The Lady
Authors: K. V. Johansen
ALSO BY K. V. JOHANSEN
Blackdog
The Leopard
Published 2014 by Pyr
®
, an imprint of Prometheus Books
The Lady: Marakand, Volume Two
. Copyright © 2014 by K.V. Johansen. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the Internet or a website without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Characters, locales, and events portrayed in this novel either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover illustration © Raymond Swanland
Cover design by Grace M. Conti-Zilsberger
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Johansen, K. V. (Krista V.), 1968â
The lady / K. V. Johansen.
pages ; cm. â (Marakand ; volume 2)
ISBN 978-1-61614-980-2 (softcover) â ISBN 978-1-61614-981-9 (ebook)
I. Title.
PR9199.3.J555L33 2014
813'.54âdc23
2014023968
Printed in the United States of America
There's a gang that's been reading my stuff sinceâforever. If they see shadows of a certain ancient character in both Holla and Ahj, well, even literary characters have ancestors. Or descendants. So, this one is for April, Marina, Chris, Tristanne, and Mum
.
Contents
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
AdvaâThe Serakallashi third wife of the Grasslander Ketsim, the Lake-Lord's governor of Serakallash, murdered with her daughter during the Serakallashi uprising.
AhjvarâSurnamed the Leopard, a Five Cities assassin suffering under more than his fair share of curses; originally from Praitan.
AndaraâDeyandara's god; god of the Duina Andara in Praitan.
AnganurthâA wizard of unknown origins, who became the devil Jasberek.
ArhuâA devout priest of the Lady, sent to speak for her in the Duina Catairna.
Arrac-NourrilâOne of the Twenty Families alleged to have founded Marakand.
AshirâA priest, the Right Hand of the Lady, husband of Rahel.
Asmin-LuyaâA Grasslander man of Gaguush's caravan gang, killed in battle at Lissavakail, father of Zavel.
AttalissaâGoddess of the lake Lissavakail in the mountains called the Pillars of the Sky; foster-daughter of Holla-Sayan, formerly protected by the Blackdog.
AuntieâMidwife living with Talfan the apothecary; former nurse of Jugurthos Barraya.
AustellanâA blind Catairnan lord, ally of the Seneschal and Marnoch.
AylniaâA sandal-maker's wife and diviner, taken by Red Masks.
BadgerâA mastiff belonging to Deyandara, slain defending her against brigands.
BarrayaâA Family or clan name in Marakand; one of the Twenty Families, supposed founders of the city.
Bashraâ A Black Desert god, god of Gaguush's folk.
BeccanâSister of Nour, late wife of Hadidu; she died in childbirth before this story began.
BelmynâSenior-most patrol-first in the Sunset Gate company of the street guard under Jugurthos Barraya.
Beni SessihzâAn elderly senator of Marakand.
BikkimâSerakallashi former member of Gaguush's gang; mortal husband of the goddess Attalissa.
The BlackdogâThought to be a guardian spirit who bonded with a chosen warrior of Lissavakail to protect the goddess Attalissa; now the Westgrasslander caravaneer Holla-Sayan, free of Attalissa and said by Moth to be the damaged soul of a devil wounded and lost in the world in a forgotten devils' war.
CairangormâA king of the Duina Catairna in Praitan; some songs say he was murdered by his elder son, some by his young wife, on the Day of the Three Kings, about ninety years before this story takes place. The songs are still popular among the bards in Praitan, though they are not often sung in the royal hall of the Duina Catairna. It is believed the land and the folk have been under a curse of ill fortune since that day.
CatairanachâGoddess of a spring and patron of the Duina Catairna.
CatairlauâSon of Cairangorm's first wife, his heir, champion, and wizard. Alleged by some to have murdered his father; died not long after him on the Day of the Three Kings.
CattigaâQueen of the Duina Catairna, aunt of Deyandara, murdered by Marakander envoys.
ChiehâA mercenary woman from the Five Cities, one of Ketsim's tent guard, wife of Lug.
Choa, high lord ofâGhu's former master, ruler of a province of northern Nabban.
CricketâDeyandara's pony.
CostenâA lord of the Duina Catairna, at feud with Lord Hicca.
DellanâA Catairnan lady, daughter of Lord Austellan and his representative with Marnoch's warband.
Demrios XuaâA senator of Marakand.
DeyandaraâIllegitimate half-sister of Durandau, king of the Duina Andara and high king of Praitan. Niece and blood-heir of Catigga of the Duina Catairna. Sometimes called Deya.
DjangoâA member of Gaguush's gang, originally from the Stone Desert, brother of Kapuzeh.
DotemonâOne of the seven devils, otherwise the wizard Yeh-Lin the Beautiful.
Durandauâ King of the Duina Andara and elected high king of Praitan; eldest brother of Deyandara.
Ead, “Young” EadâA street guard of the Eastern Wall.
Elias BarrayaâA senator of Marakand; wife of her cousin Petrimos Barraya; mother of Jugurthos. She was executed in the cages shortly after the earthquake.
ElissaâPraitannec lady, one of High King Durandau's wizards.
Ergos ArracâAn elderly sandal-maker of the suburb.
ErminaâSecond daughter of Varro and Talfan.
EsauâSon of the priestess of Ilbialla and only person from that family to survive the earthquake and the subsequent slaughter of all priests but the Lady's. His name was changed to Hadidu and he was raised by the family of the Doves coffeehouse.
FairuâA lord in the eastern part of the Duina Catairna.
FaullenâA huntsman of the Duina Catairna in Marnoch's service, later in Deyandara's service.
FeiziâOne of the Twenty Families of Marakand.
GaguushâA Black Desert caravan-mistress and gang-boss on the western road, recently married to Holla-Sayan.
GelynâA bard of the Duina Catairna.
Geir, Red GeirâOne of the first three kings in the north, nephew of the wizard Heuslar.
GhataiâOne of the seven devils, otherwise the wizard Tamghiz, also known as Tamghat, the Lake-Lord of Lissavakail. Father of Ivah.
GhuâAhjvar's servant and companion; has been a slave horse-boy, groom, sailor, beggar, and other things besides in his life to date.
GilruâYoung son of Queen Cattiga, murdered by Marakanders.
GoranâA lord of the Duina Catairna, loyal to the Seneschal and Marnoch.
GurhanâHill-god of Marakand, formerly served by a clan of hereditary priests.
GuthrunâA Northron caravaneer, camel-leech in Kharduin's gang.
The hagâAhjvar's name for the ghost which possesses him.
Haildroch and HalletâCatairnan wizards, kinsmen of the bard Lady Gelyn.
HassinâStreet-guard captain of the Riverbend Gate garrison in Marakand.
HaukbyrggaâThe lake-goddess of Varro's folk.
