Retainer = a servant who has usually been with the same family for

a long time:
a faithful old retainer
warlord=
a military leader who controls a countryor, more often, an area within
a country

protégé= a young person who is helped and taughtby an older and

usually famous person

to seize= to take something quickly and keep orhold it; to take using sudden force

oath= a promise, especially that you will tell thetruth in a law court

gaze= to look at something or someone for

along time, especially in surprise oradmiration, or because you are thinkingabout
something else

anxious= worried and nervous; eager to do something

veranda= a raised, covered, sometimes partly closed area, often made of wood, on
the front orside of a building

flicker= to shine with a light that is sometimesbright and

sometimes weak; to appear for a short time or to make asudden movement

enchanted= affected by magic or seeming to be affectedby magic

recollection= a memory of something; the ability to remember things

damp= slightly wet, especially in a way that is not pleasant or comfortable

eaves= the edge of a roof that sticks out over thewalls

beak= the hard, pointed part of a bird's mouth

peep= to secretly look at something for a short time, usually through

ahole
wield= to hold a weapon or tool and look as if you are going to use it; to have a lot
of influence or powerover other people
outline= the main shape or edge of something, without any details; a description of
the main facts about something:
cedar= a tall, wide evergreen tree (= one that never loses its leaves)
speck= a very small mark, piece, or amount
undeniable= certainly true
gleaming= bright and shiny from being cleaned
stroke= a sudden change in the blood supplyto a part of the brain,
sometimes causing aloss of the ability to move particular parts of
the body; an act of hitting someone with a weapon
dispatch= to send something, especially goods or amessage, somewhere for
a particularpurpose
anew= again or one more time, especially in a different way
puzzled = confused because you do notunderstand something
plaintive= used to describe something that soundss lightly sad

amassverb [T]

UK /əˈmæs/ US /əˈmæs/

to get a large amount of

something, especially money orinformation, by collecting it
over a long period:

rashnoun
UK /ræʃ/ US /ræʃ/
rash noun (SKIN CONDITION)

C2 [ C or U ] a lot of small red spots on the skin:

careless or unwise, without thought for what mighthappen or result:

shutter
a wooden cover on the outside of a window that preventslight or heat from going into
a room or heat from leavingit:

unflinching
not frightened of or not trying to avoid somethingdangerous or unpleasant:
audacitynoun [U]

UK /ɔːˈdæs.ə.ti/ US /ɑːˈdæs.ə.t̬ i/

courage or confidence of a kind that

other people findshocking or rude:

limestonenoun [U]

UK /ˈlaɪm.stəʊn/ US /ˈlaɪm.stoʊn/

a white or light grey rock that is used as a buildingmaterial and

in the making of cement

quail
to feel or show fear; to want to be able to move away from something because
you fear it:

persimmon
a very sweet orange tropical fruit

brooding
making you feel uncomfortable or worried, as if something bad is going to happen:

deference
respect shown for another person esp. because of that
person’s experience, knowledge, age, or power:

adjoining
near, next to, or touching:

demeanor
a way of looking and behaving:
whined= to make a long, high, sad sound:

sway
[I] to move slowly from side to side:

Overhear
to hear what other people are saying withoutintending to and without their knowledge