The Wanderer (47 page)

Authors: Cherry Wilder,Katya Reimann

“I remember that man held a pen,” said Lady Pearl, smiling. “It can be no mystery that you have found him!”

“The other pictures came to pass also, as I’m sure you know. But in truth,” Gael said, “I do not accept that my destiny, my questing, is played out. But I am no
green girl
now. I can wait for my fortune to find me out in its own way.”

Lady Annhad gently closed Gael’s hand around the precious ring. “You must keep this,” she told her. “For you are right. There is much in your destiny yet to play out, of that I am sure.”

Gael said her good-byes soon after—Annhad and Pearl were casting discreet looks of concern toward their sister; it was time for her to go. She came up a cramped, winding stair, found Tomas already in bed—no, Bran had to go back on the floor, the bed was small, and truly the boards were not so cold there—and waiting.

“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

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 2 1/2 . 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”