She nodded, thanking the warmth that spread from his hand to suffuse her. "He will return when he realizes that Airleas is Cyne of Caraid-land's heart and that to possess that heart, he must possess Airleas."

Catahn snorted. "He'll be happy enough with the body for a while."

"Not long."

"When he returns, will he find us here?"

She shook her head. "No. With us here, the people of Nairne are in danger. We must be elsewhere when Daimhin Feich revisits Halig-liath."

She turned and re-entered the courtyard, Catahn maintaining his place beside her. She ignored the questioning faces that greeted them for a moment, and paused to gaze up and over the high eastern walls. The five of the seven peaks of the Gyldan-baenn marched away toward the south. Far and away, she could see the snow-capped thrust of Baenn-ghlo, for once, not wrapped in the mists that gave it its name. The smaller summit of Baenn-ratha stood out in stark relief against its bright, massive flank. Somewhere among those crags and forested passes, Catahn's stronghold, Hrofceaster, snuggled in near-inaccessible safety. It would be a difficult place for those used to milder climes to winter, but there they would be safe, and there they would not be subject to siege.

Catahn had followed her gaze to look lovingly and longingly on those same peaks. "Shall we begin preparations for travel, Lady?"

She smiled and squeezed his hand where it still rested on her shoulder. "Thank you, Catahn," she said and moved to where Cwen Toireasa and Airleas waited in the midst of a cluster of other believers.

Catahn watched her till she was absorbed by the group, then pulled his eyes back to the Gyldan-baenn. His heart swelled with a surge of something big and fine and warm. He would go home soon, and he would bring the Lady of the Crystal Rose with him.

APPENDICES.

PHONETICS KEY.

ay = "ay" as in "hay"

bh = "v" as in "victory"

dd = "th" as in "the"

dh = a soft "d" with a slight aspirant ey = "eye"

fh = the softest possible "f"; almost a "v"

gh = a hard "h"

th = "th" as in "the"

y = a long "i"

APPENDIX 1: THE NOBLE HOUSES OF CARAID-LAND AND THEIR BANNERS.

Claeg (Clayg): "House of Earth" - midland House of traditional warriors; sword-cleft rock on a field of red.

Cuillean (Kwil-een): "House of the Bear" - northern House; brown bear on a green field.

Dearg (Deerg): "House of the Red Man" - midland House; red hand on a white and yellow field.

Floinn (Flown): "House of the Red Child" - breakaway northern House related to the Dearg; dagger-bearing hand on a yellow and white field.

Feich (Fyke): "House of the Raven" - southern neighbors of the Claeg; raven on a yellow field.

Gilleas (Gi-lee-as): "House of the Disciples (of the Meri); midland House, traditionally strong allies of the Malcuim; golden star on a midnight blue field.

Glinne (Glin): "House of the White One" - House traditionally dedicated to the worship of the Gwenwyvar or White Wave; white wave cresting on a purple field.

Graegam (Gray-am): "House of the Bray Man" - western neighbors of the Feich; castle keep on a red and white field.

Jura (Joo-rah): "House of the Broken Heart" - the family of the martyred Osraed Gartain; twained heart on a white field with a red border.

Madaidh (Mah-dayth): "House of Wolves" - a sea-faring House thought to be descendants of Deasach immigrants to Caraid-land; brown wolf on a yellow and blue field.

Malcuim (Mal-kwim): "House of the Sands" - the Royal House of Caraid-land; clasped hands on a gold and green field.

Skarf (Skarf): "House of the Cormorant" - a House of fisherman and merchant seamen; white cormorant on a teal field.

Teallach (Tee-lak): "House of Iron" - northern House; sword on an orange field.

APPENDIX 2: NAMES.

Aine (Ayn): "fiery one"

Airleas (Ayr-lee-as): a traditional Caraidin name meaning "a pledge" or "an oath"

Ardis (Ar-dis): "warm", "ardent"

Arundel (Ar-un-del): "dwells at the eagle's grove"; family estate of the Osraed Wyth Bearach (Bay-rak): "spear carrier"; heroic Cyne of Caraid-land who won the First Battle of the Crystal against Buchan Claeg Bebhinn (Beh-vin): "melodious lady"; swift-flowing northern branch of the Halig-Tyne Bevol (Bay-vol): Hillwild name meaning "wind"

Bitan-ig (Bee-tan-eegh): "preserving"; Cyne and hero of the Battle of the Chalice and the Skull Brys (Bryss): "quick" or "ambitious"

Caime (Kaym): "crooked"

Calach (Kah-lak): "companion"

Caraid-land (Car-ayd-land): "land between the streams" hence, "friendly land"

Catahn (Ca-tawn): Hillwild name meaning "champion" or "warrior"

Ciaran (Kee-ar-an): Hillwild name meaning "dark one"; the most famous (or infamous) Ciaran was Cyne Ciaran, grandfather of Cyne Colfre Ciarda (Kee-ar-da): a Hillwild name meaning "child of the dark one"; a Cyne of Caraid-land and Colfre-s father Colfre (Kol-fray): Hillwild name meaning "a dove," hence, peaceful Creiddylad (Creh-dee-ly-ah): "jewel of the sea"; traditional home of the Malcuims and capitol of Caraid-land since the reign of Malcuim the Uniter Cuinn (Kwin): "wise"; family name of Taminy-a-Cuinn; from a small settlement east of Nairne Daimhin (Day-fin): "poet" or "savant"

Deasach (Dee-sak): "southern"; Caraidin word for the country beyond the southwest arm of the Gyldan-baenn; also used to refer to its people Desary (Deh-sa-ree): a Hillwild name meaning "longed for"

Doireann (Dwa-ree-an): "sullen"

Eada (Yah-da): "prosperity" or "blessedness"; large seaport to the north of Creiddylad situated on the mouth of the Ead-Tyne Ealad-hach (Ay-lad-hak): "ingenious" or "a scientist"

Faer-wald (Fayr-wald): "mighty traveler"

Feich (Fyke): "a raven"; one of the Caraidin Houses Fhada (Vah-dah): "long"

Gled (Gled): "glad", "joyous"

Goscelin (Jos-e-lin): "the just" ; a great Caraidin heroine Gwenwyvar (Gwen-wy-var): "white wave" or "white phantom"; Eibhilin being associated closely with the Meri; often a bearer of Her messages Gwynet (Gwi-net): "white" or "blessed"

Gyldan-baenn (Gil-dan-bayn): "golden mountains"; chain of mountains that wraps from northeast to southwest about Caraid-land, forming a border with the Deasach lands.

Haefer (Hay-fer): "sanctuary", "safety"; given name of the great Hillwild Osraed and hero Haefer Hillwild Hageswode (Hag-es-wode): "from the high forest"; family name of Osraed Haefer Hillwild Halig-liath (Ha-lig-lee-ath): "holy fortress"

Halig-tyne (Ha-lig-tyne): "holy river"

Hrofceaster (Rof-kays-ter): "sky fortress"

Ileane (Ee-lee-an): "light bearer"

Iobert (Yo-bayrt): "glorious warrior"

Iseabal (Eesh-a-bal): "dedicated to God"

Lach (Lak): "by the water"

Ladhar (Lah-dar): "path"

Ladmann (Lad-man): "guide"

Lealbhallain (Leel-val-layn): "loyal champion"

Liusadhe (Lee-oo-sath): "bringer of light"

Lufu (Loo-foo): Hillwild name meaning "love"

Madaidh (Ma-dayh): "the fox"

Meredydd (Mer-e-dith): "guardian from the sea"

Meri (Me-ree): "star of the sea"; the Being through whom the teachings of the Spirit are conveyed to earth. The Meri is the firstborn of the Eibhilin beings of which the only the Gifted are truly aware Mertuile (Mer-tweel): castle around which Creiddylad is built; ancestral home of the House Malcuim Nairne (Nayrn): "place by the river alder grove"

Ochan (O-kan): "boy" or "youth"

Osmaer (Oz-mayr): "divinely glorious"; station-name of the human Vessel of the Meri-s spirit Paeccs (Payks): "peaceful"; second Cyne of Caraid-land; son of Malcuim the Uniter Phelan (Fay-lan:) "little wolf"

Ruadhe (Roo-ah): "the red"

Ruanaidhe (Roo-nayh): Hillwild name meaning "red one"; treacherous nephew of Haefer Hageswode; said to have been turned into a river silkie after murdering Cyne Siolta Saxan (Sak-san): "swordsman"

Scandy (Skan-dee): "boisterer"

Siolta (Shee-ol-ta): "teal"

Taminy (Ta-mi-nee): "pure"

Thearl (Thayrl): "stern one"; Cyne of Caraid-land during the Blue Cusp; son of Cyne Siolta and Goscelin the Just Toireasa (Twa-ree-sa): "reaper"

Wyth (Wythe): "dweller in the willows"; by implication, "a healer"

APPENDIX 3: TERMS.

abbod (ab-od): the foremost Osraed at Ochanshrine aidan (ay-dan): Hillwild term for the aislinn Gift; literally "little fire"; indicates the touch of the Eibhilin realm aingeal (ayn-geel): "messenger"; Eibhilin guardian spirit aislinn (ays-lin): "vision" or "dream", a vision experienced either dreaming or waking which is a reflection of reality ambre (am-ber): "golden" unit of Caraidin currency minted in gold anwyl (an-weel): "beloved" or "dear"

backstere (bak-steer): "baker"

Cirke (Keerk): Caraidin place of worship cailin (kay-lin): "girl", "maiden"

claefer (clay-fer): "clover" small silver coin. There are four claefer to the ambre.

cleirach (clee-rak): "scholar", "teacher"; the cleirach is educator, administrator and adjudicator in the rural holdings and settlements. Trained in religion, he may also be called upon to lead worship cwen (Kwen): "female ruler"

cyne (Kyne): "ruler", "leader"