Sethra Lavode (Viscount of Adrilankha)
Read Sethra Lavode (Viscount of Adrilankha) Online
Authors: Steven Brust
Sethra
Lavode
BOOKS BY STEVEN BRUST
THE DRAGAERAN NOVELS
Brokedown Palace
THE KHAAVREN ROMANCES
The Phoenix Guards
Five Hundred Years After
The Viscount of Adrilankha,
which comprises
The Paths of the Dead,
The Lord of Castle Black,
and
Sethra Lavode
THE VLAD TALTOS NOVELS
Jhereg
Yendi
Teckla
Taltos
Phoenix
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
OTHER NOVELS
To Reign in Hell
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars
Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille
The Gypsy
(with Megan Lindholm)
Freedom and Necessity
(with Emma Bull)
Lavode
BOOK THREE OF THE VISCOUNT OF ADRILANKHA
S
TEVEN
B
RUST, P.J.F.
A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK
NEW YORK
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.
SETHRA LAVODE: BOOK THREE OF THE VISCOUNT OF ADRILANKHA
Copyright © 2004 by Steven Brust
Afterword copyright © 2004 by John M. Ford
Edited by Teresa Nielsen Hayden
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Tor
®
is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brust, Steven, 1955—
Sethra Lavode / Steven Brust.—1st ed.
p. cm.—(The Viscount of Adrilankha ; bk. 3)
“A Tom Doherty Associates book.”
ISBN 0-312-85581-8 (acid-free paper)
EAN 978-0312-85581-9
I. Title
PS3552.R84S47 2004
2003063454
First Edition: April 2004
Printed in the United States of America
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Viscount
of
Adrilankha
BOOK THREE
Sethra Lavode
Describing Certain Events that Occurred
Between the 1st and 3rd Years
Of the Reign of Empress Zerika the Fourth
Submitted to the Imperial Library
By Springsign Manor
House of the Hawk
On this 3rd day of the Month of the Athyra
Of the Year of the Vallista
Of the Turn of the Jhereg
Of the Phase of the Phoenix
Of the Reign of the Dragon
In the Cycle of the Phoenix
In the Great Cycle of the Dragon;
Or, in the 179th Year
Of the Glorious Reign
Of the Empress Norathar the Second
By Sir Paarfi of Roundwood
House of the Hawk
(His Arms, Seal, Lineage Block)
Presented, as Always,
To Marchioness Poorborn
With Gratitude and Affection
Blackchapel and Castle Black
Morrolan—An Apprentice witch
Erik—A fool
Miska—A coachman
Arra—A Priestess
Teldra—An Issola
Fentor e’Mondaar—A Dragonlord
Fineol—A Vallista from Nacine
Oidwa—A Tsalmoth
Esteban—An Eastern witch
The Kanefthali Mountains
Skinter—A Count, afterward Duke
Marchioness of Habil—His cousin and strategist
Betraan e’Lanya—His tactician
Tsanaali—A lieutenant in Skinter’s army
Izak—A general in Skinter’s army
Brawre—A general in Skinter’s army
Saakrew—An officer in Skinter’s army
Udaar—An adviser and diplomatist
Hirtrinkneff—His assistant
The Society of the Porker Poker
Piro—The Viscount of Adrilankha
Lewchin—An Issola
Shant—A Dzurlord
Zivra—House unknown
Whitecrest and Environs
Daro—The Countess of Whitecrest
Khaavren—Her husband
Lar—A lackey
Cook—A cook
Maid—A maid
Dzur Mountain and Environs
Kytraan—The son of an old friend
Sethra Lavode—The Enchantress of Dzur Mountain
Tukko—Sethra’s servant
Sethra the Younger—Sethra’s apprentice
The Necromancer—A demon
Tazendra—A Dzurlord wizard
Mica—Her lackey
The Sorceress in Green—A sorceress
Berigner—A general serving Sethra Lavode
Taasra—A brigadier serving under Berigner
Karla e’Baritt—A military engineer
Arylle and Environs
Aerich Temma—Duke of Arylle
Fawnd—His servant
Steward—His other servant
On the Road
Orlaan/Grita—A sorceress in training
Wadre—A brigand leader
Mora—His lieutenant
Grassfog—A bandit
Iatha—A bandit
Thong—A bandit
Ritt—A bandit
Belly—A bandit
Ryunac e’Terics—A lieutenant in Skinter’s army
Magra e’Lanya—Ryunac’s sergeant
Brimford—An Easterner and Warlock
Tsani—Grassfog’s sister
Tevna—A pyrologist
Elde Island
Corthina Fi Dalcalda—King of Elde
Tresh—An exile
Nywak—Her servant
Gardimma—Imperial Ambassador to Elde
The Halls of Judgment
Barlen
Verra
Moranthë
Kéurana
Ordwynac
Nyssa
Kelchor
Trout
Tri’nagore
Miscellaneous Others
Sennya—Dzur Heir
Ibronka—Her daughter
Clari—Ibronka’s maid
Röaanac—A Tiassa
Malyapon—His wife
Röaana—Their daughter
Haro—Their servant
Prince Tiawall—Hawk Heir
Ritsak—Lyorn Heir
Jami—A Teckla in Mistyvale County
Marel—Proprietor of a general store
Chapter the One Hundred Second
Afterword ENCOUNTERS WITH PAARFI AND THE GODS
Which Consists of a Succinct Summary
Of All That Has Gone Before
As Well as a Daring Literary Adventure
Embarked Upon for the Benefit
Of the Loyal Reader
H
aving, on the occasion of introducing the previous volume of this history, said all that needs to be said concerning the wisdom, or, rather, the lack of wisdom, of dividing a story into sections, we do not feel the need to repeat ourselves. That is, all of those who have read the previous volume understand our objections to making such necessarily arbitrary breaks in what was meant to be a single, unified text; and those who have not read the previous volumes will, without our having to say anything, quickly come to understand. However, in the course of preparing this summary, we came to the decision to do something that, so far as we know, has never been done in the history of letters—a daring step that we have chosen to take out of a sense of duty to the reader.
Instead of confining these few pages to an explication of the events which are already known to those of our readers who have done us the courtesy of remaining with us throughout the several volumes of this history, we have chosen to break with an iron-bound tradition for such summaries, and include, toward the end of this section, new information—that is to say, information which will be of value to all readers.
It is possible that we will come under attack for such a departure from tradition from our brothers in letters, as well as those who feed upon literature in the same way as certain insects feed upon deceased animals; but in our desire to be of service to the reader, we are willing and even happy to brave these attacks.
That noted, we will at once pass on to explain, as laconically as possible, the circumstances at the beginning of this volume of our history, and how those circumstances developed.
We have been following, first of all, two Dragonlords: Morrolan
and Kâna. The latter of these has been attempting to expand his own holdings until they become, in effect, the Empire re-created. He achieved significant success, having started his projects around the fiftieth year after Adron’s Disaster, so that, by the time two hundreds of years had passed, nearly half of the area that was once the Empire was either under his control or threatened by his forces.
The other, Morrolan, the Count of Southmoor, had been raised in the East in ignorance, not only of his heritage, but, indeed, even of his race. Early in our history, we saw how he migrated from the East along with several hundreds of practitioners of the Eastern heathen magical arts. He journied to Dzur Mountain under the impression that he was owed tribute, Dzur Mountain being part of his ancestral holdings. He received an immensely powerful artifact from the Enchantress, though we are inclined to believe this was less in the nature of tribute than it was a gift of friendship, or perhaps the product of inspired foresight on the part of the enigmatic Sethra.
Another figure whom we have been following with great attention is, in fact, Sethra Lavode herself, the Enchantress of Dzur Mountain. Seeing that the true Phoenix Heir, Zerika, had reached a sufficient age, Sethra revealed to this worthy Zerika’s true name and destiny, and sent her, with the Viscount of Adrilankha, our old friend Tazendra, and a few others to the Paths of the Dead, where she managed to convince the Lords of Judgment to give her the Orb. She emerged from the Halls of Judgment, and so the Interregnum came to an end. This, the reader should understand, led directly to the Battle of Dzur Mountain, as this battle was, above all else, Kâna’s attempt to take the Orb by force. He concentrated his two armies, together numbering over seventy thousand strong, on Dzur Mountain, which he knew was Zerika’s destination. The attempt was defeated, largely thanks to Morrolan, as well as to assistance sent by Sethra Lavode, and a necromantic demon sent by the Lords of Judgment.