James Clemens - Witch Star: The Banned and the Bannished Book Five

======================Notes:Scanned by JASC If you correct any minor errors, please change the version number below (and in the filename) to a slightly higher one e.g. from .9 to .95 or if major revisions, to v. 1.0/2.0etc..Current e-book version is .9 (most formatting errors have been correctedbut OCRerrors still occur in the text, especially the first word in every chapter.)Comments, Questions, Requests (no promises): daytonascan4911@hotmail.comDO NOT READ THIS BOOK OF YOU DO NOT OWN/POSSES THE PHYSICALCOPY. THAT IS STEALING FROM THE AUTHOR.--------------------------------------------Book Information:Genre: Epic FantasyAuthor: James Clemens Name: Witch StarSeries: Banned and the Banished 5 (conclusion of the Witch War) ====================== Witch GateBook 5 of the Banned and the Banished-James Clemens Seated on the Rosethorn Throne, Elena studied the riddle be-fore her. The small stranger, dressed in apatchwork of silks and linens, appeared just a boy with his smooth and unlined facebut he was clearlyno youngster. His manner was too calm under the gazes of those gathered in the Great Hall. His eyesglinted with sarcastic amusement, bitter and road-worn. And the set of his lips, shadowing a smile,remained both hard and cold.Elena felt a twinge of unease near the man, despite his illusion of innocence.The stranger dropped to one knee before her, sweeping off his foppish hat. Scores of bellstin, silver,gold, and copper, sewn throughout his clothesjangled brightly.A taller figure stepped to the tiny mans sidePrince Tylamon Royson, lord of Castle Mryl to the north.The prince-turned-pirate had forgone his usual finery and wore scuffed boots and a salt-scarred blackcloak. His cheeks were ruddy, and his sandy hair was unkempt. He had arrived at the islands dockswith the rising sun, requesting immediate audience with Elena and the war council.The prince bowed to one knee, then motioned to the stranger. May I present Harlequin Quail? He hascome far, with news you should hear.Elena motioned for them both to stand. Rise, Lord Tyrus. Be welcome. She studied the newcomer ashe rose to his feet amid another chorus of jingling. The man had indeed come from afar. His face wasoddly complexioned: a paleness that bordered on blue, as if he were forever suffocating. But it was the

hue of his eyes that was the most strikinga shining gold, full of a wry slyness.Im sorry for disturbing you so early on this summer morning, Lord Tyrus intoned formally,straightening his disheveled cloak as if noticing for the first time his sorry state.Erril, Elenas liegeman and husband, spoke from his station beside the throne. What is this urgency,Lord Tyrus? We have no time for fools and jesters.Elena did not have to glance to the side to know the Standi plainsman wore his usual hard scowl. Shehad seen it often enough over the last two moons as sour tidings had been flowing into Alasea: supplychains to the island cut off by monsters and strange weather; townships struck by fires and plagues;ill-shaped beasts roaming the countryside. But the worst tidings struck closer to home.Elementals, those rare folk tuned to the Lands energy, were succumbing to some dread malaise. Themerai were losing their sea sense and their link to their dragons; the elvin ships could not fly as high orfar; and now Neelahn reported that the voice of her lute was growing weaker as the tree spirit fadedinside. Clearly whatever damage had been inflicted upon the Land by the Weirgates was continuing itsonslaught. Elemental magicks waned as if from a bleeding wound.As a consequence, the press of dwindling time weighed upon them all. If they were to act against theGulgotha, it must be soonbefore their own forces weakened further, before the gifts of the Land fadedcompletely away. But their armies were spread wide. As matters stood, the campaign against the DarkLords stronghold, the volcanic Blackhall, could begin no sooner than next spring. Erril said it wouldtake until midwinter to position all their armies; and an assault upon the island then, when the northernseas were beset with savage storms, would give the advantage to Blackhall.So spring at the earliest, when the winter storms died away. Elena had begun to doubt whether theyd beready even then. So much was still unknown. Tolchuk had yet to return from his own lands; gone thesepast two moons with Fardale and a handful of others, he sought to question his ogre elders about thelink between heartstone and ebonstone. Many of the elvin scoutships had not returned fromreconnaissance over Blackhall. The dwarf army, led by Wennar, had sent crows with news that theirforces yet gathered near Penryn. The dwarf captain wanted more time to rally his people. But time wasshort for all of them. And now this urgent news from afar.Lord Tyrus turned to his companion. Harlequin, tell them what youve learned.The tiny figure nodded. I come with tidings both bright and grim. A coin appeared in his hand as ifconjured from nothing. With the flick of a wrist, he tossed it high into the air. Torchlight glinted off gold.Elenas gaze tracked the coins flight as it danced among the rafters, then fell. She startled back on herthrone upon finding the strange man now toe-to-toe before her, leaning in. He had crossed the distance ina heartbeat, silent despite the hundred bells he wore.Even Erril was caught by surprise. With a roar, he swept out his sword and bared it between queen andjester. What trick is this?As answer, the man caught the falling coin in an outstretched palm, winked salaciously at Elena, thenbacked down the two steps, again jangling with a chorus of bells.Lord Tyrus spoke up, a cold smile on his face. Be not fooled by Harlequins motley appearance. Forthese past ten winters, he has been my master spy, in service to the Pirate Guild of Port Rawl. There areno better eyes and ears to sneak upon others unaware.

Elena straightened in her seat. So it would seem.Erril pulled back his sword but did not sheathe it. Enough tricks. If he comes with information, letshear it.As the iron man asks, so it shall be. Harlequin held up his gold coin to the flash of torchlight. First thebright news. Youve cut the Black Heart a deeper wound than even you suspect by the destruction of hisblack statues. Hes lost his precious dwarf army and is left with only men and monsters to defend hisvolcanic lair.Tyrus interrupted. Harlequin has spent the last half winter scouting the edges of Blackhall. Hesprepared charts and logs of the Dark Lords forces and strengths.How did he come by these? Erril grumbled.Harlequin stared brazenly back. From under the nose of the Dark Lords own lieutenant. A brother ofyours, is he not?Elena glanced to Erril and saw the anger in his eye.He is not my brother, her liegeman said coldly.Elena spoke into the tension. You were inside Blackhall itself?Harlequins mask of amusement cracked. Elena spotted a glimpse of something pained and darkerbeyond. Aye, he whispered. Ive walked its monstrous halls and shadowed roomsand pray I neverdo so again.Elena leaned forward. And you mentioned grim news, Master Quail?Grim news indeed. Harlequin lifted his arm and opened the fingers that had clenched around the goldcoin. Upon his palm now rested a lump i o of coal. If you wish to defeat the Black Heart, it must bedone by Midsummer Eve.Elena frowned. In one moons time?Impossible, Erril scoffed.Harlequin fixed Elena with those strange gold eyes. If you dont stop the Black Beast by the next fullmoon, you will all be dead.Meric ran the length of the Stormwing. His feet flew across the fa-miliar planks, hurdling balustrades andleaping decks. His eyes remained fixed to the skies. Through the morning mists, a dark speck was visiblehigh overhead, plummeting gracelessly out of the sky. It was one of the elvin scoutships, returning fromthe lands and seas around the volcanic island of Blackhall.Something was wrong.Reaching the prow of his own ship, Meric lifted both arms and cast out his powers. A surge of energybillowed through his form and into the sky, racing upward to flow into the empty well that was the othersboats iron keel. Meric fed his power, but the plummeting ship continued its dive toward the watersaround Aloa Glen.As he fought the inevitable, Meric felt the weight of the other ship upon his own shoulders. He was drivento one knee as the Stormwing, drained of its own magickal energies, began to drift lower toward the