Raymond E. Feist - Return to Krondor

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Krondor: The Assassins Book II of The Riftwar Legacy [111-066-4.3]

By: Raymond E. Feist

Synopsis:

Synopsis not available.

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Voyager An Imprint of Harpercollins Publishers 77-85 Fulham Palace Road,

Hammersmith, London w6 8JB

The Voyager World Wide Web site address is http://www.voyager-books.com

Published by Voyager 1999

135798642

The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of

this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 00 224695 3

Typeset by Palimpsest Book Production Limited, Polmont, Stirlingshire

Printed and bound by Griffin Press Pty Ltd. Netley, South Australia 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,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without

the prior permission of the publishers.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of

trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated

without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover

other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition

including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is the outgrowth of a lot of imaginations besides my own. I am

indebted to the following people: John Cutter, Neal Halford, Bill

Maxwell, Andy Ashcraft, Josh Kulp, Craig Bollan, and Erik Wycheck at

Dynamix, 7th Level, and Pyrotechnix, for creating interesting characters

and situations for the games, Betrayal at Krondor and Return to Krondor,

which provided characters, situations, and ideas that coalesced into

this novel.

Also, and as usual, I stand in debt to the imagination and creative

support given me by the usual suspects, also known as the Friday

Nighters. Without them, Midkemia wouldn't exist and I would have had to

find another job.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the editors who have put up with,

inspired, corrected, and aided me, to the ends of improving the work and

making me look good: Adrian Zackheim, Nick Austin, Pat Lobrutto, Janna

Silverstein, Malcolm Edwards, and my current guides: Jennifer Brehl and

Jane Johnson.

Also, to Peter Schneider, who has done far more on my behalf than he

realizes.

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My deepest thanks to them all.

Raymond E. Feist

Rancho Santa Fe, CA

May, 1999

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE: Departures 1

CHAPTER ONE: Escape 12

CHAPTER TWO: Krondor 32

CHAPTER THREE: Reception 54

CHAPTER FOUR: Surprises 76

CHAPTER FIVE: Secrets 94

CHAPTER SIX: Confusion 111

CHAPTER SEVEN: Ambush 128

CHAPTER EIGHT: Attack 148

CHAPTER NINE: Decisions 163

CHAPTER TEN: Revelation 179

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Stealth 195

CHAPTER TWELVE: Improvisation 211

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Concealment 229

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Murders 252.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Desperation 275

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Discovery 292

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Misdirection 305

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Unmasking 322

EPILOGUE: Encounters 341

Prologue

Departures

Lines of soldiers marched along the ridge. The baggage train had been

broken into two segments, the first of which was now departing with the

wounded and the dead who would be cremated with honors back in Krondor.

Clouds of dust rose from the trail as wheels rolled and boots tramped

toward home, the fine powder mixing with the acrid smoke from campfires

as they were extinguished. The rising sun streamed through the haze,

orange and pale gold, lances of color in an otherwise gray morning. In

the distance birds sang, ignoring the aftermath of battle.

Arutha, Prince of Krondor and ruler of the Western Realm of the Kingdom

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of the Isles, sat on his horse, taking a moment to enjoy the majesty of

the sunrise and the serenade of the birds as he watched his men heading

home. The fighting had been blessedly short but bloody, and while

casualties were lighter than anticipated, he still hated to lose even

one solider under his command. He let the beauty of the vista before him

soothe his frustration and regret for a few moments.

Arutha still resembled the youthful man who had come to the throne of

Krondor ten years before, though lines around his eyes and a small

scattering of gray through his otherwise black I hair revealed the toll

rulership had taken on him. For those who knew him well, he was still

much the same man, a competent administrator, military genius, and

fiercely duty-bound man who would surrender his own life without

question to save the lowest soldier under his command.

His gaze went from wagon to wagon, as if somehow willing himself to see

the wounded men inside, as if he could communicate to them his sense of

gratitude for a job well done. Those closest to Arutha knew he paid a

silent price, pain kept within, for each injury done a man who served

Krondor and the Kingdom.

Arutha pushed aside his regrets and considered the victory. The enemy

had been in full retreat for two days, a relatively small force of dark

elves. A much larger force had been prevented from reaching the Dimwood

when a rift machine had been destroyed by Arutha s two squires, James

and Locklear. It had cost the life of a magician named Patrus, but his

sacrifice had allowed the invaders to fall prey to their own internal

conflicts. Delekhan, the would-be conqueror, had died beside Gorath, a

moredhel chieftain who had proven as honorable and worthy a being as

Arutha had ever met, while they struggled to seize control of the

Lifestone. Arutha cursed the existence of that mysterious and ancient

artifact under the abandoned city of Sethanon, and wondered if its

mystery would ever be understood, its danger removed, in his lifetime.

Delekhan's son Moraeulf had died from a dagger thrust home by Narab,

once an ally of Delekhan. As agreed to by Narab, the retreating moredhel

weren't being harassed by Kingdom forces as long as they were heading

straight north. Orders had been dispatched to allow the moredhel safe

passage home as long as they kept moving.

2 The Kingdom forces in the Dimwood were now dispersing to their various

garrisons, the majority returning to the west, and some heading back

north to the border baronies. They would start moving later in the

morning. The previously secret garrison north of Sethanon would be moved

to another location and reprovisioned.

Sunlight began to bathe Arutha as the morning mist burned off, leaving

only the smoke and dust to cloud the air. The day was already growing

hot, and the cold of the previous winter was fading from memory. Arutha

kept his distress deep inside as he considered the latest assault upon

the tranquillity of his Kingdom.

Arutha had taken the Tsurani magicians at face value after the end of

the Riftwar. For nearly ten years they had been free to come and go

between worlds, via several magic rifts. And now he felt a profound

sense of betrayal. He fully understood the rationale that had driven

Makala, a Tsurani Great One, to attempt to seize the Lifestone at

Sethanon, the belief that the Kingdom possessed a great weapon of

destruction, some engine of power that would give predominance in war to

whoever held it. Had he been in Makala s place, with the same

suspicions, he might have acted in the same way. But even so, he could

not trust the Tsurani to be loose in the Kingdom, and that meant an end

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to almost a decade of trade and exchange. Arutha pushed aside worry as

to how he would effect the changes he must make, but he knew that

eventually he would have to sit down with his advisors and fashion a

plan that would ensure future security for the Kingdom. And he knew

almost no one would be pleased at the changes he would make.

Arutha glanced to his right and saw two very fatigued young men sitting

astride their horses. He permitted himself one of

3 his infrequent smiles, a bare upturning of the sides of his mouth,

which served to soften the often somber expression on his still-youthful

face. "Tired, gentlemen? " he asked.

James, senior squire to the Prince, returned his ruler s gaze from eyes

surrounded by dark circles. James, and his companion Squire Locklear,

had ridden a punishing ride, abetted by magic herbs which had kept them

awake and alert for days in the saddle. The after-effects of the

prolonged use of the draught was to unleash all the pent-up fatigue and

body-ache on the young men at once. Both had slept through the night,

upon cushions in Arutha s tent, but had awakened tired and bone-weary.

Summoning up his usual brazen wit, James said, "No, sire, we always look

like this when we wake. Usually you don t see us until after our morning

coffee. " Arutha laughed. "I see none of your charms have faded, squire.

" A short man with dark hair and beard walked over to where the Prince

and his companions sat astride their horses.

"Good morning, Highness, " said Pug, as he bowed.

Arutha returned a polite nod and said, "Pug, do you return to Krondor

with us? " Pug s expression revealed concern. "Not straight away,

Highness. There are matters I must investigate at Stardock. The

activities of the Tsurani Great Ones involved with this last attempt at

Sethanon cause me great concern. I need to ensure that they were the

only magicians involved, and that those who still reside at my Academy

are free of any guilt. " Arutha looked at the retreating wagons again as

he said, "We do need to talk about the role played by the Tsurani in

your Academy, Pug. But not here. "

4 Pug nodded agreement. Even though everyone within earshot was privy to

the secret of the Lifestone which sat beneath the city of Sethanon, it

was wise to talk only in private. And Pug also knew that Arutha had

grave concerns about the betrayal by the Tsurani magician Makala which

had led to this last battle between the Prince s army and an invading

army of moredhel warriors. He expected that Arutha would insist on far

more stringent controls over who and what came through the rift the

magic gateway between Midkemia and the Tsurani homeworld of Kelewan.

"We will, Highness. First, I must see to the safety of Katala and

Gamina. "

"I understand your concerns, " said the Prince. Pug s daughter Gamina

had been abducted and transported by magic to a distant world in order

to lure him away from Midkemia while the Tsurani magician attempted to

seize the Lifestone.

Pug said, "I must make sure that I am never again made vulnerable

because of a family member. " He looked knowingly at the Prince. "There

s nothing I can do about William, but I can ensure that Gamina and

Katala are safe at Stardock. "

"William is a soldier, so by the nature of his craft he is at risk. "

Then Arutha smiled at Pug. "But he s as safe as a soldier can be,

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