WIDOWMAKER SEA: vast ocean to the east of Achar. From the unknown islands and lands across the Widowmaker Sea come the sea raiders that harass Coroleas.
WILDDOG PLAINS, The: plains that stretch from northern Ichtar to the River Nordra and bounded by the Fortress Ranges and the Urqhart Hills. Named after the packs of roving dogs that inhabit the area.
WING: the smallest unit in the Icarii Strike Force consisting of twelve Icarii (male and female).
WING-LEADER: the commander of an Icarii Wing.
WINGRIDGE CURLCLAW: Captain of the Lake Guard.
WOLFSTAR SUNSOAR: the ninth and most powerful of the Enchanter-Talons. He was assassinated early in his reign, but came back through the Star Gate three thousand years ago. Father to Azhure.
WOLVEN, The: a bow that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar. DragonStar now carries the Wolven.
XANON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Xanon is the Goddess of the Firmament, wife to Adamon.
YLLGAINE, Prince: Prince of Nor, son of Ysgryff.
YR: one of the Sentinels.
YSBADD: capital city of Nor.
YULETIDE: see ‘Festivals’.
ZARED: son of Rivkah and Magariz, half brother to Axis, Zared is Prince of the North and newly- (and self-) crowned King of Achar. His first wife was Isabeau (sister of Herme), who died in a hunting accident, and Zared is now married to the Princess Leagh, sister of Askam.
ZEHERAH: one of the Sentinels.
ZENITH: youngest daughter of Axis and Azhure.
ZEST: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Zest is the Goddess of Earth.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost I must acknowledge my debt to my editor at HarperCollinsPublishers, Stephanie Smith. Both Pilgrim and Crusader have benefited enormously from her efforts.
I would also like to thank my agent, Lyn Tranter, for her aid over the past five years, but particularly for her courage in taking on an unknown author clutching a hopeful manuscript with the unpromising title of BattleAxe.
And where would the Infinite Field of Flowers have been without the marvellous support of the Blue Dandenongs Bulb Farm and Bulb Express? Already I am down at the garden gate, awaiting the next consignment of bulbs…
About the Author
Sara Douglass was born in Penola, South Australia and moved to Adelaide when she was seven. She spent her early working life as a nurse before completing three degrees at the University of Adelaide. After receiving a PhD in early modern English history, Sara worked as a Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at La Trobe University, Bendigo, until 2000.
Sara’s first novel, BattleAxe, was published in 1995 and she has been writing and publishing ever since. Three of her novels are winners of the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy.
Sara now lives in Hobart, Tasmania.
Visit Sara’s website at: www.saradouglass.com
Visit the Voyager website: www.voyageronline.com.au
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Books by Sara Douglass
Threshold
Beyond the Hanging Wall
THE AXIS TRILOGY
BattleAxe (1)
Enchanter (2)
StarMan (3)
THE WAYFARER REDEMPTION
Sinner (1)
Pilgrim (2)
Crusader (3)
THE CRUCIBLE
The Nameless Day (1)
The Wounded Hawk (2)
The Crippled Angel (3)
THE TROY GAME
Hades’ Daughter (1)
God’s Concubine (2)
Darkwitch Rising (3)
Druid’s Sword (4)
DARKGLASS MOUNTAIN
The Serpent Bride (1)
Copyright
HarperVoyager
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia
First published in Australia in 1999
This edition published in 2010
by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited
ABN 36 009 913 517
www.harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Sara Douglass 1999
The right of Sara Douglass to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
HarperCollinsPublishers
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Douglass, Sara.
Crusader.
ISBN 978 0 7322 6529 8 (pbk.).
ISBN 978-0-730-49197-2 (ePub).
I.Title. (Series: Douglass, Sara. Wayfarer redemption; bk.3.)
A823.3
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Table of Contents
PrologueAn Evil Released
Chapter 1The Wasteland
Chapter 2The Detritus of an Epic
Chapter 3A Son Lost, A Friend Gained
Chapter 4WolfStar
Chapter 5Of Sundry Enemies
Chapter 6The Enchanted Song Book
Chapter 7A Wander Through, and Into, Sanctuary
Chapter 8The Ploughed Field
Chapter 9Of Predestination and Confrontation
Chapter 10A Busy Day in Spiredore
Chapter 11StarLaughter
Chapter 12The Key to Sanctuary
Chapter 13Hidden Conversations
Chapter 14Envy
Chapter 15The Secrets of the Book
Chapter 16Fischer
Chapter 17Escape from Sanctuary
Chapter 18The Joy of the Hunt
Chapter 19The Apple
Chapter 20Qeteb’s Mansion of Dreams
Chapter 21Legal Niceties
Chapter 22The Sacred Groves
Chapter 23Niah Reborn
Chapter 24Zenith
Chapter 25Into the Sacred Groves
Chapter 26A Gloomy and Pain-Raddled Night
Chapter 27Axis Resumes a Purpose
Chapter 28Destruction
Chapter 29Family Relations
Chapter 30The Unexpected Heavens
Chapter 31StarLaughter’s Astonishing Turnabout
Chapter 32Revival
Chapter 33Urbeth’s Plan
Chapter 34WolfStar Feels Better
Chapter 35Dispersal
Chapter 36Pretty Brown Sal
Chapter 37Settling In
&nb
sp; Chapter 38Sanctuary No More
Chapter 39Night: I
Chapter 40Night: II
Chapter 41The Avenue
Chapter 42Of Commitment
Chapter 43StarLaughter’s Quest
Chapter 44The Heart Incarnate
Chapter 45Trouble
Chapter 46South
Chapter 47The Door
Chapter 48Gwendylyr’s Problem
Chapter 49The Butler’s Rule
Chapter 50The Memories of the Enemy
Chapter 51Sliding South
Chapter 52A Marital Reunion
Chapter 53Sigholt
Chapter 54A Troubled Night’s Dreaming
Chapter 55A Tastier Revenge Than Ever Imagined
Chapter 56StarLaughter’s Awful Mistake
Chapter 57South, Ever South
Chapter 58Sweetly, Innocently, Happily…
Chapter 59Midwiving Deity
Chapter 60The General’s Instructions
Chapter 61For the Love of a Bear Cub
Chapter 62Katie, Katie, Katie…
Chapter 63Hunting Through the Landscape
Chapter 64The Most Appalling Choice of All
Chapter 65Abandoned
Chapter 66Choose, DragonStar!
Chapter 67Bring Me My Bow of Burning Gold…
Chapter 68Twisted City
Chapter 69Light and Love
Chapter 70The Witness
Chapter 71The Waiting
Chapter 72The Tree
Chapter 73The Garden
Books by Sara Douglass