StarDrifter bent down after his daughter, and Azhure blushed a little at the look in his eyes.
“Welcome, Azhure, into the House of SunSoar. I am StarDrifter SunSoar, and,” he grinned, “I will be whatever you need me to be, but I am not your parent and I am not your brother.” And I am not Unclean, Azhure could hear him echo in her mind. “May you pass on both your beauty and your allurements to the daughter you grow inside you.”
Welcome, Azhure, into the House of SunSoar. My name is Caelum Azhurson SunSoar StarSon, and I am your son. Know that I love you and that if I am a child of the sun, then it was you who made me that way.
I thank you, Caelum, with all my heart, for your love.
Rivkah now stepped forward and kissed Azhure gently on her forehead. “Welcome, Azhure, into the sometimes fractious House of the SunSoars. May your compassion and courage in the face of adversity remind them all of their own shortcomings.”
“Thank you,” Azhure said as Rivkah sat back down with Magariz. She turned to look at Axis, expecting him also to welcome her into the House of SunSoar, but he merely smiled gently at her and glared at Ysgryff who hastily let Azhure’s other hand go and hurried back to his seat.
“Azhure, my friends,” Axis said at length. “There is a very special reason for my wanting so many people here, crowded into this room. I need witnesses for what I now do.”
He dropped down on one knee and clasped Azhure’s hand firmly between his own, interlacing their fingers.
“I, Axis, StarMan of Tencendor, son of StarDrifter, Enchanter of the House of SunSoar and Rivkah, Princess of the Royal House of Achar, do plight thee, Azhure, daughter of Niah of Nor and WolfStar SunSoar, my hand in marriage. Before these people here assembled and with my free will and consent I do take thee as my wife and promise to give thee an honoured place by my side and in my roost. In front of these witnesses I do promise to honour you, to remain loyal to you, and to pledge to you my respect, my possessions, and my body for as long as we both shall live. I promise never to lead you anywhere but into calm air, bright sunshine and rising thermals. My wings are your wings, my heart and soul are yours. You have my pledge of marriage, Azhure-heart, and to this may all the gods and Stars in Creation bear holy witness. May we dance through the years to the music of the Star Dance to find eternal peace among the Stars themselves.”
The marriage vows Axis had spoken were an exotic mixture of Acharite and Icarii marriage vows, and they reflected the curious heritage that both brought into this marriage.
For a long moment Azhure was unable to speak. She gripped Axis’ hands, staring into his eyes, unaware of any others in the room. Eventually she smiled.
“I, Azhure, daughter of Niah of the House of Nor and WolfStar SunSoar,” she began softly, and her voice strengthened as she repeated the vows.
“My wings are your wings, Axis,” she finished, “my heart and soul are yours. You have my pledge of marriage, and to this may all the gods and Stars in Creation bear holy witness. May we dance through the years to the music of the Star Dance to find eternal peace among the Stars themselves.”
Axis leaned forward and kissed her. For the past few minutes, as he had begun to speak his vows of marriage, he felt, as Orr had said he would, the insistent urge to pass the Enchantress’ ring on. This was the moment and this was the woman.
Axis let Azhure’s hand go and pulled the Enchantress’ ring from the small secret pocket in his breeches. He held the ring up so that all in the room could see it. The enchanted sapphire and the golden stars within it sparkled in the firelight. The Icarii and the Sentinels all gasped, totally shocked—yet even they did not entirely realise what it meant that Axis now slid the ring onto the heart finger of Azhure’s left hand. It fitted perfectly, made only for this woman and for this finger.
“Welcome into the House of the Stars to stand by my side, Enchantress. May we walk together forever.”
The Circle was complete.
Glossary
ACHAR: the realm that stretches over most of the continent, bounded by the Andeis, Tyrre and Widowmaker Seas, the Avarinheim Forest and the Icescarp Alps.
ACHARITES: the people of Achar.
ADAMON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Adamon is God of the Firmament and shares seniority with his wife, Xanon.
AFTERLIFE: all three races, the Acharites, the Icarii and the Avar, believe in the existence of an AfterLife, although exactly what they believe depends on their particular culture.
ALAYNE: a roving blacksmith in Skarabost.
ALAUNT: the legendary pack of hounds that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar.
ALDENI: a small province in western Achar, devoted to small crop cultivation. It is administered by Duke Roland.
ANDAKILSA, River: the extreme northern river of Ichtar, dividing Ichtar from Ravensbund. It remains free of ice all year round and flows into the Andeis Sea.
ANDEIS SEA: often unpredictable sea that washes the west coast of Achar.
ANNWIN: eldest daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost, sister to Faraday. Married to Lord Osmary.
ARCEN: the major town of Arcness.
ARCNESS: large eastern province in Achar, specialising in pigs. It is administered by Earl Burdel.
ARHAT: a Ravensbund warrior.
ARNE: a cohort commander in the Axe-Wielders.
ARTOR THE PLOUGHMAN: the one true god, as taught by the Brotherhood of the Seneschal. According to the Book of Field and Furrow, the religious text of the Seneschal, Artor gave mankind the gift of the Plough, the instrument which enabled mankind to abandon his hunting and gathering lifestyle and to settle in the one spot to cultivate the earth and thus to build the foundations of civilisation.
AVAR, The: one of the ancient races of Tencendor who live in the forest of the Avarinheim. The Avar are sometimes referred to as the People of the Horn.
AVARINHEIM, The: the home of the Avar people. The Acharites refer to it as the Shadowsward. See “Shadowsward”.
AVONSDALE: province in western Achar. It produces legumes, fruit and flowers. It is administered by Earl Jorge.
AXE-WIELDERS, The: the elite crusading and military wing of the Seneschal. Its members have not taken holy orders but have nevertheless dedicated their battle skills to the Seneschal to use as it wishes. Now most of the Axe-Wielders have abandoned the Seneschal to follow Axis in his alliance with the Icarii.
AXIS: son of the Princess Rivkah and the Icarii Enchanter StarDrifter SunSoar. Once BattleAxe of the Axe-Wielders, Axis has now assumed the mantle of the StarMan of the Prophecy of the Destroyer.
AZHURE: daughter of Brother Hagen of Smyrton. Her mother came from Nor.
AZLE, River: a major river that divides the provinces of Ichtar and Aldeni. It flows into the Andeis Sea.
BANES: the religious leaders of the Avar people. They wield magic, although it is usually of the minor variety.
BARROWS, The Ancient: the burial places of the ancient Enchanter-Talons of the Icarii people. Located in southern Arcness.
BARSARBE: a Bane of the Avar people.
BATTLEAXE, The: the leader of the Axe-Wielders, appointed by the Brother-Leader for his loyalty to the Seneschal, his devotion to Artor the Ploughman and the Way of the Plough, and his skills as a military commander. Axis was the last man to hold this post.
BEDWYR FORT: a fort that sits on the lower reaches of the River Nordra and guards the entrance to Grail Lake from Nordmuth.
BELAGUEZ: Axis’ war horse.
BELIAL: lieutenant and second-in-command in Axis’ army. Long-time friend and supporter of Axis SunSoar.
BELTIDE: see “Festivals”.
BOGLE MARSH: a large and inhospitable marsh in eastern Arcness. Strange creatures are said to live in the Marsh.
BOOK OF FIELD AND FURROW: the religious text of the Seneschal, which teaches that Artor himself wrote it and presented it to mankind.
BORNEHELD: Duke of Ichtar, the most powerful noble in Achar. Son of the Princess Rivkah and her husband, Duke Searlas.
/> BOROLEAS: an elderly Brother within the Seneschal.
BRACKEN RANGES, The: a low and narrow mountain range that divides Arcness and Skarabost.
BRACKEN, River: river that rises in the Bracken Ranges which, dividing provinces of Skarabost and Arcness, flows into the Widowmaker Sea.
BRADOKE: a senior lieutenant within Borneheld’s forces.
BRIGHTFEATHER: wife to RavenCrest SunSoar, Talon of the Icarii.
BRODE: an Avar man, Clan Leader of the SilentWalk Clan.
BROTHER-LEADER, The: the supreme leader of the Brotherhood of the Seneschal. Usually elected by the senior Brothers, the Office of Brother-Leader is for life. He is a powerful man, controlling not only the Brotherhood and all its riches, but the Axe-Wielders as well. The current Brother-Leader is Jayme.
BURDEL, EARL: lord of Arcness and friend to Borneheld, Duke of Ichtar.
CAELUM: a baby’s name. It means “the heavens”, or “stars in heaven”.
CARLON: capital city of Achar and residence of the kings of Achar. Situated on Grail Lake.
CAULDRON LAKE: the lake at the centre of the Silent Woman Woods.
CAZNA: daughter of Baron Ysgryff of Nor.
CHAMBER OF THE MOONS: chief audience and sometime banquet chamber of the royal palace in Carlon.
CHAMPION, A: occasionally an Acharite warrior will pledge himself as a noble lady’s Champion. The relationship is purely platonic and is one of protection and support. The pledge of a Champion can be broken only by his death or by the express wish of his lady.
CHARONITES: a race who live in the UnderWorld. They are related to the Icarii.
CLANS, The: the Avar tend to segregate into Clan groups, roughly equitable with family groups.
CLOUDBURST SUNSOAR: younger brother and murderer of WolfStar SunSoar.
COHORT: see “Military Terms”. COROLEAS: the great empire to the south of Achar. Relations between the two countries are usually cordial.
CREST: Icarii military unit composed of twelve Wings.
CRIMSONCREST: an Icarii male.
CREST-LEADER: commander of an Icarii Crest.
CULPEPPER FENWICKE: mayor of the city of Arcen in Arcness.
DARK MAN, The: Gorgrael’s mentor. Also known as Dear Man. Gorgrael does not know his real identity.
DEAR MAN: See “Dark Man”.
DESTROYER, The: another term for Gorgrael.
DEVERA: daughter to Duke Roland of Aldeni.
DISTANCES:
League: roughly seven kilometres, or four and a half miles.
Pace: roughly one metre or one yard.
Handspan: roughly twenty centimetres or eight inches.
DOBO: a Ravensbund warrior.
DRIFTSTAR SUNSOAR: mother of MorningStar, grandmother of StarDrifter. Enchanter and SunSoar in her own right, wife to the SunSoar Talon, she died three hundred years before the events of this book.
EARTH TREE: a tree sacred to both the Icarii and the Avar.
EDOWES: a soldier from Arne’s unit in Axis’ force.
EGERLEY: a young man from Smyrton.
EMBETH, Lady of Tare: widow, good friend and once lover of Axis.
ENCHANTED WOOD, The: the faerie wood beyond the Sacred Grove.
ENCHANTRESS, The: the first of the Icarii Enchanters, the first Icarii to discover the way to use the power of the Star Dance. The Enchantress was the founder of both Icarii and Charonite peoples.
ENCHANTRESS’ RING, The: the Enchantress made use of an ancient ring to help establish the line of Icarii Enchanters. It was not hers, but she was granted the use of it for her lifetime. The ring has little or no power in itself, but it is a powerful symbol.
ENCHANTERS: magicians of the Icarii people. Many are very powerful. All Enchanters have the word “Star” somewhere in their names.
ENCHANTER-TALONS: Talons of the Icarii people who were also Enchanters.
EVENSONG: sister to Axis.
FARADAY: daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost and his wife, Lady Merlion. Wife to Duke Borneheld of Ichtar.
FARSIGHT CUTSPUR: senior Crest-Leader of the Icarii Strike Force.
FEATHERFLIGHT BRIGHTWING: a Wing-Leader in the Icarii Strike Force.
FERNBRAKE LAKE: the large lake in the centre of the Bracken Ranges.
FERRYMAN, The: Charonite who plies the ferry of the UnderWorld.
FESTIVALS of the Avar and the Icarii:
Yuletide: the winter solstice, in the last week of Snow-month.
Beltide: the spring Festival, the first day of Flower-month.
Fire-Night: the summer solstice, in the last week of Rose-month.
FINGUS: a previous BattleAxe. Now dead.
FIRE-NIGHT, The: see “Festivals”. Although now a fairly tame Avar festival, in Icarii and Avar legend, Fire-Night was that night tens of thousands of years ago when the ancient Star Gods (older and more powerful than the current Star Gods) crashed into the land in a fire-storm that lasted many days and nights. Legend says that these ancient gods still sleep in the depths of the Sacred, or Magic, Lakes of Tencendor. The Sacred Lakes were created from this fire-storm and their power comes from the ancient Star Gods.
FLEAT: an Avar woman.
FLEURIAN: Baroness of Tarantaise, wife to Greville. She is his second wife, and much younger than him.
FLULIA: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Flulia is Goddess of Water.
FLURIA, River: a minor river that flows through Aldeni into the River Nordra.
FORBIDDEN, The: the two races, the Icarii and the Avar, that the Seneschal teaches are evil creatures who use magic and sorcery to enslave humans. During the Wars of the Axe, a thousand years before the events of the Prophecy of the Destroyer, the Acharites pushed the Forbidden back beyond the Fortress Ranges into the Shadowsward (or Avarinheim) and the Icescarp Alps.
FORBIDDEN TERRITORIES, The: the lands of the Forbidden, the Avarinheim and the Icescarp Alps.
FORBIDDEN VALLEY, The: the only known entrance into the Shadowsward (or Avarinheim) from Achar. It is where the River Nordra escapes the Shadowsward and flows into Achar.
FOREST, concept of: the Seneschal teaches that all forests are bad because they harbour dark demons who plot the overthrow of mankind, thus most Acharites have a fear of forests and their dark interiors. Almost all the ancient forest that once covered Achar has been destroyed. The only trees grown in Achar are fruit trees and plantation trees for timber.
FORTRESS RANGES: the mountains that run down Achar’s eastern boundary from the Icescarp Alps to the Widowmaker Sea.
FRANCIS: an elderly Brother from the Retreat in Gorkentown.
FREEFALL SUNSOAR: son and heir of RavenCrest, Icarii Talon, FreeFall was murdered by Borneheld atop the keep at Gorkenfort.
FULBRIGHT: an Acharite engineer in Axis’ force.
FULKE, BARON: lord of Romsdale.
FUNADO: a Ravensbund warrior.
“FURROW WIDE, FURROW DEEP”: all-embracing Acharite phrase which can be used as a benediction, as a protection against evil, or as a term of greeting.
GANELON, LORD: Lord of Tare, once husband to Embeth, Lady of Tare. Now dead.
GARDEN, The: the Garden of the Mother.
GARLAND, GOODMAN: Goodman of Smyrton.
GATEKEEPER, The: Keeper of the Gate of Death in the UnderWorld. Her task is to keep tally of the souls who pass through the Gate.
GAUTIER: lieutenant to Borneheld, Duke of Ichtar.
GHOSTMEN: another term for Skraelings.
GHOSTTREE CLAN: one of the Avar Clans, headed by Grindle.
GILBERT: Brother of the Seneschal and assistant and adviser to the Brother-Leader.
GORGRAEL: the Destroyer, an evil lord of the north who, according to the Prophecy of the Destroyer, threatens Achar. He is a half-brother to Axis, sharing the same father, StarDrifter SunSoar.
GORKENFORT: major fort situated in Gorken Pass in northern Ichtar.
GORKEN PASS: the narrow pass that provides the only way from Ravensbund into Ichtar. It is bounded by the Icescarp Alps and t
he River Andakilsa.
GORKENTOWN: the town about the walls of Gorkenfort.
GRAIL LAKE: a massive lake at the lower reaches of the River Nordra. On its shores are Carlon and the Tower of the Seneschal.
GREVILLE, BARON: lord of Tarantaise.
GRINDLE: an Avar man, head of the GhostTree Clan.
GRYPHON: a legendary flying creature of Tencendor, intelligent, vicious and courageous. They were particularly deadly to the Icarii and it took the Icarii many hundreds of years to exterminate them. The Gryphon are inexplicably flying the skies above Ichtar again.
Enchanter Page 67
