Raven's Gift

In this last chapter, we tie up some loose ends. Raven takes Amia to meet Mari and Myrn, and to see the lair of the Wyrm that she killed. We learn about Ghanatos's preoccupation with Ryantha. Raven and Amia glimpse Fermus. But how can Fermus be alive?

Amia leads Raven to the only person who can possibly save Castia: Orkandus. Together, they fly back to the cavern. Will they be in time?

The three evil wizards are dead, and all their creations have vanished. That leaves Raven and Castia in a giant cavern with ... nothing. How will they survive long enough to get out? Well, they're not alone (see chapter 21); there's another wizard firing lighting bolts at them. Kill or be killed? Or make friends? Raven and Castia face difficult decisions while trying to get back to the rocky, barren waste outside.

Aided by her Unlocker, Raven falls into Blehhm's enchanted caverns. She explores them, finding out where the Warriors and their flyers come from. A lucky stroke brings Daniel into the caverns as well, and they continue to explore together. But where is Blehhm?

Raven, Orvannon and the brave volunteers set out to kill Blehhm. Raven leads them into the cavern to attack the wizard. After the battle, she makes a painful retreat to Shelton, where she finds hardly anyone willing to aid her against the evil wizards and their Warriors.

Raven and Daniel hitch a ride on a flyer. Raven makes a difficult escape, but what happens to Daniel? We'll hear how Orvannon wants to attack Blehhm.

Raven and Daniel's relationship becomes much closer, while they continue to explore the magical caverns. They discover the very special “junk room”, and the source of the evil Warrior magic. But how are they to get out of the caverns and return to Shelton?

Aided by her Unlocker, Raven falls into Blehhm's enchanted caverns. She explores them, finding out where the Warriors and their flyers come from. A lucky stroke brings Daniel into the caverns as well, and they continue to explore together. But where is Blehhm?

Amia tempts one of her uncles, but he refuses her. Raven follows Orvannon, wondering why he needs her to join him as he searches for the evil wizard Blehhm. They reach the rocky wastes where, according to Orkandus, Blehhm lives underground. Orvannon fears they are being followed. While he examines suspicious footprints, Raven disappears.

Orvannon, Orkandus and our other key players meet to decide how to battle the Warriors. Orkandus gives a field report on the enemy, and reveals that the Warriors are the creation of One-armed Blehhm. They plan a confrontation, aided by Orkandus's unspecified magic. The battle goes more or less as hoped, although Orvannon's bomb is a dud. Orkandus pays a great price for disrupting Blehhm's magic, and an old friend turns up. While the citizens of Shelton celebrate with a great bonfire, Orvannon and Raven quietly slip away.

Raven, Castia and Normian ask the Wizard Orkandus to come to Shelton's aid by attacking the Warriors. Orkandus is furious; he cannot kill innocent people! Raven persuades Orkandus that the Warriors are not people, so he can spell against them. As she frames her intricate argument, she earns Normian and Castia's enmity. The Willems enables Orkandus to pinpoint his foe, and he tells the companions that he will be up against a mightier wizard. But he agrees to help them and restores Raven's friends to friendship with her. The wizard gives each of the three a blessing, and sends them back to Captain Fenger. As they travel, Normian spies a falcon accompanying them on their return.

The full group meets with Orvannon. Raven also sees him in private and brings him up to date on her travels and discoveries. Orvannon arranges to make a primitive gunpowder bomb. Raven, Normian and Castia try to visit Orkandus, the shape-changer and illusionist who does not wish to be disturbed. They brave great challenges to win an opportunity to wash awful odors off their bodies in the wizard's cellar.

Raven and her group kill more Warriors. They report Raven's skill at sensing them to Trixmurs, so she puts them on the dangerous Western wing. They go out with reinforcements, and at last they will find out what the Warriors are really doing.

Raven finds Normian, Castia and Daniel in the Southern Detail. She tells her friends what she has been doing, lying carefully to conceal the black powder she carries, and her special sense of smell. They tell her that they protect Shelton from Warriors, monstrous men who fight to the death. On her first field sortie, she's horribly surprised by the sight and smell of her first Warrior, and her friends begin to suspect that she has a unique ability to find more of them.

Raven enters the great city of Shelton. She finds a place to stay. She pays an adventurous visit to Gondia Alley, where she hopes to buy a knife. And she discovers the truth about "finger or Fenger". This is the last chapter of Part Two, which is called 'Wrong.' Somehow, Raven winds up in Shelton's army.

Mari nurses Raven back to health. But she also asks Raven hard questions about the life she lives. Mari and Raven experiment with the Willems. Raven gets strong again, and at last she's ready to enter the great city, Shelton.

Raven discovers how Myrn has been punished. Myrn gives Raven more advice about her Willems, and reveals Orvannon's secret. Raven almost reaches Shelton, but has a dispute with an ash tree.

Chattering about Ausland and Jomes, the four companions decide to go north. They wish to warn a man named Lanndys that Jomes wants to steal something from him. But they arrive too late, and crazy Lanndys gives them a very hard time, turning Raven's friends over to soldiers, and imprisoning Raven to further his own ends. Raven makes an excellent escape, but now: she's on her own.

Raven comes upon Daniel at Corpoth. He joins her on the way to Shelton. They meet up with Normian and Castia, and encounter more soldiers looking for the boot Raven stole. She tries to lie her way out of a tight spot, and Daniel comes to her rescue.

Raven persuades Callum not to become a murderer. Or does she? She takes something from a corpse that makes her a pursued woman. And she meets 'Fermus', the bizarre creature that helps her to escape.

Orvannon congratulates Raven for killing Wyrm. Gretel almost kills Raven, but once again, her Willems come to the rescue. Unfortunately, Gretel does destroy Orvannon's orders to Raven. What's Raven to do? And she has to do something about little Trudie. And her adventures are just beginning. This is the last chapter of Part One, which is called: Wyrm.

Castia and Normian say goodbye and leave Walthorn. Using her new artifact, the magic Willems, Raven finds a way to confront Wyrm. Afterwards, exhausted, she sends Orvannon a message about what she's done.

Raven returns to Walthorn. Derk blocks her way, but Dunjle rescues her. Castia's special friend Normian, the archer, is now staying at Walthorn, and Raven spends a night with them. She tries out her unlocker, and it works. And Jomes tempts Raven with the free-knife, a throwing knife that is deadly accurate.

Raven rescues Myrn. Raven gets the strange magical artifact that Myrn recommended, but she has no idea how to kill wyrm with it. Orvannon tracks Raven down, and they have hard words about Raven's choice.

Raven goes to Gardia, seeking some magic to help her defeat the dragony Wyrm. Her docent at the museum will be young Myrn, who seems inexperienced but has remarkable knowledge of the museum. Myrn suggests a bizarre piece of nose-magic to Raven. Could this artifact possibly help her?

Raven fights a pig and loses, but wins, by saving Gretel and her young charge Trudie. Raven meets Ned and learns a great lesson about life, and about counting silver. Raven studies Wyrm, having no idea how to kill it. She decides she needs to go to Gardia Museum, to find a magical artifact that will help her.

Raven arranges to stay at Walthorn for awhile. She meets Gretel again, and also Gretel's nasty associates. Raven and Castia -- her new magical Zhouraini friend -- get even with Derk.

Raven tells Orvannon how she performed her last job for him. Then: "Kill the Wyrm," he says. Raven moves to Walthorn to work on her new task. On the way, she finds the corpse of a murdered woman. She also visits an 'Honester', where we learn about the religion of northern Ausland.

Raven comes to Redthwen to find her mentor, Orvannon. She meets the hag Gretel and dangerous Garfie. This chapter includes a rape, a murder, and Raven's first encounter with the monster dragon she calls 'Wyrm'.