The man opened a bloodshot and shrunken eye. “Just planned to take … king and the child …”
Vortigern pushed the blade against his skin. “And the child? Where’s his body?”
The man’s eye flitted back and forth.
“Tell me!”
“Alive … taken by …”
Bedwir gasped. Arthur was among the living?
Vortigern kicked the man. “Who? Who took him?”
“A boy. Garth … Garthwys … stole him from us … and ya … yar the —”
Roaring in anger, Vortigern drove his blade into the warrior’s throat, silencing him forever. He turned to his massed warriors. “Have you seen anything unusual? Anyone riding off?”
One of the warriors recruited from the village stepped forward. Rondroc by name, if Bedwir remembered. “Last night I was stationed at the camp and heard horses beyond the lake.”
Rewan thumped the man on the chest. “The horses were everywhere, blast you! It took hours to gather them.”
“But I saw people, and strange lights. I heard them riding off to the east. My father even told me that Merlin was there.”
Vortigern shoved him against one of the massive stones. “Is this truth?”
The young man nodded and was knocked to the ground for his answer.
Vortigern unclasped his horn and blew it loudly.
“Everyone get mounted! We’ll find those who took Arthur hostage — and then I’ll have my justice.”
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
The following helps are for British names, places, and terms and do not apply to Latin. If you find an easy way to pronounce a name, however, feel free to ignore the following. Your first goal is to enjoy the novel, not to become an expert in ancient languages.
Vowels
a short as in far, long as in late, but sometimes as in cat
e short as in bet, long as in pay, but sometimes as in key
i / y short as in tin, long as in bead, but sometimes as in pie
o short as in got, long as in foam
u short as in fun, long as in loom
Consonants — the same as English with a few exceptions:
c / k hard, as in crank, not like city
ch hard, as in Scottish loch, or sack, not like chat
f f as in fall, sometimes v as in vine
ff f as in offer
g hard as in get, not like George
gh soft as in sigh
r lightly trilled when found between two vowels
rh pronounced as hr, strong on the h sound
s as in sat, not with a z sound
GLOSSARY
Pronunciation Note: The goal is for you to enjoy reading Merlin’s Blade, and so, where possible, easier spellings have been chosen for many ancient words. For instance, the word gorseth would more properly be spelled gorsedd, with the “dd” pronounced similar to our “th.” This is also true of the decision, in some words, to use “k” instead of “c.” The goal is readability. A pronunciation suggestion has been provided for each word. Again, please relax about how you say the names. If you are a language purest, then indulge the author, knowing he is well aware of the depth, history, and complexities of the Brythonic and Goidelic languages represented here.
Also, since this spiral of Arthurian stories begins and ends in Cornwall, Cornish has been chosen as a basis for many of the names and places. Though Welsh, Irish, or Scots Gaelic could have each served for this purpose, Cornwall is the nexus of the story line.
Historical Note: Although many of the following explanations are based on history and legend, they are given to aid your understanding of Merlin’s Blade, and thus are fictional. If you feel inspired, you can research Roman, Celtic, and Arthurian literature for a deeper appreciation of how they’ve been uniquely woven into the entire Merlin Spiral series. An asterisk has been placed next to those words that will yield a wealth of information.
Agricola* — (ah-gri-CO-luh) The Roman general who conquered much of Britain. His full name is Gnaeus Julius Agricola.
Allun — (AL-lun) The miller of the village and owner of Plewin the mule.
Anviv — (ON-veev) The son of Mórganthu, Mônda’s brother.
Armorica* — (arr-more-EYE-kah) The Roman name for the northern and western provinces of Gaul, including the interior. This includes modern-day Brittany, France.
Arthur* — (AR-thur) The son of Igerna and Uther and heir to the High Kingship. His sisters are Eilyne and Myrgwen. He is one-and-a-half years old in Merlin’s Blade.
Arvel — (AR-vel) During the prologue of Merlin’s Blade, he is a young hunter on the moor who witnessed a meteorite crashing to earth. Literally “one who is wept over.” He is later named Muscarvel.