The Sworn Knight by Robert Ryan (novels to read txt) 📕

Ferla was not sure of the answer. It was an impossiblechoice.

Was it possible Savanest had tricked her? Were his wordsmere deceit intended to distract during battle?

She did not believe so. The magic had connected them, and atthat moment she would have sensed any lie. A part of her was in his mind.

No. Faran was found. And he would die. Unless, perhaps, shecould reach him in time. But that would mean putting aside her duty as seventhknight. Could she choose between love and duty?

She moved off into the night without giving answer. Thestorm had cleared and the air was fresh. The sweet scent of wet grass, pine anddamp herbage came to her. The world was beautiful, but just now it meantnothing to her.

Asana, and Kubodin, having since retrieved his mule,followed silently. She did not tell them her final choice. Nor did they ask.

Thus ends The Sworn Knight. The Kingshield seriescontinues in book five, The Scarlet Knight. Therein, Faran will discovermore of his true destiny. And where the evil of the Morleth Stone will bend itsdark will to destroying him. For it cannot allow him to live…

THE SCARLET KNIGHT

BOOK FIVE OF THEKINGSHIELD SERIES

COMING SOON

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Dedication

There’s a growing movement in fantasy literature. Itsname is noblebright, and it’s the opposite of grimdark.

Noblebright celebrates the virtues of heroism. It’s anold-fashioned thing, as old as the first story ever told around a smoky campfirebeneath ancient stars. It’s storytelling that highlights courage and loyaltyand hope for the spirit of humanity. It recognizes the dark, the dark in usall, and the dark in the villains of its stories. It recognizes death, andtreachery and betrayal. But it dwells on none of these things.

I dedicate this book, such as it is, to that which isnoblebright. And I thank the authors before me who held the torch high so that Icould see the path: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, David Eddings,Susan Cooper, Roger Taylor and many others. I salute you.

And, for a time, I too shall hold the torch high.

Appendix: Encyclopedic Glossary

Note: the glossary of each book in this series isindividualized for that book alone. Additionally, there is often historicalmaterial provided in its entries for people, artifacts and events that are notincluded in the main text.

Many races dwell in Alithoras. All have their ownlanguage, and though sometimes related to one another the changes sparked bymigration, isolation and various influences often render these tonguesunintelligible to each other.

The ascendancy of Halathrin culture, combined with theirwidespread efforts to secure and maintain allies against elug incursions, hasmade their language the primary means of communication between diverse peoples.

This glossary contains a range of names and terms. Manyare of Halathrin origin, and their meaning is provided. The remainder derivefrom native tongues and are obscure, so meanings are only given intermittently.

Often, names of Camar and Halathrin elements arecombined. This is especially so for the aristocracy. Few other tribes had suchlong-term friendship with the immortal Halathrin as the Camar, and though inthis relationship they lost some of their natural culture, they gained nobilityand knowledge in return.

List of abbreviations:

Cam. Camar

Comb. Combined

Cor. Corrupted form

Chg: Cheng

Hal. Halathrin

Leth. Letharn

Prn. Pronounced

Agrak: A rune of several strokes radiating from acentral point. It represents a group of doves taking flight from the ground andsignifies the word “flee”.

Alithoras: Hal. “Silver land.” TheHalathrin name for the continent they settled after leaving their own homeland.Refers to the extensive river and lake systems they found and their wonder at thebeauty of the land.

Aranloth: Hal. “Noble might.” A lòhren ofancient heritage. Travels Alithoras under different names and guises.

Asana: Chg. “Gift of light.”Rumored to be the greatest sword master in the history of the Cheng people. Hisfather was a Duthenor tribesman.

Bouncing Stone (the): An ancient inn built at thesame time as the Tower of the Stone. It is said a smithy occupied the landpreviously, and here of old attempts were made to destroy the Morleth Stone.

Brand: Duth. A heroic figure in Alithoras.Both warrior and lòhren. Stories of his exploits have spread over the land, andthey kindle hope wherever they are heard.

Caludreth: Cam. “Lord of the waves.”A poetic term in Camar literature for a ship. Once a Kingshield Knight.

Cardoroth: Cor. Hal. Comb. Cam. A Camar city, often called Red Cardoroth. Some saythis alludes to the red granite commonly used in the construction of itsbuildings, others that it refers to a prophecy of destruction. If so, Brandappears to have thwarted it.

Cheng:Chg. “Warrior.” The overall name of the various relatedtribes that dwell in the northwest of Alithoras. It was a word for warrior in thedialect of a tribe that rose to supremacy and set an emperor above all thevarious clans to unite them.  

Conduil: Cam. Etymology obscure. Thefirst king of Faladir. He broke the Siege of Faladir and founded the order ofKingshield Knights, of which he was the first.

Danath Elbar: Hal. “Underground mansion.”Halls delved by the Halathrin into the stone of Nuril Faranar, the mountainused at times as a command post during the Shadowed Wars.

Death-sleep: A state of suspended animation usedby lòhrens of the highest order to heal from terrible wounds. It also prolongslife, for it allows the body to repair itself. It requires great skill andmagic, but the practice is not without extreme risks. Especially to the mind.

Discord: The name of Kubodin’s axe. It has twoblades. One named Chaos and the other Spite.

Dromdruin: Cam. “Valley of the ancientwoods.” One of many valleys in the realm of Faladir. Home of Faran, andbirthplace throughout the history of the realm of many Kingshield Knights.

Drùgluck: A pattern of three slanted lines, goingfrom right to left and each one longer than the previous. Used by somecreatures of the shadow as a warning to stay away from a place because it is asacred area that serves