F B S T , Mina must learn the truth about herself INALLY FREE OF THE LOOD EA OWER that she has denied for so long, and she must go to the mysterious Godshome to do it. Rhys, the monk of Majere, accompanied by his dog Atta and the kender Nightshade, is given the dangerous assignment of guarding the crazed god. And they must turn to those Mina can trust, but that list is very short. Their path is fraught with peril, for the undead Beloved want to make Mina their leader. Krell, now a fearsome Bone Accolyte, brings fire and death to the town of Solace in an effort to seize Mina. And her trusted former lieutenant, the minotaur, Galdar, is ordered to try to turn Mina to the side of evil by delivering into her hands her most hated enemy— Valthonis. The final installment in the popular Dark Disciple trilogy is written by Margaret Weis, co-originator, with Tracy Hickman, of the worldwide best-selling D ® series of novels, and author of numerous RAGONLANCE acclaimed books in fantasy and other genres. “Weis [uses] conventional fantasy elements on the grand scale to produce excellent reading.” —Chicago Sun-Times “Demonstrate[s] … complete mastery of the art of turning classic fantasy elements into equally classic well-told tales.” —Roland Green, Booklist A A MBER AND SHES A I MBER AND RON A B MBER AND LOOD Amber & Blood The Dark Disciple, Volume 3 ©2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Published by Wizards of the Coast LLC. DRAGONLANCE, Wizards of the Coast, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Hasbro SA, Represented by Hasbro Europe, Stockley Park, UB11 1AZ. UK. All Wizards of the Coast characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Cover art by Matt Stawicki eISBN: 978-0-78695453-7 640-25348000-001-EN U.S., Canada, Asia, Pacific, & Latin America, Wizards of the Coast LLC, P.O. Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, +1-800-324-6496, www.wizards.com/customerservice Europe, U.K., Eire & South Africa, Wizards of the Coast LLC, c/o Hasbro UK Ltd., P.O. Box 43, Newport, NP19 4YD, UK, Tel: +800 22 427276, Email: [email protected] Visit our web site at www.wizards.com v3.1 D EDICATION To my daughter, Lizz A CKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to gratefully acknowledge Steve Coon (aka “Frostdawn” on the Dragonlance message boards), who created the two artifacts of Takhisis and Paladine used in the book: the Necklace of Sedition and the Crystal Pyramid of Light. Contents Cover Other Books by This Author Title Page Copyright Dedication Acknowledgement Epigraph Book I - The Gifts Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Book II - The Journey Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Book III - Godshome Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Appendix - Amber and Blood Mina Disciples of Bone About the Author I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand. —The Five Remembrances of Buddha