He woke, flung like a rag amid a harvest on dry kelp, his face in the sand, his mouth full of sand.
Morgon wakes up on a beach with one eye blind. He feels someone touching his blind side. He is rolled over by an unknown man with a wild white cat. The man calls the cat Xel. Morgon attempts to speak but all that comes out is a harsh noise. The man asks him who he is and what happened to him. He again tries to answer but can't. He soon lapses into unconsciousness.
Morgon wakes in a small cottage with a young man with lank white hair and white eyes giving him water. Morgon again attempts to speak but can't remember how. Soon the white-eyed man sees Morgon's three stars. Finally the man introduces him:
"I am Astrin Ymris. I am the brother and land-heir of Heureu, King of Ymris."
Morgon once again falls asleep. He awakes at dusk, finding the cabin empty. Looking around, he finds the cabin cluttered with an assortment of odd objects. This includes a pick, a hammer, a chisel, and a brush all caked with dirt. Walking outside, he finds that the cabin is situated on a great, windblown plain.
Returning back inside, he sees, on a table, various artifacts. One of these artifacts is a cut jewel that seems to contain all the colors of the sea.
Looking up, he sees Astrin and Xel returning. He explains that he found that jewel at the foot of Wind Tower. No trader he could find could give him a name for the stone. He even journeyed to
Isig, to Danan Isig. Danan told him nowhere in his mountain had he seen such a stone and that he knew of no one beside himself and his son who could have cut it so flawlessly. In exchange for this mystery, Danan gave Astrin Xel as a gift of friendship.
Astrin asks Morgon if he can remember anything about himself. Morgon, however, does not.
Over dinner, Astrin tells Morgon a little bit about himself. He has been in exile from Caerweddin for five years. He has only spoken to Xel, an old man he buys fish from in Loor, to occasional traders, and to Rork, High Lord of Umber, who visits him every few months. By day, he goes digging in the great ruined city of the
Earth-Masters on Wind Plain. By night, he, among other things, studies books of wizardry. He ends by saying that he and Xel sometimes go the sea and watch something building on the shores of Ymris under night cover, something for which there is name. However, due to a storm, he and Xel can't go out tonight.
In his restlessness, Astrin attempts to use one of
Aloil's books to allow Morgon to talk. The spell, which Aloil used to make a stone on King's Mouth Plain talk, does not work. Astrin comments that it is as though he, Morgon, has no name.
The next day, they go to the ruined Earth-Masters city to excavate. At the eastern edge of the city, a great tower arose, the Wind Tower. Astrin says that no man, or wizard, has ever climbed to the top of it. This leads him to wonder who the Earth-Masters were and what destroyed them and their cities.
Astrin further elaborates upon his origins while digging with Morgon. He grew up in Caerweddin, with Heureu, and the sons of his father's High Lords, in Galil's house made of Earth-Master's stone. He and his brother were so close they were like shadows of each other. He says he will never go back to Caerweddin and that Heureu will never come to him. They return to the cottage.
Astrin appears at the door injured. He received a wound on his right side.
"He saw me first, but I killed him. Then he fell in the sea, and I had to dive for him among the rocks and tide, or they would have found him. I buried him in the sand. They won't find him there. He was shaped out of seaweed and foam and wet peral, and the sword was of darkness and silver water. It bit me and flew away like a bird. If Xel hadn't warned me, I would be dead."
The next day, he says little of the incident. Near sunset, he finally ponders telling Heureu about it but decides to let him see for himself.
On another dig, Morgon finds a cache of red and purple glass. He, once back at the cottage, begins to piece it together. Astrin in the meanwhile is attempting to open one of
Yrth's spell-books. In frustration, he tells Xel to be quiet. Morgon writes on the table that he needs Yrth's harp. Astrin, not at first realizing that Morgon had revealed a clue about his identity, says that perhaps he is right, perhaps Yrth lock the book with a series of notes or even the low-note said to be able to shatter weapons.
Astrin then realizes that Morgon must have attended the College of
Caithnard. He decides that tomorrow, they would journey to the College and see if they can puzzle out who Morgon is. On the way to the Trader's Road, they encounter two traders. One of the traders recognizes Astrin Ymris and claims to have a message from Mathom of
An concerning the man who won Peven's crown. After the conversation ends, the traders attempt to kill both Morgon and Astrin.
Morgon is injured in the fight. Astrin asks him if he can make it back the cottage. Morgon nods yes. He only makes it as far as the plain.
He wakes in front of the cottage. Astrin takes him back into the cottage and is looking at his wound when a knock sounds at the door. A trader begins to say "Lord..." but is cut off when Astrin rests the tip of the sword against the trader. Astrin is taking no changes when it comes to traders. This trader came bearing the same message the traders in the woods claimed to have received. He sees Morgon lying on a pallet and says "That's what happend to him? He can't talk-."
The trader also says that the High One's harpist is looking for him in Caerweddin. In response Astrin says "I have just killed two traderrs, and by the High One's name, I swear I will kill a third if you don't get off my doorstep!" The trader leaves.
Astrin decides to take Morgon to Rork Umber and have him send for Deth. The next day they piece together the purple and red glass fragments they had collected. It begins to form a bowl. Morgon talks Astrin into going and getting the remaining pieces. The next morning, they finished the bowl.
Knocking again sounds at the door. The trader form earlier along with Deth, Rork Umber and his men enter. The trader points to Morgon and says, "There he is. The Prince of Hed." The trader had claimed at King Heureu's court that Astrin had gone mad and killed two traders, wounded the Prince of Hed, kept him imprisoned, and through a spell stole his voice. Umber informs Astrin that a strange rebellion is building in Meremont and Tor. Morgon has been with Astrin for five weeks. Morgon to get the attention of the other in the room smashes the bowl they had patiently pieced together.
Astrin tells Rork what happened in the woods with the traders, and Rork sends his men and the trader to go and see if they recognized the traders. Rork also informs him that he is under the doom of the High One and that he will accompany them and Morgon to Caerweddin.
The trader and the guard return. The trader says he recognized one of the dead traders; however, he says this with hesitation. Later, they set off and stay the night in Rork Umber's house. Afterwards, they leave for Caerweddin.
At the King's Hall in Caerweddin, there Morgon meets King Heureu of Ymris. Upon a table, Morgon notices a beautiful harp. On this harp there were three flawless blood-red stars. Morgon feels drawn to the harp. He runs his hands across the strings. He turns and says "Deth."
