A Feast for Crows

— MAGGO, his bloodrider,

— THE UNDYING OF QARTH, a band of warlocks,

— PYAT PREE, a Qartheen warlock,

— THE SORROWFUL MEN, a guild of Qartheen assassins,

— SER JORAH MORMONT, formerly Lord of Bear Island,

— (MIRRI MAZ DUUR), godswife and maegi, a servant of the Great Shepherd of Lhazar,

— her uncertain allies, past and present:

— XARO XHOAN DAXOS, a merchant prince of Qarth,

— QUAITHE, a masked shadowbinder from Asshai,

— ILLYRIO MOPATIS, a magister of the Free City of Pentos, who brokered her marriage to Khal Drogo,

— CLEON THE GREAT, butcher king of Astapor,

— KHAL MORO, sometime ally of Khal Drogo,

— RHOGORO, his son and khalakka,

— KHAL JOMMO, sometime ally of Khal Drogo.

The Targaryens are the blood of the dragon, descended from the high lords of the ancient Freehold of Valyria, their heritage marked by lilac, indigo, and violet eyes and hair of silver-gold. To preserve their blood and keep it pure, House Targaryen has oft wed brother to sister, cousin to cousin, uncle to niece. The founder of the dynasty, Aegon the Conquerer, took both his sisters to wife and fathered sons on each. The Targaryen banner is a three-headed dragon, red on black, the three heads representing Aegon and his sisters. The Targaryen words are Fire and Blood.

IN BRAAVOS

FERREGO ANTARYON, Sealord of Braavos,

— QARRO VOLENTIN, First Sword of Braavos, his protector,

— BELLEGERE OTHERYS called THE BLACK PEARL, a courtesan descended from the pirate queen of the same name,

— THE VEILED LADY, THE MERLING QUEEN, THE MOONSHADOW, THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUSK, THE NIGHTINGALE, THE POETESS, famous courtesans,

— TERNESIO TERYS, Merchant-Captain of the Titan’s Daughter,

— YORKO and DENYO, two of his sons,

— MOREDO PRESTAYN, Merchant-Captain of the Vixen,

— LOTHO LORNEL, a dealer in old books and scrolls,

— EZZELYNO, a red priest, oft drunk,

— SEPTON EUSTACE, disgraced and defrocked,

— TERRO and ORBELO, a pair of bravos,

— BLIND BEQQO, a fishmonger,

— BRUSCO, a fishmonger,

— his daughters, TALEA and BREA,

— MERALYN, called MERRY, proprietor of the Happy Port, a brothel near the Ragman’s Harbor,

— THE SAILOR’S WIFE, a whore at the Happy Port,

— LANNA, her daughter, a young whore,

— BLUSHING BETHANY, YNA ONE-EYE, ASSADORA OF IBBEN, the whores of the Happy Port,

— RED ROGGO, GYLORO DOTHARE, GYLENO DOTHARE, a scribbler called QUILL, COSSOMO THE CONJURER, patrons of the Happy Port,

— TAGGANARO, a dockside cutpurse and thief,

— CASSO, KING OF THE SEALS, his trained seal,

— LITTLE NARBO, his sometime partner,

— MYRMELLO, JOSS THE GLOOM, QUENCE, ALLAQUO, SLOEY, mummers performing nightly on the Ship,

— S’VRONE, a dockside whore of a murderous bent,

— THE DRUNKEN DAUGHTER, a whore of uncertain temper,

— CANKER JEYNE, a whore of uncertain sex,

— THE KINDLY MAN and THE WAIF, servants of the Many-Faced God at the House of Black and White,

— UMMA, the temple cook,

— THE HANDSOME MAN, THE FAT FELLOW, THE LORDLING, THE STERN FACE, THE SQUINTER, and THE STARVED MAN, secret servants of Him of Many Faces,

— ARYA of House Stark, a girl with an iron coin, also known as ARRY, NAN, WEASEL, SQUAB, SALTY, and CAT

— QUHURU MO, of Tall Trees Town in the Summer Isles, master of the merchantman Cinnamon Wind,

— KOJJA MO, his daughter, the red archer,

— XHONDO DHORU, mate on the Cinnamon Wind.

Acknowledgments

This one was a bitch.

My thanks and appreciation go out once again to those stalwart souls, my editors: Nita Taublib, Joy Chamberlain, Jane Johnson, and especially Anne Lesley Groell, for her counsel, her good humor, and her vast forbearance.

Thanks also to my readers, for all their kind and supportive e-mails, and for their patience. A special tip of the helm to Lodey of the Three Fists, Pod the Devil Bunny, Trebla and Daj the Trivial Kings, sweet Caress of the Wall, Lannister the Squirrel Slayer, and the rest of the Brotherhood Without Banners, that half-mad drunken fellowship of brave knights and lovely ladies who throw the best parties at worldcon, year after year after year. And let me sound a fanfare too for Elio and Linda, who seem to know the Seven Kingdoms better than I do, and help me keep my continuity straight. Their Westeros website and concordance is a joy and a wonder.

And thanks to Walter Jon Williams for guiding me across more salty seas, to Sage Walker for leeches and fevers and broken bones, to Pati Nagle for HTML and spinning shields and getting all my news up quickly, and to Melinda Snodgrass and Daniel Abraham for service that was truly above and beyond the call of duty. I get by with a little help from my friends.

No words could suffice for Parris, who has been there on the good days and the bad ones for every bloody page. All that needs be said is that I could not sing this Song without her.

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