Death of Kings. Bernard Cornwell

nearest to AD 900, but even that solution is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and Hæglingaiggæ. Nor have I been consistent myself; I should spell England as Englaland, and have preferred the modern form Northumbria to Norðhymbralond to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list, like the spellings themselves, is capricious.

Baddan Byrig	Badbury Rings, Dorset
Beamfleot	Benfleet, Essex
Bebbanburg	Bamburgh, Northumberland
Bedanford	Bedford, Bedfordshire
Blaneford	Blandford Forum, Dorset
Buccingahamm	Buckingham, Bucks
Buchestanes	Buxton, Derbyshire
Ceaster	Chester, Cheshire
Cent	County of Kent
Cippanhamm	Chippenham, Wiltshire
Cirrenceastre	Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contwaraburg	Canterbury, Kent
Cyninges Tun	Kingston upon Thames, Greater London
Cracgelad	Cricklade, Wiltshire
Cumbraland	Cumberland
Cytringan	Kettering, Northants
Dumnoc	Dunwich, Suffolk
Dunholm	Durham, County Durham
Eanulfsbirig	St Neot, Cambridgeshire
Eleg	Ely, Cambridgeshire
Eoferwic	York, Yorkshire (called Jorvik by the Danes)
Exanceaster	Exeter, Devon
Fagranforda	Fairford, Gloucestershire
Fearnhamme	Farnham, Surrey
Fifhidan	Fyfield, Wiltshire
Fughelness	Foulness Island, Essex
Gegnesburh	Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Gleawecestre	Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Grantaceaster	Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Hothlege, River	Hadleigh Ray, Essex
Hrofeceastre	Rochester, Kent
Humbre, River	River Humber
Huntandon	Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
Liccelfeld	Lichfield, Staffordshire
Lindisfarena	Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland
Lundene	London
Medwæg, River	River Medway, Kent
Natangrafum	Notgrove, Gloucestershire
Oxnaforda	Oxford, Oxfordshire
Ratumacos	Rouen, Normandy, France
Rochecestre	Wroxeter, Shropshire
Sarisberie	Salisbury, Wiltshire
Sæfern	River Severn
Sceaftesburi	Shaftesbury, Dorset
Sceobyrig	Shoebury, Essex
Scrobbesburh	Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Snotengaham	Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Sumorsæte	Somerset
Temes, River	River Thames
Thornsæta	Dorset
Tofeceaster	Towcester, Northamptonshire
Trente, River	River Trent
Turcandene	Turkdean, Gloucestershire
Tweoxnam	Christchurch, Dorset
Westune	Whitchurch, Shropshire
Wiltunscir	Wiltshire
Wimburnan	Wimborne, Dorset
Wintanceaster	Winchester, Hampshire
Wygraceaster	Worcester, Worcestershire

       PART ONE

       The Sorceress

       One

      ‘Every day is ordinary,’ Father Willibald said, ‘until it isn’t.’ He smiled happily, as though he had just said something he thought I would find significant, then looked disappointed when I said nothing. ‘Every day,’ he started again.

      ‘I heard your drivelling,’ I snarled.

      ‘Until it isn’t,’ he finished weakly. I liked Willibald, even if he was a priest. He had been one of my childhood tutors and now I counted him as a friend. He was gentle, earnest, and if the meek ever do inherit the earth then Willibald will be rich beyond measure.

      And every day is ordinary until something changes, and that cold Sunday morning had seemed as ordinary as any until the fools tried to kill me. It was so cold. There had been rain during the week, but on that morning the puddles froze and a hard frost whitened