"Dart-Thornton,.Cecilia.-.Bitterbynde.03.-.Battle.Of.Evernight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dart-Thornton Cecilia)

For various reasons, the author would like to thank:

Linda Addison, John Berlyne, Pat Cadigan, Alan Dean Foster, Ellen Key Harris, and Matthew Hughes.

CONTENTS



Synopsis xi
1 =-╗ Khazathdaur: The Masts of Shadow 1
2. =Х╗ Ishkiliath: Field and Fen and Mortal Men 56
3 ░* Lallillir: The Veiled Vale 90
4 "^ Cinnarine: Forbidden Fruit 145
5 =Х" Firzenholt and Beyond: The Laurel Labyrinth 777
6 =-= Tapthartharath: Smoke on the Water, Fire in the Sky 197
7 =л Darke: Evernight 208
8 =-=> Annath Gothallamor, Part I: A Fortress Fair and Fell 234
9 =Х" Annath Gothallamor, Part II: The Eagle and the Raven 290
10 =~ The Battle of Evernight: Of Love and War 310
11 =- The Bitterbynde, Part I 357
12 =-╗ The Bitterbynde, Part II 431
Epilogue 450

Synopsis

This is the third book of THE BITTERBYNDE trilogy.
Book 1, The Ill-Made Mute, told of a mute, scarred amnesiac who led a life of drudgery in Isse Tower, a House of the Stormriders. Stormriders, otherwise known as Relayers, were messengers of high status. They "rode sky" on winged steeds called eotaurs, and their many towers were strewn across the empire of Erith, in the world called Aia.
Sildron, the most valuable of metals in this empire, had the property of repelling the ground, thus providing any object with lift. This metal was used to make the shoes of the Skyhorses and in the building of Windships to sail the skies. Only andalum, another metal, could nullify the effect of sildron.
Erith was randomly visited by a strange phenomenon known as the shang, or the unstorm: a shadowy, charged wind that brought a dim ringing of bells and a sudden springing of tiny points of colored light. When this anomaly swept over the land, humans had to cover their heads with their taltriesЧhoods lined with a mesh of a third metal, talium. Talium prevented human passions from spilling out through the skull. At times of the unstorm, this was important, because the shang had the ability to catch and replay human dramas. Its presence engendered tableaux, which were ghostly impressions of past moments' intense passions, played over repeatedly until, over centuries, they faded.
The world outside the Tower was populated not only by mortals but also by immortal creatures called eldritch wightsЧincarnations wielding the power of gramarye. Some were seelie, benevolent toward mankind, while others were unseelie and dangerous.
The drudge escaped from Isse Tower and set out to seek a name, a past, and a cure for the facial deformities. Befriended by an Ertish adventurer named Sianadh, who named her Imrhien, she learned that her yellow hair indicated she came of the blood of the Talith people, a once-great race that had dwindled to the brink of extinction. Together, the pair sought and found a treasure trove in a cave under a remote place called Waterstair. Taking some of the money and valuables with them, they journeyed to the city of Gilvaris Tarv. There they were sheltered by Sianadh's sister, the carlin Ethlinn, who had three children: Diarmid, Liam, and Muirne. A city wizard, Korguth, tried unsuccessfully to heal Imrhien's deformities. To Sianadh's rage, the wizard's incompetent meddling left her worse off than before. Later, in the marketplace, Imrhien bought freedom for a seelie waterhorse. Her golden hair was accidentally revealed for an instant, attracting a disturbing glance from a suspicious-looking onlooker.
After Sianadh departed from the city, bent on retrieving more riches from Waterstair, Imrhien and Muirne were taken prisoner by a band of villains led by a man named Scalzo. Upon their rescue they learned of the deaths of Liam and Sianadh. Scalzo and his henchmen were to blame.
Imrhien promised Ethlinn she would reveal the location of Waterstair's treasure only to the King-Emperor. With this intention, she joined Muirne and Diarmid and traveled to distant Caermelor, the Royal City. Along their way through a wilderness of peril and beauty, Imrhien and Diarmid accidentally became separated from their fellow travelers, including Muirne. Fortunately they met Thorn, a handsome ranger of the Dainnan knighthood whose courage and skill were matchless, and Imrhien fell victim to love.
After many adventures, followed by a sojourn in Rosedale with Silken Janet and her father, these three wanderers rediscovered Muirne, safe and well. Muirne departed with her brother Diarmid to join the King-Emperor's armed forces. Recruits were in demand, because rebel barbarians and unseelie wights were mustering in the northern land of Namarre, and it seemed war was brewing in Erith. Imrhien's goal was to visit the one-eyed carlin, Maeve, seeking a cure, before continuing on to Caermelor. At her final parting from Thorn she was distraught. To her amazement, he kissed her at the last moment.
At last, in the village of White Down Rory, Imrhien's facial disfigurements were healed. With the cure, she regained the power of speech.
Two of her goals had been achieved. She now had a name and a face, but still, no memory of her past.
At the opening of Book 2, The Lady of the Sorrows, Imrhien realized that Maeve's cottage was being watched and decided to leave secretly, in disguise. With black-dyed hair, gorgeous new clothes, a fake identity, and a new nameЧLady Rohain Tarrenys of the Sorrow IslandsЧImrhien arrived at Caermelor Palace.
There, she informed the Duke of Roxburgh, Tamlain Conmor, and the Royal Bard, Thomas Rhymer, of the treasure under Water-stair. The magnificent trove became the property of the Crown and Rohain was richly rewarded for her part in its discovery. She was given jewels, an estate, the title of baroness, and the services of a maid named Viviana Wellesley.
Rohain had to remain at Court until she gained an audience with the King-Emperor. The sovereign, however, was busy with preparations for conflict with the barbarian rebels of northern Namarre. Serious trouble was brewing there, and it was feared that the Empire itself was in danger of being attacked and overrun.
The maidservant Viviana turned out to be a friend and ally, while Thomas Rhymer and the wife of Tamlain Conmor, Alys, watched over Rohain. They told her tales of the Faъran, the race of powerful immortals who long ago used to walk the lands of Erith. Another courtier, Dianella, the niece of the wizard Sargoth, also appeared to befriend the newcomer.
To Rohain's delight she discovered that her friend Sianadh had escaped death. She told him about her amnesia, and he advocated returning to Isse Tower in a bid to find out more about her origins. But spiteful Dianella discovered Rohain's identity was faked, and told her to abandon her wealth and leave Court forever, or face the broadcasting of her duplicity. Taking Sianadh's advice, Rohain departed for Isse Tower, accompanied by Viviana.
At the Seventh House of the Stormriders all Rohain could learn was that the deformed servant she had once been was found near Huntingtowers, a frightening place inhabited by the Wild Hunt. Ro-hain set out for Huntingtowers, but her journey was cut short. On returning to Isse Tower, she was reunited with Thorn, only to discover that he in truth held a higher status than she could have imagined.
She returned to Caermelor Palace at Thorn's side. Fearful lest her cup of happiness should break, Rohain concealed from him the fact that she had no memory of her past life before Isse Tower. When her lover had to depart for the conflict in the north, he left her in the safest possible placeЧthe Royal Isle of Tamhania. Before they parted, he gave her a golden "leaf-ring" as a token.
Tamhania was guarded by enchantments that made it inviolable to unseelie forces. During a violent storm Rohain was tricked into kindling the great Beacon that opened safe passage into the harbor. She had unwittingly allowed unseelie entities to breach the security of the island. Soon afterward, the destruction of Tamhania commenced, and Rohain fled over the sea with her friends. Many boats were lostЧthe rest were torn from one another.
Rohain found herself washed up on a remote shore not far from Huntingtowers, along with Viviana and young Caitri. Knowing she faced great peril, Rohain decided to assume yet another identity, and took the name Tahquil. Using boiled tree-bark, Viviana dyed Tahquil's hair brown. Through the cindery air, still filled with the ashes of Tamhania's volcanic destruction, the companions traveled to the caldera of Huntingtowers. On the outskirts of the caldera, Tahquil found a gold bracelet. The sight of it triggered memories . . .
She recalled a time long past, in the land of Avlantia, when the city of Hythe Mellyn had been purged of a plague of rats by a mysterious Piper, who had snared the rodents with his enchanting music. The city had not paid the Piper his due, so in return he stole away the children of Hythe Mellyn, leading them under Hob's Hill.
One child alone had not answered the Piper's call. Ashalind na Pendran had an injured leg and was unable to follow. As she grew up in the city of sorrow, she sought constantly for a way into the Piper's realm. Easgathair, one of the FaъranЧthe immortal race who walked of yore in ErithЧtook pity on her, and described a way to penetrate Hob's Hill. Once inside, Ashalind was brought before the Crown Prince of the Faъran, Morragan, the Raven Prince. Clever Ashalind was able to answer three questions with which the prince challenged her. In return, he permitted the children to return to the world of mortals.
However, the relinquished children began to pine and languish. A profound Longing for the Fair Realm had gripped them, a deadly yearning known as the Langothe. The wizards of Avlantia declared that there was no known cure. In desperation, Ashalind called on Easgathair to allow the children to pass back into the Fair Realm, this time with their families, so that the Longing would leave them, allowing them to survive. Easgathair granted her request. He also announced that the Gates between the Realm of the Faъran and the lands of mortals would soon close forever.
On the Day of Closing, the citizens of Hythe Mellyn deserted their homes and rode into the Fair Realm. Just before the Gates swung shut, Ashalind discovered that there was in fact a cure for the Langothe, of which the wizards had been unaware. She decided to return to Erith. Due to a last-minute skirmish between Prince Morragan and his brother, Angavar, both members of the Faъran royal family were locked out of the Fair Realm along with their respective retinues. They were forever exiled to the world of mortals. However, Ashalind had already slipped into a traverse known as the Gate of Oblivion's Kiss because of the condition, or bitterbynde, it imposed on all who entered it.