Kevin's Watch

Reading this post after so many years made me weep. Funny because I never get so passionate about the refuse i usually write but this was from the heart, the the one I have now echoes the one I had then.

Ah Elena, a lifelong love I have for you.

I really liked it too, and have always had a soft spot for Elena. I think you do SRD's poetic style very well...

Interesting also to read the subsequent discussion now with the hindsight and extra information afforded by Runes of the Earth.

*bows* thank you i'm humbled by your words. I still need to read the new series, embarassing but I guess but i'm looking forward to it.

WOW. This should be moved to the Hall of Gifts.


I understand your deep feelings about Elena. I was haunted by the fate of the three bloodguard on the mission to search, and wrote a piece about that (which I am still finishing part 3..) It is exactly that quality of writing by SRD that gathers such as we here.




Awesome job

At least Elena was given opportunity to laugh over the despiser with the other Lords.

And for what it's also worth, there is something in Elena's mistake that unlocked the secret of the Ritual of Descration to Lord Mhoram, which helped Mhoram to destroy a portion of the Illearth Stone.

In the stories, victory can also be defeat.... but also defeat can be a victory.

Great writing. I like the manner of language used too, I don't know what about it, but it feels like it would fit into the world of the character.

iQ wrote:This should be moved to the Hall of Gifts.

...no I like it too much, they'll never take it away form me!

Just read and loved it. Really awesome !!!

Lament, this is an absolutely awesome piece! Truly inspired, I hate to offer ANY criticism of it -even if it is only about a technicality and has nothing to do with(and does not take away from) the quality of the piece itself- nevertheless, in your piece you called Elena the LAST of the GREAT high lords and I must speak up for Mhoram and defend his honor. After reading "Lord Mhoram's Victory" how can he NOT be the last great high lord? Just a thought.

Great effort Lament!

Elena was certainly a captivating character - SRD captured her allure and strength, and finally her insanity, exceedingly well.

For what its worth, I think the Ranyhin did have a purpose in taking Elena to the horserite beyond honouring TC. They knew the servants of the land were to be tested in the coming generation in a way that hadn't happened in thousands of years, and they were trying to give Elena something of their knowledge and wisdom to equip her to help the land in its need. Why they chose her, possibly because they sensed a potential greatness in her, or maybe she was the only child they'd had ride them, is an interesting question. They certainly weren't trying to USE her, IMO, but rather help her. Unfortunately she misunderstood their lesson and it, combined with the wrong opportunity at the wrong time, and some manipulation by TC, led her to her disaster.

I think its there another interesting question in that to what extent is Triock meant to be embittered and to what extent is he speaking for SRD when he claims that Elena was flawed from birth? Is SRD arguing, and there are lines that certainly suggest this, that Elena's tragedy could in one way be entirely laid at the feet of TC's crime against Lena, and that the whole event was a form of punishment against TC for his crime. The idea that your misdeeds will haunt you and grow in consequence, especially when you don't fully attempt to heal them or atone for them, is one thing. Arguing that because she was the child of rape she was incapable of ever being anything other than a failure/tragedy/disaster is another, and seems very harsh. Do people think that SRD is in fact arguing that?

Would you called her Elena Vowbreaker ? I would have though that title for the Bloodguard. Like Bannor Vowbreaker.

Elena broke the law of death or the ability of the dead to roam the land.

Wouldn't she be called Elena Lawbreaker or Elena Deathreaver? Then of course she was referred as Elena Foulwife.

Great poem.

I think Mhoram's Revenge may be right- although it is overly harsh I do believe that it is being asserted that Eleana was flawed and Elena's tragedy was (at worst) predetermined by Covenant's crime or (at least) the seed of what happened was planted by his crime.