Gene Wolfe - The Wizard

An Overcyn who lived in Mythgarthr. She was the queen of wild animals and made trees grow.

NIFLHEIM

The lowest world, where the most low god is.

NOTT

She is one of the nicer Giants of Winter and Old Night. Night in Mythgarthr belongs to her.

ORG

He was an ogre, and might have been the last in Celidon. I want to say he was a man-shaped snake but hot instead of cold, but he was really more like a gorilla.

ORGALMIR

The left head of Schildstarr’s two-headed friend.

PAPOUNCE

The upper servant in change of Beel’s servants.

PARKA

The lady from Kleos who gave me my bowstring.

PAYN

The Earl Marshal’s chief clerk.

POUK

A sailor I hired in Irringsmouth.

QUT

The leader of the men-at-arms at Redhall.

RAVD

The knight who paid me to guide him.

REDHALL

The manor that used to belong to Ravd.

SANDHILL CASTLE

It was way down on the southern border of Celidon and belonged to Leort’s father.

SETR

He was half human but a dragon. He just about took Aelfrice, and I am sure that what he really wanted was to conquer Mythgarthr.

SIF

Thunor’s wife. She was beautiful, and her hair was always what you remembered best. It was incredible.

SKAI

The Valfather’s world, where the Overcyns are.

SKOLL

The last knight to bear Eterne before me. He was killed by Grengarm.

SMILER

This is what we called the Dragon Prince. The dragon was Grengarm. His people were the Lothurlings.

STONEBOWL

One of Smiler’s chief ministers.

SVON

When I first met him, he was Ravd’s squire; later on he became mine. I left him in the forest because I was afraid I would kill him.

THIAZI

Gilling’s minister and wizard.

THOPE

Marder’s Master of Arms. He was good, brave, wise, and tough, from what I saw of him.

THRYM

The captain of Gilling’s guards. He was the biggest Son of Angr anybody ever saw.

THUNOR

The Valfather’s oldest son, and the model for knights. There were times when I was very, very glad he was on our side.

THYR

The first peasant girl.

TOUG

The peasant boy I took to Aelfrice when I was trying to dodge some outlaws.

TOWER OF GLAS

The skyscraper palace Setr built in Aelfrice.

TYR

Even Thunor said he was the bravest Overcyn.

ULFA

Toug’s sister. She was a little older.

UNS

A farm boy who took in Org and went to work for me.

URI

A Fire Aelfmaid. Setr made her my slave, like Baki.

UTGARD

Gilling’s castle. The town around it was called Utgard, too.

VAFTHRUDNIR

A giant famous for wisdom.

THE VALFATHER

The King of Skai and the model for kings.

VALT

Leort’s squire, and a good one.

VIL

The blind slave who was probably Etela’s father.

VOLLERLAND

In old books this means Jotunhome.

WAR WAY

The main road between Celidon and Jotunland.

WELAND

He made Eterne and became King of the Fire Aelf.

WESTERN TRADER

The ship I left when I met Garsecg.

WILIGA

Once she was the Earl Marshal’s lover.

WISTAN

Garvaon’s squire.

WODDET

Just about the only friend I made in Sheerwall.

YMIR

The first giant.

YOND

The squire who threw himself down on me when they were trying to kill me.

ZIO

The Overcyn who helped Weland. He has a lot of names.

Some of this part I saw myself Ben. But not much of it. Mostly it is what various people told me. I am not going to stop all the time to say who told what, since you can figure it out as fast as you read. Mostly, it was Toug.

Uns, bowed at all times, bowed still lower to Beel. “Toug here sez Master’s dead, Ya Lordship. Got Master’s horse ‘n dog, ta. Show ’em ta ya, Ya Lordship, hif ya wants ta see ’em. Don’ t’ink he means no harm, Ya Lordship.”

Idnn asked, “Do you believe him?”

“Can’t say, m’lady...”

“You’d say more if you dared,” Beel told Uns. “Say it. You won’t be punished.”

“He believes hit hisself, Ya Lordship, dat’s all. He ain’t lyin’, hif ya know what I mean, Ya Lordship. Mebbe ‘tain’t so, jist da same.”

Mani, seeing Gylf prowling beyond the sentries, sprang from Idnn’s lap and scampered off to pay a visit.

“I understand.” Beel nodded. “Speak, lad. I’ll no more punish you than this poor fellow who brought you.”

Toug did, telling his story to Beel and Idnn as he had told it to Uns the night before.

When he had finished, Beel sighed. “You yourself saw the griffin?”

Toug stood as straight as he could, feeling it was what I would have done.

“Yes, sir. I mean, yes, Your Lordship. I saw Grengarm, too, only not up close. But I saw him.”

“Did Sir Able say you were to have his horse, his dog, his saddle and saddlebags, and so on?”

“No, Your Lordship. He—he...”

“Out with it.”

“He said that when I was a knight I’d have a shield, Your Lordship, and to have a griffin painted on it. And he told me what you have to do to be a knight, the kind he was.”

Idnn smiled. “Are you going to do it, Toug?”

Toug wanted to shrug, but did not. “I will, Your Ladyship. I know it’s going to be terribly hard.”

“You’ll try, just the same.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship. I—I won’t always be able to, Your Ladyship. I know that. But I’ll try harder next time, if there is a next time.”

Idnn’s smile widened. She was extraordinarily pretty when she smiled. “You won’t always be Able?”

“No, Your Ladyship.”

“But you’ll try. You sound like him already. You would sound more like him if you said My Lord and My Lady. You’re not one of Father’s retainers. Not yet, at least.”

Beel cleared his throat. “You wish to become a knight?”

“Yes, My Lord. It’s what I’m going to do.”

“Perhaps. Will you fight beside us when we overtake the Angrborn who robbed us?”

“Tolt him ‘bout hit, Ya Lordship,” Uns put in.

“Yes, My Lord. But I don’t have much to fight with.”

Beel nodded. “I have fallen into the habit of saying we need every man and every woman. Now I find I must say that we need every lad as well. I want you to find Sir Garvaon. He’s teaching archery. Tell him I said he was to arm you in any way he could.”

“Yes, Your Lordship!” Radiant, Toug turned to go.

Idnn called, “Wait, Toug. You haven’t been dismissed.”

He turned back, flushing. “I’m sorry, Your Ladyship. I mean no offense.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Idnn’s smile lingered. “I just wanted to say we’re poor now, Father and I.”

Not knowing what to say, Toug wisely said nothing.

“You find us sitting under a tree. But when we first spoke with Sir Able it was in a silk pavilion. We think the Angrborn near now. We hope to overtake and engage them today or tomorrow, and if we beat them, we will be rich again. I don’t mean that the gifts Father was bringing to King Gilling will be ours. But we’ll have our own things back, and we brought a great deal—horses, money, arms, jewelry, and so on. We’ve few arms now. Not nearly enough for everyone. But if we win, I’ll give you a shield. It will be my gift to you, and it will have a griffin on it.”