Silverthorn [Paperback]

A poisoned bolt has struck down the Princess  Anita on the day of her wedding to Prince Arutha of  Krondor.

To save his beloved,  Arutha sets out in search of the mytics herb called  Silverthorn that only grows in the dark and  forbidding land of the  Spellweavers.

Accompanied by a mercenary, a minstrel, and a clever  young thief, he wil confront an ancient evil and do  battle with the dark powers that threaten the  enchanted realm of Midkemia."I  foundSilverthornto be as  exciting and absorbing asMagician  in every way. The excellent characterization  wedded to a tight and well-tumed plot makes it one of  the outstanding fantasy offerings of the season."  --Andre NortonRaymond E. Feist is the international bestselling author or co-author of twenty one novels, includingMagician,Silverthorn,A Darkness at Sethanon,Faerie Tale,The Kings Buccaneer,Talon of the Silver Hawk, andKing of Foxes. Feist is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and resides in Southern California with his family. He travels, collects wine, and lives and dies with the San Diego Chargers.Prologue

Twilight

The sun dropped behind the peaks.

The last rays of warmth touched the earth and only the rosy afterglow of the day remained. From the east, indigo darkness approached rapidly. The wind cut through the hills like a sharp-edged blade, as if spring were only a faintly remembered dream. Winter's ice still clung to shadow-protected pockets, ice that cracked loudly under the heels of heavy boots. Out of the evening's darkness three figures entered the firelight.

The old witch looked up, her dark eyes widening slightly at the sight of the three. She knew the figure on the left, the broad, mute warrior with the shaved head and lÓ+