Horner's Mill
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Horner's Mill is a fictional town in the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.
[edit] Description
Horner's Mill was a lumber town, a sawmill, in the southern portion of the Midlands near the Wilds, and south of Tamarang. It sat hard on the Callisidrin River, drawing both power for the sawmills and transportation for the logs and lumber from the muddy brown water. Spillways snaked through the work areas, and ramshackle mill buildings loomed over the other structures. Stickered stacks of lumber lay row upon row under roofs of open buildings, and even more lay under tarps, waiting for either barges to take them by river or wagons to take them by road. Houses squatted close together on the hillside above the mill, looking as if they had started life as temporary shelter and as the years had worn on, became unfortunately permanent.
During the reign of Darken Rahl, the sympathies of the people of Horner's Mill lay with D'Hara. Missionaries came, telling the people of the glory of Darken Rahl. They came often, telling the town council of the things they would have when D'Hara rules all the lands, telling everyone of Rahl's love for the people. The people of Horner's Mill were won over. They all agreed to declare the town a territory of D'Hara. The People's Peace Army marched in, treating everyone with utmost respect, buying goods from the merchants, spending silver and gold with abandon. The missionaries were as good as their word. Orders came down for lumber, a lot of lumber, to build new towns were people would live in prosperity under the glowing rule of Father Rahl. Word spread; there was more work in Horner's Mill than the town people could handle, work for Father Rahl. More people came in to work the orders for lumber. While all this was going on, the missionaries told the people of the threat to them from Westland, and the threat to Father Rahl. The people were very superstitious and due to these stories they viewed anything across the western boundary (from Westland) as a threat. Then the People's Peace Army moved out, saying they were needed to fight the Westland forces, to protect the other towns that had sworn allegiance to D'Hara. The people begged for them to stay, for protection. In return for their loyalty and devotion a small detachment was left behind.
Near the winter before Rahl's death, the entire population of Horner's Mill was killed in a great battle (slaughter). A military unit of the People's Peace Army, disguised as troops from Westland, swept in, killing the D'Haran detachment to a man. After that, they went on a rampage, killing people indiscriminately, and sacking the town. As the soldiers killed, they yelled that this was what happens to anyone following Rahl, to anyone who resists Westland. Written in blood on the wall of a building was the following message - "DEATH TO ALL WHO RESIST THE WESTLAND".
Not all the people of Horner's Mill were killed. Some were raped, tortured, but left alive to flee, to spread the news. However, none of the D'Haran soldiers were left alive to dispute the story.
