Dhiammara

Dhiammara By Maggie Furey

This one is for those special friends who have given their unstinting help and support to Eric and myself over the last twelve hair-raising months:

Sheila Mawer and Geoff Green, for putting us up and putting up with us during the homeless months of the House move.

Diane Duane and Peter Morwood, for taking us by the hand and leading us safely through the minefield of the move to Ireland.

Philomena and Michael O’Connor—whose warm and wonderful company is a joy and an inspiration.

And Donal Cunningham, Computer-Mage without peer, who, among many other kindnesses, was instrumental in getting this manuscript delivered on time. (He makes a mean chocolate truffle, too!)

Thanks, guys—for everything.

The story so far...

Long ago, four magical weapons had been fashioned by Mages whose history was lost, together with the Artifacts themselves, in the Cataclysm—horrific wars of magic which wrought changes on land and water. Lost also was the history of the non-human Mages: the Winged Ones, the Dragonfolk, and the great Leviathan—or so said ancient legends.

Aurian, growing up in her mother’s lonely Valley, knows nothing of these tales. Yet when she meets Forral, a wandering swordsman, the encounter changes not only their lives, but the future course of history.

Aurian’s father, Geraint, perished through misuse of his Fire-magic, and her grieving mother, the Earth-Mage Eilin, is obsessed with restoring the Valley—the barren crater left by the explosion. Forral stays to care for the neglected child and teaches her swordplay. A close bond develops between them until Aurian is sent to the city of Nexis and the Academy, home of the few remaining Magefolk, where she can be fully trained as a Mage.

Homesick and missing Forral, Aurian turns to the Arch-mage Miathan, unaware of his sinister plans for her. She incurs the enmity of the Weather-Mage Eliseth and her cohorts Bragar and Davorshan, and is befriended by Finbarr the Archivist and D’arvan, Davorshan’s twin, who is unable to access his powers.—As she grows to adulthood, her studies are diverted by the return of Forral as Commander of the Nexis Garrison. Aurian resumes sword training and makes new friends at the Garrison—Lieutenant Maya and Parric, the Cavalrymaster. The bond between Forral and Aurian ripens into mature love, but matings between Mortals and Magefolk are forbidden. In the meantime, Miathan begins to force his attentions on her.

Elsewhere in Nexis, Anvar, son of a baker, is sold as a bondservant to the Archmage. He is truly Miathan’s son—a half-breed Mage whose mother has kept his identity secret. Miathan steals his powers, binding him with a spell of silence. After months of toil and brutality, he escapes, seeking his lover Sara, who was pregnant when they parted. But she has lost the child and married Vannor, Head of the Merchants’ Guild. When Anvar is recaptured, Aurian defies the Arch-mage to claim him as her servant.

In the catacombs beneath the Academy, Miathan discovers a grail fashioned from the Caldron of Rebirth, one of the lost Artifacts of Power. When Aurian and Forral become lovers, the jealous Archmage turns the grail to evil, cursing any child that may come of their union to take the form of the first beast Aurian sees after its birth.

Eliseth persuades Meiriel to negate Aurian’s spells against pregnancy, knowing that Miathan will never countenance Forral’s half-breed child. Davorshan tries to murder his brother, and D’arvan flees to Aurian’s mother, who can help him find his powers. Maya goes with him to the Valley. Miathan discovers that Aurian is pregnant and tries to destroy the child, but Anvar warns Ferral and Vannor. When Forral attacks, Miathan unleashes Death-Wraiths—spirits who feed on life force—from the grail, and Forral is slain.

Aurian and Anvar escape Nexis by ship, taking Sara with them at Vannor’s request. Aurian’s one hope of defeating Miathan is to find the three lost Artifacts—but time is limited, for as her pregnancy progresses, she will lose her powers until the child is born. Then to her horror, she feels Miathan’s mind, searching the seas for her with magic.

When Maya and D’arvan reach the Valley, Eilin tells D’arvan that his true father is Hellorin, Lord of the Phaerie—a powerful race of Elemental beings exiled from the world by ancient Magefolk. Maya and D’arvan become lovers and stay in the Vale.

At sea, Aurian discovers the wise and powerful whales—the ancient Mage race of Leviathan. When she uses her powers to help them, the Archmage finds her and Eliseth conjures a storm to sink the ship. In the ensuing battle with Miathan, Aurian blinds him.

Aurian, Anvar, and Sara are rescued by the Leviathan, but the storm has blown them to the unknown Southern Kingdoms. Sara seduces Anvar, and Aurian leaves with the Leviathan Ithalasa, who reveals the lost history of the Magefolk.—Aurian learns of the missing Artifacts: the Staff of Earth, the Harp of Winds, and the Sword of Flame, created by the Dragon-folk for one hand alone to wield. Ithalasa does not know where they can be found.

Anvar and Sara are captured by the Khazalim, a fierce desert race, and taken to the city of Taibeth, where Anvar is sold as a slave and Sara goes to the harem of Xiang, the ruler. Given the chance to become queen, she callously consigns Anvar to his fate. Aurian reaches Taibeth and is sentenced to fight in the Arena. Here she befriends Eliizar, disillusioned Swordmaster, and his wife Nereni. She hopes to find Anvar, but first she must fight the fearsome Black Demon, against whom no one has survived.

Miathan sends Davorshan to kill Aurian’s mother. D’arvan slays him, but not before Eilin is mortally wounded. To save her, D’arvan and Maya, along with Eilin, pass into the realm of the Forest Lord, where Eilin must remain in order to survive. Hellorin explains that the Dragons gave the Sword of Flame into the care of the Phaerie, who must now return it to the world. Once the Artifact is claimed, the Phaerie will be freed. Hellorin conceals the Sword in the Valley, and Maya is transformed into a Guardian—an invisible unicorn.—D’arvan brings the Wildwood to the Valley, making it a haven for Miathan’s foes.

Aurian fights in the Arena before Xiang, his son, and his new queen, Sara. She survives the first bouts but is wounded, and now must face the Demon: Shia, a fierce great cat from an intelligent race. When the Mage communicates mentally with her, Shia claims her as a friend. Harihn, Xiang’s son, takes Aurian and Shia under his protection. While her wounds heal, she is cared for by a eunuch, Bohan, and wins his heart with her kindness. Anvar is found dying in the Khisu’s slave pens. Aurian battles Death for his spirit and prevails.—Before Anvar can be warned of Sara’s treachery, Xiang’s soldiers attack. Anvar and Harihn are sentenced to death. Aurian escapes from the dungeons, freeing Shia and Harihn’s men. With Yazour, their captain, she storms the throne room, taking Xiang prisoner. Harihn will not accept the throne from a Mage and a woman. He frees Xiang on condition that he and his people may leave the kingdom and cross the desert. Anvar begs Sara to join him, but she repudiates him cruelly. Eliizar and Nereni join the fugitives.

In Nexis, Eliseth holds the land in an extended winter. Vannor, Parric, and their rebels, hide in the sewers beneath Nexis. Miathan believes that Aurian is alive and in the South. Elewin, the Academy’s Chief Steward, warns Panic, who decides to go in search of her. The rebels escape the city with Meiriel, who has been driven mad by the loss of her soul-mate, Finbarr. They find sanctuary with Vannor’s friends the Nightrunners, an elusive smuggling community who are already sheltering the merchant’s daughter Zanna. Vannor’s rebels head for the Valley, seeking Aurian’s mother, while Parric, with Meiriel, Elewin, and the warrior Sangra, journey to the Southern Lands in search of Aurian herself.

In the desert, Anvar quarrels with Harihn. His rage is strong enough to break Miathan’s spell, and his powers draw his spirit back to Nexis, where he snatches back his magic from the Archmage. Aurian offers to teach him to use his powers, and his training begins.