’s squire.

  GEMMA of Syr, Princess of Ossetia.

  KIERUN of Lower Pyrme. Pol’s squire.

  TILAL of River Run, Prince of Ossetia. Sioned’s nephew.

  Meadowlord

  CHIANA Princess of Meadowlord.

  RINHOEL of Meadowlord. Chiana’s son.

  Kierst-Isel

  ARLIS Prince of Kierst-Isel.

  NAYDRA of Princemarch, Lady of Port Adni. Chiana’s half-sister.

  SAUMER of Kierst-Isel. Arlis’ brother.

  Goddess Keep

  ANTOUN Devri.

  CRILA Devri.

  DENIKER Devri. Ulwis’ husband.

  EVARIN Master Physician.

  JAYACHIN Waesian merchant; unofficial athri at Goddess Keep.

  JOLAN Devri. Torien’s wife.

  LINIS Devri.

  MARTIEL Devri.

  NIALDAN Devri.

  TORIEN Devri. Chief Steward of Goddess Keep. Jolan’s husband.

  ULWIS Devri. Deniker’s wife; mother of Andry’s son Joscev.

  VALEDA Devri. Mother of Andry’s daughter Chayly.

  HIGH WARLORD OF THE VELLANT’IM

  Sunrunner Sorcerer

  Chapter One

  She appeared without warning, balanced exquisitely on a carpet of sunlight, crowned in stars. When she smiled at him, all the sweetness and serenity that ever were shone from her face. Beautiful, of course—though he could not have defined the color of her eyes, or her hair, or her skin. She was all he had ever dreamed, many things he had never dared imagine, and she was here, with him, smiling. He reached out a reverent hand, hoping he would be allowed to touch her.

  “No,” she murmured, her voice softly throaty, “not yet, my dear. All things in time.”

  Her starry crown brightened, pulsing in rhythm with his quick heartbeats, dazzling his eyes. He drew back slightly, frightened of power for the first time in his life. But he could not look away, for from that arc of brilliant light shot clear, fiery sparks, each expanding to a crystalline sphere. She juggled them easily, almost whimsically, all twelve in turn caught and then tossed high by elegant fingers.

  Within each was a castle. Stronghold, Radzyn, Tiglath, Skybowl, Remagev, Swalekeep, Castle Crag, Balarat, Tuath, Goddess Keep—he knew those well, but two were strange to his eyes. He tried to follow their movements, tried to discern the patterns of wall and tower and court.

  “Too fast?” she asked. Suddenly the spheres were suspended in midair, the two unfamiliar castles resting delicately on her fingertips. She held one iridescent globe out to him.

  “The Feruche that was, before it was taken by Fire.”

  Yes, he recognized it now, from drawings. Not half so beautiful as the Feruche Sorin had created, and very much older.

  She extended her right hand, and he saw a strong, soaring tower, surrounded by a trim village of wooden houses glowing with stained-glass windows, unprotected by walls.

  “This was mine, before the building of the place you now hold.”

  And when he saw the crystal dome that was oratory and calendar and mathematical triumph, he knew that he looked upon the ancient Sunrunner keep on Dorval.

  More. He looked upon the Goddess.

  She was toying with the castle-spheres again. They rose and fell at the flick of her fingers. All at once she gestured, and they hovered in a straight line before her.

  Stronghold fell and shattered.

  And Tuath.

  Feruche.

  Remagev.

  The castle on Dorval that no one living had ever seen.

  “Wait!” he cried. “Not Radzyn! Please!”

  “No. You have already paid for your home. But one other will fall.”

  Which one? Swalekeep—where Ostvel was, making Alasen a widow? Tiglath—to further break Sionell’s heart? Castle Crag? Skybowl? Balarat?

  Goddess Keep?

  “I can’t choose!”

  “Have I asked you to?” Her laughter was sunlight on diamonds. She began to juggle the remaining castles once more, swifter than his eyes could follow.

  “Then why—?”

  “Because they are still in danger.”

  “You said I paid for Radzyn. How?” He thought of Brenlis.

  The lovely features drew into an expression of shock. “Not with pain. I am not so cruel as all that. You paid with belief.”

  Of course. What other coin would Deity accept?

  “Is it possible to do the same for—”

  “Which one?”

  As unable as he had been to choose a castle to destroy, neither could he choose one to save.

  She was smiling again. Her eyes were green and then blue, black and then hazel and then gray. Her hair was spun sunlight—no, fiery red—no, soft brown—black—pure silver. She was his mother and Sioned and Andrade and Hollis and Brenlis and even Alasen.

  “You see how difficult power can be. One more will fall. But which?”

  She flung all the spheres up into the air. He watched helplessly, holding his breath, heart stopped in his chest. Higher, higher, seven glowing globes, shrinking to pinpoints of light that circled into a crown of stars. . . .

  “Andry? My Lord, wake up.” The voice was urgent, familiar. “Andry!”

  He opened his eyes. Evarin; only him. “Where is she?” he muttered thickly.

  The Master Physician sagged with relief. “About time you came out of it. Don’t worry about Princess Alasen. She’s on her way to Feruche. She should get there tomorrow sometime. I had a look earlier, while you were sleeping. Then this fever came over you like a summer squall, and it was all I could do to get a cure down your throat. How do you feel now?”

  “Cold.” Drenched in sweat, Andry huddled into a sopping blanket.

  Evarin produced a dry one that reeked of horse. Andry found the smell comforting. He stripped off wet clothes and wrapped himself in the wool. Then he drank whatever Evarin gave him and lay back weakly.

  A little Fire glimmered nearby, warming the darkness of a small stone shelter. “Where are we?
”

  “One of Lord Garic’s way stations. Before you ask, we got here on horseback. Undignified, but there weren’t any artists around to note the pose for a commemorative portrait, so—”

  “Stop babbling and tell me what happened.” Then, looking more closely at Evarin’s face, he said gently, “You’ve got a fever, yourself. How’s the leg?”

  The young man shrugged. “It’ll do.”

  “Where’d the horse come from?”

  “Your horse, actually. He wandered back. You don’t remember?”

  “No.”

  “Well, you got a pretty nasty crack on the head today. Your memory may play tricks for a while. Anyway, we heard hoofbeats, and you tried some whistle or other, and your stallion came trotting up—well, limping, actually. You took the stone from his hoof, and—you really don’t remember?”

  “None of it. But I’m glad you didn’t have to do all the work yourself. I presume we got on the horse and started riding?”

  “I doubt you’d call it that.” He grinned tiredly. “Your father’d be appalled—or laugh himself senseless, one of the two, seeing us. And I’m babbling again, so I think I’ll let you take the watch for a while.”

  “Yes, get some rest. Is there anything to eat?”

  “Water and what was in your saddlebags.” Evarin reached out and dragged the leather satchels over. “Dry clothes, too.”

  “Good. You lie down and sleep. I’ll tend the Fire.”

  One moment Evarin’s little blaze faded, and the next Andry called Fire to the same spot. The exchange was made smoothly; at least the injury to his head hadn’t played foul with his gifts. The physician curled himself into another blanket and was asleep between one breath and the next.

  Andry changed clothes, keeping the blanket like a shawl over his shoulders. It was bitterly cold, but his need for warmth had more to do with his guts than his skin.

  “One will fall. . . .”

  But which? Oh, Goddess, which one?

  He took hard bread and cheese from his saddlebags and went to the shelter doorway. He had no sense of time; it might have been anywhere from just after dusk to just before dawn. There must have been a clear sky earlier, or Evarin wouldn’t have been able to go looking for Alasen, but now only faint, milky luminescence showed where the moons lurked behind the clouds. The unusable light mocked him.