Heart of Stars (36 page)

Skill
: a common application of magic, such as lighting a candle or dowsing for water.

Spinners
: goddesses of fate. Include the spinner Sniomhar, the goddess of birth; the weaver Breabadair, goddess of life; and she who cuts the thread, Gearradh, goddess of death.

Talent
: the combination of a witch’s strengths in the different forces often manifest as a particularly powerful Talent; for example, Lewen’s Talent is in working with wood and Nina’s is in singing.

Test of Elements
: once a witch is fully accepted into the coven at the age of twenty-four, they learn Skills in the element in which they are strongest, ie air, earth, fire, water, or spirit. The First Test of any element wins them a ring which is worn on the right hand. If they pass the Third Test in any one element, the witch is called a sorcerer or sorceress, and wears a ring on his or her left
hand. It is very rare for any witch to win a sorceress ring in more than one element.

Test of Powers
: a witch is first tested on his or her eighth birthday, and if any magical powers are detected, he or she becomes an acolyte. On their sixteenth birthday, witches undertake the Second Test of Powers, in which they must make a moonstone ring and witch’s dagger. If they pass, they are permitted to become an apprentice. On their twenty-fourth birthday, witches undertake the Third Test of Powers, in which they must remake their dagger and cut and polish a staff. If successfully completed, the apprentice is admitted into the Coven of Witches. Apprentices wear black robes; witches wear white robes.

Theurgia
: a school for acolytes and apprentice-witches at the Tower of Two Moons in Lucescere.

thigearn
: horse-lairds who ride flying horses.

Tìreich
: land of the horse-lairds. Most westerly country of Eileanan, ruled by the MacAhern clan.

Tìrlethan
: land of the Twins; ruled by the MacFaghan clan.

Tìrsoilleir
: the Bright Land or the Forbidden Land. North-east land of Eileanan, ruled by the MacHilde clan.

Tòmas the Healer
: boy with healing powers, who saved the lives of thousands of soldiers during the Bright Wars; died saving Lachlan’s life at the Battle of Bonnyblair.

The Towers of the Witches
: thirteen towers built as centres of learning and witchcraft in the twelve lands of Eileanan. Most are now ruined, but the Tower of Two Moons in Lucescere has been restored as the home of the Coven of Witches and its school, the Theurgia. The Coven hope to rebuild the thirteen High Towers but also to encourage towns and regions to build their own towers.

tree-changer
: woodland faery that can shift shape from
tree to humanlike creature. A half-breed is called a
tree-shifter
and can sometimes look almost human.

trictrac
: a form of backgammon.

uile-bheist; uile-bheistean (pl)
: monster

Yedda
:
s
ea-witches.

Yeomen of the Guard
: Also known as the Blue Guards. The Rìgh’s own personal bodyguard, responsible for his safety.