Stormlord’s Exile

by Glenda Larke

  Mihei shrugged. “Douse me with water. Pinch my arms. If you have to, slap me across the face. Better a few bruises than to be sucked dry by the dimonns.”

  Grimly, Jair and Emil took seats next to Mihei. Jair fingered his amulets, but his connection to Talwyn was gone. Just on the other side of the coruscating light, the dimonns stretched their shadows over the domed warding, mouths full of dark teeth snapping against the barrier. Talons scratched against the ground and cries like tortured birds of prey broke the silence of the night.

  A motion caught Jair’s eye. Something solid moved through the tall grass, and to his horror, the face of a young girl, no more than six or seven seasons old, pale and wide-eyed, rose above the mist. The image wavered, and as Jair ran his fingers over the amulets at his throat, the girl seemed to flicker and shift.

  Emil started toward her, and Jair blocked his way. “She’s not real.”

  Emil struggled against Jair, his eyes on the child. “They’ll kill her.”

  “She’s not really here.”

  “Let me go!” Emil broke away from Jair and stepped through the warding. Immediately, the shadows massed and the image of the girl winked out. Emil’s scream echoed in the night. With a curse, Jair dove after him, making sure to keep one foot within the warding as Mihei began to chant loudly. Jair caught the back of Emil’s great cloak and pulled with all his might. Claws tore at him, slicing into his forearm and shoulder. He twisted out of the way of snapping jaws and he pulled again. This time, he succeeded, landing hard on his back as Emil tumbled through the warding.

  GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS AND TERMS

  (Note: Characters and terms introduced for the first time in this book are not included.)

  ALABASTER: Name given to the White Quarter by its inhabitants. Also the name given to the white-skinned, white-haired people who live there.

  ASH GRIDELIN: The Watergiver’s real name. The Alabasters claim he was merely a promiscuous Khromatian Watergiver explorer.

  BAB PALM: Palm tree grown extensively in the Scarpen and Gibber; also found in small numbers around waterholes in the Red Quarter. The trunk is the main source of wood for the Quartern; the fruit, shoots and roots are edible; the leaves are used for thatch, baskets, mats.

  BASALT, Lord: Rainlord and High Waterpriest of the Quartern. After the death of the last Sunpriest, or Lord Gold, Basalt was the logical successor to that post.

  ’BASTER: Derogatory shortening of Alabaster.

  BLOODSTONE (also known as MARTYR’S STONE): Green jasper flecked with red droplets, supposedly the blood of the Watergiver; particularly valued by the priesthood. Jasper, when a boy, found a particularly valuable piece.

  BRECCIA CITY: Scarpen city, traditional seat of the Cloudmaster.

  BURNISH: Name of Sandmaster Davim’s myriapede.

  CHALAMEN: Spear-carrying Reduner warriors.

  CHERT: One of the sons of Rishan the palmier, the head of Wash Drybone Settle in the Gibber. Killed by Mica Flint to prove his loyalty, on the orders of Sandmaster Davim.

  CITRINE FLINT: Shale’s baby sister; murdered by Sandmaster Davim.

  CLOUDMASTER, The: A stormlord who also rules the Quartern through his fellow stormlords and a Council of Rainlords. The temporal power of a cloudmaster is limited largely to water matters, taxation and maintenance of trade routes, achieved through consensus with his or her water-sensitive peers. The last Cloudmaster, Granthon Almandine, died during the siege of Breccia.

  DAVIM, Sandmaster: Sandmaster of Dune Watergatherer and leader of the Red Quarter until his death at the hands of Iani Potch and Jasper Bloodstone during the battle for the Qanatend mother cistern. Father to three sons.

  DAYJAR: A container which holds exactly the amount of water gifted as a free daily ration to those entitled to such an allowance.

  DIBBLE HORNBLEND: A young Scarcleft armsman who supported Jasper long before it was safe to do so. Now acting as his personal bodyguard and pede driver.

  DROVER: Colloquial term for a Reduner, originating in their herding of pede meddles.

  DUNE GOD: Each dune of the Red Quarter is believed to have a god who lives at the heart of the dune.

  ELMAR WAGGONER: A Breccian armsman, friend and battle comrade of Lord Kaneth Carnelian. Was a slave of the Reduner Watergatherer tribe at the same time as Kaneth, with whom he is in love.

  ERITH GREY: Terelle’s Khromatian father, killed by Russet Kermes before she was born.

  FEROZE KHORASH: An Alabaster salt trader once rescued from death by Jasper Bloodstone. Led the Alabasters who fought alongside Scarpen troops against Sandmaster Davim.

  GIBBER QUARTER: One of the four quarters of the Quartern. Gibber folk live mainly in settles in the drywashes, eking out a living from bab-palm cultivation and fossicking.

  GOLD, Lord: Title given to the Sunpriest, the most senior of the Quartern’s priests; always at least a rainlord.

  GRANTHON ALMANDINE, Cloudmaster: Highlord Nealrith’s father; recently dead of apoplexy and exhaustion suffered when Breccia was attacked by Reduners.

  HANDMAIDEN: A female sex worker in a snuggery.

  HARKEL TALLYMAN: Once Seneschal of Scarcleft Hall and head of Highlord Taquar’s Scarcleft Enforcers, now imprisoned by Iani Potch as a traitor to the Scarpen.

  HIGHLORD: A rainlord or stormlord who rules one of the eight cities of the Scarpen Quarter.

  HOUSE OF THE DEAD: Religious building where water is extracted from the dead for re-use, as part of the funeral service.

  IANI POTCH, Rainlord: Husband of Highlord Moiqa, father of Lyneth who died when kidnapped by Tarquar Sardonyx; partially paralysed by apoplexy.

  JASPER BLOODSTONE: Name used by Shale Flint after his arrival in Breccia. Has water skills greater than a rainlord, but is a flawed stormlord, incapable of handling water contaminated by salt or other impurities. Cannot therefore kill the rainlord way.

  KANETH CARNELIAN, Rainlord: Bladesman, husband to Ryka Feldspar, father to her son, injured and enslaved by the Reduners at the fall of Breccia, when he suffered loss of memory. Called Lord Uthardim by the superstitious Reduners because of his resemblance to their legendary hero. Has lost his rainlord powers but appears now to have an unreliable ability to move the sand of dunes.

  KHEDRIM CARNELIAN: Infant son of Kaneth Carnelian and Ryka Feldspar. Also called Kedri.

  LAISA DRAYMAN, Rainlord: Widow of the late Highlord Nealrith Almandine, mother of Senya Almandine.

  MAGENTA KERMES: Deceased daughter of Russet Kermes; wife of the Pinnacle, mother of Sienna, grandmother of Terelle Grey.

  MASTER SON, The: Title given to the heir of the sandmaster of each dune; not necessarily a blood son of the sandmaster.

  MEDDLE: A herd of pedes.

  MEDRIM: Warrior Son to Davim, and now to Ravard.

  MICA FLINT: Shale’s older brother; disappeared during a Reduner raid only to re-emerge as a Reduner warrior called Ravard.

  MOIQA, Highlord: Highlord of Qanatend, wife to Lord Iani; died during the siege of her city.

  MOTHER CISTERN: A cistern, supplied by mother wells, that in turn supplies water to a city through tunnels.

  MOTHER WELL: Wells dug down into the water table, from which water runs into a mother cistern.

  MOTLEY, The: The multi-coloured mixture of paint-powders that forms a base coat for a waterpainting, necessary to fix the future of the scene depicted.

  MYRIAPEDE: The smaller of the two species of pedes. Has six segments behind the head/thorax, three pairs of feet per segment. Can seat five to six riders if there is no baggage, but manages better with only two to three riders. Feelers are as long as the body.

  NEALRITH ALMANDINE, Highlord: Cloudmaster Granthon’s son, rainlord and former Highlord of Breccia. Died by the hand of Jasper after being severely tortured by Davim.

  OTHER SIDE, The: Anywhere across the Giving Sea.

  OUINA, Highlord: Middle-aged Highlord of Breakaway.

  OVER-GOD: Deity of the Reduners, said to supply water to the Source.

 
PACKPEDE: Length variable, three to five times the length of a myriapede, with eighteen segments and fifty-four pairs of legs. Feelers generally no longer than a myriapede’s.

  PALMUBRA: Sun hat used in the Scarpen, woven from the leaves of the bab palm.

  PEDE: Large desert herbivore native to the Red and White Quarters. Black pedes now used throughout the Scarpen, Red and Gibber Quarters, and white pedes in the White Quarter, as personal hacks (see MYRIAPEDE) and beasts of burden (see PACKPEDE). Tearing, cutting and crushing mouthparts masticate food externally. Poor eyesight, excellent sense of smell.

  PEDEMASTER: Man given responsibility for the care of a stable (Scarpen Quarter) or a meddle (Red Quarter) of pedes.

  PINNACLE, The: Ruler of Khromatis. Always a Watergiver.

  QANATEND: The Scarpen city closest to the Red Quarter, taken and held by the Reduners.

  QUARTERN, The: A loose confederation of four distinct quarters (pebble plains, sand dunes, stony drylands and salt plains). In the past, ruled by a Cloudmaster with limited powers, each quarter largely independent except for water concerns and matters involving trade routes, for which they are centrally taxed.

  RAINLORD: A water sensitive who can sense the presence of and move small bodies of water and who can kill in the “rainlord way,” i.e. take a person’s water from their body. Both men and women rainlords are addressed as “Lord.”

  RAVARD: Sandmaster of Dune Watergatherer on the death of Davim. Born Mica Flint; brother to Shale Flint. Enslaved Ryka Feldspar as a concubine, and asserted his rights as a father to her unborn son before her escape.

  RED QUARTER: That section of the Quartern consisting of lines of red sand dunes, peopled by Reduners.

  REDUNER: Anyone born in the Red Quarter, or who has chosen to adopt the dune culture and lived long enough on the dunes to be stained red.

  REEVE: A water sensitive who can sense but not move water.

  RUSSET KERMES: A waterpainter born in Khromatis, father of Magenta, grandfather of Sienna, great-grandfather of Terelle Grey. Murdered Terelle’s father before she was born.

  RYKA FELDSPAR, Rainlord: A short-sighted Breccian rainlord of limited water-power; a scholar and teacher. Married to Lord Kaneth Carnelian. Was taken from Breccia after the siege to become Ravard’s slave and concubine. Gave birth to her son, Khedrim, while escaping. Was recaptured by Ravard, then rescued by her husband.

  SAMPHIRE: The only city in the White Quarter.

  SANDMASTER: The ruler of a dune, commanding all the tribes found on that dune. Usually a water sensitive.

  SCARCLEFT: The Scarpen city ruled by Highlord Taquar Sardonyx until he was deposed.

  SCARPEN QUARTER: The most prosperous of the Quartern’s four quarters. Consists of five stepped cities of the Escarpment, two port cities and one northern city on the other side of the Warthago Range.

  SENYA ALMANDINE, Rainlord: Daughter of Highlord Nealrith and Rainlord Laisa. An unskilled rainlord. Seducer of Jasper Bloodstone.

  SETTLE: Gibber village, usually located inside a drywash.

  SHALE FLINT, Stormlord: Gibber-born, identified and trained as a stormlord by Taquar Sardonyx, then by the rainlords of Breccia and Cloudmaster Granthon. Also known as Jasper Bloodstone. His claim to the rank of stormlord or the title of Cloudmaster is debatable. Obtains water for the Quartern only with the aid of Terelle Grey’s waterpainting.

  SHUFFLE UP, To: The process that changes a waterpainting from a mere artwork to a work of magic, fixing the future of the scene and people portrayed in it. It entails the use of the motley by a waterpainter of talent.

  SIENNA: Terelle Grey’s mother, a woman of Khromatis who died in a Gibber settle after running away with her lover, Erith Grey. Daughter of Magenta Kermes, granddaughter of Russet Kermes.

  SNUGGERY: Higher-class brothel (with either manservants or handmaidens as sex workers).

  STORMLORD: Water sensitive with higher powers than a rainlord. Can move fresh water or water vapour over long distances in larger quantities than a rainlord. Can make and move clouds.

  TAQUAR SARDONYX, Rainlord: Once Highlord of Scarcleft City until defeated by Jasper in a swordfight. Now a prisoner of Iani Potch. Unmarried and childless.

  TERELLE GREY, Arta: Great-granddaughter of Russet Kermes. Born in the Gibber Quarter, related to the ruling family of Khromatis. Waterpainter. Placed under a coercion by Russet’s waterpainting which ensures that she will have to travel to Khromatis within a year. Helps Jasper to supply rainclouds to the Quartern.

  TIME OF RANDOM RAIN: Period before the rise of water sensitives, about a thousand years ago, when rain was uncontrolled and scarce. Reduners were the major force in the Quartern during this period.

  TRIBEMASTER: A man who leads a tribe of any dune of the Red Quarter; usually a water sensitive.

  UTHARDIM, Kher: Mythical leader of the Reduners who led them from servitude to freedom on the dunes at some time in the distant past. Now the name is sometimes given to Lord Kaneth Carnelian.

  VARA REDMANE: Elderly widow of the Sandmaster of Dune Scarmaker and leader of a rebellion, first against Sandmaster Davim, then his successor, Ravard.

  VIVIANDRA (VIVIE): Terelle’s “sister,” actually unrelated. Now a handmaiden.

  WARRIOR SON, The: Title given to the sandmaster’s warrior leader on each dune. Not necessarily a blood son of the sandmaster.

  WASH DRYBONE SETTLE: Gibber village where Shale Flint was born.

  WATER-BLIND: Lacking any water sensitivity, i.e. not able to feel the proximity of even nearby water.

  WATERGATHERER, The: Home dune of Sandmaster Davim, and now of Ravard and his tribes.

  WATERGIVER, The: Believed by the Scarpen pious to be the intermediary of the Sunlord who taught men and women to manipulate water, thus bringing the Time of Random Rain to an end. His actual origins are disputed, even among the waterpriests. Real name believed to have been Ash Gridelin.

  WATERGIVERS: Name used by the people of Khromatis to indicate the water sensitives of that land. Includes waterpainters and waterlords.

  WATERLESS, The: Anyone who is not entitled to a daily free water allowance.

  WHITE QUARTER: The section of the Quartern closest to Khromatis. Peopled by the Alabasters. Produces salt, and related mineral products. Samphire is the one plant that grows well. Native pedes are white in colour.

  ZIGGER: Winged flesh-eating, blood-drinking beetle, native to the Red Quarter and now used as a weapon. Can be trained not to attack people wearing a particular perfume. Excellent sense of smell and eyesight.

  Contents

  FRONT COVER IMAGE

  WELCOME

  DEDICATION

  THE QUARTERN

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  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

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER
FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  EXTRAS

  MEET THE AUTHOR

  A PREVIEW OF THE SWORN

  GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS AND TERMS

  BY GLENDA LARKE

  PRAISE FOR THE LAST STORMLORD

  COPYRIGHT

  By Glenda Larke

  ISLES OF GLORY

  The Aware

  Gilfeather

  The Tainted

  THE MIRAGE MAKERS

  Heart of the Mirage

  The Shadow of Tyr

  Song of the Shiver Barrens

  STORMLORD

  The Last Stormlord

  Stormlord Rising

  Stormlord’s Exile

  WRITING AS GLENDA NORAMLY

  Havenstar

  Praise for The Last Stormlord

  “What a tale… This is a GREAT book.”

  —Aurealis magazine

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2011 by Glenda Larke

  Excerpt from The Sworn copyright © 2011 by Gail Z. Martin

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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  First eBook Edition: August 2011

  ISBN: 978-0-316-07592-3