Chapters (51)
- Cover
- About Dreamer's Pool
- Title page
- Contents
- Dedication
- Character List
- 1 Blackthorn
- 2 Grim
- 3 Oran
- 4 Blackthorn
- 5 Grim
- 6 Oran
- 7 Blackthorn
- 8 Grim
- 9 Oran
- 10 Blackthorn
- 11 Grim
- 12 Oran
- 13 Blackthorn
- 14 Oran
- 15 Blackthorn
- 16 Oran
- 17 Blackthorn
- 18 Grim
- 19 Oran
- 20 Blackthorn
- 21 Grim
- 22 Oran
- 23 Grim
- 24 Blackthorn
- 25 Oran
- 26 Grim
- 27 Blackthorn
- 28 Grim
- 29 Oran
- 30 Blackthorn
- 31 Grim
- 32 Blackthorn
- 33 Oran
- 34 Grim
- 35 Blackthorn
- 36 Grim
- 37 Oran
- 38 Blackthorn
- 39 Oran
- 40 Grim
- 41 Blackthorn
- Acknowledgments
- About Juliet Marillier
- Also by Juliet Marillier
- Copyright page
| LAOIS / LAIGIN (Leesh / Lain) | ||
| Blackthorn | a prisoner | |
| Grim | a prisoner | |
| Poxy | prisoners | |
| Dribbles | ||
| Strangler | ||
| Frog Spawn | ||
| Slammer | a prison guard | |
| Tiny | a prison guard | |
| Mathuin | chieftain of Laois in northern Laigin | |
| Conmael | a fey nobleman | |
| ULAID | ||
| Muadan | chieftain of southern Ulaid | |
| Breda | Muadan’s wife | |
| DALRIADA | ||
| Oran | Prince of Dalriada | |
| Ruairi | (rua-ry) | Oran’s father, King of Dalriada. His court is at Cahercorcan |
| Eabha | (eh-va) | Oran’s mother, Queen of Dalriada |
| Lady Sochla | (sokh-la) | Eabha’s sister, Oran’s aunt |
| Sinead | (shi-nehd) | her personal maid |
| Feabhal | (fa-val) | Ruairi’s chief councillor |
| Master Cael | a senior lawman | |
| Master Tassach | a senior lawman | |
| Oisin | (a-sheen) | a druid |
| Oran’s household at Winterfalls | ||
| Donagan | Oran’s body servant and friend | |
| Aedan | steward | |
| Fíona | his wife | |
| Eochu | (och-u) | stable master |
| Niall | head farmer | |
| Brid | head cook | |
| Teafa | (ta-fa) | a young seamstress |
| Lochlan | head guard | |
| Garalt | guard | |
| Fergal | guard | |
| Winterfalls village | ||
| Fraoch | (frech) | smith |
| Ornait | his mother | |
| Emer | (eh-ver) | his younger sister |
| Iobhar | (ee-var) | brewer |
| Eibhlin | (ev-lin) | his wife |
| Scannal | miller | |
| Deaman | (da-maun) | baker |
| Luach | (lokh) | weaver |
| Becca | a friend of Emer | |
| Cathan | Becca’s first love | |
| Brocc | sheep farmer | |
| Cliona | sheep farmer | |
| Pátraic | lad from the brewery | |
| Silverlake village | ||
| Branoc | baker | |
| Ernan | miller (deceased) | |
| Ness | Ernan’s daughter | |
| Mór | a villager | |
| CLOUD HILL / LAIGIN | ||
| Lord Cadhan | chieftain of Cloud Hill in northern Laigin | |
| Flidais | (flid-is) | his daughter |
| Domnall | (don-al) | senior man-at-arms, married to Nuala |
| Eoin | (ohn) | man-at-arms |
| Seanan | (shan-aun) | man-at-arms |
| Ciar | (keer) | Flidais’s personal maid |
| Mhairi | (mah-ree) | maidservant |
| Deirdre | (dee-dra) | maidservant |
| Nuala | (noo-la) | maidservant, married to Domnall |
| OTHERS | ||
| Lorcan mac Cellaig | King of Mide (an historical figure, circa 848) | |
| Abhan | (a-van) | a travelling horse trader |
| and not forgetting | ||
| Snow | Oran’s horse | |
| Star | Donagan’s horse | |
| Apple | Flidais’s horse | |
| Storm and Sturdy | Scannal’s cart horses | |
| Tinker and Treasure | Abhan’s cart horses | |
| Bramble | Flidais’s dog | |
1 Blackthorn
1
~BLACKTHORN~
I fished out the rusty nail from under my pallet and scratched another mark on the wall. Tomorrow would be midsummer, not that a person could tell rain from shine in this cesspit. I’d been here a year. A whole year of filth and abuse and being shoved back down the moment I lifted myself so much as an inch. Tomorrow, at last, I’d get my chance to speak out. Tomorrow I would tell my story.
In the darkness of the cell opposite, Grim began muttering. A moment later the door down at the guard post creaked open. How Grim could tell the guards were coming before we heard them was a mystery, but he always knew. The muttering was a kind of shield. At night, when the place belonged to us prisoners, he spoke more sense.