Authors: Elizabeth Moon

Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #General

Kings of the North

BOOK: Kings of the North

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B
Y
E
LIZABETH
M
OON
T
HE
D
EED OF
P
AKSENARRION
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter
Divided Allegiance
Oath of Gold
Oath of Fealty
^*Kings of the North
^*T
HE
L
EGACY OF
G
IRD
Surrender None
Liar’s Oath
V
ATTA’S
W
AR
Trading in Danger
^*Marque and Reprisal
^*Engaging the Enemy
^*Command Decision
^*Victory Conditions
^*P
LANET
P
IRATES (WITH
A
NNE
M
CCAFFREY)
Sassinak
Generation Warriors
Remnant Population
^*T
HE
S
ERRANO
L
EGACY
Hunting Party
Sporting Chance
Winning Colors
Once a Hero
Rules of Engagement
Change of Command
Against the Odds
The Speed of Dark
^*S
HORT-FICTION
C
OLLECTIONS
Lunar Activity
Phases
Moon Flights

*
Published by Ballantine Books

Kings of the North
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States by Del Rey, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

D
EL
R
EY
is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Moon, Elizabeth.
Kings of the north / Elizabeth Moon.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-345-52479-9
1. Paksenarrion (Fictitious character)—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3563.O557K56
2011
813′.54
—dc22 2010041124

www.delreybooks.com

Jacket design: David Stevenson
Jacket illustration: © Paul Youll

v3.1

For Linda Varda, Master Sergeant, retired after thirty-four years in uniform (Army, Texas Army National Guard, Texas State Guard), senior NCO of her unit and First Sergeant. Served overseas in multiple areas, recipient of the Humanitarian Service Medal when, as part of the 92nd Aviation Company, she was involved in multiple rescues while supporting a high-altitude project on Mount Rainier.

And for Richard Dykstra, Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Inactive Reserve, after active-duty service in the Army and the Texas Army National Guard as Ordnance Officer, both here and abroad.

Both have served their country in many other ways as well, and it was my honor to sing with them in the choir of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas.

Thank you for your service, and may the winds blow always at your back.

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to the Thursday Evening Fencing Group (my title, not theirs) with whom I can work out the details of combat situations involving swords, daggers, polearms, crossbows, and so on. Access to the library at New World Arbalest was, and will continue to be, a great advantage to these books.

Thanks are also due to the community forming at the Paksworld blog, source of new alpha readers who were very helpful in pointing out problems with the first draft—and to existing alpha readers whose experience and ability to articulate what was wrong materially improved the book, especially David Watson and Karen Shull.

Once again, and every time, thanks are due my agent, Joshua Bilmes, my editor, Betsy Mitchell, and the “crew” at Del Rey for their fine work and their ability to keep me on track.

Errors, as always, are my responsibility.

Contents

Cover

Other Books by This Author

Dramatis Personae

Fox Company (was Kieri Phelan’s mercenary company)

Jandelir Arcolin
, commander, Lord of the North Marches

Burek
, junior captain of first cohort

Stammel
, senior sergeant of first cohort

Devlin
, junior sergeant of first cohort

Arñe
, corporal of first cohort

Selfer
, captain of second (short-sword) cohort

Tsaia: senior noble families

Mikeli Vostan Kieriel Mahieran
, king of Tsaia
Camwyn
, his younger brother
Sonder Mahieran
, Duke Mahieran, king’s uncle
Beclan
, a younger son and Duke Verrakia’s squire
Selis Marrakai
, Duke Marrakai
Gwennothlin
, his daughter and Duke Verrakai’s squire
Galyan Serrostin
, Duke Serrostin
Daryan
, youngest son and Duke Verrakai’s squire
Dorrin Verrakai
, Duke Verrakai, formerly a senior captain in Phelan’s company, now Constable for kingdom
Oktar
, new Marshal-Judicar of Tsaia (interprets Code of Gird for Tsaia)
Arianya
, Marshal-General of Gird (commands entire Company of Gird)

Lyonya

Kieri Phelan
, king, former mercenary commander and duke in Tsaia
Sier Halveric
, Aliam Halveric’s older brother, vocal member of Council
Aliam Halveric
, commands Halveric Company, Kieri Phelan’s mentor and friend
Estil Halveric
, his wife
Garris
, senior King’s Squire
Arian
, half-elf King’s Squire
elves
Orlith
, Kieri Phelan’s tutor in elven magic
Flessinathlin
, the Lady of the Ladysforest, elven ruler of this elvenhome kingdom, Kieri’s grandmother
Dameroth
, Arian’s father

Pargun

Torfinn
, king

Elis
, his daughter

Iolin
, younger son

Einar
, king’s brother, traitor

Aarenis

Jeddrin
, Count of Andressat
Alured the Black
, former pirate, self-styled Duke of Immer, taking new name “Visla Vaskronin”
Fenin Kavarthin
, Arcolin’s banker in Valdaire

Adventurers