retired soldan-shah Imir and a reluctant Sherufa (who would rather stay home and read about adventures). The group crosses the desert and is received among the Nunghals. As guests of KHAN JIKARIS, they travel to a large clan gathering on the coast of the southern ocean, a body of water that Sherufa never even guessed existed. From seafaring Nunghals, she obtains maps and begins to suspect that the southern ocean may in fact connect with the coastline of Uraba, far to the north. Sherufa, Imir, and Saan return home with their exciting news.
Prester Hannes continues his depredations against the followers of Urec, leaving a path of death and destruction behind him as he makes his way back to Tierra. He reaches the burned ruins of Ishalem, which have remained uninhabited for more than a dozen years, and he weeps to see what has become of the holy city. Before he can leave the ruins, though, Hannes is captured by a Uraban patrol, and he is sent with other prisoners to work in the Gremurr mines. They do not know he is the man who has caused them so much harm; they just need more slaves. Hannes toils for a long time, always looking for a way to escape, and finally slips away from the mines into the supposedly impassible mountains that lead to Tierra. No man has ever survived the trek, but Hannes is not like any other man. Frostbitten, starving, and near death, he stumbles into a high mountain meadow, where he is rescued by the hermit Criston Vora. Criston nurses him back to health, and then helps the prester make his way to Calay.
As the Iborian Kjelnar constructs Korastine's new Arkship, Destrar Broeck goes out into the northern wastelands to track down and kill the fabled ice dragon, whose horn supposedly has magical properties. Broeck returns to Calay with the shimmering horn, which will be mounted on the prow of the Arkship. Both Broeck and Korastine intend to sail on the vessel, and Aldo na-Curic will be the chartsman. Before the new Arkship can depart, though,
ra'virs
strike in the night and burn the ship in the harbor. The Tierran dreams are dashed.
Soldan-Shah Omra decides to recapture the barren city of Ishalem for his people and puts together a major assault. His wife Istar gives him a son at last, whom she names Criston, which only increases the jealousy Cliaparia holds toward her. Omra has recently taken a third wife, NAORI, who is also pregnant. The soldan-shah bids them all farewell, and heads off with his armies to conquer Ishalem. His operation works perfectly. Before the Tierran army can respond effectively, Omra destroys the enemy military outposts and kills all the Aidenist pilgrims. He claims the ash-strewn ground in the name of Uraba.
Back in Olabar, Cliaparia schemes to oust Istar, but she fails… which only forces her to try even darker treachery. After Naori gives birth to a baby boy—another heir for the soldan-shah—Cliaparia slips a poisonous sand spider into the crib of Istar's year-old son Criston, and the boy dies. Saan returns from the land of the Nunghals to discover that his mother has been nearly driven mad by the death of the baby, while Cliaparia remains smug. When Istar learns that Cliaparia was the murderer, she does not hesitate. Thinking of nothing but revenge, she goes to the market, where she finds Cliaparia laughing with her ladies-in-waiting. She stabs the hateful woman to death in broad daylight and dumps her body into the harbor, then staggers away in shock, covered in blood. As she wanders through the market stalls, Istar is stunned to discover a merchant selling a letter found sealed in a bottle. One of Criston's letters to her.
Having saved Prester Hannes, Criston at last decides to return to his former life. Over the years living alone in the mountains, he has dabbled with making models of sailing ships, exploring different designs. King Korastine and all of Calay are reeling from the heinous burning of the Arkship, but Criston presents himself to the king with new models and
Prester Hannes continues his depredations against the followers of Urec, leaving a path of death and destruction behind him as he makes his way back to Tierra. He reaches the burned ruins of Ishalem, which have remained uninhabited for more than a dozen years, and he weeps to see what has become of the holy city. Before he can leave the ruins, though, Hannes is captured by a Uraban patrol, and he is sent with other prisoners to work in the Gremurr mines. They do not know he is the man who has caused them so much harm; they just need more slaves. Hannes toils for a long time, always looking for a way to escape, and finally slips away from the mines into the supposedly impassible mountains that lead to Tierra. No man has ever survived the trek, but Hannes is not like any other man. Frostbitten, starving, and near death, he stumbles into a high mountain meadow, where he is rescued by the hermit Criston Vora. Criston nurses him back to health, and then helps the prester make his way to Calay.
As the Iborian Kjelnar constructs Korastine's new Arkship, Destrar Broeck goes out into the northern wastelands to track down and kill the fabled ice dragon, whose horn supposedly has magical properties. Broeck returns to Calay with the shimmering horn, which will be mounted on the prow of the Arkship. Both Broeck and Korastine intend to sail on the vessel, and Aldo na-Curic will be the chartsman. Before the new Arkship can depart, though,
ra'virs
strike in the night and burn the ship in the harbor. The Tierran dreams are dashed.
Soldan-Shah Omra decides to recapture the barren city of Ishalem for his people and puts together a major assault. His wife Istar gives him a son at last, whom she names Criston, which only increases the jealousy Cliaparia holds toward her. Omra has recently taken a third wife, NAORI, who is also pregnant. The soldan-shah bids them all farewell, and heads off with his armies to conquer Ishalem. His operation works perfectly. Before the Tierran army can respond effectively, Omra destroys the enemy military outposts and kills all the Aidenist pilgrims. He claims the ash-strewn ground in the name of Uraba.
Back in Olabar, Cliaparia schemes to oust Istar, but she fails… which only forces her to try even darker treachery. After Naori gives birth to a baby boy—another heir for the soldan-shah—Cliaparia slips a poisonous sand spider into the crib of Istar's year-old son Criston, and the boy dies. Saan returns from the land of the Nunghals to discover that his mother has been nearly driven mad by the death of the baby, while Cliaparia remains smug. When Istar learns that Cliaparia was the murderer, she does not hesitate. Thinking of nothing but revenge, she goes to the market, where she finds Cliaparia laughing with her ladies-in-waiting. She stabs the hateful woman to death in broad daylight and dumps her body into the harbor, then staggers away in shock, covered in blood. As she wanders through the market stalls, Istar is stunned to discover a merchant selling a letter found sealed in a bottle. One of Criston's letters to her.
Having saved Prester Hannes, Criston at last decides to return to his former life. Over the years living alone in the mountains, he has dabbled with making models of sailing ships, exploring different designs. King Korastine and all of Calay are reeling from the heinous burning of the Arkship, but Criston presents himself to the king with new models and
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