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Authors: Juliet Marillier

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Flame of Sevenwaters

F
LAME
OF
SEVENWATERS

Also by Juliet Marillier

THE SEVENWATERS NOVELS

Daughter of the Forest

Son of the Shadows

Child of the Prophecy

Heir to Sevenwaters

Seer of Sevenwaters

THE LIGHT ISLES

Wolfskin

Foxmask

THE BRIDEI CHRONICLES

The Dark Mirror

Blade of Fortriu

The Well of Shades

Heart’s Blood

For Young Adults

Wildwood Dancing

Cybele’s Secret

F
LAME
OF
SEVENWATERS

JULIET MARILLIER

A ROC BOOK

ROC

Published by New American Library, a division of

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,

Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

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Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

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New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Previously published in a Pan Macmillan Australia edition.

First Roc Printing, November 2012

10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

Copyright © Juliet Marillier, 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Marillier, Juliet.

Flame of Sevenwaters/Juliet Marillier.

p.   cm.

ISBN: 978-1-101-61172-2

I. Title.

PR9619.3.M26755F57   2012

823’.912—dc23            2012021394

Set in Palatino

Printed in the United States of America

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
For my sister, Jennifer,
who opens hearth and heart to dogs in trouble

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Druid’s Journey: North
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Druid’s Journey: East
Chapter 10
Druid’s Journey: South
Chapter 11
Druid’s Journey: West
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Druid’s Journey: Center
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Druid’s Journey: Full Circle

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to my daughter, Elly, for invaluable help with plot wrangling. Fiona Leonard answered my equine questions and Glyn Marillier my maritime questions, though any errors are mine. The canine parts of the book are largely based on personal experience. A special thank-you to rescue dog Harry, who worked his way through three levels of obedience training while I was writing this book.

My editors, Brianne Tunnicliffe at Pan Macmillan and Anne Sowards at Roc, were at every turn both professional and supportive, as were Libby Turner, Claire Craig, and Julia Stiles. My agent, Russell Galen, is an ongoing source of wise advice.

CHARACTER LIST

 

 

 

Sean
 
chieftain of Sevenwaters in Ulster
Aisling
(
ash
-ling)
his wife
Liadan
(
lee
-a-dan)
Sean’s sister, lady of Harrowfield in Cumbria
Bran
 
Liadan’s husband, master of Harrowfield
Deirdre
(
dair
-dreh)
second daughter of Sean and Aisling, Clodagh’s twin
Illann
 
Deirdre’s husband, chieftain of a territory bordering Sean’s (southern Uí Néill)
Emer and Oisin
(
eh
-ver and u-sheen)
children of Deirdre and Illann
Maeve
(mehv)
fourth daughter of Sean and Aisling, foster daughter to Bran and Liadan
Finbar
 
son of Sean and Aisling
Clodagh
(
klo
-da)
third daughter of Sean and Aisling, Deirdre’s twin
Cathal
(ko-hal)
son of Mac Dara; married to Clodagh
Firinne and Ronan
(
feer
-in-yeh and
roh
-nan)
twin children of Clodagh and Cathal
Conor
 
chief druid; uncle to Sean and Liadan
Ciarán
(
keer-
aun)
senior druid; half uncle to Sean and Liadan
Luachan
(
loo
-a-khan)
a young druid; Finbar’s tutor
Rhian
(
ree
-an)
Maeve’s personal maid
Garalt
 
stable master at Harrowfield
Emrys
(
em
-riss)
head groom at Harrowfield
Donal
 
groom at Harrowfield
Doran
 
Sean’s senior man-at-arms
Nuala
(
noo
-a-la)
his wife—cook at Sevenwaters
Eithne
(
eh
-nyeh)
Aisling’s personal maid
Orlagh
(
or
-la)
serving woman at Sevenwaters
Cerball
(
car
-ull)
man-at-arms
Rhodri
 
man-at-arms
Duald
 
stable master at Sevenwaters
Cruinn
 
chieftain of Tirconnell (northern Ui Neill)
Tiernan
(
teer
-nan)
his elder son
Artagan
(
art
-a-gan)
his younger son
Daigh
(rhymes with
sky
)
Tiernan’s friend
Niall
 
man-at-arms
Mac Dara
 
prince of the Fair Folk at Sevenwaters; Cathal’s father
Caisin
(ka-
sheen
)
a lady of the Fair Folk (called “Caisin Silverhair”)
Fiamain
(fia-vin)
sister of Caisin
Dioman
(
dee
-maun)
brother of Caisin
Breasal
(bras-al)
Caisin’s councilor
Fraochan
(
freh
-khan)
Mac Dara’s councilor
Labhraidh
(
low
-ri)
a man of the Fair Folk
Sleibhin
(
sle
-vin)
a man of the Fair Folk
Mochta
(
mukh
-ta)
a very big man of the Fair Folk
Bounder
 
Maeve’s beloved dog from childhood, now deceased
Swift
 
a fine yearling
Blaze
 
Luachan’s mare
Broccan and Teafa
 
Sean’s wolfhounds
Bear and Badger
 
two black dogs
Cú Chulainn
(koo
hoo
-lan)
a legendary hero
Maelan
(
meh
-laun)
character in Ciarán’s story
Baine
(
baw
-nyeh)
character in Ciarán’s story
Tuatha Dé Danann
(
too
-a-ha deh
donn
-an) or (
too
-a-ha deh)
The Fair Folk, legendary dwellers in Erin. “People of the goddess Danu”
Uí Néill
(ee
nay
-ill)
an influential clan in Irish history (O’Neill)
Note: the fada or Irish accent has been omitted from some of the names, both on this list and in the text of the book, for purposes of simplicity.

CHAPTER 1

M y aunt taught me to hold my head high, even when people stared. My uncle taught me to defend myself. Between them they made sure I learned courage. But I could not be brave about going home.

I was ten when the accident happened: young to be sent away from home and family. My parents must have believed Aunt Liadan could achieve the impossible. True, if any healer could have cured me, she was probably the one to do it. But my hands were beyond fixing. Although she never said so, I think my aunt expected to keep me at Harrowfield only until I had learned to live with my injuries. But days grew into seasons, and seasons into years, and whenever the suggestion was made that perhaps I might return to Erin, I found a reason for saying no.

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