Renown of the Raithlin: Book One of the Raithlindrath Series (26 page)

Conhain made a sign, and men with carnyx horns stood
forth. They who bore them were tall, and the bronze horns matched them foot for
foot. The warriors held them high, the mouths of the horns twelve feet above
ground, and voiced their unearthly moan that sounded like an otherworldly
beast.

The Camar believe the horns invoke supernatural aid,
and having heard them rend the air before a battle, I know why. Whether Conhain
believed it himself, or merely used them for effect on the superstitious elugs,
I do not know. Nevertheless, the elug host faltered until their own war drums
quickened, and then there was a sudden tumult.

As the enemy approached, Conhain undid the square
cloth from his head. It was soaked red with his blood but he held it high.

For a moment he glanced at me, and above the din of
horn and drum he spoke.

“Nothing lasts forever, Aranloth. Not men, or chiefs
. . . nor even cities.”

He turned to the elugs again and suddenly jerked his
arm down. Even now I can see the droplets of his lifeblood splash to the
ground.

“Charge!” he yelled.

The Camar warriors moved forward, and the two forces
met with a horrendous clash. It was a great battle, but this is a testimony of
the founding of Esgallien and the man who made it happen, not a record of the
fight. It is enough to say that the Camar prevailed.

I do not know when Conhain died, for I did not see
it. There are stories that he slew twenty men. Others say that his warhorse
killed many by hoof and tooth. For myself, I doubt he lived more than moments
after he signaled the charge with what was afterwards called the Red Cloth of
Victory.

Thus was Esgallien founded. In the end it was a good
thing, for long will the city help to protect the north, yet even as I write on
my return to Lòrenta, after some ten years of advising his son, I still feel
Conhain’s blood on my hands.

Many
races dwell in Alithoras. All have their own language, and though sometimes
related to one another, the changes sparked by migration, isolation and various
influences often render these tongues unintelligible to each other.

The
ascendancy of Halathrin culture, combined with their widespread efforts to
secure and maintain allies against elug incursions, has made their language the
primary means of communication between diverse peoples.

For
instance, a soldier of Esgallien addressing a ship’s captain from Camarelon
would speak Halathrin, or a simplified version of it, even though their native
speeches stem from the same ancestral language.

This
glossary contains a range of names and terms. Many are of Halathrin origin, and
their meaning is provided. The remainder derive from native tongues and are
obscure, so meanings are only given intermittently.

Some
variation exists within the Halathrin language, chiefly between the regions of
Halathar and Alonin. The most obvious example is the latter’s preference for a
“dh” spelling instead of “th”.

Often,
Camar names and Halathrin elements are combined. This is especially so for the
aristocracy. No other tribes had such long-term friendship with the Halathrin,
and though in this relationship they lost some of their natural culture, they
gained nobility and knowledge in return.

List
of abbreviations:

Azn.
Azan

Cam.
Camar

Chg.
Cheng

Comb.
Combined

Cor.
Corrupted form

Duth.
Duthenor

Esg.
Esgallien

Hal.
Halathrin

Prn.
Pronounced

Alar:
Azn.
A strain of
horses raised in the southern deserts of Alithoras. Bred for endurance, but
capable of bursts of speed. Most valued possession of the Azan people, who
measure wealth and status by their number. In their culture, where a person on
foot is likely to die between water sources, horse-theft is punished by torture
and death.

Alithoras:
Hal.
“Silver land.” The Halathrin name for the continent
they settled after the exodus. Refers to the extensive river and lake systems
they found and their appreciation of the beauty of the land.

Alonin:
Hal.
“White gathering.” Large forest in eastern Alithoras.
Once contained a fortress city of the Halathrin, now destroyed by war. The name
refers to an abundant variety of deciduous tree that bears white flowers.

Alonùradth:
Hal.
“White lady.” A Halathrin noble killed during the
elug sacking of Alonin.

Anast
Dennath:
Hal
.
“Stone
mountains.” Mountain range in northern Alithoras. Contiguous with Auren Dennath
and location of the Dweorhrealm.

Angle:
The
land hemmed in by the
Carist Nien and Erenian rivers, especially the area in proximity to their
divergence.

Aranloth:
Hal.
“Noble might.” A lòhren.

Aratar:
Cor. Hal.
“Ara(n)tar(an)
–
noble father.” A lòhren.

Arawdan:
Esg.
A Raithlin. Brother to Arawnus.

Arawnus:
Esg.
A Raithlin. Brother to Arawdan.

Arn:
See Letharn.

Assurah:
Azn.
A renowned sword-smith of ancient Azanbulzibar,
capital city of the Azan people. He was also adept at elùgai, and his work was
sought by the rich and powerful of many nations.

Auren
Dennath:
Comb. Duth.
and
Hal. Prn.
Our-ren dennath. “Blue mountains.” Mountain range in northern Alithoras. Contiguous with Anast Dennath. Home
of the Duthenor, a tribe of people related to the Camar.

Aurochs:
The wild forebear of domesticated
cattle. They are larger and more aggressive than their tamed descendants and
prefer to graze and forage in swamps and wet forests. The “s” at the end of
their name is both singular and plural.

Azan:
Azn.
Desert dwelling people. Their nobility often serve as
leaders of elug armies. They are a prideful race, often haughty and
domineering, but they also adhere to a strict code of honor.

Balmur:
Cam.
A clan-chief of the Camar during the
migration from Halathar to Esgallien.

Bakert:
Esg.
A hound of the otherworld.

Balert:
Esg.
A hound of the otherworld.

Bikar:
Esg.
A hound of the otherworld.

Bilar:
Esg.
A hound of the otherworld.

Caladhrist:
Hal. Prn.
Kal-ath-rist. “Gold gorge.” A valley north of
Esgallien. Rich in gold and the source of much of the city’s wealth subsequent
to the depletion of closer alluvial deposits. Many others mined the valley
through the history of Alithoras. A dangerous place and believed by many to be
haunted.

Camar:
Cam
.
Prn.
Kay-mar.
A race of interrelated tribes that
migrated in two main stages. The first brought them to the vicinity of
Halathar; in the second, they separated and establish cities along a broad
sweep of eastern Alithoras.

Camarelon:
Cam. Prn.
Kam-arelon.
A port city and
capital of
a Camar tribe. It was founded after Esgallien as the waves of migrating people
settled the more southerly lands first. Each new migration tended northward. It
is perhaps the most representative of a traditional Camar realm, while
Esgallien is the most influenced by Halathrin culture.

Carandùr:
Hal
.
“Red
blade.”
A Halathrin noble famous for victorious battles against the
elugs. Wounded near to death in the attempt to save his wife, Alonùradth,
during the sacking of Alonin.

Carangar:
Hal.
“Red Star.” A lòhren.

Cardoroth:
Cor. Hal. Comb. Cam.
A Camar city, often
called Red Cardoroth. Some say this alludes to the red granite commonly used in
the construction of its buildings, others that it refers to a prophecy of
destruction.

Carèthlath:
Hal. Prn.
Kareth-lath. “Great joy.” A student in Lòrenta.

Careth
Nien:
Hal. Prn.
Kareth nyen. “Great River.” Largest river in
Alithoras. Has its source in the mountains of Anast Dennath and runs southeast
across the land before emptying into the sea. It was over this river (which
sometimes freezes along its northern length) that the Camar, Duthenor and other
tribes migrated into the eastern lands.

Careth
Tar:
Cor.
Hal.
“Careth Tar(an) – Great Father.” Title of respect for
the leader of the lòhrens.

Carist
Nien:
Hal.
“Ice
River.”   A river of northern Alithoras that has its source in the hills of
Lòrenta.

Carnyx:
The sacred horn of Conhain’s people and related
tribes. An instrument of brass, man high with a mouth fashioned in the likeness
of a fierce animal, often a boar or bear. Winded in battle and designed to
intimidate the foe with its otherworldly sound. Some believe it invokes
supernatural aid.

Carnona:
Cam.
The Guardian of Enorìen. A creature of
ùhrengai who has remained in her birthing lands.

Cheng:
Chg.
“Warrior.” The overall name of the various related
tribes united by Chen Fei. It was a word for warrior in his dialect, later
adopted for his growing army and last of all for the people of his nation. His
empire disintegrated after his death, but much of the culture he
fostered
endured.

Clear
like water, cold like ice:
A mnemonic
saying of the Raithlin. The perfect state of mind during a crisis.
Emotions, pain or discomfort are momentarily ignored in order to facilitate
rapid and logical thought processes.

Condred:
Esg.
A king of Esgallien.

Conhain:
Comb. Esg & Hal.
First element unknown,
second “hero.” Accounted the first king of Esgallien.

Conmur:
Esg.
A king of
Esgallien.

Conrik:
Esg.
A former
Raithlin and uncle of Lanrik.

Danhain:
Comb. Esg. & Hal.
First element unknown,
second “hero.” A grandson of Conhain.

Drùgluck:
A pattern of three slanted lines, going from right to
left and each one longer than the previous. Used by elugs as a warning to stay
away from a place because it is a sacred area that serves as a gateway between
the spirit and normal worlds. Such areas are used in ceremonies and invocations
for help or retribution against enemies. It is believed that at certain cycles
of the moon and seasons the barriers that separate the worlds are weakened and
the gateway opens. Also marks a place where the effects of elùgai linger or
where there is some unspecified but lethal danger. Often it signifies all three
at once.

Dweorh:
A race of people who establish
underground homes within mountain ranges. They possess tremendous strength and
are the finest workers of stone in Alithoras. They have a reputation of being
fierce to foes and true to friends. They are fond of cider, feasting and humor.
A complex people of which few in Alithoras have learnt much because of their
tendency toward secrecy. However, their ancient feud with the Lethrin is
famous.

Ebona:
Cam.
A witch. A being of ùhrengai who has long
since left her birthing lands.

Elendhrot:
Hal. Prn.
Elen-throt. “Treasure tuber.” A bush type plant with
a tuber that contains pain-reducing substances, though too much will kill. The
tuber has a purplish skin and slightly bitter pith. Its use was discovered by
the Halathrin, but it was deliberately planted by Raithlin near areas they
frequent. They similarly spread other medicinal plants.

Elùgai:
Hal. Prn.
Eloo-guy. “Shadowed force.” The sorcery of an
elùgroth.

Elùgroth:
Hal. Prn.
Eloo-groth. “Shadowed horror.” A sorcerer.

Elugs:
Hal.
“That which creeps in shadows.” A cruel and
superstitious race that inhabits the southern lands, especially the Graèglin
Dennath.

Elù-Randùr:
Hal.
“Blade of the Shadow.” An elùgroth
leader. Formerly a lòhren.

Enorìen:
Cam.
The Eastern
Hills. A land where ùhrengai runs strong. Protected by the Guardian Carnona.

Erenian
River
:
A river in northern Alithoras. Some say its name
derives from a corruption of the Halathrin word “nien,” meaning river. Others
dispute this and postulate the word derives from a pre-exodus name adopted by
the Camar tribes after they settled the east of Alithoras.

Erlissa:
Esg.
A young
woman of Esgallien. Also known as the Seeker.

Esgallien:
Hal. Prn.
Ez-gally-en. A city established by King Conhain.
Named after the nearby ford.

Esgallien
Ford:
Hal.
“Es – rushing
water, gal(en) – green, lien – to cross: place of the crossing onto the green
plains.” A ford of the Careth Nien.

Exodus:
The arrival of the Halathrin into
Alithoras from an outside land. They came by ship and beached north of Anast
Dennath.

Faladir:
A city founded by a Camar tribe.

Foresight:
Premonition of the future. Can occur
at random as a single image or as a longer sequence of events. Can also be
deliberately sought by entering
the
realm between life and death
where the spirit is released from the body to travel through space and time. To
achieve this, the body must be brought to the very threshold of death. The
first method is uncontrollable and rare. The second exceedingly rare but
controllable for those with the skill and willingness to endure the danger.