RAYMOND E. FEIST
Talon of The Silver Hawk
Book One of Conclave of Shadows
Copyright
HarperVoyager
An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 7785 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.harpervoyagerbooks.co.uk
First published by HarperVoyager 2002
Copyright © Raymond E. Feist 2002
Cover Illustration © Nik Keevil
Raymond E. Feist asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780002246811
EBook Edition © AUGUST 2012 ISBN: 9780007373802
Version: 20140905
Dedication
For Jamie AnnFor teaching me things I didnt know I needed to learn
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Maps
Part One: Orphan
Chapter One: Passage
Chapter Two: Kendricks
Chapter Three: Servant
Chapter Four: Games
Chapter Five: Journey
Chapter Six: Latagore
Chapter Seven: Education
Chapter Eight: Magic
Chapter Nine: Confusion
Chapter Ten: Decision
Chapter Eleven: Purpose
Chapter Twelve: Love
Chapter Thirteen: Recovery
Part Two: Mercenary
Chapter Fourteen: Masters Court
Chapter Fifteen: Mystery
Chapter Sixteen: Tournament
Chapter Seventeen: Target
Chapter Eighteen: Choices
Chapter Nineteen: Defence
Chapter Twenty: Battle
Chapter Twenty-One: Hunt
Epilogue: Scorpion
Keep Reading
Continue the Adventure
Acknowledgments
About The Author
Also by the Author
About the Publisher
Maps
PART ONE
Orphan
Death stands above me, whispering lowI know not what into in my ear
Walter Savage Landor
CHAPTER ONE
Passage
HE WAITED.
Shivering, the boy huddled close to the dying embers of his meagre fire, his pale blue eyes sunken and dark from lack of sleep. His mouth moved slowly as he repeated the chant he had learned from his father, his dry lips cracking painfully and his throat sore from intoning the holy words. His nearly black hair was matted with dust from sleeping in the dirt; despite his resolve to remain alert while awaiting his vision, exhaustion had overcome him on three occasions. His normally slender frame and high cheekbones were accentuated by his rapid weight loss, rendering him gaunt and pale. He wore only a vision seekers loin cloth. After the first night he had sorely missed his leather tunic and trousers, his sturdy boots and his dark green cloak.