[Ice and Iron 1] Dreams of Ice and Iron.epub
Quick Ben, upon meeting the Crippled God, determines that he has poisoned Burn. Visiting a Witch of Tennes, he discovers that Burn sleeps to dream, and that her dreams have become fevered. He realizes that if Burn dies, all of humanity will be in danger. He vows to save Burn and find a way to thwart the Crippled God. The witch promises to help.
Dujek Onearm's army along with Caladan Brood's host march slowly to Capustan, with the Trygalle Trade Guild supplying them. Silverfox now appears to be a teenager, while the Mhybe is wracked with pain from old age. Kruppe, Korlat, and Whiskeyjack all attempt to console the Mhybe, but she refuses their comfort, and is further tormented by dreams of faceless menaces. Korlat and Whiskeyjack become lovers. Kallor accepts an offer to become the High King in the House of Chains in exchange for an opportunity to kill Silverfox.
Toc the Younger is being held in the fortress city of Outlook, locked in the Matron's embrace. He is now deformed and losing his mind, but hears news of the Pannions fighting a costly war to the south as Lady Envy's party makes its way towards the Seer. Eventually, Tool, Garath, and Baaljagg break into Outlook, forcing the Seer to flee with Toc and the Matron to Coral. When he sleeps, he dreams of running with a pack of wolves, seeking a quarry to deliver something, and Toc realizes that the winter god Togg resides within him. He also learns that Baaljagg is the physical manifestation of Fanderay, the millenia of separation between Fanderay and Togg feeds her desperate chase. Toc is shown the bay of Coral and meets a Seerdomin who shows him unexpected kindness.
The Mhybe has grown so old she can no longer walk. When she sleeps, she dreams of being chased by wolves, and nearly caught before awakening each time. Coll and Murillio, offended by how she has been cast aside and confined to a wagon, decide to steal her away when they reach Capustan with the hopes of finding a priest who will grant her a dignified end.
In Capustan, Coll and Murillio take the Mhybe into the Temple of Hood. The unnamed warrior constructs a sarcophagus for her to be placed in. The two Darus are baffled and afraid, especially when K'rul, an elder god known for his blood rites, enters the temple. K'rul tells Coll and Murillio that the Mhybe's dreams will become a new world, one where she will be young again.
The king was conducted with the greatest ceremony to the chamber of Morpheus,of which we owe some cursory description to our readers. It was the handsomestand largest in the palace. Lebrun had painted on the vaulted ceiling the happyas well as the unhappy dreams which Morpheus inflicts on kings as well as onother men. Everything that sleep gives birth to that is lovely, its fairyscenes, its flowers and nectar, the wild voluptuousness or profound repose ofthe senses, had the painter elaborated on his frescoes. It was a composition assoft and pleasing in one part as dark and gloomy and terrible in another. Thepoisoned chalice, the glittering dagger suspended over the head of the sleeper;wizards and phantoms with terrific masks, those half-dim shadows more alarmingthan the approach of fire or the somber face of midnight, these, and such asthese, he had made the companions of his more pleasing pictures. No sooner hadthe king entered his room than a cold shiver seemed to pass through him, and onFouquet asking him the cause of it, the king replied, as pale as death:
Porthos took refuge in the second compartment, which was in darkness,absolutely black. Aramis glided into the third; the giant held in his hand aniron bar of about fifty pounds weight. Porthos handled this lever, which hadbeen used in rolling the bark, with marvelous facility. During this time, theBretons had pushed the bark to the beach. In the further and lightercompartment, Aramis, stooping and concealed, was busy with some mysteriousmaneuver. A command was given in a loud voice. It was the last order of thecaptain commandant. Twenty-five men jumped from the upper rocks into the firstcompartment of the grotto, and having taken their ground, began to fire. Theechoes shrieked and barked, the hissing balls seemed actually to rarefy theair, and then opaque smoke filled the vault.