Crusader Read online

  WIDOWMAKER SEA: vast ocean to the east of Achar. From the unknown islands and lands across the Widowmaker Sea come the sea raiders that harass Coroleas.

  WILDDOG PLAINS, The: plains that stretch from northern Ichtar to the River Nordra and bounded by the Fortress Ranges and the Urqhart Hills. Named after the packs of roving dogs that inhabit the area.

  WING: the smallest unit in the Icarii Strike Force consisting of twelve Icarii (male and female).

  WING-LEADER: the commander of an Icarii Wing.

  WINGRIDGE CURLCLAW: Captain of the Lake Guard.

  WOLFSTAR SUNSOAR: the ninth and most powerful of the Enchanter-Talons. He was assassinated early in his reign, but came back through the Star Gate three thousand years ago. Father to Azhure.

  WOLVEN, The: a bow that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar. DragonStar now carries the Wolven.

  XANON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Xanon is the Goddess of the Firmament, wife to Adamon.

  YLLGAINE, Prince: Prince of Nor, son of Ysgryff.

  YR: one of the Sentinels.

  YSBADD: capital city of Nor.

  YULETIDE: see ‘Festivals’.

  ZARED: son of Rivkah and Magariz, half brother to Axis, Zared is Prince of the North and newly- (and self-) crowned King of Achar. His first wife was Isabeau (sister of Herme), who died in a hunting accident, and Zared is now married to the Princess Leagh, sister of Askam.

  ZEHERAH: one of the Sentinels.

  ZENITH: youngest daughter of Axis and Azhure.

  ZEST: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Zest is the Goddess of Earth.

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost I must acknowledge my debt to my editor at HarperCollinsPublishers, Stephanie Smith. Both Pilgrim and Crusader have benefited enormously from her efforts.

  I would also like to thank my agent, Lyn Tranter, for her aid over the past five years, but particularly for her courage in taking on an unknown author clutching a hopeful manuscript with the unpromising title of BattleAxe.

  And where would the Infinite Field of Flowers have been without the marvellous support of the Blue Dandenongs Bulb Farm and Bulb Express? Already I am down at the garden gate, awaiting the next consignment of bulbs…

  About the Author

  Sara Douglass was born in Penola, South Australia and moved to Adelaide when she was seven. She spent her early working life as a nurse before completing three degrees at the University of Adelaide. After receiving a PhD in early modern English history, Sara worked as a Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at La Trobe University, Bendigo, until 2000.

  Sara’s first novel, BattleAxe, was published in 1995 and she has been writing and publishing ever since. Three of her novels are winners of the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy.

  Sara now lives in Hobart, Tasmania.

  Visit Sara’s website at: www.saradouglass.com

  Visit the Voyager website: www.voyageronline.com.au

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  Books by Sara Douglass

  Threshold

  Beyond the Hanging Wall

  THE AXIS TRILOGY

  BattleAxe (1)

  Enchanter (2)

  StarMan (3)

  THE WAYFARER REDEMPTION

  Sinner (1)

  Pilgrim (2)

  Crusader (3)

  THE CRUCIBLE

  The Nameless Day (1)

  The Wounded Hawk (2)

  The Crippled Angel (3)

  THE TROY GAME

  Hades’ Daughter (1)

  God’s Concubine (2)

  Darkwitch Rising (3)

  Druid’s Sword (4)

  DARKGLASS MOUNTAIN

  The Serpent Bride (1)

  Copyright

  HarperVoyager

  An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia

  First published in Australia in 1999

  This edition published in 2010

  by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited

  ABN 36 009 913 517

  www.harpercollins.com.au

  Copyright © Sara Douglass 1999

  The right of Sara Douglass to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.

  This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  HarperCollinsPublishers

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  National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

  Douglass, Sara.

  Crusader.

  ISBN 978 0 7322 6529 8 (pbk.).

  ISBN 978-0-730-49197-2 (ePub).

  I.Title. (Series: Douglass, Sara. Wayfarer redemption; bk.3.)

  A823.3

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  Table of Contents

  PrologueAn Evil Released

  Chapter 1The Wasteland

  Chapter 2The Detritus of an Epic

  Chapter 3A Son Lost, A Friend Gained

  Chapter 4WolfStar

  Chapter 5Of Sundry Enemies

  Chapter 6The Enchanted Song Book

  Chapter 7A Wander Through, and Into, Sanctuary

  Chapter 8The Ploughed Field

  Chapter 9Of Predestination and Confrontation

  Chapter 10A Busy Day in Spiredore

  Chapter 11StarLaughter

  Chapter 12The Key to Sanctuary

  Chapter 13Hidden Conversations

  Chapter 14Envy

  Chapter 15The Secrets of the Book

  Chapter 16Fischer

  Chapter 17Escape from Sanctuary

  Chapter 18The Joy of the Hunt

  Chapter 19The Apple

  Chapter 20Qeteb’s Mansion of Dreams

  Chapter 21Legal Niceties

  Chapter 22The Sacred Groves

  Chapter 23Niah Reborn

  Chapter 24Zenith

  Chapter 25Into the Sacred Groves

  Chapter 26A Gloomy and Pain-Raddled Night

  Chapter 27Axis Resumes a Purpose

  Chapter 28Destruction

  Chapter 29Family Relations

  Chapter 30The Unexpected Heavens

  Chapter 31StarLaughter’s Astonishing Turnabout

  Chapter 32Revival

  Chapter 33Urbeth’s Plan

  Chapter 34WolfStar Feels Better

  Chapter 35Dispersal

  Chapter 36Pretty Brown Sal

  Chapter 37Settling In

&nb
sp; Chapter 38Sanctuary No More

  Chapter 39Night: I

  Chapter 40Night: II

  Chapter 41The Avenue

  Chapter 42Of Commitment

  Chapter 43StarLaughter’s Quest

  Chapter 44The Heart Incarnate

  Chapter 45Trouble

  Chapter 46South

  Chapter 47The Door

  Chapter 48Gwendylyr’s Problem

  Chapter 49The Butler’s Rule

  Chapter 50The Memories of the Enemy

  Chapter 51Sliding South

  Chapter 52A Marital Reunion

  Chapter 53Sigholt

  Chapter 54A Troubled Night’s Dreaming

  Chapter 55A Tastier Revenge Than Ever Imagined

  Chapter 56StarLaughter’s Awful Mistake

  Chapter 57South, Ever South

  Chapter 58Sweetly, Innocently, Happily…

  Chapter 59Midwiving Deity

  Chapter 60The General’s Instructions

  Chapter 61For the Love of a Bear Cub

  Chapter 62Katie, Katie, Katie…

  Chapter 63Hunting Through the Landscape

  Chapter 64The Most Appalling Choice of All

  Chapter 65Abandoned

  Chapter 66Choose, DragonStar!

  Chapter 67Bring Me My Bow of Burning Gold…

  Chapter 68Twisted City

  Chapter 69Light and Love

  Chapter 70The Witness

  Chapter 71The Waiting

  Chapter 72The Tree

  Chapter 73The Garden

  Books by Sara Douglass