WAY OF THE WING, The: a general term sometimes used to describe the lifestyle of the Icarii.
WESTERN MOUNTAINS: the central Acharite mountain range that stretches west from the River Nordra to the Andeis Sea.
WIDEWALL BAY: a large bay that lies between Achar and Coroleas. Its calm waters provide excellent fishing.
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 and occasionally Achar.
WILDDOG PLAINS, The: a plain that stretches from northern Ichtar to the River Nordra and is 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.
WOLFSTAR: the ninth and most powerful of the Enchanter-Talons buried in the Ancient Barrows. He was assassinated early in his reign.
WORSHIP HALL: the large hall built in each village where the villagers go each seventh day to listen to the Service of the Plough. It is also used for weddings, funerals and the consecration of newborn infants to the Way of the Plough. It is usually the most well-built building in each village.
WRAITHS: see Skraelings.
YR: sometime palace cat in Carlon.
YSBADD: capital city of Nor.
YSGRYFF, Baron: lord of Nor, and a somewhat wild and unpredictable man like all those of his province.
YULETIDE: see “Festivals”.
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. She left University to start her own business in 2000.
Sara is the author of 11 novels, three of which have won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel, most recently in 2001 for The Wounded Hawk.
Sara lives in Bendigo, Victoria.
Visit Sara’s website at: www.saradouglass.com
For all the latest science fiction news visit ‘Voyager Online’: www.voyageronline.com.au—the website for lovers of science fiction and fantasy.
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Books by Sara Douglass
The Axis Trilogy
Battleaxe (Book One)
Enchanter (Book Two)
Starman (Book Three)
Threshold
The Wayfarer Redemption
Sinner (Book One)
Pilgrim (Book Two)
Crusader (Book Three)
Beyond the Hanging Wall
The Crucible
The Nameless Day (Book One)
The Wounded Hawk (Book Two)
The Crippled Angel (Book Three)
The Troy Game
Hades’ Daughter (Book One)
Copyright
Voyager
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia
First published in Australia in 1995
This edition published in 2010
by HarperCollinsPublishers Pty Limited
ABN 36 009 913 517
www.harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Sara Douglass Enterprises Pty Ltd, 1995
The right of Sara Douglass to be identified as the moral rights author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 (Cth).
This book is copyright.
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be addressed to the publishers.
HarperCollinsPublishers
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10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022, USA
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Douglass, Sara.
Battleaxe.
ISBN 0 7322 5865 0. (pbk.)
ISBN: 978-0-730-49201-6 (ePub)
I.Title. II.Title: Battleaxe. (Series: Douglass, Sara. The Axis Trilogy.)
A823.3
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
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Canada
HarperCollins Canada
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New Zealand
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United Kingdom
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http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
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Prologue
7IN THE BROTHER-LEADER’S PALACE APARTMENT
53DEPARTURES
Books by Sara Douglass
Cover Page
Epigraph
Maps
The Prophecy of the Destroyer
1 THE TOWER OF THE SENESCHAL
2 AT KING PRIAM’S COURT
3 THE LADY OF TARE
4 AT THE FOOT OF THE FORTRESS RANGES
5 IN THE PALACE OF THE KING
6 IN THE KING’S PRIVY CHAMBER
7 IN THE BROTHER-LEADER’S PALACE APARTMENT
8 FARADAY’S BETROTHAL
9 LEAVETAKINGS AT DAWN
10 ACROSS THE PLAINS OF TARE
11 UNLOCKED DOORS
12 AT THE EDGE OF THE SILENT WOMAN WOODS
13 THE CAULDRON LAKE
14 INSIDE THE SILENT WOMAN KEEP
15 SILENT WOMAN NIGHT
16 TWO WHITE DONKEYS
17 THE ANCIENT BARROWS
18 THE SENTINELS SPEAK
19 A CLOUDY DAY
20 THE STORM
21 INSIDE THE ENCHANTER-TALON’S TOMB
22 EVENING BY THE BARROWS
23 THE STAR GATE
24 ACROSS THE PLAINS OF ARCNESS
25 THE GOODPEOPLE RENKIN
26 “BELLE MY WIFE!”
27 TOWARDS FERNBRAKE LAKE
28 FERNBRAKE LAKE
29 THE BANE AND THE CHILD
30 THE MOTHER
31 SMYRTON
32 THE PRISONERS
33 THE FORBIDDEN VALLEY
34 GHOSTTREE CLAN
35 STARMAN
36 THE GHOSTTREE CAMP
38 SIGHOLT
39 RIVKAH AWAKES
40 GORKENFORT
41 THE DUCHESS OF ICHTAR
42 RE-ACQUAINTANCES
43 THE SKRAEBOLD SPEAKS
44 VOWS AND MEMORIES
45 THE GROVES
46 IN THE HAND OF ARTOR
47 IN THE HANDS OF THE MOTHER
48 YULETIDE MORNING
49 YULETIDE
50 THE STREETS OF GORKENTOWN
51 THE LAKE OF LIFE
52 THE EARTH TREE GROVE
53 DEPARTURES
&
nbsp; 54 THE CHARONITES
55 THE ASSEMBLY OF THE ICARII
56 FREEFALL SUNSOAR
57 ESCAPE FROM GORKENFORT
58 BATTLEAXE
Glossary
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
1THE TOWER OF THE SENESCHAL
2AT KING PRIAM’S COURT
3THE LADY OF TARE
4AT THE FOOT OF THE FORTRESS RANGES
5IN THE PALACE OF THE KING
6IN THE KING’S PRIVY CHAMBER
8FARADAY’S BETROTHAL
9LEAVETAKINGS AT DAWN
10ACROSS THE PLAINS OF TARE
11UNLOCKED DOORS
12AT THE EDGE OF THE SILENT WOMAN WOODS
13THE CAULDRON LAKE
14INSIDE THE SILENT WOMAN KEEP
15SILENT WOMAN NIGHT