The Dream Gatherer Read online

  KRISTEN BRITAIN’S EXCITING TALE OF KARIGAN G’LADHEON:

  Green Rider

  First Rider’s Call

  The High King’s Tomb

  Blackveil

  Mirror Sight

  Firebrand

  Copyright © 2018 by Kristen Britain.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Cover art by Donato.

  Cover design by G-Force Design.

  Map and interior illustrations by Kristen Britain.

  DAW Book Collectors No. 1802.

  Published by DAW Books, Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious.

  Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Ebook ISBN: 9780756414979

  DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED

  U.S. PAT. AND TM. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES

  —MARCA REGISTRADA

  HECHO EN U.S.A.

  PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

  Version_1

  In memory of my crazy boy,

  my red Gryphon,

  and Writer Dog,

  whose loving companionship

  during the creation of this book,

  was his final act.

  September 4, 2001-September 13, 2017

  Contents

  Also by Kristen Britain

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Step into a Dream

  About a Friendship

  The Story Behind the Story

  Map

  Wishwind

  Linked, on the Lake of Souls

  The Dream GathererStickles

  The Golden Guardian

  The Benevolence of the House

  Doing the Right Thing

  The Draugmkelder

  Dreamer

  The Nightmare

  Giving Voice

  The Ocean on the Other Side of the Pond

  The Seven Chimneys Rose

  Sisters

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Step Into a Dream

  I dare you.

  It’s not an easy thing, to let go. To hand control of your reality to someone else. To allow yourself to be changed.

  For that happens, in a dream.

  They aren’t safe. But they shouldn’t be. The best dreams take you where you didn’t plan to go. Show you who you didn’t expect to meet. Carve memories, as vivid as any you live by the light of day. Change you.

  Especially when the author of a dream sculpts the land beneath your feet, curls the ocean, and scents the air you breathe. When she reveals past, present, and, yes, future. When she paints with such urgent magic.

  By her craft, in her care? Dreams turn the world. They disturb. Toss waves and rock boats. Trouble what’s hidden. Awake the forgotten.

  Expose truths.

  Oh, dreams aren’t real, you claim. Fantasy . . . isn’t. You think to read these words and come out the same?

  I promise you won’t. For these are Kristen Britain’s words—her world, her dream. She will take you, show you, carve you with profound imagery and key events. You’ll laugh and cry even as the land shifts, waves roar, and you walk a garden path. You’ll be disturbed and troubled, joy-filled and hopeful, wrung dry of tears—and, most of all, you’ll learn truths about yourself. Be changed, forever.

  So, read. Enter this fantasy. Summon your courage, your inner Green Rider, and answer the ultimate call.

  Dare.

  Dream.

  —Julie E. Czerneda

  Canada, 2018

  About a Friendship

  Kristen and I go waaay back. Twenty years ago, her first book, the thoroughly delightful Green Rider, was published by DAW Books. We were introduced by her editor, Betsy Wollheim, because I was (a) another DAW author (we run in packs) and (b) active online—including my then SFF.NET newsgroup. Kristen was, with some trepidation, about to take the plunge. Betsy hoped I’d be her guide.

  Not a problem. I read and loved Green Rider, and if experience has taught me anything, it’s that the best authors reveal their true selves in their work—and trust me, that takes courage. Kristen’s honesty, humor, warmth, and knowledge shine through everything she writes. It would have been more surprising had we not become fast friends. (Roger, my other half, is too.) I’m proud to say Kristen began several other lasting friendships via my newsgroup. Yup. Sucked her right into the fold. So many Canadians! As I’ve made friends through Kristen—to find myself in Bar Harbor, witness to the fabulous landscapes captured in her series. (Hi, Mel!)

  Since, we’ve thrown fruit at one another, dodged hummingbirds on our deck (yes, they’re a little bit our fault), attended conventions and DAW Dinners™, and always shared the ups, downs, and sideways that are writing, and life. Kristen appeared as a dastardly villain in one of my books, at her behest, requiring the invention of a drink called “Pink Rider.” And, in case you’re curious, Roger and I continue to play our wee role in Kristen’s online presence. He, her website, while I keep doing my best to get her in trouble—I mean, out in front of you. (I helped her join FB while on our deck, while dodging those little red hummers.)

  We will, of course, be friends for life. I will, equally of course, continue to be impressed by her work ethic, her courage, both professional and personal, and how Kristen continues to outdo herself. If you’re one of her readers, believe me when I tell you no one gives more. If you aren’t, yet, join us!

  It has been an honor and privilege to add my words to yours, Kristen, in this special celebration of twenty years of your magic. Thank you for such a wonderful gift.

  Your friend, Julie Cz.

  The Story Behind the Story

  -or-

  It’s Been Twenty Years Already??? UGH.

  Once upon a time, a seasonal ranger decided to decline winter positions offered to her in national parks in sunny Florida so she could experience a winter in Maine at Acadia National Park. True story. And, yes, that was me. I had worked three summer seasons at Acadia (which included parts of spring and fall) and I wanted to see the mountains mantled with snow and find out what the park was like during the quiet season without millions of summer tourists crowding it. I guess I just wanted to experience the year full circle in one of my favorite places. Also, I had moved from one park to another nine times in four years and I was ready to sit still for a while. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I would be working only part-time that winter at the park, which meant I could devote the rest of my time to writing.

  I had been writing all along since I was a kid. In the fourth grade I began my first novel (which I eventually tore up), and I’d written and finished a novel as a teen. As an adult, I still wanted to write novels, but all the writing advice I was seeing at the time said that in order to break in with a publisher, one must acquire short story credits. (I will note here that such credits are helpful to catch the eye of an agent or editor
, but, as I eventually learned, not necessary.) So I tried all sorts of short stories with all sorts of publications. The problem was nobody wanted the kind of stories I wrote, and it seemed few editors published the kinds of stories I was interested in (traditional and adventure fantasy). And, yes, I admit my skill was nascent at the time and probably not up to snuff. In any case, out of frustration, beginning in the fall of 1992 at Acadia, I decided to forget short stories and concentrate on my first love: novels. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

  Writing the first draft of what turned out to be Green Rider was fun, a bright and shiny adventure. I pulled an end table from the living room of the apartment I shared with my ranger friend Kate at park HQ and put it in my bedroom, and on it I placed my 80/88 XT Magnavox computer. Then I dragged in a straight-back dining room chair to sit on (yes, ouch). I placed the keyboard on a pillow, which went on my lap so I could type. My kitten, Batwing, sat on the pillow between me and the keyboard.

  I’d start earlyish in the morning and write for up to ten hours or more a day, making up the story as I went. My “mental” outline went something like this: Girl runs away from school, meets a dying messenger on the road and agrees to carry his important message to the king, gets into all kinds of trouble along the way, and delivers message. It was fun coming up with what trouble I was going to throw at Karigan next and how she was going to get out of it. I think the key word here is “fun.” If I hadn’t been having fun, likely I would never have finished that first draft. Alternatively, if I had finished it, readers would have picked up on my disenchantment pretty quickly and set the book aside.

  Long days of writing required breaks now and then, and helped the writing process along. I’d walk down to Aunt Betty Pond to watch autumn hues harden into cold, stark winter, or I’d make a mug of hot chocolate as wind pushed snowdrifts against my window. On weekends I’d read to Kate what I had written during the week. In a sense, she was my first reader (or rather, listener). (Unless you count Batwing.)

  I always think back on that first winter with a great deal of fondness. The novel-writing adventure had just begun, and there was no pressure placed on me, no expectations from publishers or anyone. I was young and relatively unburdened by mortgages or other adult concerns, my life fit into the back of a Subaru wagon, and I was in love with Acadia.

  I finished the first draft the following summer. The manuscript was not long, but I was really pleased by the fact I’d written an actual novel. Finishing the first draft, however, was only the first step. I revised and polished, researched publishing at the local and state libraries (the internet wasn’t really a thing back then), revised and polished, participated in writing workshops to hone my skills, polished and revised, submitted the manuscript to agents and editors, and collected rejections. I continued to try to make the manuscript better with, yes, more revising and polishing.

  It took four years to create a novel that would be acceptable to an agent and publisher. Key to this in the final revision was a newly published fantasy author who lived nearby and graciously agreed to do a read-through of my manuscript. His name was Terry Goodkind, and he turned out to be not just a great writer, but a great editor, too, pointing out plot flaws and bad character names, among other issues. It was also a relief to me to be able to talk to someone on our relatively rural island about fantasy.

  I submitted the novel to Terry’s agency. When agent Anna Ghosh phoned offering to represent me, I was so excited that night I kept sitting up in bed and saying aloud in the dark, “I’ve got an agent!” I am sure the cats—Batwing was now joined by an orange tabby named Percy—wondered what the heck was wrong with their food provider and servant.

  Anna circulated the manuscript to houses that published science fiction and fantasy. There were a couple bites fairly quickly. On November 5, 1996, I accepted an offer from Betsy Wollheim of DAW Books, Inc., to publish Green Rider and an untitled, unwritten sequel (which eventually became First Rider’s Call). DAW was a natural fit for me if all the DAW Books on my shelves crowding out other publishers was any indication. That day was also a presidential Election Day, and I remember heading down to the polls after the call and standing in line to vote, smiling ear to ear. After all the years of work, my dreams were coming true. It felt like the world had opened up and anything was now possible.

  It would be two long years before Green Rider was released, but there were little thrills along the way, like talking to Betsy for the first time. After all, she was famous to me for publishing the likes of Tad Williams, Jennifer Roberson, Mercedes Lackey, and several other beloved fantasy and science fiction authors. A lot of our initial conversation is a fog to me now since it was so long ago and I was taking cold medication at the time, but I remember her asking, “What do you think about the cover?” I was shocked because popular wisdom held that authors should not expect to be allowed input on covers, but over time I learned that DAW does things its own way, as it is a small family company, not a major corporation, run by Betsy and copublisher Sheila Gilbert.

  In answer to Betsy’s question about the cover, I blurted, “Keith Parkinson!” Why would I not? He was one of the top fantasy artists, and I had seen the beautiful originals to the covers of Wizard’s First Rule and Stone of Tears on the walls of Terry’s house. Keith’s vivid and realistic style really appealed to me, and did I mention how beautiful his work was? I then backtracked and asked Betsy if that was what she wanted to know. We discussed what image should go on the cover, and I said, “Someone in green riding a horse.” Hey, it made sense to me, and that’s what we got, but more gorgeous than I could have imagined. How lucky was I to have a Keith Parkinson cover on my first book?

  Betsy also mentioned the possibility, in that initial conversation, of publishing Green Rider in hardcover. Hardcover! I later found out that I would be only the second DAW author in the company’s history to debut in hardcover. The first was Tad Williams with Tailchaser’s Song in 1985. A paperback edition would follow a year or more later, which was great. It was the era of the big box bookstore, and of the smaller mall bookstore. There were no e-books at this time, so shelf space in bookstores was important, meaning that two different editions at two different times meant more eyeballs on my book.

  I received an early copy of the book at my office a month or two before it was due to be released. That day I was assigned to staff Acadia’s Nature Center, and at lunchtime I stole away to the Tarn (small body of water beneath Dorr Mountain) to look at the book. There was my name embossed on front! I admired the cover and print and endpapers, and the luminous green foil of the title. I think I slept with it in my bed that night.

  The first hardcover edition of Green Rider was officially released in November 1998. There was no champagne, no ticker tape parade, no celebration. In fact, the silence was deafening. (Dial-up and internet connectivity remained poor on the island.) I remember fretting and thinking it scary that other people I did not know (and did know!) might be reading my book. I hoped they would like it. That was twenty years ago and I do wonder where all the time went. Writing the sequels, I guess, but all that came after Green Rider is a story for another day.

  Here are some things you may or may not know about Green Rider:

  Karigan started out as a minor male character who was a messenger, but then he decided he wanted to be a she, and suddenly she was full of story potential and thus became the main character. The adage “Don’t kill the messenger!” suggested to me that messengers led exciting and dangerous lives, which meant lots of story fodder. Plus horses!

  Karigan’s name. There must have been figure skating on television as I began work on the manuscript, with U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan doing her thing, because the name “Kerrigan” resonated with me. Hence, Karigan’s name.

  Condor, Karigan’s horse, was inspired by a gangly chestnut gelding named Carefree I used to ride as a kid. He was good-natured and reliable to ride, an
d my favorite lesson horse.

  Speaking of which, during the writing of Green Rider, part of my job at Acadia was to rove the park’s historic system of carriage roads to encourage safe and courteous use by visitors walking, bicycling, and horseback riding on them, and to interpret for visitors the significance of the roads as well as Acadia in general. As I went about my duty, it was easy to envision a messenger on her trusty steed riding through the forest. Alas, my trusty steed was a mountain bike, and I doubt Karigan would have been stopping so often to remind people to keep their dogs leashed.

  In the first draft of Green Rider, just about the only point of view was Karigan’s. We didn’t have point of view scenes from old Mirwell or Amilton. The manuscript was much shorter and may have ended just after the Battle of the Lost Lake (hard to remember that far back). I probably added about 75,000 words’ worth of story to it. I took out a lot, too, including the first twenty pages that showed Karigan at school beating up Timas and preparing to run away. It was Terry who suggested I lop it off, and he was right. It improved the beginning a great deal.

  Over that first winter of writing, I read the Anne of Green Gables books by L. M. Montgomery. In Green Rider, my creation of the Berry sisters was sort of inspired by the ambience and time period of the Anne books. In homage, when Karigan stays the night with the sisters, she sleeps in the east gable bedroom.

  Seven Chimneys, the house of the Berry sisters, was architecturally inspired by the French Romanesque Revival-style gatehouse (or, more properly, gate lodge) I was housed in during my first summer at Acadia in 1989. Across from Jordan Pond, the quaint stone-and-timber house with its leaded windows has always been a popular draw for visitors who wander over to check it out. It was a cool place to live, but I bet the sisters didn’t have strangers peering through their windows all hours of the day, or cameras flashing in the windows at night.