Hrútvang
Publisher: Golem Ríša
Release Date: 1996
Cover: M. Zhouf
No illustrations included
reedition
Publisher: Epocha
Release Date: 2008
Cover: J. Husák
No illustrations included
The electronic version is available to purchase via the following link:
https://www.ereading.cz/cs/vyhledavani?searchtext=Adam+Andres&searchby=autor&search=hledat
SUMMARY
Conflicts come about even in between the descendants of Lord of the Dragons. The children of the Lord of the Dragons Askadrin - Otker, Ortvin, Or a Tanaquil – experienced this at first hand. After their father’s death, their own uncle Gunnlaug started killing them one by one in order to win power over the dragons. He achieved to obtain the sword Hrútvang, forged by the breath of dragon, which kills them only by a single scratch. That’s why the sword should be possessed by the Lord of the Dragons to provide their security. Gunnlaug murdered Otker quite easily. Ortvin was more catious, however he used to go too often to a small village in the north of Éllad and would visit a vědma (there is no word with the same meaning in English: vědma is somebody between fortune-teller, white witch and healer) named Arambegil whom he fell in love with. The murderers could easily wait for him and capture him. And that’s how Orlyg, the youngest brother, became the Lord of the Dragons. Although he was being watched like a hawk by his sister Tanaquil, he fell in love with a mortal too – in particular it was the daughter of Ottwarian duke called Ingerid. The relations between humans and dragons were always very tense (since people were afraid of the dragons) and so Orlyg couldn’t ask Ingerid to marry him in an ordinary way. At the last minute, he saved his friend, who tried to win the princess’ hand for him, from the execution. This was the reason why he sent word to the Duke that if he didn’t surrender Ingerid he would start to devastate his country. There was no other option for the Duke but an assent. However his son Rodvin couldn’t reconcile with it and decided to confront the dragon. Coincidentally, a strange couple – a runaway serf Vandryk and a magic apprentice Owlie – learned about this matter in a pub beneath the Duke’s castle and they decided (rather Owlie did) to help Rodvin with the dragon. Luckily they survived the fight however supposing that they had killed the dragon they feared the rage of the deserted dragon sister Tanaquil. And so they went to find the only weapon that would protect them with certainty – the sword of Hrútvang. Towards the mountains, they were accompanied by a guide named Irsibil without whose inner sight they would have been lost. Gunnlaug managed to capture the adventurers and in his prison they met the Lord of the Dragons Or who was in vain trying to set Ingerid free. Her kidnapper was no one but Gunnlaug who knew that if he had Ingerid in his hands, Or would come and consequently Tanaquil would come too. He will be able to get rid of all of the dragon siblings. But fate didn´t granted him with victory. Eventually Or managed to free Ingerid and he took her into his Palace on the clouds. It was rumoured that since that time his sister Tanquil used to visit the ducal castle quite often and that the relationships between dragons and people were as good as never before or after.
(Translation: Tereza Štěpánová)