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Into the West

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Into the West is volume two of The Founding of Valdemar series.

Publisher's Description[]

Baron Valdemar and his people have found a temporary haven, but it cannot hold all of them, or for long. Trouble could follow on their heels at any moment, and there are too many people for Crescent Lake to support. Those who are willing to make a further trek by barge on into the West will follow him into a wilderness depopulated by war and scarred by the terrible magics of a thousand years ago and the Mage Wars. But the wilderness is not as "empty" as it seems. There are potential friends and rapacious foes....

....and someone is watching them.

Characters[]

Main characters[]

Minor characters[]

  • Akayla - King stag of k'Vesla dyheli
  • Alberdina Endicrag - Healer
  • Angia - plant mage with a secret Gift
  • Lord Ashbern - the only nobleman on Kordas' Council
  • Bart - former Imperial soldier, Briada's cousin
  • Bret - former Imperial soldier, Briada's cousin
  • Beltran - Kordas' Herald and secretary
  • Briada Fairweather - former Imperial sergeant
  • Dolls: Amethyst, Dern, Ivy
  • Endars - experienced Mage, language spells, Landwise
  • Hakkon Indal
  • Hale Lorant - one of the mayors
  • Harkin - one of the mayors
  • Lord Hayworth - former Baronet
  • Ivar Endicrag - explorer
  • Mender - young Mage who repairs Dolls
  • Petrof - elderly guard
  • Lord Portrain
  • Stafngrimr (Grim) - Kordas' stablemaster
  • Venidel - Sai's apprentice, animal expert, invented straying prevention charms
  • Wymat Rai
  • Restil - eldest son of Kordas and Isla
  • Hakkon - middle son of Kordas and Isla
  • Jon - youngest son of Kordas and Isla
  • Sydney-You-Asshole - Jonaton's cat

Referenced characters[]

  • Bay - Ivar's dog, a mastiff
  • Dolls: Cobweb, Dagger, Panacea, Pansy, Peridot, Trout
  • Donat Benin - abusive criminal
  • Emperor
  • Empress - Squire Lesley's gigantic prize pig
  • High King - ruler (during the Cataclysm) where the Eastern Empire eventually began
  • Horses: Arial, Buttercup, Dasha, Manta, Tight Squeeze, Skydancer, Sunshine
  • Squire Lesley
  • Kiyamvir Ma'ar
  • Meriposa - kind Lady of the Empire
  • Duke Merrin
  • Kordas' grandfather (Werther)
  • Kordas' father (Erik)
  • First Duke of Valdemar (Lerren)
  • Pelias - apprentice Mage
  • Sol Adrescu - former Imperial lieutenant, organizes Page Army
  • Siman - Mage
  • Timon - Mage

Places[]

Referenced places[]

  • Belkenny - town in the Duchy of Penrake
  • Briarglen - town in the Duchy of Valdemar
  • Duchy of Penrake - adjoins Duchy of Valdemar
  • Duchy of Valdemar, Eastern Empire
  • Eastern Empire
  • Imperial City aka Capital
  • Imperial Palace
  • Temple of Diony the Tale-Weaver

Terminology[]

Summary (Warning! SPOILERS!)[]

(Under construction) Due to the confusion in the Empire and decreased likelihood of reprisals, about two-thirds of the refugees from the Duchy of Valdemar elect to go back to the new Duke, Merrin. That leaves fifteen thousand people with Kordas.

The Plan did not consider that they might arrive in a populated area, but they did. Crescent Lake can't support so many people, so they must move on and find a permanent home. An advance party is sent ahead of the convoy to scout the river, look for a suitable site, and set up a Gate for a bypass as needed. Kordas sends Delia along with them, hoping that activity will help her get over her crush on him.

Delia finds that her skills and her Fetching Gift are useful to the party. The main convoy runs into angry locals, who later send for help when their village is attacked by mage-created "snake-dogs." Kordas and his men help the villagers fight off the pack; then he analyzes what happened and realizes the animals were feeding on magic.

The advance party is threatened by a strange bear-lizard, victim of a Changecircle, which Delia scares off by dumping water on its' head. Back at the convoy, arrogant Lord Hayworth is angry that they haven't just conquered and enslaved the local villagers rather than find their own site. Kordas stops him short by removing his household from the convoy and setting them across the river to build their own village. Only half of his thousand people choose to stay with him.

The main convoy is attacked by a flock of "terror birds" which they kill by throwing nets. They prove to be mage-created also, because of their six limbs: four legs plus wings.

After Gating past rapids, the river passes through a mysterious, bizarre forest which gives everyone the creeps. The trees seem to have mouths and have strangely twisted limbs. They realize it is actually one big entity, probably a victim of the old Mage Storms, and has had five hundred years to spread. They don't want to move the Gates because there is a strong ley-line here. The forest seems dormant, but it is somehow emanating rage. They decide to take extra precautions: no one is to leave the riverside, take nothing from the forest.

The scouting party reaches the other side, and recommends that convoy barge strings only pass through it during the day. The tow-beasts and herd animals are as anxious to get through the area as the humans.

Back at the convoy, a giant boar turns up. It's not mage-created, it just didn't stop growing. Beltran and Kordas kill it, but then some people want to go out and hunt for more, which Kordas forbids.

As the first barges pass through the forest, they can feel bumps and shudders against the bottom of the barge hulls. Days go by as barge strings pass through the forest. When his family's barge has crossed, he stays the night. Mage Angia asks him to come out to a hilltop, where she informs him that there are people in the convoy who hide their Gifts for fear of persecution or abuse/misuse. Every single Gifted person in the Empire has come. The Foreseers have been checking the likely outcomes of each decision Kordas has had to make, and then others (Empaths?) have manipulated his emotions so that the best option "feels" like the right one. He resents it, but she points out that he prayed for aid, and theirs is the aid he got. He resigns himself ... and then she makes him entirely forget the conversation.

Although the animals are wearing magical charms that keep them from straying, a pig has got his charm off and is trying to enter the forest. The tail barge of the last string of barges is too heavily loaded, and catches a piece of sunken barge. The vague "bumping" sound they have been hearing under the barges is explained as a huge monster erupts from the river. The stray pig runs into the forest, which grabs him and starts to eat him. Kordas quickly shoots the pig to end it. The enraged river monster goes after the forest, the forest goes after the monster, and the barges continue on their way. Angry, Kordas uses his own rage to strike both the monster and the river on fire. He realizes later that the river monster and forest had been in detente, until the barge and pig tipped the balance.

Ivar finds a place for them to spend the winter, but it will flood in the spring. The barges are pulled up, and they build a primitive meeting house. Suddenly a huge Gate opens nearby. The Tayledras clan k'Vesla has been watching the Valdemarans, and find them worthy. They have come to offer their old Vale to Valdemar's people.

Gallery of cover images[]

See also[]

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