The Power That Preserves Chapters 5 & 6

[Damelon]

Lomillialor

This paragraph opens the chapter:

The weight of mortality which entombed Covenant seemed to press him deeper and deeper into the obdurate stuff of the ground. He felt that he had given up breathing-that the rock and soil through which he sank sealed him off from all respiration-but the lack of air gave him no distress; he had no more need for the sweaty labor of breathing. He was plunging irresistibly, motionlessly downward, like a man falling into his fate.

This time, after saving the girl, Covenant is returning to the Land’s summons. Here is a passage though that says that this time there is choice of directions to which the summons may go:

The cloud rift rode the breeze until it crossed over him. As it passed, he saw standing behind the heavy clouds a full moon livid with green force, an emerald orb radiating ill through the heavens. The sick green light caught at him. When the rift which exposed it blew by him and away into the distance, he felt himself respond. The authority, the sovereignty, of the moon could not be denied: he began to flow volitionlessly through the mist in the wake of the rift.

But another force intervened. For an instant, he thought he could smell the aroma of a tree’s heart sap, and the pieces of song touched him through the cold: be true…answer… soul’s deep curse….

He clung to them, and their potent appeal anchored him. The darkness of the mist locked around him again, and he went sinking in the direction of the song.

The question I have with this is did the Forestals help summon Covenant? There was definitely a challenge to the call. He could have gone directly to Foul’s clutches in this extremely weakened state.

Or those who will be very shortly will be seen summon him alone?

Covenant arrives very weak and groggy. He doesn’t know where he is and he hears two voices, one strangely familiar, the other by what he says possibly dangerous.

As he makes out the face of the dangerous one he recognizes the features of a Stonedownor. Struggleing with recognition, he finally realizes that it’s Triock. Triock who tried to kill him after learning that Covenant had raped Lena. Triock who had at that time been restrained by Atiaran invoking the Oath of Peace. But Triock was helping him.

Covenant discovers that he is on Kevin’s Watch again. Who summoned him? Surely Triock didn’t have the lore to do so? The second companion is still a mystery. Covenant can’t see him. Then Triock calls him Rockbrother. Rockbrother? How can that be. The Giants are all dead. The second companion turns him around and Covenant receives a shock. Staring him in the face is Saltheart Foamfollower!

All Covenant can say is “Foamfollower, I’m sorry.”

There is so much pain in meeting these two. The Land changed. Hurtloam has retreated in the face of Foul’s winter. Yet Triock tries to heal Covenant. Using the staff of lomillialor, Triock tries to heal Covenant from his cold. The high wood’s touch receives an answer from the white gold. Covenant is partially healed.

The rest of the chapter is basically of Foamfollower avoiding telling his tale of how Foamfollower escaped death with the Giants. About Triock's suspicion of the Unbeliver. But there is no resolution of those matters. They will wait for another day.

[Furls Fire]

I, too have always wondered if Foul was trying to get Covenant during that summoning as well. I remember when I read TPTP for the first time (many many moons ago) I was surprised at who the summoners were. I assumed that he would just be resummoned again by Mhoram. I didn't think about the Forestals though. I assumed the smell of "a tree's heart sap" came from the Lomillialor itself, being that it is High Wood. But, now I see that it could have been possible too that Caer-Cavaral helped as well.

[caamora]

I think that Earthpower is there for anyone who desires to use it. I never got the impression that there was any force other than Triok and Foamfollower to summon TC. They had the high wood, they knew the song, they certainly had the desire and passion to do the summoning - so, I say, why not just them? I agree that the tree sap smell was high wood. I would think also, that the green glow that Covenant saw was from the Illearth Stone (which we all know that ! )and Elena wielding the Staff of Law under it.

[Foamfollower1013]

A Giant? Covenant thought dumbly. For the first time, he noticed the size of the hands which supported him. They were twice as big as his. They turned him lightly, lifted him into the air as if he were weightless.

He found himself looking up into the face of Saltheart Foamfollower.

The Giant did not appear to have changed much since Covenant had last seen him. His short, stiff iron hair was greyer and longer, and deep lines of care furrowed his forehead, on which the mark of the wound he had received at the battle of Soaring Woodhelven was barely visible; but his deep-set eyes still flashed like enthusiastic gems from under the massive fortification of his brows, and his lips curled wryly around a smile of welcome. Looking at him, Covenant could think of nothing except that he had not said goodbye to the Giant when they had parted in Treacher's Gorge. Foamfollower had befriended him - and he had not even returned that friendship to the extent of one farewell. Shame pushed his eyes from Foamfollower's face. He glanced down the Giant's gnarled, oaklike frame. There he saw that Foamfollower's heavy leather jerkin and leggings were tattered and rent, and under many of the tears were battle scars, both old and new. The newest ones hurt him as if they had been cut into his own flesh.

"Foamfollower," he croaked. "I'm sorry."

--------------------

Yay! Foamfollower is back!

~Foamy~

[Furls Fire]

LOL! I was also very happy to see our favorite Giant back in TPTP...I remember I was sitting in US History class, reading it, when I was supposed to be outlining, and when I read it was Foamfollower I let out a "YES!"

My book was taken away until the end of class that day

[[Syl]]

Hahaha. I've been there, Furls.

Great dissection, Damelon with some good questions raised.

[Fist and Faith]

I suppose that, if a Forestal had taken part in the summoning, he would have had to die before Covenant went back to his world. Which we know did not happen.

[Furls Fire]

Good point, I hadn't thought of that.

[Damelon]

The Defense of Mithil Stonedown

The chapter opens with the approach of danger. Watch fires are seen approaching Mithil Stonedown from the South Plains. They felt the exertion of power on Kevin’s Watch they would not be friendly. The Stonedowners have decided to fight, this time, for their homes.

The tension between Covenant and Triock is great:

“He did not overtake Triock until they were almost at the bottom of the hill. There Covenant grabbed his arm, stopped him, and panted steamily into his face, “Don’t forgive me. Don’t do any more violence to yourself for me. Just give me a weapon so I can defend myself.”
Triock struck Covenant’s hand away. “A weapon Unbeliever?” he barked. “Use your ring.”

Triock is, on the whole, disgusted with Covenant’s possession of great power, but his apparent refusal to use it.

The marauders approach Mithil Stonedown, Covenant gets a glimpse of them:

Most of them were vaguely human in outline. But their features were tormented, grotesquely arranged, as if some potent fist had clenched them at birth, twisting them beyond all recognition. Eyes were out of place, malformed; noses and mouths bulged in skin that was contorted like clay which had been squeezed between strong fingers; and in some cases all the flesh of face and scalp oozed fluid as if the entire head were a running sore.

And the three vilest creatures:

These three were as blind and hairless as if they had been spawned from ur-viles, but they had neither ears nor noses. Their small heads sat necklessly on their immense shoulders. At the bottom of trunks as big as hogsheads, their short legs protruded like braces, and their heavy arms were long enough to reach the ground. From shoulder to fingertip, the inner surfaces of their arms were covered with suckers. Together, they seemed to ripple in Covenant’s sight, as if within them they carried so much ill might that his unwarped eyes could not discern their limits.

This warping is yet another example of Foul’s contempt for life. His favorite method of evil, warping life. Also it a foreshadowing of what he will do millennia hence.

These creatures begin the destruction of the Stonedown. Then a woman screamed and ran to confront the warped creatures. Covenant chased her. The woman leaped forward, stabbing the lead creature. Covenant’s pursuit was so headlong that he fell in beside her amongst the creatures.

Surrounded by the creatures, Covenant remembered Mhoram’s old trick. Brandishing his ring he startled the creatures, then he grabbed the woman’s hand and began to run.

Getting to a safe vantage point, he crept up on some rocks to watch the battle that erupted in the Stonedown.

The woman then by a short conversation that they have on the rocks, infers that she knows Covenant well. The recognition hit him hard. The woman was Lena. Lena aged. Appearing to Covenant’s sight as being in her mid sixties. She has a misfocused look, “like the confusion of madness”. She believes that she has kept herself the same for him.

The Stonedowners defeated the marauders. Triock and Foamfollower survived but are wounded.

Covenant comes to a decision. He asks the stonedowners to get word to Mhoram of what is happening. He tells them to use the lomilliallor staff. He tells them to tell Mhoram that he intends to go to Foul’s Creche and confront the Despiser.

Triock tells him that he will only attempt to send the message to Mhoram. He does not intend to violate his Oath of Peace now. “Without the oath, I would have slain the Unbeliever seven and forty years ago.”

[danlo]

Don't don't think I've ever been so on edge in the entire Chronicles as I have been in this chapter. The power and sheer "alieness" of the creatures you just described constantly took me somewhere "else" both times I've read it. I, truly, did not see any way anyone could have survived this attack. I was mezmerised, and had to wake myself up a number of times from saying stuff like: Is this really Donaldson writting this? Am I reading science fiction as opposed to fantasy and are we still in the Land or on some creepy "Lovecraftian" alien planet? It scared the living hellfire out of me--and I'm still in awe of it.

After TIW I didn't know how SRD could raise the bar of intensity any higher, but The Defense of Mithil Stonedown not only blew the ball out of the park-it blew it sheer out of the county!

[Fist and Faith]

OK, danlo's kinda lukewarm about this chapter. Any other opinions?

[Kinslaughterer]

I think that Foul has actually miscalculated this situation. First I'm not sure that he realizes that those such as Triock and Foamfollower are capable of summoning TC. His focus is on Revelstone, where he assumes Covenant we'll be after the Lords summon him.
It seems Foul never wanted to TC to act directly against him. He simply wanted/expected him to despair, fear, and be generally impotent as before. Foul's mistake comes in the making of such vile creatures and the attacks they launch on places like Mithil Stonedown. Covenant is seeing things he cared for, although his overall belief is in question, being destroyed again and this time he is pushed to act.

Superb synopsis, Damelon.

[duchess of malfi]

Yes, very well done analysis, Damelon!

I agree with you, Kin. I don't think Foul thought that TC would be anywhere other than Revelstone...he underestimated Mhoram's strength of character in allowing TC to go free, and he also underestimated the other people of the Land, in that two of them found a way to perform a summons...and indeed, he also underestimated TC himself. Saving that little girl started TC on the path to personal redemption, and he is now beginning to pull himself out of his depression and despair...

[Furls Fire]

It also doesn't matter to Covenant anymore if he's dreaming or not. He's pretty much fed up with Foul...so enough already..."I'm going to bring Foul's Creche down around his ears." It's also the beginning of Covenant no longer being a "follower", He had followed everyone's lead in the first two books..Atarian, Foamfollower, Prothall, Elena...Now it's him who makes the decision of where to go and what do to.

[Fist and Faith]

My favorite quote is by Foamfollower:

"What can he do? Revelstone is besieged by an army as unanswerable as the Desert. High Lord Mhoram and all the Council are prisoners in Lord's Keep. We are less helpless than they."

"Triock, you're making a big mistake if you ever assume that Mhoram is helpless."

"The Unbeliever speaks truly," Foamfollower said. "The son of Variol is a man of many resources. Much that may appear impossible is possible for him."

[Foamfollower1013]

He leaned panting against the stone. "Foamfollower."

The Giant bent near him. "Yes, my friend."

"Foamfollower - I can't make it alone."

Chuckling gently, Foamfollower said, "Nor can I. My friend, there is comfort - in some companionships." He lifted Covenant effortlessly into his arms, carried him in a half-sitting position so that Covenant could see ahead. Though he only needed one arm to bear Covenant's weight, he put the graveling pot into Covenant's hands. The warm light revealed that Foamfollower was grinning as he said, "This is hazardous for me. It is possible that being of use may become a dangerous habit."

Gruffly, Covenant muttered, "That sounds like something I might say."

Snow slowly thickened in the air. The flakes danced like motes of obscurity across Covenant's vision, and the strain of his fierce stare made his unhealed forehead throb as if his skull were crippled with cracks. But he did not relent, could not relent now. "There's only one good answer to someone like Foul." Yet in spite of his anger, he found that he could not meet Foamfollower's gaze.

"What answer?"

Involuntarily, Covenant's fingers bent into claws. "I'm going to bring Foul's Creche down around his ears."

"It is the wild magic, Triock," Foamfollower said as if he were pleading on Covenant's behalf, "the wild magic which destroys Peace. You have heard the song. White gold surpasses all Oaths."

"Yet I will retain my own. Without the Oath, I would have slain the Unbeliever seven and forty years ago. Let him accept that, and be content."

Softly, the Giant said, "I hear you, my friend. You are worthy of the Land you serve."

-------------------

Covenant takes action (finally)! He's going to bring Foul's Creche down around his ears - yay!

This is when I finally started to warm to Covenant. I got really sick of him slogging around after everyone else in the first two books. I was really glad he finally decided to put all his doubts and psychoses aside and take the initiative!

~Foamy~

[danlo]

Wow! (I'm rereading, but have nothing to add after that!...) (Caam! Are you ready? )

[Cord Hurn]

Triock gets a lot of empathy from me in these chapters, because it's so hard for him to see his beloved Lena is still smitten by Covenant.

[Cord Hurn]

Gradually, Covenant saw that the man had the square face and broad shoulders of a Stonedowner. His features were lost in shadow, but woven into the shoulders of his thick, fur-lined cloak was a curious pattern of crossed lightning--a pattern Covenant had seen somewhere before. But he was still too bemused with fog and shock to trace the memory.

He tried to sit up. The man helped him, braced him in that position. For a moment, his gaze wandered. He found that he was on a circular stone platform edged by a low wall. He could see nothing but sky beyond the parapet. The cold blue void held his eyes as if it were beckoning to him; it appealed to his emptiness. He had to wrestle his gaze to focus on the Stonedowner.

From this angle, the sun illuminated the man's face. With his gray-black hair and weathered cheeks, he appeared to be in his mid-sixties, but age was not his dominant feature. His visage created a self-contradictory impression. He had a hard, bitter mouth which had eaten sour bread for so long that it had forgotten the taste of sweetness, but his eyes were couched in fine lines of supplication, as if he had spent years looking skyward and begging the sun not to blind him. He was a man who had been hurt and had not easily borne the cost.

This description of Triock is well done, making it easy for me to visualize him. What surprises me upon this re-read is the description of his supplicating eyes, as it reveals the softer, more flexible, more self-questioning part of Triock's nature. Triock may indeed have a harsh sense of mercy, but he's not some implacable, immoveable judge.