The Children of Wrath

Synopsis

From the flaps pf the DAW first edition: "In this final volume of The Renshai Chronicles , Mickey Zucker Reichert returns to Midgard at a time when an uneasy peace has been attained between the mortal kingdoms because all are now caught up in a shared catastrophe, cursed with sterility by the magic of the dark elves. Yet this disaster may well plunge the kingdoms into renewed warfare. For children are humanity's most precious commodity, and the King of Pudar, convinced that his son is the father of the soon-to-be-born child the Renshai Kevral is carrying, is threatening to make war on Bearn unless she surrenders the babe to become the prince's heir. Still, what elves have caused they may perhaps put right. Humanity's last hope hinges on a magical talisman long lost to Midgard - the Pica Stone. One of only nine solid objects ever created by magic, the Pica Stone was shattered in the days of the last Wizards. But when Captain, oldest of the elves, joins with his fellow light elves to work a spell to draw together all the shattered pieces of this legendary gem, eight shards remain missing, lost on worlds throughout the planes of existence. It soon becomes obvious that the only way the Pica Stone can become whole once more is for the elves to spell-shift a carefully selected party of questers to each of the worlds to find and return with the shards. Chosen for the missionare: Kevral for her prowess as a Renshai warrior; her husband Ra-khir, a knight skilled with both weapons and diplomacy; Tae, a newly made prince and former thief know for stealth, wariness, survival instincts, and his ability think his way out of tricky situations; two light elves whose magic will help locate the shards and bring the adventurers back to Bearn; a Northman whose fighting strength is second only to Kevral's; and a Pudarian street urchin selected in error when she "borrows" the identity of a skilled healer and herbalist. Each world offers a different challenge and losing their lives is the