Authors: Brian Ruckley
Tags: #Science Fiction, #General, #Fantasy, #Fiction, #Fantasy Fiction, #Epic
Winterbirth
Brian Ruckley
www.HachetteBookGroup.com
e felt no pain, just a solid blow in the square of his back as if someone had thrown a stone. No pain, yet his legs were no longer his own and he sprawled face-down into the damp leaf litter. He clawed at the earth, struggling to rise. His legs would not obey him. He reached behind to finger the arrow buried in his back. He felt something rising in his throat.
T
IMES
(L
ONDON
)
REAMWATCH
AST OF
C
HARACTERS
HE
T
RUE
B
LOODS
Haig
Lannis-Haig
Kilkry-Haig
Dargannan-Haig
Ayth-Haig
Taral-Haig
| Gryvan oc Haig | The High Thane, Thane of Thanes, on campaign in Dargannan-Haig lands |
| Kale | Gryvan’s bodyguard and Captain of his Shield, on campaign in Dargannan-Haig lands |
| Aewult nan Haig | Gryvan’s first son, the Bloodheir |
| Mordyn Jerain, the Shadowhand | Chancellor of the Haig Blood, a Tal Dyreen |
| Tara Jerain | The Chancellor’s wife |
| Torquentine | A man in Vaymouth |
| Magrayn | A woman in Vaymouth, Torquentine’s doorkeeper |
| Behomun Tole | Gryvan’s Steward in Anduran |
| Lagair Haldyn | Gryvan’s Steward in Kolkyre |
| Croesan oc Lannis-Haig | The Thane, lord of Castle Anduran |
| Naradin nan Lannis-Haig | Croesan’s son, the Bloodheir |
| Eilan nan Lannis-Haig | Naradin’s wife |
| Taim Narran | Captain of Castle Anduran, on campaign with Gryvan oc Haig in Dargannan-Haig lands |
| Kennet nan Lannis-Haig | Croesan’s brother, lord of Castle Kolglas |
| Inurian | Counsellor to Kennet, a na’kyrim |
| Anyara nan Lannis-Haig | Kennet’s daughter |
| Orisian nan Lannis-Haig | Kennet’s son |
| Rothe | Orisian’s shieldman |
| Kylane | Orisian’s shieldman |
| Lairis | Kennet’s wife (deceased) |
| Fariel | Kennet’s elder son (deceased) |
| Lheanor oc Kilkry-Haig | The Thane |
| Ilessa oc Kilkry-Haig | Lheanor’s wife |
| Gerain nan Kilkry-Haig | Lheanor’s first son, the Bloodheir |
| Roaric nan Kilkry-Haig | Lheanor’s second son, on campaign with Gryvan oc Haig in Dargannan-Haig lands |
| Igryn oc Dargannan-Haig | The Thane, in revolt against the authority of Gryvan oc Haig |
HE
B
LOODS OF THE
B
LACK
R
OAD
Gyre
Horin-Gyre
Gaven-Gyre
Wyn-Gyre
Fane-Gyre
and The Inkallim
| Ragnor oc Gyre | The High Thane, Thane of Thanes |
| Angain oc Horin-Gyre | The Thane, lord of Castle Hakkan |
| Vana oc Horin-Gyre | Angain’s wife |
| Kanin nan Horin-Gyre | Angain’s son, the Bloodheir, campaigning south of the Vale of Stones |
| Wain nan Horin-Gyre | Angain’s daughter, campaigning south of the Vale of Stones |
| Igris | Kanin’s shieldman, campaigning south of the Vale of Stones |
| Aeglyss | A na’kyrim in the service of the Horin-Gyre Blood, campaigning south of the Vale of Stones |
| Theor | First of the Lore Inkall |
| Nyve | First of the Battle Inkall |
| Avenn | First of the Hunt Inkall |
| Cannek | A Hunt Inkallim, campaigning south of the Vale of Stones |
| Shraeve | A captain of the Battle Inkall, campaigning south of the Vale of Stones |
THERS
Huanin
Kyrinin
Na’kyrim
| Edryn Delyne | Captain of a Tal Dyreen trading ship |
| Tomas | First Watchman of Koldihrve |
| Ess’yr | A woman in the vo’an of In’hynyr |
| Varryn | Ess’yr’s brother, a warrior |
| Yvane | A na’kyrim living in the Car Criagar |
| Hammarn | A na’kyrim living in Koldihrve |
| Cerys | A na’kyrim , the Elect of Highfast |
| Tyn | A na’kyrim , the Dreamer in Highfast |
| Eshenna | A na’kyrim in Highfast, originally from Dyrkyrnon |
THEY SAY THE world has fallen far from its former state.
In the beginning there was but one race. It failed the Gods who made it and, though it wounded their hearts to do so, they destroyed it. In its place they fashioned five which they put in the world to inhabit it, and these were the races of the Second Age: Whreinin and Saolin, Huanin and Kyrinin, and Anain.
The sky turned a thousand thousand times and beneath the gaze of the Gods their children prospered.
Cities, empires, rose and fell. But at last the Huanin and Kyrinin wearied of the cruelties of the wolfenkind, the Whreinin. Despite the will of the Gods they made war upon that race, and they destroyed it utterly and it passed out of time and history. For this deed are the Huanin and Kyrinin named the Tainted Races. And upon that deed were the hopes of the Gods broken, for they saw that what they had made was flawed beyond mending, marred by an unyielding vein of discord and hubris. The Gods took council upon the highest peaks of the Tan Dihrin, where the rotating firmament grinds sparks from the mountaintops, and they chose to look no longer upon the failure of their dreams and to suffer no longer the rebellions of their children. They left the world, departing to places beyond the thoughts or imaginings of any save their own kind, and with them went much that was best in the peoples they abandoned.